How to Pay for Kid’s Activities without Breaking the Bank

If my son had his way, he would be taking tap dance, playing soccer and baseball, and taking piano and guitar lessons.  However, we simply don’t have the money or the time to put him in that many activities.  If you have children who want to explore many extracurricular activities, here are some ways to keep them active without spending more than you can afford.

1. Institute the one activity rule.  Allow your child to participate in only one activity that costs money at a time.  I instituted this policy because, while I want my son to participate in activities, I don’t want it to be a financial strain.  We have two little girls who will soon also be participating in extracurricular activities, and another motivation for this rule is so I won’t be spending my entire day in the car driving from one activity to another.
2. Pay upfront and save.  Some places allow you to pay for the entire season upfront and receive a discount.  My son is currently taking tap dance, and the dance class for nine months cost $500, but because we paid that all upfront, we received $50 off, bringing the cost down to $450.
3. Explore free options in school.  Even in elementary school there are plenty of free extracurricular activities such as choir, band and sports.  Of course, you will have to pay for the instrument or the personal equipment, but there will be no fee for the actual activity.
4. Look into park district services.  Our local park district offers many classes for kids from dance to karate to soccer at a very reasonable price.  However, I have found that you often get what you pay for.  In my experience these classes are best for small children who are just beginning to explore their interests.
5. See if you can barter.  Though many of us don’t feel comfortable doing it, bartering is alive and well.  Seeing if you can barter may be worthwhile.  When I was a teenager, I used to take piano lessons from a woman with three young kids.  I watched her girls for a few hours a week in return for free piano lessons.  At my son’s old dance studio, I used to clean the studio for two hours one Saturday a month in return for getting his lessons for free.
6. Use daily deal sites.  Many people are familiar with using daily deal sites such as Groupon and Living Social for restaurant deals, but these sites do occasionally have deals for kids’ extracurricular activities.  These vouchers can give your child the chance to try something new at a fraction of the cost for you.

Having well-rounded kids is important for both their personal development and their future college applications.  Most kids are interested in learning and practicing new activities.  As a parent, you can foster their interest without breaking the bank by using some of the strategies given.

What are your favorite ways to save on kids’ extracurricular activities?

Tagged as: kids activities