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Original poster

How much does a weekend cost you?

26 replies

SuperPixie247 · 21/09/2019 11:34

I have a 3yr old DS and my DP has a DD who is 9 who we see EOW. By the time that we have done an activity or 2 (swimming and trampolining this week) plus a trip to the beach where we end up buying bits like ice cream etc.

I try to encourage DP and DD to go out for a meal together or we go somewhere casual as a 4.

It ends up costing over £100 I reckon!

Does anyone else find their bank balance taking a hit on a weekend?! Confused 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
SuperPixie247 · 21/09/2019 11:35

That was meant to be Hmm 😂

OP posts:
ZogorElmer · 21/09/2019 11:36

The 6 week holiday cost me a fortune to entertain a 2 year old!

Chocolatecake12 · 21/09/2019 11:39

Yes!! Weekends to cost a lot with kids! But I try to have one weekend where we do an activity - trampoline or skate park and maybe lunch then the following weekend is more at home or friends round cheaper a Tory.

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3 year olds
Chocolatecake12 · 21/09/2019 11:40

Activity!!! Damn auto correct Angry

PrincessWatermelon · 21/09/2019 11:41

My two have dance on Sat morning, so that's £13 for both for 2 hours. And that's about it!! We chill out for a bit, maybe go to a park. Or jobs that need doing. We occasionally have a Subway lunch, so that's about £12 for us all. Church on Sunday and for a special occasion it's lunch out somewhere casual, but generally not. We use the weekend as a wind down time, so don't do many "things" that cost money.

sheshootssheimplores · 21/09/2019 11:42

Nothing 🤔

Kids tend to go the their nanny’s on a Saturday and on a Sunday it’s swimming which has already been paid, computer club which is free and then park or similar.

AnnaMariaDreams · 21/09/2019 11:44

We try and have relaxed weekends as DS is at school and busy.
We tend to do things like the park/ local NT place/ play dates. Family film and pizza nights.

missyB1 · 21/09/2019 11:45

Hmmm not as much these days, we cut back. Ds plays out with his mates (he’s 10), and we do long countryside walks. We rarely eat out now as it’s got so expensive. We don’t buy take aways. We do buy wine and beer, and nice meat from the butcher for the weekend though, so probably spend about £25.

crimsonlake · 21/09/2019 11:46

I agree with PrincessWatermelon, I used to use the weekends as downtime. There are lots of free things to do...playing in the garden, going to the park or the woods. Anything that cost money was saved for a treat. Enjoy lazy starts, let them watch tv and play.

Mrscog · 21/09/2019 11:47

A bit more but not lots - I think the amount of stuff kids do these days is way too much and they’re just as happy at home with toys or walk to the park.

MeanMrMustardSeed · 21/09/2019 11:52

Not a lot. National trust for walks and picnics, family board games and occasional films at home. Don’t eat out. I don’t know how people afford the endless cycle of entertainment for children. It must be so expensive and exhausting. We like to chill at weekends. Weekdays are pretty exhausting!!

NoSquirrels · 21/09/2019 11:53

Saturday mornings both D.C. are at an activity, but I don’t mentally count that as a weekend ‘spend’ because it’s paid termly. Sundays often swimming, but that’s free because we pay for swimming lessons so kids go free & DH has swim/gym membership. So again that does cost but I don’t count it as a weekend spend. We also have NT membership so same thing - ‘free’ apart from ice creams!

Then there’s usually seeing family/friends, doing jobs, tidying etc. Don’t eat out unless it’s a planned treat, really.

I can see in your scenario it would be expensive, and your DP feels pressure to show his DD a good time EOW but there’s loads of ways for them to spend time together without spending money really - just needs some thought and sometimes a bit more effort than trampolining etc. E.G. planning & cooking a meal together or working on an art project or going on bikes/exploring new walks etc.

BarbarAnna · 21/09/2019 11:54

I was thinking about similar just this morning. There was a forest near me, and if we were going out, we pretty much went there. There was no cafe, ice cream, play park, trail - it was just a forest. Free fun. And I loved it. The world has gone crazy spending money on activities. When I was growing up, there was no such thing as soft play, trampoline parks, laser tag, escape rooms... people rarely did an organised sport like gymnastics or swimming. And chilling out is so important too.

wendz86 · 21/09/2019 11:54

My two have dance classes on sat and eldest gymnastics on Sunday . Apart from that we usually do a park trip or two and maybe pick up some bits from Tesco . As the classes are paid for upfront it isn’t too bad .

ILiveInSalemsLot · 21/09/2019 12:02

We go out somewhere pretty much every weekend so I need to keep costs as low as possible otherwise I’d be totally skint.

It’s easier when the weather is nice.
Today we have library, bike rides and then Netflix film and popcorn this evening.
Tomorrow will be football for one dc, out for a walk with the other, Xbox and tv/film in the evening.
So hardly any cost at all.

We often visit family so petrol and taking something round is the only cost there.

Even with days out, we take food and drinks with us to keep costs down. Museums and galleries are free.

We do go further afield sometimes and that can cost quite a bit once we’ve travelled and bought entry tickets.

ohtheholidays · 21/09/2019 12:20

It depends some weekends cost us a small fortune,more so when the DC were younger,now that 3 of them are adults(DS23,DS21 and DS18)it's usually a bit cheaper,we still have DD16 and DD11 though and they tend to like to do something with us at least 1 day at the weekend.

When they were younger if we went to the cinema and then out to a restaurant for lunch we could easily spend £300.

Today so far has only cost us £22 and that's because our youngest DD11 has gone to her golf club with her Dad and that includes her pocket money that she'll spend afterwards,lunch will be from home because we've just done a massive food shop and I've bought lots of treaty bits for the DC to have for lunch this weekend.

We enjoy getting to go out and do something together as a family at the weekends because it tends to be the only time were all together because there's no school and no work so it's nice to catch up and treat the DC.

Gorbie · 21/09/2019 12:40

Nothing much at all to be honest, we do free/mega cheap stuff as much as possible. My oh works every Saturday, my 13 yr old pretty much does his own thing, he has £5 pocket money each week so he uses that for either going swimming with mates or he chills out at home or they go out on their bikes so he doesn't cost me anything. My other 2 are 4 and 16mths do we just pootle around doing a few jobs, parks, playgrounds, walks etc, I've also a national trust pass so that's a cheap day out. I refuse to do softplay at the weekends. Miss 4 does gymnastics Friday evenings that's not cheap but paid every 3 months so my kids actually don't cost me a huge amount

Camomila · 21/09/2019 13:03

All of DSs class birthdays seem to be in Sept/Oct so about £8? (little lego set plus card)

Otherwise swimming lessons (already paid for) doing the supermarket shop (about £60) or church (£3ish, collection plate and cake/tea after)

Sometimes if the weather is bad DH will take DS to Softplay and then for a happy meal (£15ish)

Michaelbaubles · 21/09/2019 13:27

Nice days are play in the garden/country walk/park/woods/beach days for us. Save the £££ activities for those cold winter days when you’re sick of the sight of the same four walls.

Original poster
SuperPixie247 · 21/09/2019 15:00

Agreed it can be much easier in the summer when you can let them run wild. I am dreading the winter months tbh!

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FlyingBanana · 21/09/2019 15:05

I dont see why you're doing several activities and a meal every weekend? Especially if you can't afford it.

We certainly dont! Trampoline park/zoo etc are an occasional treat. When mine were small it was library/baking at home/ playing ... so much fun to be had that isnt expensive and means that treats still really are treats.

Original poster
SuperPixie247 · 21/09/2019 15:21

When did I say that I couldn't afford it?

OP posts:
Abneyandteal19 · 21/09/2019 15:44

We are having a tight month and shortly expecting baby number 3 so have tried to have no spend weekend for the last two! (Apart from food shop)
We were gifted NT membership which we use a lot but end up spending in cafe etc so decided to go there with snacks for kids plus a flask of tea and homemade cake for us- didn't go anywhere near the cafe! Took duck food and DC didn't even know the difference and had a lovely time!

Today similar- went to country park with scooters, tea, biscuits and snacks, it has a huge playground - stayed away from cafe and came home for a 'make do' lunch!!

I think it takes more organising and prep but kids barely notice and if we stick to it we can do one or two paid things each month just with money saved from cafes which inevitably cost at least £10!

It has helped with weather being so nice- would be a lot harder in rain and cold.

Fredastaireatemyjamsandwich · 21/09/2019 15:44

Eating out every week is a tad excessive. Take a picnic in the warmer months, and then later take pleasure in eating a bag of chips sitting on the sea wall. In the colder months cook at home, make pizzas at home, or hot dogs and popcorn, and watch a movie snuggled upon the sofa. £400 a month is almost £5k a year - cost of a family holiday.

Mrscog · 21/09/2019 16:32

Invest in decent winter gear somewhere like mountain warehouse and get out and about in all weathers would be my tip.