Parents Cost of gymnastics

[BRB]

I'm a long time lurker, but I finally got around to registering.
I just wanted to commiserate with some people who are in the same boat.

Last night, I added up the annual cost of DD's gymnastics, and it was a little bit of an eye opener for me. I came to the realization that this year will probably be our last big family vacation for a while due to the increasing cost of gymnastics each year. Starting next year, our vacations will probably consist of gymnastics meets. I don't mind; I actually love attending them and seeing the girls enjoy it. I was just surprised once I added everything up.

If you don't mind sharing, how much do you think you spend annually on gymnastics, and what level is your gymnast?

EDITED TO ADD: Oops...I meant to post this in the parents' forum. Not sure how to delete this one, so I will just post it there.

 

[bogwoppit]

I will just move your thread for you.

I decided many years ago that I wouldn't add up how much gym costs our family, but here are some of the factors.

Gym camp for 4 weeks - two weeks each a year
training fees Sept - May
summer training fees - 6 weeks
comp leo/warm up
grips, supports, hair stuff, glitter
gas
hotels
Our driving time
coaches gifts
training leos
physio therapy for 4 years!!!

AGH!!!! I am sure I could've travelled the world over if it wasn't for gym, but they do love. This year we only have one kid doing one week of camp. Food thing too as our oldest is off to JApan and middle child is on a French exchange to France!

 

[Gymnasticsgirl521]

For our little gymmmie we spend approx 8k - 10k a year on gymnastics. She is a level 4 but when you add in all the privates, open gym, leo's, meet fee's, coaches fee's and monthly tuition, hotel, gas, door fee for meets, Camps. I don't keep a running total just because I don't want to know the amount.

As a t-shirt I saw once said.
200.00 comp leo......
400.00 monthly tuition........
40 an hour for privates......
Staying on the beam...... Priceless.....

That being said our total will only go up I fiInd it easier to play dumb with how much DD is costing us. DH asked one day how much something was and when I told him, his exact words was I was happier not even knowing. Please don't tell me any more even if I ask

Good luck.

 

[Bobby]

....DH asked one day how much something was and when I told him, his exact words was I was happier not even knowing. Please don't tell me any more even if I ask ...

Ahhh - blessed be the ignorant DHs and may they ever remain so content.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

Blessed are the recreational gymnast because they still get to take family vacations!

 

[bogwoppit]

I dare one of you to add up, roughly of course, how much they have spent since their child started gym. I wonder if anyone could've bought a house? I am concerned that it might be a small bungalow, two girls, one for 10 years and one for 6 years. Hmmmm.....

 

[Granny Smith]

I don't really think about the total cost per year. There are 2 constant fees that I can add quickly: monthly tuition and monthly coaches fees, this equalled $6120 for both this year. Next year will change because our monthly tuiion is going up $50 a month so I will need to add an additional $600 to the total.

We buy comp leos ever year. I need to buy new routines every other year (floor & beam). Meets, which mostly are out of town, but we only have 1 flyaway. I've done privates but don't have a firm total on them. I think she did about 8 of them coming into this current season.

This current season I've had the added cost of a broken foot. I do have insurance, but I've had co-pays and now that she is doing PT, I have a $30 co-pay for each visit - 2x a week! It's been a costly year! This was my dd's 2nd yr at level 8.

It's been worth it though

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I do believe, Bog correct me if I'm wrong, that there was a previous post listing everyone's "annual contributions" to gymnastics!!! I know at that time I was paying over 5,000 per year. And no, I never let hubby know EXACTLY how much everything added up to! This past year has been a bit "lighter" for me b/c DD decided to go the prep op route instead of continuing w/optionals... so my cost this year has "only" been 2,640 plus the cost of any meet entry fees that we CHOOSE to attend... So let me think... Katy did three meets at an additional of 70-80.00 each, so let's say 225.00, so it's still over 3,000 per year! Yikes, I wish I hadn't done that. I thought we were saving much more $$ than that!

 

[bogwoppit]

You are right Lynne, here are links to some of the good ones. THey do not make good bedtime reading! Remembering that some gyms charge equipment fees, coach fees etc on top of tuition.

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There are a whole ton more if you use the google search bar on the left side of the page. The site search bar is not as effective.

I have never hidden how much gym costs from my hubby, but I have never written it all down and handed it to him either!

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Same here... DH knows how much her monthly tuition is, and he knows we had to pay coaching fees, etc. separately. I think we just both lived in ignorance and since I paid the actual bills, he just never asked!

Oh, and I forgot to add the coaching fees that are still required into Katy's Prep Op. program.... oh well..... like I said, ignorance IS bliss!

 

[Tim_Dad]

About $4500 here for DD's L4 season. This is expected to go up by a good third next season due to the number of distance meets. (TX, FL, CA, etc).

 

[Gymdad2]

Total cost of gym for the past 11 1/2 years, tuition, equipment, leos, meet fees, booster fees, admissions, hotels, air fare, car expenses, food and all those odds and ends comes to $70,000.00 give or take a few cents, and if I had known then what I know now, I would do it all over again.

 

[bookworm]

I would say that with both my girls who are optional gymnasts, I spend $900/month (900 X 12 = $10,800) on the tuition only...then there's the meet/coaches fees ($1500 each X 2 = 3000) and this includes none of our travel expenses ( this year we had 3 flying meets...roughly 1500 for each meet) or post season fees but as one prior poster said, knowing what I know, I would do it all again.

 

[Swiftli]

If we weren't spendning our money on nastics I am positive we would find other ways to spend it just maybe not be able to clearly understand where all our money went. We can clearly designate it as a gymnastics expense so we throw it in the bucket and can calculate totals. We would still be driving places, eating food, buying clothes(just not leos) and going on vacations...it is what we do...we live to spend...lol

I like to think of it as providing a structured enviroment where I know where my kid is and what she is doing. Keeping her mind and body involved in a sport that can only enhance her future. That to me is priceless...

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

If we weren't spendning our money on nastics I am positive we would find other ways to spend it just maybe not be able to clearly understand where all our money went. quote]

DITTO!!! I know in the past, when I've paid off a car, or something else "big" the "found money" just vanishes, lol.

That said, I am kind of afraid to add up but...here are our expenses that I can think of....
Team fees for DD #1 - since 11/2004 till 1/2010 (levels 4,5,6,7,8,8) - somewhere in the neighborhood of $350/month, plus annual registration
DD#2 since 2/2005 till now, levels 4, 5, 5, 6 same as sister
DD#1 now on JOGA team, fewer hours, less monthly

My little one has always been much younger than the teammates on her level so as a result I end up footing the entire bill for almost all sectional and state meets, somewhere in the neighborhood of $100-160 per meet just in coaches' session fees, mileage, meals

Meet fees in the neighborhood of $1000-1200 per year for USAG and USAIGC for coaching fees, but not including our own travel, meals, hotels, etc.

Plus leo's (every other year), warmups (every other yr), grips, hair products, practice leos, gymnastics camp, new routines for beam & floor

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I spend around 5,000 (level5-6) a year I think this is crazy since other sports are so much more reasonable but I had no idea when I signed her up for a class when she was 4. I had not even thought of anything like competeing. Okay I do not know if I would do it if I had known but at this point she loves it and she show such committment that I would say it is worth it. I do see her other friends at the gym that are waivering about quitting and are just not as committed as my daughter and in that case I would feel it is just not worth it. They even talk about not wanting to go to meets. So as long as daughter is loving it and not complaining about practice and loves competing I will some how manage a way to pay for it all. I do have a weakness of buying daughter leotards but I do not feel that paying for privates is necessary at this point. I am also trying to cut back on buying her send outs at every meet.