The following is excerpted from an online article posted by Parents
Raising children has always been expensive, but things have gotten out of hand over the last few years, with the price of groceries, gas, and just about everything else exploding due to inflation.
For example, according to the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, in 2024, the average U.S. family spent $1016 on their child’s primary sports. This figure represented a 46% increase since 2019. And it’s not just sports. Dance and voice lessons, martial arts, music instruction, coding classes, visual arts—you name it, nearly every extracurricular comes with a hefty price tag these days.
A 2024 survey from GOBankingRates found that 48% of parents spend less than $1000 per year on extracurriculars. But the majority—52%—report that they spend more than that, with 12% sharing that they spend over $3000 a year on kid activities.
Tips for How Parents Can Budget For Pricey Extracurriculars
1) Set a strict budget for extracurriculars
Go into each new year with a budget for how much you are expecting to spend on extracurriculars and then stick to this budget, says Schneider.
2) Scout out more affordable options
Opt for programs available through your local parks and recreation department which will have much more affordable extracurriculars and sports options compared to pricey private teams. School or community centers will also usually have much more affordable options, too, she says.
3) Shop for used gear
Sports and dance gear really add up in price, but things are a lot cheaper if you buy it used. “I love platforms like Facebook Marketplace for this,” says Sandberg. “A lot of people are getting rid of what their children had for either free or cheap.”