I wish I had a dime for every former staff person who called to say, "I wish I had come back to camp, I had more money for school when I worked there!" These are the words of talented college students who decided to live at home and work for the summer, a good plan. So why did they have regrets?

Living at home sounds "free,"  but it's a lot more expensive than most realize.  Let's look at a typical scenario.  You get a full-time job that pays $6.50/hr (minimum wage is $5.85)  that is 10 miles away from home. You pay an average of $5.00 each weekday for lunch (your parents provide the rest of your meals and snacks).  You go out twice a week with friends, and being exceedingly disciplined, spend only an average of $15.00 each time.  Your job lasts 8.5 weeks.  Your gross earnings before taxes and FICA* would be $2210.

Or you could work at a camp like Makemie Woods.  Our starting salary for a counselor aged 18 - 20 is $215/week plus room and board (age 21and up $225), which means that 95% of your meals are provided.  The camp pays one round-trip travel expense for persons who live more than 65 miles away up to $75.  You go out three times every two weeks with friends.  Your gross earnings before taxes would be $1827.50.                                       

NET POTENTIAL EARNINGS 

* Based on a rate of 7.65%. Everyone pays FICA (social security), even if exempt from income tax.
** Based on the IRS rate of $.42 per mile for gas, oil, and depreciation.

OUCH.  So theoretically you would have $236.66  less in the bank if you live and work at home.  And there are two other important factors to consider: 1) Realistically, how many of us are going to stay home with our folks five out of seven nights a week plus weekends if we have a choice, and 2) Who's going to pay for the food and  utilities if we do?  If you don't stay home, a lot less money makes it into the bank.  If you do, then someone (your folks) is paying for your food and utilities.

If you eat two meals plus snacks at home, your average daily food cost is around $12.00.  You might argue that your folks would be paying the utilities even if you weren't at home, which is true to an extent, but the additional a/c for your room, heating the water for your showers and laundry, the TV you watch, lights you use, in fact simply opening the door on a hot day is expensive.  It costs your family an additional $15-20 week in utilities to have you at home, depending on where you live.

NET FAMILY EARNING POTENTIAL

*** On weekends, typically two meals are not provided by the camp.

So it's probable you would contribute more significantly to the overall cost of your school and living expenses if you work at Makemie Woods. But really money shouldn't be the reason you decide whether or not to work at a Christian summer camp. Those same former staff members would tell you that the rewards far outweigh monetary gain, like helping children to see that they are good and important in a world that often seems to tell them otherwise, like making friends that quite literally last a lifetime. Some folks even find their future spouse at camp. Can you afford to work at a summer camp?