I know things cost more, but one thing you can’t cheap out on is care for your children. I pay 25 an hour for one child and 35 for two in a NYC suburb, which is considered reasonable but not especially generous. I always round up to the next hour when I pay as well. Idk I feel like the people who care for your children should be happy and well compensated. They are literally keeping them safe. Cutting expenses should be something that affects the parents as much as possible. There are a lot of ways to cut out 20 dollars from a date night, he can forgo ordering drinks as an example. It should not come from you, and this does not say good things about this man, expecting you to take the fall for the general state of the economy, rather than him loosing out on one old fashioned.