Parents Do you do anything to help pay for your gymnast's "habit"?

[3LittleGymmies]

Do you do anything extra to help pay for your gymnast's tuition, meet fees, travel expenses, leotards, etc? It gets expensive! I babysit a child during the day and pay for my two gymnast's tuition out of that. We could afford to do it without that, but I like to feel like I am contributing since it IS a lot of money for sports. I also make and sell custom grip bags to help pay meet fees. Just curious if anyone here does anything unique or if anyone's gym has things set up to help parents afford the sport, like offering part-time jobs at the gym, fundraising that goes directly to the child (our new gym will not allow this), etc.

 

[bookworm]

I work...

 

[3LittleGymmies]

I meant outside of regular work/income.

 

[cbifoja]

I work a second job at the gym in the office. This usually covers tuition.

In past years, it was enough to cover tuition and weekly privates but she's training enough hours now, that I can only work second job enough to cover tuition.

I have to pay out of pocket for privates and for meet fees. It's a good thing I'm one of those overpaid public school teachers!

 

[pt coach]

I coach...it covers tuition.

 

[Jen H.]

I do what you (op) does, I care for children 1/2 days in my home. It covers gym tuition and cheer tuition for my oldest girl.
I also do every fundraiser that I can- and our gym fortunately has a lot of them, these earnings all go towards their booster club, which covers comp. wear, meet fees, coaches expenses and travel.

 

[Midwestmommy]

Between the 50 plus hours I put in at my job plus driving kids around, cooking, shopping, cleaning, worship, and trying to see family and friends occasionally, I'd have to figure out something to do in my sleep. Could install a web cam maybe but probably nobody is going to pay to watch me kick the covers around...

 

[Midwestmommy]

Wait, maybe someone would pay to watch me trying to get my spouse (who has about 30 pounds on me) to stop snoring so I can sleep. I could do the old roll em off the bed onto the floor routine in a grizzly bear costume or something???

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I work a second job at the gym in the office. This usually covers tuition.

In past years, it was enough to cover tuition and weekly privates but she's training enough hours now, that I can only work second job enough to cover tuition.

I have to pay out of pocket for privates and for meet fees. It's a good thing I'm one of those overpaid public school teachers!

i disagree with that.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Between the 50 plus hours I put in at my job plus driving kids around, cooking, shopping, cleaning, worship, and trying to see family and friends occasionally, I'd have to figure out something to do in my sleep. Could install a web cam maybe but probably nobody is going to pay to watch me kick the covers around...

bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Becauseisaid]

I clean one of our gyms every Thursday and every other Saturday. That pays tuition though I still need the EDJ (evil day job) to cover team fees.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

My evil day job is part time coaching at her gym. It pays for tuition but barely anything else. Because of the girls' schedules there's no way I could have another day job, so for now this is it. If I could find another job that was flexible enough and only between 9-1:30 that paid more, I would do it but those aren't easy to come by.

I do sew all her practice leos as well as 95% of our clothes, so I guess that can count as saving money/contributing to the costs....

 

[OwlGalLiz]

I pay for all of DS's gymnastics (plus extra fun activities, clothes and all holiday gifts and birthday gifts) with my direct sales gig I've been doing for two years next month. I also am doing a fundraiser for the booster club with it. It's actually paying more than my other job now.

My other job is a squeaky shoe website I started five years ago and is still going strong.

I like the flexibility. Even though I have a lot of responsibility (at my choosing) I have lots of flexibility and can be at school and gym when requested.

 

[my4buffaloes]

When my oldest dd started on team I got a job. And while everything is lumped in the same pot my income almost exactly covers what gymnastics costs for 2 kids. We do whatever fundraising we can to help cover expenses as well.

 

[gymmiemom]

I got a very part-time job after being home since the day our oldest was born 11 years ago to help pay for gym. We can afford the tuition and team fees, so it's mostly just to help with the travel expenses, those add up quickly when you live where we do.

 

[Bajanswife]

I work pretty much full-time and have 3 kids - I feel very stretched already! On top of that I hold the voluntary position of Treasurer of our gymnastics association. It would not be healthy for any of us for me to take on another paying job. I have thought about being an assistant coach on Saturday mornings, but I didn't want the commitment - sometimes I need that Saturday morning time to do a particular errand that can't be done any other time.

 

[lilymom]

I pay for all my kids' expenses (and lately everything since hubby is between jobs) with my part time direct sales job. It's been a blessing we have it otherwise when hubby lost his job, we would have had to quit gymnastics (among other things)

 

[raenndrops]

In the spring, I do taxes for people. During the school year, I tutor. Year round, I help out with the gymnastics team AND I am the webmaster of the team website. I also make a team video which I sell to the parents AND create floor musics.

All of this is enough to cover team fees and competition wear... and, if I am lucky, the meet fees and travel expenses. If not, I have to rely on my EDJ or skimp on the hotel stays (read: extremely long days... getting up @ 4am... leaving by 5am at the latest... at the meet until 9pm or later... home by 12am - if I am lucky).

 

[GymBee97]

I have readjusted the household budget - so things we may want but really don't need are gone. Simple basic cell phone instead of the high prices smart phone (and if needed the phone could disappear too), Simple basic cable instead of the whole package. No big family vacations - just simple day trips. Its not easy cutting the budget because you think you Just have to have this or that but the reality is most of what we think we must have is really a "I really really really want this" item.

 

[krisnkids]

I used to coach and that paid for my daughter's tuition and meet fees. Since divorce, moving, retiring (ex and gymnast) and the younger one an up-and-comer, I am just going to put a portion of my tax return aside for gym expenses.