Negotiating camp prices

Image by ianus via Flickr

This post has been included in the Festival of Frugality #218 at Think Your Way to Wealth.  Why not pop over and find some other interesting ideas for the frugal?

I came across this great camp program at a nearby university that I thought son Paul Poorhouse would love. But it was $100 a day. At most, my budget is $250 a week for vacation camp.

But this is a well-known insititution, and I figured I could ask if they have financial aid. It turns out the answer is "no". This particular program is run as a fundraiser. Hmmm.

A funny thing happened though.  The program coordinator e-mailed me back a few hours after giving me this information. Turns out that it was the last minute and the program was underenrolled, so she could give me a $100 discount.

And of course, since this is for a vacation week, it is reimbursable under my dependent care FSA. 

It never hoits to ask.