This year has been busy. I took a step back from the blog as I tried to figure out my family's direction. The kids are no longer toddlers, but now a preschooler and a brand new kindergartner. We've gone from just swim as an activity to soccer and ballet. Once school school started, my son added a couple of after school clubs as well. He's a character, the class clown at heart, so I signed him up for a drama style club. He's also taking a cooking club because everyone can stand to learn a couple simple recipes. However, with this has come other expenses.
The activities themselves are not so expensive. It is the cost of all the required pieces. Soccer-- ball, cleats (he needed indoor and outdoor cleats), socks, bag, water bottle, shin guards...I'm sure I'm leaving something out. The uniform was apart of the cost of the fee. Then ballet--leotard, shoes, bun maker, tights, bag and something as a cover up. Drama as costumes, cooking required a bowl and spoon (not bad at all), and swim needs towels, bags, a cap, goggles, etc. I'm not complaining, just realizing trying to raise a well rounded child requires a financial investment early on. Typing those lists out made me tired just thinking of it. I'm thankful we are able to give them pieces of a childhood our parents were able to give us. Everything has gotten to be so expensive, that $20 doesn't go as far as it use to. Everything requires shoes and a bag!
To help mange things, I keep budgets of items the kids need for the activities they love (ballet, soccer, clubs) and the things that my husband and I are forcing them to learn (against their will), swim. I create lists and save items to shopping carts for later purchases. For example, I'll open a store's app or site, and see what it on sale. Find the items I need at different stores and click, "save for later." From there I decide which store coupons I can apply to get the best deals. I am able to see a real life total, so I know how much I need. I am also able to know if we can realistically afford certain activities. Lastly, I purchase what I need right now, and keep the rest saved for a later purchase. At a later date, I don't have to go back looking through sites for what I want, as it is already saved to my account.
The thing is, once I have purchased the requirements for an activity, we are able to use those items again. It also frees p money to add another activity later on. Example, my son already has soccer items. Once the next season rolls around, I only had to pay the activity fee. He is able to use the same bag, ball, etc. again. I may have to replace so items he's outgrown. However, I will not have to buy EVERYTHING at one time. It's even better when I am able to use the same items for different activities. Example, Crocs are used for ballet and swim. My daughter is able to put on her ballet shoes and her Crocs at the same time. It's perfect when when we are in a rush because we are late. She is also able to wear the same coverups, which are just daycare clothes, shorts or dresses. Now, the only issue is how to manage my time as a Family Activities Director.
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November 2023
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