Comments on: Reader’s Question: Frugal Sports or After School Activities

By: Jenn @ Frugal Upstate

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:36:35 +0000

Thanks for letting me know. I am currently having a blog redesign implemented-hopefully that will resolve some of the issues!

By: Lee Pyotr

Lee Pyotr — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:12:13 +0000

Hey I just wanted to let you know, I actually like the piece of writing on your site. But I am utilising Chromium on a machine running version 9.10 of Ubuntu and the UI aren’t quite satisfactory. Not a strong deal, I can still essentially read the articles and research for information, but just wanted to inform you about that. The navigation bar is kind of hard to apply with the config I’m running. Keep up the good work!

By: Guest Post: Keeping After School Activities Frugal | Frugal Upstate

Guest Post: Keeping After School Activities Frugal | Frugal Upstate — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:21:17 +0000

[...] couple of weeks back I had a reader’s question on how to save money on after school activities. Long time reader and fellow blogger Jennifer contacted me saying “I started to write a [...]

By: Holly

Holly — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:20:01 +0000

Frugality for afterschool/weekend sports and activities can come in pricing various activities and shopping around for equipment. My son loves playing many different sports. He also plays several instruments and is in Scouts.

-If he expresses an interest in an activity, I try to find the cheapest option for him. (ie- he has recently changed rugby clubs due to the rising costs at his original club. Or karate- I found the least expensive classes in our area.) Shop around.

– Another is try to get equipment that will do double duty. His Football (soccer) boots and socks can be used for rugby as well. Shirts, shorts and athletic shoes can be used for more than one sport.

-Ebay, thrift shops, yard sales, other parents, the internet and discount shops are all great places to get equipment for a cheaper price.

-Try to anticipate their needs. That way you won’t go out and buy the easily available but more expensive option.

If you become a member of a club, you can sometimes cut costs of the activity. For instance, my son plays saxophone for a marching band. We pay £22 a month for about 18 hours of music instruction a month where private lessons are £20-30/hour!

Another inexpensive option is your child’s school. After school clubs are either free or very cheap (my son currently has sax and guitar lessons as well as netball free from his school). Explore many avenues. Churches have youth activities at no or low costs. You know your child is in a wholesome environment and having fun. Scouts are another wholesome, fun outlet. Some town councils have special sports day camps free or low cost too.

If you volunteer, sometimes your child will get free or reduced fees.

-Activity equipment can be a great birthday or Christmas present, esp for the older and hard-to-buy-for kids. The giver knows they’ll be used and the kid (and parents) appreciate it.

Sorry for the monologue. So many people are worried about expenses in regards to children’s activities and there are opportunities out there waiting for them that don’t always cost an arm and a leg.

A mom whose son in the past year (most of the sports seasonal) played: soccer, American football, cricket, rugby, tennis, netball, athletics, karate, piano, sax, guitar and participated in Scouts and church youth club. Pheww! Makes me tired to think of it. (Most of these activites were free or VERY cheap.)

By: Karina

Karina — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:42:52 +0000

I introduced my 7-year old to downhill skiing last winter. He loved it, and I had fun after my 19 year hiatus! It’s a very expensive sport, though. I am looking to buy my skis and boots rather than rent. When I was a kid many communities had ski swaps in the late fall where individuals could sell their old skis and boots and buy new ones for their growing kids. With the new age of Craig’s list and Ebay I don’t know how popular these still are. Anyone know of one near Rochester, NY?

By: Maggie

Maggie — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:08:44 +0000

At my house, extra cirricular sports have been a big part of managing my son’s ADHD. When we did kids wrestling club, we’d have an equipment trade night. If you were int eh sport for years, your kids got a new pari of wrestling shoes each year. They’d be barely worn before the kid outgrew them. We’d have everyone bring in their old, outgrown shoes and see what kinds of matches we could make.

Also, do online searches for equipment. Sometimes you can get a good deal and at other times the weekend sale at Dick’s Sporting Goods may be your best bet. Also, some pieces of equipment can be used year after year, a duffel bag, shin guards, heardgear… Also, you can wear soccer cleats for baseball but most leagues will not allow you to wear baseball cleats for soccer. Baseball cleats have extra cleats at the toe…

My boys have done soccer, baseball, wrestling, football and basketball and also band. As they have gotten older, the bigger expenses are realted to travling to games (admissions fees, food, hotels…) As often as you can, pack a cooler. Or, if you want to support the organization, pack drinks and plan to purchase a freshly grilled hot dog or hamburger. The hamburgers grilling on the charcoal grill at a cool football game smell so good. The burger tastes good, but the Diet coke I pull form my cooler does not taste any better than the diet coke I would purchase from the concession stand.

My over-zealous husband likes to buy our boys their own bats for baseball. And catcher’s gear. In little leagues, each team is usually supplied catcher’s gear. Get a package of wipes to wipe off the catchers mask as it goes from kid to kid. But be generous in allows teammates to use the bats ans helmets. But we did manage to find some of that equipment used.

This just reminded me that my 10 YO has his basketball shoes from last year that no longer fit and then he refused to wear as everyday shoes after the season. I will chekc the size and offer them up first to a classmate who is one of 5 kids and if they cannot use them, offer them up to the rest of the class. My son is the biggest in his class. It is a form of paying it forward. We’ve been given cleats and wrestling shoes over the years.

By: Denise@TogetherWeSave

Denise@TogetherWeSave — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:51:56 +0000

I agree after school activities can really ad up. My girls all play softball and we hand down equipment and buy used to help save. We also consign stuff we have out grown to help too.