Sponsoring to save some $$

I normally purchase an $85 membership to my daughters sporting club.

This entitles us to "free" entry to all home games, which works out to be cheaper than paying entry at each home game she plays. I buy a membership in order to save some money, given that we do attend every home and away game through the season. Unfortunately there is no way of saving on the entry to out of town games, but I do budget for this item.

This year, she bought home a sponsors pack. She hasn't previously received the pack because sponsorship is something only the older players seek - she's playing some games with the senior team this year so they gave her a pack. Every senior player is encouraged to get at least one players sponsor, and if they get 5 sponsors they receive their own membership ($85) free of charge.

Now, my daughter doesn't have to pay membership yet, because she's under 18. Only 18+ players have to pay membership. So she gets in free to every home game regardless, because she's a junior player. Still, I had a read of the sponsorship pack to find out what was on offer.

Turns out that sponsoring a player gets you membership PLUS extra bonuses, including one sponsors game where you have all-you-can eat and drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) in a special marquee. You also get your name up on the sponsors wall, which is kind of nice I guess, particularly if you have a business to advertise.

So how much is sponsorship? 

$75.

I am so annoyed that I didn't know about this sooner. I could have saved an additional $10 a year and had a nice day out as well, for something I buy anyway!

If you have a child who plays sports, it might be worth investigating if they have player sponsor deals like this one - you may save yourself some additional money.

Shoe negotiations - teenagers

I took my daughter shopping for new sports shoes yesterday.

It was our second attempt at it, the first trip having ended in an argument. 

My daughter is very strong willed and while I say that she gets that from her Dad, I know she gets it from me! 

Anyway, I did some exploration online before we went and had money set aside for this purpose. 

Sports shoes designed for the particular sport she plays and  suitable for what she needed from a support / hard wearing point of view  averaged about $150 for a basic shoe from a good brand. 

When she was young, I bought cheap shoes and found that they generally fell apart by mid way through the season. She plays outdoor winter sports and is involved in training and extension activities associated with athletics and running. To make sure the shoes last, I now I invest in good quality shoes without buying top of the line. This time, she was pushing for shoes at the $300 plus price point, well above what I was prepared to pay and for no reason other than because she wanted a particular colour that was only available in the most expensive shoe. That's what caused the argument the first trip and why we didn't buy anything. 

Before this trip I negotiated with her. She has a job and had birthday money to use. I said that I would buy shoes up to $150. If she wanted a more expensive pair, she could pay the difference. 

She eventually settled on a pair at $237 and paid me the difference. 

It was a good outcome I think - she got what she wanted and I spent what I had budgeted. She also chose a very slightly cheaper shoe than her original choice  and we bought the shoes on sale saving a little more. 

I felt good knowing that we'd been able to negotiate an outcome we were both happy with and which demonstrated to her that I wasn't prepared to spend excessive amounts purely for fashion. 

She ended up spending only part of her birthday money (she got $200, spent $87). She's saving the rest.