Insp by Preschool thread: How much do you spend on extra-curricular stuff?

[barkley]

i guess we are the odd balls-ZERO.

when dd wanted to learn about theatre/dance i had her audition for a community theatre production (not they kind that you pay to be in-this if you are cast there is no cost). since she was cast she had the opportunity to work with both amatures and professionals.

ds has expressed an interest in martial arts but until he shows the initiative to commit i would'nt think of spending the money for lessons, uniform and the like.

dd does go for a week of summer sleep away camp (around $400).

swimming lessons we did when they were little (maybe $25 for the entire session), tried dance (ballet, tap) but when i saw the prices they tacked on for costumes, photos, recital fees, etc. i felt it was a rip off (4 year olds who can barely stay in a straight line do not need a $100+ dollar costume they will only wear once and i won't ask family members to shell out $12 to come see the child dance for 5 minutes)-dd got bored with it and i happily disenrolled her.

i know families that spend tens of thousands on a must have extracurricular their kid has been doing for years-it started out as "ah, is'nt she the cute little cheerleader"-now it's the "i will die if i can't do cheer class, cheer camp, cheer competition..." extracurricular that has created a second mortgage on the house, no college accnt., no retirement funding...

as long as a kid knows it's a privilidge and not a right it's up to your own personal finances.

 

[grlpwrd]

martial arts for 3 older dd's $140 per month total

tumbling/pregymnastics class for 2.5yo son $40

gymnastics for 2 dd's $80

Girl Scouts - not much $$$ we spend as we keep costs down and use our fundraising $$$

gym for me, dh, and 14yo dd $60 per month

To me it's about being healthy and investing in yourself...

 

[Freyja]

Our monthly payments:

$50 for DS´s (11 years) soccer, 3 times a week for 1 hour
$50 DD´s (9) gymnastics, 2 times a week for 1 hour
$100 DD´s (9)riding, once a week 2 hours
$75 DD´s (4)ballet, once a week 45 minutes.

This does not include gear and recital outfits. This winter I have spent approx. $700 on gear for them and see more coming.

 

[Sleepy]

tried dance (ballet, tap) but when i saw the prices they tacked on for costumes, photos, recital fees, etc. i felt it was a rip off (4 year olds who can barely stay in a straight line do not need a $100+ dollar costume they will only wear once and i won't ask family members to shell out $12 to come see the child dance for 5 minutes)-dd got bored with it and i happily disenrolled her.

Sounds like you found yourself a Dolly Dinkle dance school. Happens all the time.

 

[Skatermom23]

Not sure I want to add all this up....

DD (13) figure skates:
$180 coaching fees
$136 Ice time
$120 Off ice training
* all this for skating three times a week at 2 hours a shot
$100 music lessons

DS (15) Hockey:
$550 for the season (20 games)
$100 music lessons

Not counting new equipment, extra fees, outfits, competitions etc... Teenagers sure do cost a lot!

 

[rbuzzotta]

2 DD's in competitive cheer:
$90/month tuition (I am team mom so I get a break!!)
$800 for uniforms every 3 years or so;
$230 local area competition entrance fees;
$500 out of state competition/coach fees;
$5000 travel out of state (use frequent flyer miles sometimes to reduce cost)

Season runs May to April..............practice 2-3 times per week

1 DD into snowboarding:
$300 in clothing this year
$150 for 7 weeks lessons
$200 for rental equipment for season
$100 for DH to chaperone and ski
$100 for DH rental equipment

YIKES!! I need another job!!!

My girls are happy and are physically fit................they spend more time in the gym or on the mountain then in the malls and just hanging out in town where they (I should just say my oldest since she is in high school) could get in some mischievious behavior!! LOL!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

2 kids: Gymnastics: $40 per month $400 total, Dance $60 per month, $600 totall. Costumes for dance--I think it was about $175 total. For gymnastics it was about $40. Leotards/Tights/Shoes beginning of the year was about $150. So about $1465 per year.

 

[cepmom]

all three DD's are in dance and we get a family rate so it's $195/month for 8 hours of dance all together (DD16 works at the studio assisting classes, so we also get a $30 month discount, but I usually give that money to DD since she is the one working after all and she doesn't have another job)

Costume/recital fees = $45 each girl once per year

DD16 high school dance team...no charge, but we do have to pay for 1 week of dance camp in the summer = about $200 (can't remember exact amount)

DD16 studio competition dance team fees for competition and costumes runs about $400 per year and her mandatory dance workshop is about $200 once per year

DD8 and DD5 spring soccer $25 each

DD8 Girl Scouts about $30 at the beginning of the year plus $1.00 dues every other week. Occasionally we will give extra money towards an expensive outing so all the money doesn't have to come out of the dues money ~ I gave $12 last week towards an overnight trip to the Museum of Science.

summer camps/swimming lessons for DD8 and DD5 runs about $400 for the summer....they go to various camps in our town from camping type day camp to dance camps and so on...every year it is different

 

[debster812]

DS (8YO) has discovered his 'niche'. And it's soccer.

Fall rec soccer ($35)
Indoor soccer ($80/session x 3 sessions)
Indoor soccer practice ($33 fo all winter)
Spring Travel soccer ($85 for play and uni)

He'll also be playing baseball this spring ($55)

Summer Camp (which is our day care) is $300 for a 2 week session.

 

[Bob Slydell]

DS(5): Tae Kwon Do -- $90 a month, plus $50 testing fees every month or so.
Soccer: $45 for the season, plus last summer he was in a soccer camp that was $50.
Swimming lessons: $30 a session (last year he did 3 sessions).

DS(9 months old): Nothing yet, but we're signing him up for a Little Gym class this spring.

 

[LBAK]

DD10-Soccer about $1000 per year for league fees, trainers, camps and
uniforms. More for hotels and meals during tournaments.

Basketball- League #1 CYO 125.00'
#2 Rec league 75.00
#3 Superleague 100.00

Lacrosse- Spring league 125.00
Indoor league 140.00

Saxophone lessons 86.00 per month

Art lessons 60.00 per month

DD19 went through 16 years of dance and ballroom competitions and I don't even want to add up those costs!

 

[Nancy]

Since the girls no longer do competitive dance (or any dance) my costs are almost nothing. When they were dancing, our last year was a national competition, my cost for that year was over 5,000.00!

Now two of them do school sports only, so the only thing is fees for new uniforms once in a while and the end of season awards dinner.

 

[golfgal]

DS13 runs Cross Country and Track, that is $50/sport so $100 year. He will start marching band next year and that will be a few hundred dollars, don't know for sure yet.

DD10 plays basketball in a traveling league $125/season, then we have 6 out of town tournaments, 2 are overnights so we have hotel/food costs for those. In the summer she plays soccer $65/season, out of town tournaments, but no overnights. She and her twin brother also take Saxophone lessons once/week at $10/lesson.

DS10 plays soccer as well $65/season and above sax lessons with DD10. The rest of his stuff doesn't cost anything.

When they get older though, things will be more expensive.

 

[KAMLEM]

DD age 11:
Club soccer $1,500 per year
Futsal $200 per season (in addition we spend about $5,000 a year traveling)
Town soccer $100 for fall season
Softball $200 per season
Basketball $120 per season


DD age 9:
Outdoor soccer $200 for fall and spring
Indoor soccer $300 for winter
Basketball $80 per season

 

[mom2rb]

My boys are seven.
I teach gymnastics so they get an employee discount.
Both boys
Spanish lessons, three hours a week, $120.00 a month.
Preteam twice a week, one hour $150.00 a month.
Lifetime fitness ( I use it as P.E. ) $40.00 a month.

Separate activities
DS in dance, three hours a week, $130.00 a month.
DS in chess, one private lesson a week, $60 a month.
I home school so some of their extra-curriculars count as school.

 

[chasbos]

Who asks these questions!!

Some of us just do not want to think about it! Well, maybe we do - just imagine when they are all grown and living on their own how much we will have for ourselves again!

Here is our breakdown.

DD14 - Broomball: $175
Figure Skating: $220 reg. fees (plus $75 month for lessons,
$500 skates a year, $200 new dress each year, $300 for competitions)
Soccer: $100
Field Hockey: $160
Horse Back Riding: $200

DD12 - Broomball: $175
Figure Skating: $220 reg. fees (plus $75 month for lessons,
$500 skates a year, $200 new dress each year, $300 for competitions)
Soccer: $100
Horse Back Riding: $200

DD10 - Broomball: $175
Figure Skating: $220 reg. fees (plus $75 month for lessons,
$500 skates a year, $200 new dress each year, $300 for competitions)
Soccer: $100
Horse Back Riding: $200
Swimming LEssons: $100

DD7 - Dance $900(plus $250 for costumes and dance wear)
Figure Skating: $220 reg. fees (plus $75 month for lessons,
$500 skates a year, $200 new dress each year, $300 for competitions)
Baseball: $100
Horse Back Riding: $200
Swimming LEssons: $100

And of course all of DH and my time is donated to the cause of having happy, well adjusted children!

So in my calculations (which do not include $9600 tuition for the private school they attend or the $700 for school uniform for the oldest) DH and I can go on one heck of a vacation each year after the kids are gone!

And now that I look at it - I can say it is a savings plan for my extra activities later on in life!

 

[luvmy2sams]

DD7:
~Tap/Ballet Lessons (1 hour lesson twice per week) -- $400 tuition for school year + dance recital fees. This year her costume and fees totaled $170.00.
~Piano Lessons (30 minutes once a week + 1.5 hour lab once a month) --$37.50 per month + books
~Swimming Lessons -- $11/month plus monthly membership dues of $23.00 at local YMCA
~Soccer -- $35 per season
~Softball -- $40 per season

DS is only 2 so nothing for him yet.

 

[KAMLEM]

DD14 - Broomball: $175

Maybe I'm dense, but what in the world is broomball?

 

[MamaLema]

karate $1000 per year x 2 kids = $2000
swimming $100 per year = $200

3rd DS is too young but I can't wait for him to start...not!

 

[taximomfor4]

ds6, dd7, dd12 all do Irish Dance...school costumes run anywhere from $40-$400 depending on which level and how old the costume is...BUT you enter it for resale after you are grown out of it -- it depreciates $10-30 per year. Soft shoes are up to $40 (new price), hard shoes are up to $120 (new price). Classes are 1 hour/week $253 per kid Sept-June classes.

ds6 and dd7 also play city league softball $29 each (includes the shirt, hat, and trophy).

dd7 did baton (group lesson only...$29/3 months) in place of occupational therapy, for hand strength. But we probably won't go back...she didn't like the parades.

dd12 also takes viola lessons...$15/lesson (half-hour a week). We bought the viola (rent to own, no fees).

We switch activities when we get to the expensive part. Like dd12 used to ice skate. She started at age 8, and passed a level every 8 weeks...so was done with the group lessons very quickly. Then we were looking at renting ice time, and paying a private instructor. Not for her, we were never going to go competitive so it was a huge money waster. She agreed it was time for a switch, so she joined Irish Dance. Her skating has served her well -- she is coordinated and in great shape, so learns the dances and steps quickly.