How Much Should Young Families Budget for Summer? A Breakdown by Expense Type
Summer break comes with a reputation for being the fun, easy season, complete with pool days, sleepovers and no homework. What it doesn't come with is a smaller budget. Between camp, groceries, activities and the occasional road trip, summer can quietly become one of the more expensive stretches of the year for families with kids.
Kids are expensive in general — $303,418 over 18 years, or about $16,857 a year after tax breaks, according to LendingTree — but summer has a way of front-loading costs that most budgets aren't built for. Here's what young families are actually spending this summer, broken down by category, so you can see the hit coming before your account does.
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Summer Camps
For a lot of families, camp isn't optional. It's childcare with a craft table. Kids get to make friends, learn new skills and burn off energy that would otherwise end up directed at siblings. For working parents, it's often the only realistic way to cover the gap between school years. None of that makes it cheap.
According to the Childcare Cost Calculator, many parents send their kids to summer camp for 8-10 weeks and spend an average of $300 to $600 per child per week. For overnight camps, prices increase significantly, ranging from $700 to $1,500 per week.
Camps typically require deposits months in advance and book up fast, so waiting until June to figure out logistics is a losing strategy. Booking early can also mean early-bird discounts, which is one of the few breaks parents get in this category.
Food
Summer means kids are home all day, every day, and their appetites don't care about your food budget. Between extra snacks, bigger meals and drinks that disappear faster than you can restock them, the grocery bill creeps up fast.
That's especially painful right now, with food prices climbing. According to the latest Consumer Price Index data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food at home rose 0.7% in April 2026 alone and is up 2.9% over the past year.
Here are a few things parents can do to help prepare for the extra expense:
Buy in bulk
Meal plan instead of winging it night to night
Use coupon apps like GroceryPal, Checkout 51 and Flipp
Sign up for grocery store loyalty programs
Don't buy pre-cut produce because it costs more
Youth Activities
Group activities are another way kids enjoy the summer, but between monthly fees, uniforms and equipment, these "extras" add up faster than most parents expect.
Here's what families are typically paying:
Dance classes: $50 to $175 per month, plus recital costumes and competition fees. Also depends on whether lessons are private, group or semi-private.
Swim lessons: $50 to $250 per session or multiweek program
Gymnastics: $30 to $300 per month
Martial arts: $60 to $180 per month, depending on the child's age and location.
The range in these prices isn't random. Location, class type and how competitive a program is can all move the number. Before signing up, it's worth asking what's included in the base fee and what gets billed separately later.
Summer Road Trips
Trips with the family can be another big-ticket item during the summer, especially as transportation, lodging and food costs rise in peak travel season. With gas prices remaining high, 78% of Americans plan on staying close to home, according to Numerator. Even with that shift, the average person is still expected to spend $2,300 on summer travel.
If that number feels steep, a few adjustments can bring it down without scrapping the trip entirely:
Visit national and state parks instead of major tourist destinations
Try a city staycation — explore fun things to do in your own backyard
Drive instead of flying when possible
Travel midweek or outside peak holiday week
Pack meals and snacks to limit restaurant spending
Back-to-School Supplies
Most parents start prepping for the new school year in late summer, and the price tag isn't small. Families are expected to spend roughly $858 per K-12 student this year, according to the latest National Retail Federation survey. Here's how that number breaks down:
Electronics: $295.81 ($13.6 billion total)
Clothing and accessories: $249.36 ($11.4 billion total)
Shoes: $169.13 for shoes ($7.8 billion total)
School supplies: $143.77 ($6.6 billion total)
Electronics and clothing account for more than half that total — worth keeping in mind if you're looking for where to trim first.
Bottom Line
Summer expenses can come as a surprise to young families, but by planning ahead, parents can avoid financial setbacks. The key is not necessarily to spend less everywhere, but to anticipate which costs are unavoidable and budget for them before the bills arrive.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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