OUT OF MY LEAGUE

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:07 PM, 2008

OUT OF MY LEAGUE

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:08 PM, 2008

Sorry guys...I meant that I dont think that I will be able to continue to pay for my kids to cheer. Although, maybe it wouldnt be a bad idea to make them get jobs to help pay for it. Is that what everyone's doing??? LOL

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:23 PM, 2008

Fundraising is good to do! I did my own garage sale and everything I made went to my daughters cheer fund. I also wrote a letter to family members and close friends and asked for sponsors. Whoever wanted to help sent a check directly to the gym to put into my daughters account. You will find ways to make it work! Not all of us can afford our kids to cheer but we make it happen one way or another because it's what they like to do and it keeps them involved in something fun.

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:25 PM, 2008

Fundraising is good to do! I did my own garage sale and everything I made went to my daughters cheer fund. I also wrote a letter to family members and close friends and asked for sponsors. Whoever wanted to help sent a check directly to the gym to put into my daughters account. You will find ways to make it work! Not all of us can afford our kids to cheer but we make it happen one way or another because it's what they like to do and it keeps them involved in something fun.

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:25 PM, 2008

Those are great ideas! Also, is the average price to cheer around $3,000 for most gyms, excluding travel?

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:33 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Those are great ideas! Also, is the average price to cheer around $3,000 for most gyms, excluding travel?

Wow that is really high.

Tamara · cheergyms.com Master Poster

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Those are great ideas! Also, is the average price to cheer around $3,000 for most gyms, excluding travel?
Wow that is really high.

That actually doesn't sound crazy high to me. Is it on the higher end? Maybe, but not crazily so.

-- Edited by Tamara at 14:59, 2008-03-25

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:58 PM, 2008

The average for most gyms in the area is 3,000 to 3,500. This included comp fees, monthly payment, uniform fees. Some are more affordable depending on thier payment schedules. There is no way I can do it if had to come up with a lump sum at the beginning of the year. I pay monthly payments. Usually most gyms want the uniform and comp fees up front, but most split those Lucky for us we only change uniforms every three years. This helps keep the cost down.

Date: Tue Mar 25 1:58 PM, 2008

My daughter did not cheer this past season, mainly because of the cost of it on top of senior year of high school. I have said before that it was a good decision for her. She got a part time job and got amazing grades in school.
Now she is actually thinking about returning this season. Airborne is starting an open team that is going to practice one day a week. I think this will be a perfect fit for her. Less expensive and less time commitment. My daughter misses cheer alot, and also the fitness level that comes from it.

I have always been impressed with those parents that fundraise for the expense of cheer.

Date: Tue Mar 25 4:00 PM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

I am sad to say that I no longer believe that I will be able to afford to allow my kids to continue to pay for cheer. My heart is so broken! Am I the only one this is happening to? I watch my friends and other parents pay for cheer year after year (my kids and i have only been in cheer for 3 years). We have similar jobs with similar salaries but everyone else seems to be able to make it work. Does everyone else know something I don't know? Do you think they're hocking jewelry to pay? Or have side jobs that I don't know about? These prices are crazy! They could pay off a house early...I could retire early! I could even put my kids through college and pay cash for all 4 (or 5) years. What the heck? Please someone tell me the secret so that I can stop sulking.

There are several booster clubs that have fundraisers you can participate. Since booster clubs are non profit and can not support one specific organization I'm sure you can find a booster club close to you that will help you. Booster clubs are open to the public.

vicky100 · Newbie

Hi there...
if you are with cheergyms you can fundraise. I did that last year, worked just about the entire summer, made about $3,000.00. While I did that in the summer, it goes the entire cheer season so you can spread it out. It can be a lot of work, but it is also fun too!
Hope this helps!
Anonymous Vicky

Date: Tue Mar 25 7:45 PM, 2008

With rising costs in today's rough economy, cheer has become a luxury many are questioning if they can still afford. I sympathize completely so long as you are not one of the following:

1. A parent(s) complaining about the costs yet will never show up to fundraising events. I'm sure you have a job that takes a lot of your time and family to cook dinner for and appointments to make and on and on, but so does every other parent(s) that go to those events.

2. A parent(s) that complains about the costs yet their child shows up to practice with a new coach purse, or new laptop, or the new iphone. That one never ceases to amaze me.

3. A parent that complains about the cost of travel and then instead of sending their child with a trusted adult they take their entire family to the competition...and then complain about how expensive it is to watch. Pick and choose...there are plenty in your area that are free. Your child will understand that you can make the local free ones and not the travel expensive ones just so they can cheer.

If you are neither of those parents, i'm feelin' ya on this economy!!

Date: Tue Mar 25 9:02 PM, 2008

Cheerleading is an important factor in my daughters life. So as the end of the season nears, we sit down and budget ahead of time. It is just one thing we will not sacrifice in the budget. But then I have a daughter who doesn't care if she has the newest name brand anything. I swear her favorite store is the Dollar store!! No kidding

I think each family has to figure out what is most important. For us this is all she wants to do is cheer, so it is an easy decision for us to sacrifice some easy things. We are a family that doesn't eat out. I pretty much cook dinner every night. That saves so much money. Instead of driving my big SUV, I hop in one of my boys cars to save on gas (not that gas saving these days seems possible)! We pay for everything in cash, no credit cards so we are not paying the interest on top of any thing. If we cant pay cash, it has to wait.

Even down to Nationals this year. We are going to palm springs and we didn't pay for one thing with a credit card. Paying by credit card just makes it easier to spend more and gives an excuse to spend more. So when we leave Nationals we have no debt and we have the extra cash for next season.

My daughter is limited to how many birthday parties she can attend. We all know its almost every other week an invitation comes home and face it gifts are not cheap. She has to sacrifice something too, to do cheer. She knows that and it this is a great lesson in life for her at a young age. To make choices and understand you may have to give up something you like to have something you love. But she has a choice. And believe me as a mom it is great not to hear can I have such and such amount of money its Brittany's birthday.

There are so many little tricks to cut cost. You would be amazed at how much we save. It is a way of life change, but it helps.

Some of these things may sound silly or even not feasible, but it is. Just think the next time you pull up to the drive thru for dinner and you drop almost 30 - 40 dollars and multiply that by how many times a week or a month you spend that amount at the the drive thru... That is probably at least 2 - 3 months tuition for cheer.

I normally would sign who I am but...

Date: Tue Mar 25 9:42 PM, 2008

Fundraisers are great, but I feel I've exhausted every relative, friend, co-worker and neighbor to death. When there's a fundraiser coming up, I'm too embarassed to ask them AGAIN if they'd like to buy a candle, car wash, See's candies, et. cetera. You can only ask them so much.

Date: Tue Mar 25 10:28 PM, 2008

Most definitely.
There are many fundraising activities that don't have to do without asking people to buy the same things over and over.
Most malls have Christmas parties held once a year only for customers with prepaid tickets. These are mostly nonprofit. 100% of proceeds go to your booster to dispurse.
There are so many different ideas.
If your gym has a booster club, get involved. There is so much potential for people that are creative and willing to knock on some doors.

Date: Wed Mar 26 8:13 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

With rising costs in today's rough economy, cheer has become a luxury many are questioning if they can still afford. I sympathize completely so long as you are not one of the following:

1. A parent(s) complaining about the costs yet will never show up to fundraising events. I'm sure you have a job that takes a lot of your time and family to cook dinner for and appointments to make and on and on, but so does every other parent(s) that go to those events.

2. A parent(s) that complains about the costs yet their child shows up to practice with a new coach purse, or new laptop, or the new iphone. That one never ceases to amaze me.

3. A parent that complains about the cost of travel and then instead of sending their child with a trusted adult they take their entire family to the competition...and then complain about how expensive it is to watch. Pick and choose...there are plenty in your area that are free. Your child will understand that you can make the local free ones and not the travel expensive ones just so they can cheer.

If you are neither of those parents, i'm feelin' ya on this economy!!

You hit the nail on the head....

Date: Wed Mar 26 8:48 AM, 2008

3. A parent that complains about the cost of travel and then instead of sending their child with a trusted adult they take their entire family to the competition...and then complain about how expensive it is to watch. Pick and choose...there are plenty in your area that are free. Your child will understand that you can make the local free ones and not the travel expensive ones just so they can cheer.

THIS IS SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS WHO WOULD HAVE THEIR KID DO AN EVENT THEY CAN'T EVEN GO AND WATCH, BESIDES WHO SAID ALL KIDS DONT CARE IF THEIR FAMILY WATCHES THEM!!!

SO PEOPLE

Date: Wed Mar 26 8:56 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

3. A parent that complains about the cost of travel and then instead of sending their child with a trusted adult they take their entire family to the competition...and then complain about how expensive it is to watch. Pick and choose...there are plenty in your area that are free. Your child will understand that you can make the local free ones and not the travel expensive ones just so they can cheer.

THIS IS SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS WHO WOULD HAVE THEIR KID DO AN EVENT THEY CAN'T EVEN GO AND WATCH, BESIDES WHO SAID ALL KIDS DONT CARE IF THEIR FAMILY WATCHES THEM!!!

SO PEOPLE

I agree i would not send my kid with a "trusted adult" !

Date: Wed Mar 26 10:07 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

3. A parent that complains about the cost of travel and then instead of sending their child with a trusted adult they take their entire family to the competition...and then complain about how expensive it is to watch. Pick and choose...there are plenty in your area that are free. Your child will understand that you can make the local free ones and not the travel expensive ones just so they can cheer.

THIS IS SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS WHO WOULD HAVE THEIR KID DO AN EVENT THEY CAN'T EVEN GO AND WATCH, BESIDES WHO SAID ALL KIDS DONT CARE IF THEIR FAMILY WATCHES THEM!!!

SO PEOPLE

I agree i would not send my kid with a "trusted adult" !

My WHOLE FAMILIA goes. My husband has not missed a single comp. As much as I would love to save money by him staying at home with the little ones, he won't have it at all. He wants to be there and watch his "CP" cheer her little heart out. That is PRICELESS.

We cut the cost by not buying shirts, light-up things, Jammy stuffed animals, et cetera. We buy lots and lots of snacks and just hide them in the diaper bag. I do cave in on the smoothies, though. After she performs, that's her treat.

Date: Wed Mar 26 10:55 AM, 2008

Anonymous wrote:

3. A parent that complains about the cost of travel and then instead of sending their child with a trusted adult they take their entire family to the competition...and then complain about how expensive it is to watch. Pick and choose...there are plenty in your area that are free. Your child will understand that you can make the local free ones and not the travel expensive ones just so they can cheer.

THIS IS SERIOUSLY RIDICULOUS WHO WOULD HAVE THEIR KID DO AN EVENT THEY CAN'T EVEN GO AND WATCH, BESIDES WHO SAID ALL KIDS DONT CARE IF THEIR FAMILY WATCHES THEM!!!

SO PEOPLE

Sounds great, just make sure you dont complain about the costs of travelling competitions.