This post may earn affiliate income from links and/or review products to help support this site from the companies .
DISCLOSURE: THIS BLOG IS IN SPONSORSHIP WITH HOTELS4TEAMS, BUT ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN
Save Money on Team Sports
Kids’ activities can easily add hundreds of dollars to a family budget. From lessons to tutoring, after school “activity fees” to events with friends, keeping busy can kill a family budget. What can you do? Below are some tips to help make sure your kids’ activities don’t drain your bank account.
1. Decide when it’s good enough.
After several years of music lessons, how many more lessons does your child need? If they’re already good, can they drop the lessons and practice on their own or with the music teacher at school to continue progressing? If they aren’t good after years of lessons, perhaps it’s best to drop the lessons altogether.
2. Don’t continue activities for the social aspect alone.
It is very easy for a set of lessons to become a part of the family routine. Whether it’s ballet, karate, dance classes, or play groups, this isn’t just a block of time but part of your social life. Yet each of these activities costs money. Look at whether or not your child is there to learn or there to socialize. If they are no longer learning and it’s degenerated into a social activity, cancel the lessons and arrange play dates at their friends’ houses instead.
3. Fun and free do not have to be opposites.
When friends say they are bored and “let’s go to the roller rink / movie theater / amusement park”, challenge them to find a way to do the same thing for free or cheap.
4. Manage activity fees.
Activity fees can add between a few dollars a week and a few dollars a day to a childcare bill. These fees come from daycare trips to the movies, visiting clowns and petting zoos, and cooking lessons by cookie makers. Talk to your child care provider about finding cheaper ways of providing this entertainment.
Instead of going to the major theme park, go to a smaller, local one. Instead of the major cinema, take the kids to the second-run theater. Go to the city pool instead of the major water park. If the bills are too high or the childcare provider won’t change, look for another childcare provider.
5. Save money on team sports.
Sports help keep children active. This is good for their health. However, uniform costs, equipment purchases, and traveling to games can eat up a budget. Don’t join a traveling team unless your child is one of the top 1% of players and has a chance to go pro; if they have that skill level, try to find a public school with a top sports program instead of playing a travel team that costs thousands of dollars per year to support.
Keep uniform costs low by handing down uniforms. When someone quits the team, ask that they offer the equipment to other players at cost instead of selling it to a second hand sports shop. Also remember that a child can play sports without belonging to a formal team.
Use money saving sites for travel teams like hotels4teams to help save on travel and lodging by finding you the best deals closest to the field.
By following the above tips you should be well on your way to saving money on your kids’ activities. Above all else, remember that the enjoyment your children get from any particular activity or sport is not necessarily tied to how much money you spend. Find those activities that balance cost and enjoyment, and you will have the formula for a happy child and budget-friendly activity plan for the family.
