Anyone have tips for saving money on sports, musical instruments, dance, gymnastics, etc.?

1. I keep a look out for tap and ballet shoes at second-hand shops that the girls can grow into.
2. Same goes for dance and gymnastics outfits---buy second-hand.
3. At dance you could put your name on a list for a used costume for the recital.
4. Check out used sporting good stores for sport equipment. Know your prices--sometimes it's cheaper to buy it from somewhere else even brand new.
5. Some places offer a sibling discount if you have more than 1 child enrolled.

Those are great tips. Some places will give you a reduced rate if you volunteer your time in some way. It's worth inquiring about!

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Instead of joining "club" organizations you can check out the classes or clubs offered through your city'sl rec n' park department. But growing up in a volleyball and basketball household, I know that if you are a "serious" player that club is the only way to go for the kind of dedication and competition level that you desire.

I would buy whatever you can used. Especially if you are new to a sport or activity since you won't know for awhile if your kid is really going to stick with it.

Check your local consignment stores.

Ask some of the moms in your organization to trade items.

Ask the coach to sign the team up at local stores for group discounts on stuff like shoes or uniforms.

Sandra

We go through the P&R dept. for our kids sports and if you coach a team, they give you credit for one child for the next sport they play. With four kids, even having one free each time is a saver!

at our gymnastics gym there are scholarships! we get those!! That helps a little!!

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As Kellyandgirls said, check to see if there are scholarships available for that particular sport/hobby/lesson, etc. My son is able to participate at a local music school this year because of their generosity.

This has saved us TONS of money! Our kids take karate lessons, and although we get a family discount, it can still be pricey. DH and I volunteer as assistant instructors and get our adult classes for free! In the beginning, we only helped with crowd control because we didn't have any martial arts background. But, now that we are advanced, we teach the kids classes and sometimes teach the lowering ranking adults. DH will soon havehis blackbelt and has paid nothing for it! When I can return to classes (I've been MIA for a medical issue), I will only have about 12-18 months of classes until I've earned my blackbelt for free, too! Thousands of dollars saved!

There is also a mom that volunteers at the desk taking dues and doing paperwork. She gets discounts for her family, too!

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Homeschooling Mom to Daniel (13 Years), Andrew (10 Years), Stephen (8 Years) and Emily (4 Years)