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Inflation has caused summer camp costs to soar. Here are tips for parents on how to save
As the countdown to summer begins, some are feeling the burn in their wallets as inflation continues to affect everything from gas prices to food. The latest casualty: parents experiencing the sticker shock of summer camp.
Jamie Aderski, a New Jersey mom of two, made a popular video on TikTok that highlighted concerns for parents trying to get their children enrolled in camps and fund them. Aderski said costs have even become too pricey at her neighborhood recreational centers, jumping at least 10% each summer over the past few years. Spots are sometimes taken as early as January.
“It’s something that’s kept me up at night thinking about, ‘Well, what am I gonna do with my kids for the summer?’ And I’ve kind of cobbled together a plan, but it’s still not enough.”
Some experts say the summer camp price hike stems from the pandemic.
“Families that were not engaged in camp before the pandemic are now interested in camp for their children. Every parent realizes now how important it is that kids have a summer learning program,” said Tom Rosenberg, who heads the American Camp Association, a nonprofit that represents about 15,000 camps in the United States.
The American Camp Association says the average day camp costs around $87 per day, a figure that can vary across the nation. Rosenberg said costs are set for camp a year ahead of time.
“Many industries are impacted by inflation, and camp is no exception,” he said. “Every cost of business that camps have across the board really have gone up substantially.
What can parents do to offset summer camp costs?
Rosenberg offered some tips for parents seeking to enroll their kids in camps.
Those included:
- Asking about financial aid, which many camps provide, along with payment plans
- Seeking a scholarship through a civic organization
- Looking into the child and dependent care tax credit, which could offset up to $3,000 of summer camp costs per child
Meanwhile, Aderski said she plans to enroll her son in a science camp, keeping it to half days spread throughout the summer.
“Seeing him come home and being excited about something and learning something new, that is of course the ultimate goal for any parent,” she said. “And camp can be a huge part of that experience. I just wish that there were more options available that were for everybody.”
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In Hollywood, a land known for marquees and famous signs, there’s probably no sign that’s more on the nose than the store Just Food For Dogs. There, four-legged customers sample today’s offerings, while their owners stock up on the food.
Sarah Rector and her French bulldog, Lulu, are buying her regular order, including beef with russet potato, and venison with squash. Rector says she feels better buying the store’s food for Lulu rather than commercial dog food: “I just know that she’s getting the best possible, like, ingredients and health and overall wellness.”
She and her husband don’t have children, yet, but they have another French bulldog, “so I feel like we have kids.”
It’s tempting to write this off as a trendy L.A. fad, but Just Food For Dogs president Carey Tischler says this store is here because of a permanent shift in the roughly $50 billion U.S. pet food industry. “The last year of research shows that 82% of families think of pets as family, or as children, and that’s up significantly,” he said.
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Joe Ovalle is Just Food’s guest experience manager. He says all of their pet food is approved by the USDA for human consumption. “It is human-grade food, something you and I could eat,” he said.
He sampled one of their recipes, for fish and sweet potato. “Oh my God, it’s like ceviche,” he smiled.
It may seem a bit indulgent, and can cost double the price of Kibbles, but some say that feeding our dogs natural food is what we should have been doing all along – and making it yourself can cost the same as buying food from the store.
“It’s about going back to what is biologically appropriate, that they ate for tens of thousands of years,” said pet nutritionist Christine Filardi. “They ate prey animals and table scraps. So, I’m just educating people on how to go back to what they ate for tens of thousands of years prior to commercial pet food.”
Stewart, Tabori & Chang
Filardi is author of “Home Cooking For Your Dog,” a cookbook offering recipes with what she says are the three necessities: animal protein, a carb, and a veggie, as well as a few extravagant treats, like her bacon and cream cheese muffins.
Filardi says whether it’s store-bought or home-cooked fresh food, the results are the same: well-fed animals live longer, have cheaper vet bills, and are happier … which makes the owners happy, too.
“They take such good care of us,” she said. “We should take good care of them.”
RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Hearty Hamburgers
RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Friday Playdate Pizza
RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Bacon and Cream Cheese Muffins
RECIPE (FOR DOGS): Ground Turkey, Quinoa, and Carrots
For more info:
Story produced by John Goodwin. Editor: Joseph Frandino.
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