Cutting Back On the Kum Ba Yah

Anjali Athavaley:

Last summer, Lisa Bailey put down a $650 deposit each to send two of her children this year to Camp Saginaw in Oxford, Pa. She and her husband, Doug, planned to pay the $12,100 total in camp fees out of the bonus and stock options they expected from his job as finance director at a pharmaceutical company.

Then, about six weeks ago, Ms. Bailey, a 41-year-old communications worker for a Philadelphia cancer center, withdrew her deposit. "Options aren't worth what they were, and bonuses are lower," she says. "We are just trying to get by paying for what we have to." The family has applied to the camp for financial assistance but hasn't heard back.

For many families, camp is an annual tradition that teaches kids independence, keeps them busy during slow summer months and gives parents some alone-time in the house. But in this year of recession, some parents are still on the fence about whether they can afford the expense. Other families are seeking discounts and cheaper alternatives -- or even skipping camp altogether.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 13, 2009 2:11 AM
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