I saved $1000 on kids activities for 2018!

[asauer]

Every year, my now 11 year old kids get to choose an activity to do each season (3 seasons).  We have a $1,500 budget for the year on this so anything "travelling" is out.  This year, here is what they wanted to do:
1. Learn Spanish (both)
2. Learn to cook (both)
3. Learn to draw (son)
4. Do a triathlon (daughter)
Awesome, right?!
Anyway, after searching all over hell's half acre, the cheapest lessons/ coaching I could find came out to $1,200 for all of this.  Um, for 1 time per week?  No.   So...I turned to my friend the internet.  I saw that Great Courses had a bunch of their offerings for 80% off!  Annnddd...my dad has been doing triathlons for 30 years so, called him up.  Here's what the cost is now:
1. Learn Spanish w/ Great Courses- 36 hours of instruction= $45
2. Learn to Cook w/ Great Courses- 40 hours of instruction plus our kitchen= $39
3. Learn to Draw w/ Great Courses- 36 hours of instruction= $49
4. Triathlon coaching with Grandpa- $50 for pool guest entry and new bike helmet
So....$183 instead of $1,200?  yes, please!  Plus, we'll get to do a lot of this together as a family which I love.

[ginjaninja]

For learning Spanish I also suggest Live Lingua, you work with an instructor over skype for $10-15/hour. 

Also my local library has a kids section with an interactive page for books in a foreign language.  I know it is cheesy but they have books that are read out loud along with the pictures and words.  I am 23 and it has been really helpful..today it was the ugly duckling in Spanish.  It is free and really fun because you can choose which books to read.

[soccerluvof4]

Its great your children want to learn those things! My first two it was all sports and while it did them well and paid off our second two are involved in alot more things beside sports to be more rounded. Way to make it affordable as well.