Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Anyone else's kids got extremely expensive hobbies?

329 replies

bjorni9 · 02/09/2026 00:19

What started as a casual club, has turned into a lifestyle. Mountain biking, 4x, bmx freestyle, bmx racing. It has saved my ND child's sanity, and drained my bank account. I buy and sell and work so much overtime just so we can continue. It is far better than any play therapy or council funded clubs we've ever received (especially for his mh and mood). Anyone else making big sacrifices for their kids' hobbies? If only football would've stuck!

OP posts:
MandSJaffaCakesRule · 08/09/2026 20:34

Babyboomtastic · 05/09/2026 13:10

Your definition of 'not a high earner' must be different from most people's.

For the majority of families, no amount of belt tightening or going without holidays is going to major up and extra nearly 20k a year (£1200 a month plus £100 a week).

It's beyond the possibility of most families.

Show quote history

We're not high earners at all. We just don't spend money on cars, holidays, take aways, clothes and have paid off our mortgage. That's easily £20k a year of income for a lot of people. Indeed, I rarely even buy M&S Jaffa Cakes as they are £3 a pack. It's not to say we couldn't have a much nicer lifestyle if we didn't spend our money on our kids hobbies.

Londonmummy66 · 08/09/2026 22:06

Some very expensive hobbies do pay back though. DC1 cost us a lot in music lessons and instruments but then got scholarships to music college and 6 years of a virtually free ride on conservatoire fees. (It would have been £64k just on conservatoire tuition if not.)

Babyboomtastic · 08/09/2026 22:45

MandSJaffaCakesRule · 08/09/2026 20:34

We're not high earners at all. We just don't spend money on cars, holidays, take aways, clothes and have paid off our mortgage. That's easily £20k a year of income for a lot of people. Indeed, I rarely even buy M&S Jaffa Cakes as they are £3 a pack. It's not to say we couldn't have a much nicer lifestyle if we didn't spend our money on our kids hobbies.

Show quote history

I think paying off the mortgage is the biggie by the sounds of it. You might not be high earners, but with having paid off your mortgage, you have got much more disposable income than most families, which is how you can afford it.

ThisWarmReader · 09/09/2026 12:11

Tessasanderson · 02/09/2026 09:35

Pathetic tbh. All solved with one sentence

No we cant afford it.

Its that simple. No childs activities require a family to go into debt or spend unreasonable time at work. I say that as a parent to a child who missed out on trips around the world representing our country. It was simple, sorry we cant afford it. We did what we could afford and said no to the things we couldnt.

Obviously, if you literally can't afford it, and don't have the means to figure out how to afford it, fair enough.

But ......parents trying to make sure their kids are making the most of their lives certainly aren't pathetic. Especially because many are mentioning that their child has ND or MH needs and they are figuring out how to afford something that is massively improving their quality of life.

To be blunt, I personally find it pretty strange to hear how actually proud you seem to be of the fact your child missed out on opportunities like, as you say, representing their country around the world. (I wonder if maybe you missed out on opportunities yourself when younger?) Again, if you can't afford every activity your kid wants to do, I don't think that makes you a bad person or parent, but there is no reason to sound happy and proud your kid missed out! 😅

New posts on this thread. Refresh page