Kids and activities - how much do you spend? - Page 3

[wildmonkeys]

I have never even added it up...

My 3 year old is home ft, no ps, and so seemingly free, but I do take him on "outings" during the day - so maybe $15 per month. ($175 per year)

My 6 year old Fall activity ($65) - winter basketball ($65.00) spring baseball ($125.00) - summer camp ($100.00) so ($350.00ish)

My 10 year old has free trumpet lessons at school, but since we rent $30 per month so ($360.00) - a fall activity ($100) - Fencing ($120.00) - Spring Baseball ($175.00) - summer camp ($150.00) so...$900.000ish

$1,400.00 - $1,500.00 would be a good estimate...with works great since I have been budgeting in $120.00 per month without ever having done this

[AAK]

We also homeschool the two oldest:

My 10 yr old takes piano 60/month (we take July/August off)-- so 600 for the year.
Girl Scouts $6/month dues + $10 one time fee for the council (yearly total is $70)
She does local theater (free except our tickets--$20)
She does one CYT thing a year (class & production==$400)
She plays basketball-- season was $100
Last summer she did 2 small sports camps through our school district--$80 total
And she took some riding lessons over the summer--$100
Spanish immersion camp $100

$1470 total for the 10 yr old.

For my 7 year old
Piano $60/month ($600/year)
Soccer $80 covers both fall and spring
Dance $450 covers tuition and recital expenses
Girl scouts (same as above) $70
Last summer she did a soccer camp $40
and riding lessons $100

So, her total is $1340

My littlest is 4
She goes to preschool 3 mornings/week $100/month ($1000/year)
She did a small camp last summer through the parks dept $75

So, her total is $1075/year


Wow, I really thought we spent a lot more on the 10 yr old than the 7 yr old. Hmmm. Anyways, this summer the kids will only be doing the riding lessons. The soccer camp that was perfect for us isn't happening and we aren't "intensive" when it comes to sports, so the other camps aren't what we are looking for. We may do swim lessons since we didn't do them over winter. But, all in all, I expect it to look about the same next year. Except, the littlest wants to be in something--probably soccer for her since it isn't an all year thing.

Amy

[texmati]

this is terrifying!

[TiredX2]

From September 1, 2009 through today we have spent $2080.25 on the kids extracurricular classes

DD is 11. She does:
Math Club
ACT Club
Destination Imagination
Orchestra (Violin)
Fall Soccer
Winter Basketball

Math Club, ACT Club & DI are "virtually" free--- under $100 per year for participation.

At the beginning of May she will start rock climbing at $120/month.

DS is 8. He does:
Destination Imagination
Orchestra (Viola)
Fall Soccer
Winter Basketball
Spring Soccer

The biggest single expense this year has been instrument! We pay $39 a month for DS' viola. I consider that an *excellent* deal, though, because orchestra itself is only $10 for the entire year. They both dropped gymnasitics this year which was, obviously, a huge cost savings.

Starting in June the both plan on taking archery classes (very good deal at only like $50/month each). Over the summer they may do swim team (DD) or diving team (DS).

We are currently scheduling a private lesson for DS on the viola. I think that will be $35/half hour. If it goes well, we may do them for both kids over the summer--- so $700 for the summer I'll see if we can go every other week, though, and get that down to $350 instead. We have $3K budgeted for lessons/classes this financial year (we run a September through August budget) so hopefully we'll make it.

On our "future budgeting priorities" (so, when DP gets a raise, or "???" somehow we have more money in our budget) we have an additional $1200 for lessons because we know they will only get more expensive.

[wildmonkeys]

So I said $1400 - $1500 and then I went to bed - laying in bed, I thought of all sorts of other expenses

First, my two older boys do religous ed which is about $125 total for the year.

With sporting activities, I feel I should really add in the cost of pictures and the team snack a few times a season (though not cleats and gloves and whatnot because I do a pretty good job of finding deals and the gloves/bats etc. get so much outside use by our family that they aren't just for the activities...) anyway, this is probably at least another $75 bucks per year...

I also forgot that my son is in chess club which costs another $150 a year...

In the past we have also done swimming lessons...


Next year my three year old is going to a church based preschool a couple of times a week so that will add $1750.00 for the year and the my older son has maxed out of his current fencing program and my younger son wants to try fencing so I think we will increase our fencing costs to about $500

Which means...this year is probably closer to $1850.00 and next year is going to be about $3250.00 YIKES!!!

The funny thing about this is we intentionally do less expensive camps and activities --- we could easily spend soooo much more.

It varies, as does everything on where you live, we were between houses last summer and lived in WV and I paid $50 for a soccer camp for each of my older boys that would have been about $175 here...

I have to add that this is only "organized" activities - like most of you, we like to do things like go to museums, or skiing, or ice skating, etc. that also add up. That being said, I feel like activities that enrich their lives and skills are well worth the money --- I would rather my kids know how to fence than have a new car, yk?

[*bejeweled*]

Totally know what you mean.

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

That being said, I feel like activities that enrich their lives and skills are well worth the money --- I would rather my kids know how to fence than have a new car, yk?

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

That being said, I feel like activities that enrich their lives and skills are well worth the money --- I would rather my kids know how to fence than have a new car, yk?

And I'd rather my kids know how to build a fence than have a new car, lol.

[wildmonkeys]

Chicky2 - Sooo funny you said that because we live in a fixer upper and a week from Sunday ---- my boys actually do have to help us put up a new fence

[pigpokey]

I spend a lot but save by:

Only using private gymnastics as a last resort. DD 6 does team at the Y which is about half price of the private gyms at the same level / hours. I would also consider letting her go to the county gymnastics center for team, which is even a bit cheaper. DS 5 does private gym because there are no subsidized boy's programs in the area.

Taking advantage of home school hours for swim team. We save quite a bit on swim team, plus driving sanity, through the club's home school program. Cheaper tuition than afterschool. If we didn't have gymnastics in the evenings, I could even put them on a local city's swim team which would be $140 a year for team versus what I pay -- which is a bargain at about $70 a month. But that is only offered in the evening, and I'm not sure of the quality.

DD takes advantage of studio art and jazz dance at the county rec center @$6 per hour, where the going rate for this in the private studios is $10-15 per hour.

She also does 2+ hours a week of dance in a church ministry, which is donation only, low costume expenses, and we do fund-raisers.

[laurenmck]

I just sat & figured this out last night. One 10 y/o daughter:

Cello: Lessons are free from her public school. We own the cello, it was her dad's. Summer strings camp is $30 and we probably spend $20 on miscellaneous (new strings, book, etc).

Zumba for kids: $15/month or $135/year.

She goes to Girl Scouts summer camp for a week, it is about $225 plus the $12 yearly registration fee. She doesn't do troop activities anymore.

She goes to one week-long math/science day camp and one "weekend workshop" math camp each year at Carnegie Mellon for a total of about $250.

Golf: Not including clubs (will need one more kids set before her adult set), we spend $250 on lessons, $60 on league fees, $50 on shoes, $65 on camp and about $100 on greens fees and the driving range for a total of $525 a year.

It works out to $100 a month and I think we get a lot for that. Worth every penny.

[ssantos]

Originally Posted by ryan'smom

Wow! After reading these posts, I can't believe how much is spent on children activities!

My ds is going to be 5 in the fall....prime time to start different sports/lessons, etc.....and I really can't see myself spending lots of $$ for him to participate (first of all, it's simply not in our budget)......anyone else??

I have 2 dds ages 4 and 5 1/2. My husband has been looking for a job for almost two years, so we have been trying to live very frugally. We have paid for no extracurriculars since he lost his job. That said, two things have happened that have prompted me to sign them up for swimming lessons (~$250 for both for the summer) and soccer ($400 for both for fall season).

1. I found out that the public kindergarden dd1 is starting in the fall only has P.E. once a week. Kids need as much exersize as they can get and both my kids really want to play soccer.
2. My kids have never had swimming lessons and no easy/cheap access to a swimming pool. Last week we were at a neighbor's pool and dd1 stepped off the last step and went right under. Thank God I was watching her. I jumped in fully clothed and got her out. She was fine, and the next day I signed them both up for swimming lessons.

When my husband gets a job and we can aford it, I imagine my kids will be taking a lot more lessons in the future. On a strict budget, I can justify a few lessons for health and safety reasons.

[Graceoc]

Let's see

DS 10
Spring Soccer - $60
Fall Soccer - $35
cleats - $50
other equip - $100
Choral - $600/year
swim Team - $100
swim stuff - $50
TOTAL $995

DD 8
Tennis - $300/year
tennis stuff - $150
Softball - $100
Softball Stuff - $150
FallSoftball - $100
swim team - $100
swim stuff - $75
$975

DS 5
baseball - $100
baseball stuff - $100
Swim Lessons (2 weeks) - $120
Total - $200


Zoo Camp for three older kids - $300

There is stuff I am sure I am forgeting - so about $3K/year

We still have DD age 2 that will start in a couple of years....

[RedPony]

Well, my oldest is only four (just) and, other than preschool, we haven't paid to do anything yet. I'm sure it's coming. I will try to keep things slightly less crazy and more in perspective than some of my friends/relatives do.

[4evermom]

I'm thinking I need to start teaching kids classes.