We have been buying for our kids (10 and 12 now) for a few years. We've found that it is much more budget-friendly, which is, I know, counterintuitive. We get 1-2 years out of everything, somethings even more if they can be handed down from DS to DD. I usually buy good discounted equipment online in August, and have really lucked out with prices (for example, DS's K2 Juvys which he loved and we used for 2 years were $185 CAD, with bindings). Once they grow out of it, we resell it - we resold the Juvys for $170. $15 over 2 years - not bad! We re-sell the poles too - but can get about 3 years out of a set with the kids. Those we usually buy for $20 and resell for $10. The only thing that is trickier is boots. Those we buy locally, and we usually try to buy them new, but a model from a previous season. We've been really lucky with that - we buy boots usually for between $100 and $130, and then sell for between $75 and $100. With boots you will make less of your initial investment back, but it is still less than rentals over here. Here a season rental is about $170 per kid, and that cash is gone at the end of the season. The buying and reselling is a little more leg work, but we find it is cheaper in the long run, and much better for the kids.