I hate money

minervacullen

Seriously, how do people afford putting their kids into dance, gymnastics, martial arts...? I just don't know.

I thought I'd sign DD up for tumbling or music. Lol, no. Then I looked into gymnastics and karate for DS. Good grief. We could even get a slight discount for karate because DH is a black belt at that dojo.

I'm so frustrated. I feel bad that I can't gives kids the experiences their peers are getting. DH makes good money, it just ugh!

FrickandFrack

We have been lucky to be able to afford one thing twice a year which is soccer. I'm not sure what we will do once DS2 is old enough to play. Hopefully we will have way more money by then.

angelashly

I am with you.

ks3pink

I feel your pain! We spend $79 per month for 2 dance classes. The additional fees are $75 recital fee and whatever the costumes cost, usually around $50 per class. Plus shoes but so far I have been able to get hand me downs on those. The Wednesday night class at our church cost $25 per school year. Then summer camp for church is $40 for one week and dance camp is $120 for one week. This is just for one child. The more I have thought about my boys getting older the more I have realized I need more money. I just applied to grad school. The things we do for our kids!

lisaren

Do you have any youth sport type places? Like within the county? That's usually way more cheaper then private entities.
Also check the ymca, they have very affordable classes and offer financial aid.

minervacullen

We don't have a YMCA.

DS does soccer in the fall and both kids are doing swimming lessons at the aquatic center right now. But it's still a strain.

The tumbling was $80 a month, dance for DD $180, karate $80 plus an initial fee for a gi, music was $120 for a session of idk how many, gymnastics for DS would be $140ish.

I have a $200 a month student loan payment that sucks the $$. I don't even work, I feel like it was such a waste.

minervacullen

@PrivacyWanted‌ most of that we'd probably be able to afford. But I don't think anything is offered except sports through the city.

DS is always talking about how this friend does this or that and it sucks.

I need to purge the house and go on an eBay selling spree.

minervacullen

I just looked at the city rec and they do have gymnastics for a few weeks for 40-50. I'll have to wait until the new season starts though.

With DS and soccer, since we are city residents it's $35 and that includes a team T-shirt and ball. I think all of his shorts and shin guards will still fit, but I'll need to buy new shoes.

Like @CTGirl30‌ said though, even at 7 years old he isn't overly passionate about anything. I think if he was like "I LOVE karate!" We'd suck it up and manage.

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MrsT0514

Yep, money sucks, for sure. We're a typical, middle class family, and MH works a blue collar job for sure. I feel like we fight a perpetual sink/float money battle. I can only hope that we can find affordable activities that the kids will love when they get to that age. Money is stressful.

chardonnay24

We take a ton of stuff through our local parks department. I'm paying $14 for 3 hours of summer camp once a week, which includes snack - which is about half the price of a babysitter! We pay $50 for 10 swim lessons (private because of my kid's ASD), $25/month for tumbling, and $35/month for music class. I looked into circus classes through a local troupe a while back and nearly died of shock when I found out they were $16/class - $160 for 10 weeks.

ETA: I totally feel you on the student loan payment thing. I pay over $1k/month for my loans and have barely worked since my kid was born. He had always been challenging and was recently diagnosed with ASD and I feel like it would be next to impossible for me to work and still be able to do therapy, appointments, evaluations, etc. It's the best thing for him and our family right now, but I die every month that I pay that stupid bill.

LC122

$16/class is actually what a lot of activities average out to in our town. Music, gymnastics, etc.. When we consider a new idea for an activity, that is the range I use for comparison.

ferris0906

Agreed...kid classes are way, way too expensive.

However, maybe take solace in this article?  It's an initial study (granted it finds correlation not causation) between higher executive functioning skills (ability to organize, make decisions, etc.) and non-structured activities where the kid is in charge or deciding what he or she wants to do.  

Just a thought! 

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FalconCrest

DD1 so far has done ballet ($30/mont from Sept-June, not including the recital costume of $75 2x a year), rec soccer ($60 for 8 week session) and softball ($60 for 8 week session).  I really want her to do gymnastics, but it is more than I would like to spend ($180 for 8 weeks).  DS is 4 and will be doing his first extra curricular in the fall- soccer.


Our parents have given the kids $ toward their activities for Christmas and Birthdays, so that can hep with the cost.  Kids are expensive

lildevil968

DD loves to play soccer, and where we live it is very expensive. We're talking almost $400 for the year, plus tournament fee's. DH and I have to save all year in order to sign her up for the year. Right after we pay all the fee's, tournament fee's, etc, we start saving for next year. I'm afraid to see what it will cost when the team goes competitive next year, and traveling the year after that. Hopefully we will be able to find sponsors in order to offset the cost of everything.

lildevil968

Spooko said:

@lildevil968, are there any other local communities nearby she could play for? Our soccer group is the second cheapest in the area. There are definitely some in that higher range but there are lower costing programs like ours that are relatively close to the other groups. Is that something you could do?

The nearest community with a soccer program is 35 miles away, and it would be extremely hard for myself, and DH to get her to practice. That means we would have to drive the 35 miles home, pick DD up, and drive the 35 miles back to town for practice, and then turn around and do the 35 miles home again. That would be 3-4 times a week. In the end when we factor in the cost of Gas, it would be around the same price if we just kept her on the local team.

steponalego11

This thread makes me reconsider wanting to go back to being a SAHM. I don't know how my parents did it with 4 kids on way less money than dh and I make.

lildevil968

Hopefully this year our league can pick up sponsors to at least pay the tournament fee's, or we might be doing a shit ton of fundraisers for all the teams!

JunkieBrewster

I'm in Atlanta. Soccer ran us about $125 for 8 weeks, T-ball and baseball about $90.

Team sports were not my little guy's thing, so we're now doing Taekwondo.

It's pretty expensive, about $125 a month, plus $40 belt testing fees, sparring gear was about $200, and then there are camps etc.

We can afford it, barely but we make do because it's been SO beneficial to his ADHD and related focus issues.