Consumer Corner: How to manage the cost of after-school activities

Pic: iStock

There’s loads of talk about back-to-school costs, but for many parents school costs are just the start of the financial headaches in September.

With the return to school comes the return to activities such as swimming, gymnastics, music, GAA, rugby, tennis, dancing. The list can go on, as can the costs. 

For many parents there’s the added stress of peer pressure as kids want to do something with their friends. Then there’s the stress of multiple children doing multiple activities. The costs can add up quickly once the booking starts.

Take, for example, membership to various sporting clubs. The GAA generally does not charge for training but families will have to pay a yearly membership. 

With swimming lessons, you could be hit with a double-whammy whereby the leisure complex will force parents to become members of the facility in addition to paying for the lessons. 

Given that swimming lessons are so hard to secure at the moment, desperate parents will do anything to ensure they can get lessons so their child can swim.

One parent this week spoke about how she paid out €1,790 in one week on after-school activities. She said: “The bills just kept coming in, and between my husband and myself, we realised we had just paid out €1,790 for two kids for various activities.

“This overall cost included the leisure centre where the kids do swimming lessons telling us we had to pay a membership fee of €780 on top of the €100 we had to pay for swimming lessons. It is like a tax on swimming. We never use the pool because we’re too busy with other activities.

“It is very hard to manage these costs in September, especially given that many parents may have taken parental leave in the summer and they could be down pay anyway.

“Some of the bills we were hit with included €150 for drama, €235 for tennis lessons, and €120 for rugby membership. That was just the start of it.

“It’s very hard. I know some people will say that parents should cut down on after-school activities for children, but when the kids love them or their friends are all going, it’s hard to say no, and I would prefer them at these rather than sitting in front of the TV.”

SET A BUDGET

Leah McMahon, financial adviser with Castle Capital, says parents are spoilt for choice in the range of activities that their children can sign up to, but variety of choice also brings a variety of price.

She said: “The average range of activities for primary school children is up to three per week, while for children in secondary school it could be as many as four per week.

“As a parent of a child in primary school, we currently have three activities scheduled in per week during the school term. These activities are only once a week, but once September arrives, my evening schedule is filling up and my purse is quickly leaking.

“Depending on where you are in the country, and the demand for the class, the cost of activities can vary. To take a few examples of after-school activities, swimming lessons can range from €100 to €200 per term. Gymnastics class can range from €110 to €250 per term. And the local GAA membership can cost €50 to €100 per year.

“A term is generally eight weeks, and if you break that down into cost per class, you can work out that roughly each class is approximately €10 to €25. It may be easier to do on a pay-as-you-go system if you can.”

Ms McMahon says parents should try to set a budget, and take a look at their income and expenses. From that, they can determine what they can comfortably afford.

She added: “Some research into the full cost of the activity, such as uniform, equipment etc, can also help prepare for upcoming costs associated with the activity. Also, talk to your child about what they like and don’t like. Some clubs or activities may allow the child to try out the activity before the sign-up.

“Another tip is to look for low-cost or free activities, such as the GAA, and consider group lessons, which are generally at a lower rate than if they were done independently.

“Most importantly, each household is different, and the average number of activities isn’t a rule to follow. As your children get older, you may see the number of activities reducing due to school work, and their new-found social life becomes busier.”

Frank Conway, of Moneywhizz.ie, says parents should try to understand what the costs will be before the start of the new term and factor them into personal budgets.

However, he adds that if parents are considering credit card debt to fund activities, it is best to pay that debt off as quickly as possible, and try to avoid this type of debt, which can be really expensive.