This post was sponsored, and paid for, by SunTrust. All opinions are my own.
My mommy was a ballerina. She wanted me to be a dancer too, but I’m more like Carlton Banks than Misty Copeland when it comes to dance. Actually, I’m more like Usain Bolt because I can sprint my booty off!
Unlike me, Kaya seems to be born to dance, and my mom loves it. Remember her “Despacito” groove? My aunt has already purchased tutus and leotards for her, and she hasn’t even started a class yet! She will soon, though. My husband and I have priced out a few places nearby and got reviews from parents of current students.
Right now, Rohan and Kaya are in soccer and swim. They both love it and have a lot of fun. Kai swears she’s Michael Phelps, but the poor little thing sinks like a stone. At 3 and 5, it’s still “friendly” and fun, but people take child sports SO seriously down here in Florida.
I know some kids are on school teams, travel teams and neighborhood teams. It’s a lot. Like, when do they get a chance to chill? And, are parents mortgaging their houses to pay for these doggone teams?
Rohan has mentioned wanting to do martial arts and with Kaya eventually doing dance, we’ll have a hefty chunk of money to put down on these extracurricular activities.
I put some of my blog money aside to save for the kids’ expenses, but I have to start taking this upcoming hit to the budget more seriously.
So I tried out the SunTrust budgeting worksheet tool here.
I’m a budgeter in general, so this was right up my alley. The sheet comes pre-filled with a few categories, but allows you to add in things for yourself. One thing I didn’t take into consideration that is included here are private coaching and lessons. Good lookin’ out, SunTrust!
So far, I have put in my estimated costs, and once the kids start up I’ll be able to use the tool with John to move money around appropriately. It got John more into the finances, too. I’m glad I tried it.
You should try it too if you also have kids in sports and activities. Don’t forget to budget for things like travel to games in and out of the area, hotel stays, new equipment, and of course, the many uniforms and footwear that they’ll constantly outgrow. Not to mention eating on the road, extra snacks to pack, child care, and more.
I don’t know if we’ll ever be a “travel team” kind of family. I’m not opposed to it if the kids’ desire and their talents take them in that direction. Until then, I’ll just be grateful they’re young and not that good at anything yet! Haha. #realtalk
I ran track in high school and college, and sometimes wonder what would or could have happened if I (or my parents) had taken my sports more seriously when I was younger. I won’t let Ro or Kai have to wonder “what if” in the event they rock out at some sport or activity.
SunTrust has great articles to help you plan your finances while keeping your children’s activities top of mind. Visit onUp.com to learn more. Don’t forget to try the budgeting worksheet too.
Raising a child in this generation can be quite expensive, especially when you want to expose them to opportunities you didn’t have. I’m glad I stumbled on this article because I’ll incorporate this tool into future planning – seems extremely helpful and convenient!
The timing of this post is perfect because we need all the tricks and tips to save for the kids extracurriculars! Our oldest is learning the piano at school so we unexpectedly had to budget for a keyboard. We caught a $99 deal for 6 weeks of martial arts for the youngest but now the oldest wants to do it too. Now more than ever as their interests grow we need to budget! Thanks, downloading and sent the link to the hubs.
I knew children would be costly, but man – it’s even more pricey with children who like exploring different hobbies. Definitely going to try out the tool; it’s a great way to give my brain a little break.
Dude. I swear if I would have known how expensive these kids activities were I would have reconsidered having my third wish
I kid entirely but it’s great that Suntrust has this help here! Just today I took out a bunch of books from the library focusing on financial health so I’ll add these to the reading!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Just downloaded the Suntrust spreadsheet. Very thorough and easy to use. Thanks for the tip.
I’m going to have to try this tool out. I’ve been a SunTrust customer for over 15 years so this may be a great idea for me. As far as activities, our rule is 1 activity per kid, per year. Swimming lessons don’t count since that’s a life skill but you’re right. It gets SO pricey. However, I will say…major perks have come from having Elle in gymnastics since she was 3. She knows how to push past things that are hard for her, has learned how to work on a team has developed a passion. Totally worth it!
Children can be so expensive. Planning and budgeting definitely helps alleviate the stress and anxiety.
Great post.
Sweet! I’e been looking for a budgeting tool to help me manage my money. The boys are in capoeira and it costs quite a bit for the year.This will be a big help to figure out where we can save!
Yay that is awesome. PS Capoeira?! That’s so cool. How do they like it?