5 Ways to Save Money on Extracurricular Activities

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Allowing your kids to be active is a great idea, and it doesn’t have to bust your budget! There are ways to save money on extracurricular activities. We all know that extracurricular activities for the kids can run into some dough. Especially if you have a kid that wants to be involved in everything. One of the beauties of homeschooling is that our schedule is flexible which allows participation in many venues. That said, over the years I have discovered several different ways to save money on extracurricular activities, even when they seem out of range.

5 Ways to Save Money on Extracurricular Activities

Limit Activities to One per Season

Not every child needs to be in 3-4 different activities at once, which is why we get a little choosy. Picking one activity per season is one way to save money. When you have multiple children wanting to get involved in extracurricular activities, it can add up really fast. To make it fair, and to save my sanity, we do get a little choosy.

Check with Your Local Public School

A lot of times public schools offer inexpensive extracurricular activities, rather than the private options. Although you’re still bound to pay some type of fee, you will be able to save a lot of money by going public rather than private. While it varies by state, and sometimes by district, many schools will allow homeschool students to participate.

Volunteer

Some sport leagues allow the students of the coach to attend for free. Other sport leagues offer discounted fees when you volunteer. Offer your time in exchange for your child’s lessons. This is a very smart move, especially if you have the time to spare, but not the money.

Shop around for required equipment

Often times the extracurricular activity will require extra products not included in your team fees. Like a baseball and baseball glove to practice at home, a competition swimsuit, dance shoes or soccer cleats. Many times the team will have order forms where you can purchase these items directly. Your best bet it to shop around for the best price on these items. While the team MAY be offering the best deal, you could also end up spending a lot more than you would if you checked Amazon for the same items!

Get involved in community sponsored events

Sometimes local communities sponsor different extracurricular programs and the cost is very little for parents. Although you still are responsible for getting your child to games and practices, this could be an excellent way to save money.