The annual equipment fit can put your child and your budget into a serious cramp.

It can go any number of ways. If you are organized (or just overzealous like our family foursome) – you drag out the kids’ gear for a fitting when the first red leaf appears. If you are the procrastinating type, you wait for a frosty Friday night in December to pack for your first ski weekend, then proceed to full panic mode upon discovering last season’s stuff is too tight.

Surprise, surprise, kids grow every year. Another shocker – kids don’t love hand-me-downs. As sure as back to school shopping, you must deal with back to ski season shopping, and tackle the necessary gear juggle for your posse.

There is the save a buck – stuff them into the super snug boot method – justifying to yourself that racers perform with a toe-crunching fit, or you can fill an oversized boot shell with four pair of sox. These options should be avoided – unhappy feet can sour a ski day – for all ages involved. But if you go out and buy the perfect size in September, it will likely be too small come February. What’s a skiing parent to do?

If your child is on the fast track growth chart – there are several ways to outfit your kid in proper gear every year without having to trade in the SUV.

Joe Jones Ski and Sport offers two programs for the family on the way up. The “Youth Growth Program” allows trade-ins of last year’s purchased equipment, with 50% of the retail value applied toward new gear. Joe Jones also offers a seasonal lease program of boots, skis, bindings and poles from $109-$169.

“We want to keep it in the family, so to speak, so we provide families with excellent service and a trade or lease program.” said Ben Davidson of Joe Jones in Scarborough, Maine. “I think that is why families stay with us year after year.”

As for shopping early so you are ready to go the first day of snow, Davidson says, “Go pre-season to get the best selection and service. We can size to the future, which parents appreciate, while looking out for comfort for the child. If a boot is too small or too big, the kids won’t be comfortable and it can be dangerous and certainly affect their enjoyment and their performance.”

Davidson cautions parents from buying equipment at private ski sales or swaps, unless they know what they are buying. “We are here to fit you properly all season long, we are not on commission so our service and advice make it worth coming into the shop versus buying the wrong thing.”

Parents with snowboarding children have options too. James Kramms of The B-Side Snowboard Shop at Joe Jones Ski and Sport said, “We also have snowboard packages to lease for the season starting at $179, or you can purchase a snowboard set up (board, binding and boots) for $250.” Equipment is available for purchase at the end of the lease program.

Chris Leake, VP of Merchandising for Ski Market’s 24 stores said, “We got into the junior lease business about 8 years ago to make it less painful for parents, and kids. You can lease a brand new package (boots, ski, bindings and poles) for $189, and if during the season your child grows out of the ski or boot, we will swap you up.”

Leake said Ski Market also sells new and used equipment. “The price of kids equipment is up there with adults. While manufacturers try to keep prices down, they tell us that the same time, materials, and labor go into junior equipment as adults. Kids’ boots alone range from $70-$150 to purchase. That’s why our lease program is so popular; it’s great value and puts the kids into current technology including shaped skis, while addressing their growth.”

Dave Periera of Ski Market in Manchester, New Hampshire said, “A new or used seasonal lease is $189 or $99 respectively, while new or used purchase varies depending on the performance of the equipment. As kids get better, they want their own new equipment. But for starters, the used lease or used purchase is a good value.” Ski Market’s lease requires a $140 security deposit, which is reimbursed or rolled over at the end of the season.

Periera said, “Kids skis and bindings should last a few seasons. Mid-face height on skis is a good measurement and allows for quite a bit of growth, and kids’ binding settings adjust from 50-90 pounds, which is a big window. But kids burn through boots sizes, often growing a full size in a season, and that’s where we try to fit them properly and can accommodate changes mid-season.”

So assess how committed your family is to skiing, how often you plan to use the equipment, and how quickly your child is progressing, before making the lease or purchase decision.