I love being a soccer mom. I’m lucky that all three of my daughters love this sport – I never played it as a kid – and the league we’re in is only five minutes away. My husband coaches our girls team and we have built a community within the league and there is nothing better than laying out a blanket on a sunny April morning and watching my girls work on the field. But being a soccer mom doesn’t come cheap. Depending on where you live, how well your child plays soccer, and how much you want to invest in your child’s love of the sport, the cost of becoming a soccer mom can be a little shocking.

Without sounding like a grumpy baby boomer, the days of $65 sports event registration fees (including uniforms) are long gone. I’ve heard from parents whose kids play other sports that there are hardly any public supplies either. No sharing of helmets in baseball games and no sharing of pads in football games. Sports is just expensive. But they are so good for our kids and the whole family that we always find a way to make it work.

We’re lucky that our league still feels a little like the recreational sports leagues of the ’90s. This is not a football league with weekly games or travel expenses. We play on the same pitch every Saturday, always against our own club team. No fuss, no overbearing coaches, no rigid schedules—just our girls, their dad’s coach, and a football.

Here’s what we spent as a soccer family with three daughters (ages 10, 6, and 2) in a metro Atlanta suburb.

Registration fee: $335

It’s a lot, but that covers all three of our kids. Specifically, our 10-year-old’s soccer program was $135, then we offered her 6-year-old sister a sibling discount of $105, and then their 2-year-old sister purchased the toddler version of the soccer program for $95. These prices do not include any required equipment or uniforms, but the $95 registration fee for our toddlers does include a cotton practice shirt with the league’s logo on the front.

Depending on age, training can be once or twice a week, with a game on Saturday. For us, this looks like one practice a week for our 6 year old, two practices a week for our 10 year old, two soccer games on Saturday, and one practice on Saturday for our 2 year old Football training/clinics.

The spring and autumn seasons usually last about 12 weeks, and if school holidays affect the game schedule, make-up games, etc., additional weeks of training can be carried out.

Uniform: $178

In our league you have to buy the jerseys separately and you have to buy two – one purple (home jersey) and one gray (away jersey). The good news? These babies will be around forever. We just recently purchased new sets for the girls and since they don’t have their names on the back (just a number) we can pass them around as they get sized. The $178 includes $65 per jersey (toddlers don’t need jerseys yet), two pairs of soccer shorts for $12, and two pairs of black soccer socks for $12 (which can also be worn for several seasons).

Football equipment: $205

Fortunately, football is not a sport that requires your child to bring half a Dick’s Sporting Goods to the field for every practice or game. Our girls need non-slip shoes and shin guards to play. For our two older girls, cleats usually cost about $35 a pair and shin guards about $27. These last a long time so you don’t have to buy new shin pads every season. Unfortunately, some people end up needing new cleats every season because their feet grow like weeds. We also make sure to buy each girl a long sleeve undershirt every year in case it gets cold and they don’t want to cover their jersey with a jacket. Cost for three girls is approximately $18.

In addition to the gear, we bought soccer balls for our three daughters for about $48, and then we invested in new scrunchies and headbands (about $12) to keep all the flyaways and stray hair from covering them face. Speaking of water bottles, there are a lot of fancy water bottles out there, but we love the giant, old-school igloo igloo curlers in team colors. At just $10 a bottle, you can get a water bottle that will last for decades for just $30. They stay cold, the kids stay hydrated, and even Coach Dad can sneak in a sip or two when he inevitably forgets to drink.

Game day essentials: $105

Then comes the really fun part of being a soccer mom: game day. With three girls, these days start early for me as I make sure everything is washed and ready, snacks are in the fridge, water bottles are filled, etc. Picking up a few things to rock and roll through our football weekend.

At least once every season, we will be responsible for post-game snacks and drinks. This usually means spending about $12 for a pack of sports drinks or juice, and about $12 for a box of assorted potato chips. We always stock up on sunscreen and bug spray, both of which cost about $20. This isn’t something you need to buy every season, but it always pays to invest in a good canvas chair and/or blanket. Since I’m still in the age of chasing my 2-year-old at my sisters’ games, I picked up a great waterproof outdoor blanket that’s nice and oversized and costs about $35.

While it’s not required, one thing I really love about being a soccer mom is cheering on my kids – so, I have my own “Soccer Mom Era” shirt that I wear every game day, Includes jersey and short sleeve tee. I bought them a few years ago and they still look great (especially considering they only cost me $26).

Total Soccer Mom Cost: $823

I know that sounds like a lot, but considering many of these costs may roll over as the season goes on, it’s actually not as scary as it sounds. The registration fee is always the biggest expense, and depending on your league, there are a variety of ways to apply for scholarships and financial aid. If you’re a soccer mom looking to save money, you can also contact local moms’ groups in your area, or even the soccer league itself, to see if anyone is willing to sell soccer jerseys or gear (like shin pads) that your kids have. Already exceeded.

But honestly, my favorite part is going to the football field early on a Saturday morning with my family of five. It’s one of my favorite things we do together and it’s absolutely priceless.