Spouse Wants to Send DD to a Camp that Costs an Entire Month's Take Home Pay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I never had kids and I had no idea this was even a thing. I remember going to Ranger Rick camp for like a week when I was a kid but it was pretty low-key and had to have been inexpensive.

People spend a month’s pay on camp? Wow. Well, it must be an amazing experience for the kids. I’m not knocking it at all, just surprised this is a thing.

Sleep away camp is a big thing in New England. My kids started doing 4 weeks at 8. It is their favorite place on earth, they stayed on as counselors into college, and I think there is a decent shot that at least one of them gets married at the camp in a few years. (They so lovely weddings in the Fall.)

Links please. I want to see what my kids are missing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I never had kids and I had no idea this was even a thing. I remember going to Ranger Rick camp for like a week when I was a kid but it was pretty low-key and had to have been inexpensive.

People spend a month’s pay on camp? Wow. Well, it must be an amazing experience for the kids. I’m not knocking it at all, just surprised this is a thing.

Sleep away camp is a big thing in New England. My kids started doing 4 weeks at 8. It is their favorite place on earth, they stayed on as counselors into college, and I think there is a decent shot that at least one of them gets married at the camp in a few years. (They so lovely weddings in the Fall.)

Links please. I want to see what my kids are missing.

There are tons of them. Just google. Jewish camps are very popular. So are New England ones. It's popular to be outside in New England because it's cold the rest of the year and because of the cold people have to learn to deal with the outdoors. There are also a lot of cities so it's a different experience for many.

[Anonymous]

This is normal in the Northeast. Middle and upper middle class families do this with their kids, and it wasn’t a cheapie Y or 4H camp. These are full service places with a wide variety of activities and facilities. My kid is a homebody, or else I would have packed his trunk and put him on the bus several years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I never had kids and I had no idea this was even a thing. I remember going to Ranger Rick camp for like a week when I was a kid but it was pretty low-key and had to have been inexpensive.

People spend a month’s pay on camp? Wow. Well, it must be an amazing experience for the kids. I’m not knocking it at all, just surprised this is a thing.

Sleep away camp is a big thing in New England. My kids started doing 4 weeks at 8. It is their favorite place on earth, they stayed on as counselors into college, and I think there is a decent shot that at least one of them gets married at the camp in a few years. (They so lovely weddings in the Fall.)

Links please. I want to see what my kids are missing.

There are tons of them. Just google. Jewish camps are very popular. So are New England ones. It's popular to be outside in New England because it's cold the rest of the year and because of the cold people have to learn to deal with the outdoors. There are also a lot of cities so it's a different experience for many.

Ok my kids are seriously missing out! These camps look amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/KFSc1ZgPLBw

[Anonymous]

It was utterly sho king to me when I realized people do this. A couple colleagues suggested a camp in Vermont and I was like sounds fun! Then realized it cost more than my colleague tuition. People do seem to love t. What is disturbing here is that OP’s husband did not discuss such a major expenditure with her. They should have been on the same page before the money was committed.

[Anonymous]

The bigger problem is that your child may very well want to return to the camp every year and it's going to get harder to say no next time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow. I never had kids and I had no idea this was even a thing. I remember going to Ranger Rick camp for like a week when I was a kid but it was pretty low-key and had to have been inexpensive.

People spend a month’s pay on camp? Wow. Well, it must be an amazing experience for the kids. I’m not knocking it at all, just surprised this is a thing.

Sleep away camp is a big thing in New England. My kids started doing 4 weeks at 8. It is their favorite place on earth, they stayed on as counselors into college, and I think there is a decent shot that at least one of them gets married at the camp in a few years. (They so lovely weddings in the Fall.)

Links please. I want to see what my kids are missing.

DP. We are in the Midwest, but this is the camp that my kids go to:

https://www.lincoln-lakehubert.com/boys-camp/

The kids have a blast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it a little late in the game to be deciding this? It’s end of May

They placed a deposit. I learned about this because yesterday was the deadline to make full payment

That’s the part that is not okay. You and wife should have discussed this before it was given as an option to your child. Both of my kids attend sleepaway camp for the summer. One attends a SN camp. We are fortunate that we can afford this. However, every year before I register the kids, I discuss it with DH. Spending that type of money without consulting your spouse is not okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it a little late in the game to be deciding this? It’s end of May

They placed a deposit. I learned about this because yesterday was the deadline to make full payment

So your spouse is attempting to railroad you into paying. If they couldn’t find the time and space to discuss this significant financial decision, then it’s clearly not worth the expense. Hopefully your spouse will plan better next time. They can explain to your kid why this camp isn’t happening this summer. She’ll be fine. Your marriage…? That needs some work in the communication department.

[Anonymous]

There's no right or wrong answer IF you can afford it. Do you have emergency fund? Have you been saving for retirement?
How much is your/his take home pay?

One month does seem like a lot to me, but if the rest of your finances are in order then it's subjective as to whether it is worth it. Assuming your finances are done jointly he should've discussed this with you first.

[Anonymous]

I know a bunch of kids who go to these camps, but I don’t know anyone who spends a month’s salary on them. If you are making $6k-$7k/month and paying a mortgage, utilities, food, gas, clothes, etc., and saving for college and retirement, it’s hard to save another $500/month for camp.

[Anonymous]

These camps are the best. My kids are in public school but their 4 weeks (8 weeks for the older!) at a camp in Maine, while $$$$, is the best choice we ever made. It was the same for me when I was younger, and camp created so many opportunities and connections that I still have today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These camps are the best. My kids are in public school but their 4 weeks (8 weeks for the older!) at a camp in Maine, while $$$$, is the best choice we ever made. It was the same for me when I was younger, and camp created so many opportunities and connections that I still have today.

Like what? Opportunities and connections, I mean…

[Anonymous]

You need internet strangers to tell you that you’re allowed to say no? 🙄

Ok, you got it, tell your spouse no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These camps are the best. My kids are in public school but their 4 weeks (8 weeks for the older!) at a camp in Maine, while $$$$, is the best choice we ever made. It was the same for me when I was younger, and camp created so many opportunities and connections that I still have today.

Like what? Opportunities and connections, I mean…

Girls meeting in summer camp and developing life-long friendships (with some predictable bumps in the road along the way), are big tropes in Summer Beach Reading lite fair that takes place over multiple decades. OP's DW has likely read many of these novels.