It’ll soon be that expensive time of year again. That time when our children are not only going back to school (with all the assorted expensives involved with school: books, clothing, fees, etc.), but it’s also time for getting started back in various sports, music and hobby programs for the year. 

I’ve discovered that one of the easiest ways to cut back on expenses for children’s hobbies and sports is to limit the number of activities for each child. 

Life is full of choices and times when we can’t have everything we want at the same moment, so it’s not going to hurt a child to tell them, “You get to choose one outside activity per season.” It actually builds character in people — adults and children alike — to carefully think through their options and make a choice. 

If you have multiple children, even one activity per child still adds up to a lot of shuttling kids around to various places around town. The more driving around you do, the higher the overall cost of the activity for your family’s budget. If you can convince your children to participate in activities they can do together, you’ll save both time and money with the decreased driving time. 

If money’s tight, consider choosing sports activities based partly on the amount of equipment required. For example, track and wrestling have relatively minimum needs and smaller financial outlay, while football has a wider variety of expensive protective gear although much of it is often provided by the school or sports league — be sure to check ahead to see what’s provided and what you’ll have to purchase for yourself. 

Ask if your child’s school or local sports association has a lost and found box you can browse through. Many times they have things that have been in the box for years, or they have a time limit on items held. Some have rules like: If it’s not claimed in 90 days, the items are given to charity. Well, step right up and offer to be the “charity” where they give that old tennis rack. 

Check to see if your sports association has an used equipment exchange program. One of my kids needed a new pair of ballet slippers, but because we’d faced several major unexpected financial setbacks that month, we couldn’t afford the shoes right away. The studio owner showed us to the exchange box where we sorted through and were able to find slippers in my child’s size. 

Until you’re certain that your child’s talented or interested long-term in a particular sport, activity, or musical instrument, borrow or rent any necessary equipment. Why spend $100 for sports equipment that just ends up sitting unused and dusty in the back of a closet somewhere? 

Check the classified ads in the local paper for used sporting goods and instruments. A friend of mine who moved to
Europe recently parted with a well-cared for, high quality violin for a fraction of the price of new, so don’t assume that “used” is equal to beat up or poor quality. Follow through on a few ads and you might find a wonderful bargain. 

Garage sales, thrift stores and consignment shops are also excellent places to hunt for used sports equipment. 

Don’t forget to include in your family budget room for dues, fees and supplies for various activities. 

If money’s tight, check to see if your local organization has any scholarships or low-income programs available. 

Some schools and sports programs offer reductions in fees if the parent volunteers to help coach or help with behind the scenes work. A friend of mine volunteered several hours each month at her daughter’s dance studio. She did basic bookkeeping and housekeeping chores in exchange for free tuition for her daughter’s dance classes.