What I could be doing with that $70

My daughter loves her gymnastics class, and for the most part so do I.  Her class is a trampoline and tumbling class, which is very cute to watch.  However once a year I dread it.  Our place does a "recital" that they call Super Circus, and this years is fast approaching.  AAAHHHHH (running away screaming) NO!  I'm not sure what I'm dreading the most, the financial output or the tortuously long performance.

Now let me just get this said, as cute as my daughter is in her outfits, jumping on the trampoline, she will never be a competitive gymnast, so that said I'll continue my rant.

I didn't realize this last year but the gym looks at this whole production as one big fund raiser for their teams.   We pay full price for the leotards (that are hopefully washable this year) so that the gym can get the profit, we pay for tickets to come and be tortured (oops) ENJOY the 3 hour performance which is done in their own facility.  Luckily we don't have other children who will want to come because they take the whole circus theme to the extreme with concessions to buy at the show such as cotton candy, popcorn, snow cones etc. 

Last year we paid about $40 for this leotard and a matching hair scrunchy, yeah we got all of that for 40 dollars.  I know that is nothing compared to the price for dance recital outfits, but it's pretty annoying when they have cute outfits in their store area that are only about $30.  When a couple parents mentioned the prices last year the owner just said "well the coaches (high school student) got to pick the outfits."  Yeah that helps.  At least this year we will know that price up front.  Last year it was a deposit with an unknown amount due the day of rehearsal. 

I think it would help if we weren't paying for everything.  The expensive outfits for the girls might not be so bad (this years is about $50) if the boys outfit wasn't  $18.  Why can't all the kids in this class wear t-shirts and short.  And then after paying for the outfits we will pay about $7 per person for tickets to sit in their facility.  I find my self irritated beyond belief, but unable to tell my daughter that she can't go and get her trophy at the end of the performance.  So I had to vent here, but I keep thinking of all the other things I could spend this money on.

1)  8 weeks of calming yoga class

2)  one and a half video games for my husband

3)  10 books

4)  at least 9 yards of fabric

5)  several trophies

6)  we could all go out to a nice dinner

etc

etc

etc

not to mention all the really practical uses the money could go for.

Oh well as the commercial try and tell us, my daughters happiness and pride in her new trophy will be priceless.  Right?