I received this question the other day: “We live in a modest home in an affluent neighborhood. My children are always being invited out to different events, such as concerts or amusement parks where the average ticket cost is $25-$50 a pop. There is no way that we can keep up with this or reciprocate by taking their kids to similar events. How can we handle this?”
I can completely relate to this issue. You want your child to enjoy his or her friends and not become isolated simply because your family budget does not match the others. You may also decide to set aside money in the budget for one event per child. This way they can participate an an event without the expense becoming overwhelming. Of course, this may work only for a single event, so a better long-term strategy is needed.
This best thing to do, I think, is to start by being honest. “That sounds like fun, and I’m sure my son would love to go, but we just don’t have it in the budget.” It is hard to admit that, but most parents will understand. They may offer to pay for your child, so you’ll need to be prepared for whether or not you will except such an offer.
One thing that helps when practicing a frugal lifestyle is creativity. Find other ways to reciprocate for these events that is fun for the kids but doesn’t cost a lot of money. For example, you might create your own summer camp, having a cookie baking day, visit a free local historic sight or museum, or invite your child’s friends to a church activity.
Many of those birthday party places that feature roller skating, bounce houses, ice skating or amusement games also usually offer “free play” days, where kids can go for a few hours for a rate of anywhere from $5 to $10 per child. An outing like that might be an option for you.
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