How to afford summer camp
May 4, 2009 by Jennifer Chait
Filed under Kid Stuff, Seasonal Savings
Summer camp is fun for kids and sometimes necessary for working parents. However, for parents on a budget, summer camp can seem out of reach. Luckily, there are some ways to locate a less expensive camp or pay less for one, and still make sure that your kids have a safe and fun summer camp experience.
See if you can get a group deal: If you’ve got more than one kiddo, see if you can get a discount price. Most camps offer this deal. If you’re the parent of a singleton, see if the camp will give you a discount if you get some pals to sign up their kids as well. The camps want attendees, so it’s worth asking.
Work it off: Many camps offer parent volunteer programs, and some will lower your child’s attendance costs if you volunteer. Usually this means a few hours per week.
Consider day camp: Many parents think about overnight camps, but there are tons of great day camps that work with parent work schedules and can save you money as your child is there less.
Shop around: Like anything, camps vary in cost and services. You can shop the major brands of camps through a site like through the The American Camp Association but you might be able to find a less expensive camp by first checking with your child’s school, the local community centers, your local park & rec association, or your local YMCA.
The American Camp Association has some great money saving tips as well, such as…
- You can lower camp costs by registering early and by signing up for full-season attendance.
- Many camps offer “camperships”—partial or total scholarships and financial assistance. You don’t have to be dirt poor to qualify either, but you should start looking early because some camps have limited scholarships available.
- Parents should ask if the camp participates in income-eligible subsidy programs, for instance through Title XX.
- You may be able to use a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account to pay for camp. Visit the FSA Feds Web site for more information.
- Once in a while, summer camp may be considered dependent care services and thus is paid with pre-tax dollars. Visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for more information.
Is your child headed to camp this summer? Are you worried about the costs? (I sure am, I’m going to have to follow my own tips!)
A camp run by a church or non-profit (Boy/Girl Scouts, Camp Fire (now co-ed), YMCA, 4H, etc) is probably much less expensive than a privately owned/operated camp.
It’s funny that you wrote about this because I was going to write about summer camp alternatives this week. Similar topics, but different too.
I save year-round in a special account for summer camp. That helps us to not exceed our budget, too.
I saved a few dollars on the campcoupons.com website. free coupons for camp at http://www.campcoupons.blogspot.com