I think an important thing to consider is just how important the activity (in the OP's case, the voice lessons) are to the child. In other words, just how badly is she wanting to do the activity?
For example, the other day I offered to take my DS out for frozen yogurt as a special treat. He said he wanted to go (who doesn't love frozen yogurt?!) but then, when it was time to go, wasn't eager to stop what he was doing. So, I asked him if he *really* wanted to go, and he was wishy-washy. So, together we made the decision that, if it wasn't something he *really* wanted to do, we would just save the money.
ITA with this.
One caveat we have in our family: the disruptions to our family life have to feel worth it to us, as parents.
and this. I'm part of the family, too. I get a vote. Thrice weekly practice/games for a sport my kid doesn't care much about is a hard pill to swallow. (Side vent: why are sports so heavy on the commitment these days? I know I had only one practice a week when I played soccer at age 9!)
