Here’s How I Saved $100 on My Kids’ Summer Camp Supplies

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A budget-conscious writer was able to eke out some savings this year on camp supplies. Read on to see how she did it. 

The average cost of summer camp is $178.49 a day, according to the American Camp Association. But as astounding a number as that is, it doesn’t even account for the peripheral costs many parents face in the course of paying for summer camp. In addition to camp tuition itself, you often need certain supplies, from sports gear to bathing suits to extra clothing and towels.

My kids have to go to summer camp because my husband and I both work full-time and need the childcare. But while camp tuition may not be negotiable, there are steps I took to save money on summertime supplies. Here’s how I managed to save around $100 on my summertime haul.

1. I got organized ahead of time

I knew going into the summer that my kids had outgrown a lot of their clothing from the previous summer. So I knew I’d need to purchase everything from swimwear to footwear to basics like shorts and t-shirts for my kids to be camp-ready.

One thing that helped me save money was getting organized in advance and shopping around for the things I needed. At one point, Amazon had lacrosse sticks on sale for $10 off their normal price. Since I had to buy three, I saved a good $30 right there. But I was able to load my Amazon cart with numerous items and sit back for a couple of months just waiting for prices to change so I could pounce when the right opportunities presented themselves.

Also, as a Prime member, I get free two-day shipping on orders of any size. That allowed me to buy a few one-off items for my kids when their cost dropped without having to worry about shipping charges.

2. I shopped around

There’s a store in my area that a lot of people go to for all of their camp-related needs. What a lot of these people do is make an appointment where they can basically get access to a personal shopper and buy everything they need for their kids to go to camp in one afternoon.

It’s certainly a convenient way to do things. But I looked at prices at that store and they were definitely not the most competitive across the board. So instead of taking the convenient way out, I shopped around. Doing so allowed me to shave some money off of several items I needed. The result? A lower credit card tab.

3. I turned to Costco for low-cost swimwear and sunscreen

Swimsuits can be expensive for kids. One day, I happened to be shopping for food at Costco when I saw a small selection of swimsuits in my kids’ sizes. I was only able to buy a couple of bathing suits because Costco didn’t have the widest selection, but I probably saved around $8 each on the few I was able to buy.

I was also able to load up on sunscreen at Costco when it had multipacks on sale. That saved me some money as well.

Sending kids to camp is hardly an inexpensive prospect. But I’m grateful I was able to trim my costs modestly by shopping strategically.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Maurie Backman has positions in Amazon.com. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon.com and Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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