When Monisha Sharma looked into swim lessons for her daughter, she decided to take an unconventional route to save costs.
Rather than enrolling in a formal program, the Toronto woman joined together with a group of neighbours who pooled funds to hire a private instructor at a recreation centre.
Sharma figured swimming and soccer, which her four-year-old also recently picked up, would be “the two cheap programs” compared with other youth sports options like hockey. She has quickly learned how expensive any program can be.
As Canadians cope with rising costs in all corners of their lives, experts say kids’ athletic programs are no exception, making it more difficult for families to keep their children active at an affordable price.
“When you look at the rising costs, all these things add up very quickly — ‘Oh, it’s only $50 for this or $100 for this.’ And then you’re looking at thousands, which is shocking to me; thousands of dollars on an annual basis,” Sharma said.
She estimated a final price tag ranging from $700 to $1,000 to keep a young child in soccer for a full year, including annual expenses for equipment such as new shoes.
But costs at the beginner level pale in comparison to what awaits parents as their kids get older, especially if they want to play at more advanced levels of a particular sport.
Chris Scheele, an Edmonton-based financial planner at Align Wealth, said fees can quickly snowball to amounts “that families are not prepared for.”
Bu hikaye Toronto Star dergisinin September 16, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Toronto Star dergisinin September 16, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Playing a witch with vulnerability
The older Kathryn Hahn gets, the hungrier she is to tell complex and compelling stories about women.
Matlock script made Bates reconsider retiring from acting
Stop the presses-Kathy Bates isn't ready to retire after \"Matlock\" like we thought.
Trump himself needs to end the violent rhetoric
Donald Trump wants the violent rhetoric to end?
How Diddy went from king of hip-hop to indicted
Grammy winner will plead not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering charges
Meta bans Russia's state media outlets
Platform cites foreign interference
Next generation of Buffetts poised to become powerhouse
Trio entrusted with managing charitable trust upon father's death
Public money needed to aid energy cleanup, minister says
Less than a quarter of province's half-million energy wells are reclaimed
Instagram sets limits on teens' accounts in bid to boost safety
Amid mounting accusations that kids aren't being kept safe on social media, Instagram says it will automatically give teens private accounts with limited capabilities as their default.
Mortgage rule changes are only a partial help, experts say
Experts say Ottawa's changes to mortgage rules could help spur demand among potential homebuyers, but supply challenges are likely to persist in Canada's real estate sector despite lofty goals to build new housing.
Canada needs newcomers long term
There's a sound drifting into Canada from south of the border, and the rising crescendo will become deafening if we don't address its source.