{"id":9759,"date":"2016-08-17T13:02:58","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T17:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/?p=9759"},"modified":"2016-08-17T13:02:58","modified_gmt":"2016-08-17T17:02:58","slug":"tips-make-extracurricular-activities-affordable-can-get-hours-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mayahoodblog.com\/tips-make-extracurricular-activities-affordable-can-get-hours-break\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for making extracurricular activities more affordable…"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Mama, when I grow up, I want to be a baseball player”<\/p>\n

“Mama, I must have practiced hitting when I was in your tummy!”<\/p>\n

These are actual conversations with my six year old. In the winter time substitute baseball for hockey and hitting for scoring! It’s clear that my son is a huge sports fan and that means he wants to play, play, play all the time. While I’m a big believer in free play and doing most of those activities in the park as a family or with his friends, we also sign him for sports programs and camps.<\/p>\n

\"TD<\/p>\n

Since Kyle turned four, he’s been playing in a hockey league. The first year it meant games every Saturday at 7 am!!! In the Spring, he plays baseball. A few years ago we just signed him up for a program through the city. It was cheap and close to home. This year, we signed him up through a private league as he was ready to play more “seriously” (or as seriously as a five year old can play). His love for baseball has grown since then that we’ve signed him up for two weeks of baseball camp throughout the summer.<\/p>\n

\"TD<\/p>\n

However, the cost of the programs and camp add up. According to a recent TD survey, four in ten Canadian parents with children under 18 years old spend $1,000 or more on extracurricular activities per child during the school year and half of parents find budgeting for these activities stressful. Unfortunately, half of Canadian parents say they either limit the number of activities or don\u2019t sign their kids up for extracurricular activities at all due to cost.\u00a0So what’s a family to do? How do you make sure you can afford extracurricular activities?<\/p>\n

\"td<\/p>\n

Luckily, I have some tips to share on that front as I recently attended a TD event where we had some great conversation around\u00a0affording extracurricular activities for your kids. Shirley Malloy, Associate Vice President of Everyday Banking at TD offered\u00a0six great tips to make extracurricular activities affordable.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Avoid Costly Surprises<\/strong> – Think beyond just the cost of the class itself. I know that for hockey, an expensive component is the cost of the gear. Especially if your child starts young, they may have to upgrade their equipment every few years as they grow. When you budget for programs, make sure to take into account ALL costs associated, not just the price of the class.<\/li>\n
  2. Create a budget and stick to it<\/strong> – Think about the entire year and what programs your kids will be in and then add another 5 to 10% for unforeseen expenses. Include these costs in your monthly budget. You can use online budgeting tools to help you determine how much you\u2019ll be spending monthly and ensure you stay on track. Save some money on a monthly basis and even get your kids involved in the budget and saving exercise to teach them about budgeting and savings. They can never be too young to learn!<\/li>\n
  3. Shop around for discounts<\/strong> – In my experience, most programs offer discounts if you sign up early enough or sibling discounts. You can also save on equipment by buying them gently used or borrowing them from neighbours, family or friends.<\/li>\n
  4. Don’t invest too much up front<\/strong> – Before you go “all in” and spend fortunes for private\u00a0lessons or private-run programs, make sure your kid actually enjoys the program. Classes offered through the city are usually much more affordable and you can get your money back if you withdraw, even half-way through.<\/li>\n
  5. File your receipts<\/strong> – Not only will they help you with budgeting for next year’s programs, but you might be able to put some towards the 2016 fitness tax credit.<\/li>\n
  6. Return on Enjoyment<\/strong> – The most important part of an extracurricular activity should be whether or not your child is enjoying it and learning from it (whether it’s interpersonal skills, team work, or problem solving skills). Sit down with your child at the end of each month and inquire about their experience to ensure everyone is still enjoying themselves!\u00a0\"TD<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    What other tips would you share regarding budgeting for your children’s extracurricular activities?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"td<\/p>\n

    Disclaimer: I received compensation from TD as part of my participation in the #StartSaving #BacktoSchool event. The opinions, stories and kids I speak of are all (proudly) mine!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    “Mama, when I grow up, I want to be a baseball player” “Mama, I must have practiced hitting when I was in your tummy!” These are actual conversations with my six year old. In the winter time substitute baseball for hockey and hitting for scoring! It’s clear that my son is a huge sports fan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9794,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"Extracurricular activities can quickly add up. 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