Am I tight-fisted, or have prices shot up?

[Shufflebumnessie]

I was looking at booking a day out/activity to do with DS and DD during the holidays as we've just had yet another Covid related disappointment. I am shocked at the prices!
A 90 minute swim session at a pool with slides etc would be £45 for 2 adults and 2 children.
Two games of bowling (approximately 40 minutes in total according to the website) is £52.
A day out at a local Country Park (which is lovely but nothing for the adults apart from walking around) is £70. It was £45 before lockdown.
A 90 minute session at a local farm for £42. Previously this was the cost for the full day.
Am I just being a miser, or have prices increased substantially?

Doing anything like this is so expensive I agree..and generally not worth it ime

Jesus. That’s extortion

Everything is so expensive.

Yep. Go Ape - £70 for a family of 3. For less than 2 hours.

Swimming, £45 for 3.

I know it's been a difficult year and these businesses want to try to claw back lost income, but how can families afford these prices?

Prices have shot up.

Im in rural wales and A round of mini golf for a family of four here used to be £17. Now it's £30.
Bowling- 2 games now £55. And in and on and on.
The thing I missed most, that I looked forward to most- the theatre. It's changed from £60 - £90 for a family of four to £160+. For a small town run down theatre. used to be what I'd pay on london- god only knows how much it is there now

I can't afford to "make memories" and do stuff with the dc this year, even though we (like everyone) had a really tough year. I understand that business had a year out and need to recoup but really when we're all still trapped in this country they're guaranteed increased revenue so it feels just greedy from my perspective. And costs won't go back down now they've gone up. It'll be a country where only the rich get to go places

Yes it costs a fortune to go out. I think they're recouping loses. We used to use 241 vouchers or wait for a kids go free deal but there seems to be nothing like that now.

Loads of things have been more expensive, bowling was extortionate when I priced it for 4 of us at a weekend. But then I was able to get an offer for half price if you started your game before 11am so DS and I had 2 games for £11 total last week and that was the last week of our school holidays. I think you just need to look out for offers more now and plan ahead.

Yes. No idea how inflation is meant to be 2%. I just refixed my gas and electricity. It is now 25% higher than this time last year My food shop is also showing a similar increase.

That seems very expensive.

Prices for similar places near me for 2 adults 2 kids:
Swimming £22
Bowling £20 for 2 games
Farm £35 (all day)
£15 for the country park (only pay parking but loads there)

We live in a reasonably touristy area in the south.

And eating out has shot up unless you do McDonald's. Even Morrison's cafe is now £8 something for my young grandson to have a fry up - used to be a cheap place to eat and packed but was nearly empty. I feel really sorry for young families wanting a good day out 😔

Hollywood Bowl has a 50% off discount code if you book 2 games in the morning, I think it is SUMMER2021

Hungry horse pubs do a free cooked breakfast for children if you buy an adult breakfast. For 4 of us a big brunch at 11.45am was £15 including coffee (juice for the kids).

I understand that business had a year out and need to recoup
They also have the extra costs from extra cleaning and are still having to run the same premises but are not allowed to fill to capacity.

It's actually cheaper for me to admit my children to my David Lloyd gym as guests (£12.50 each) than to book a pool session with slides etc. They spend the whole day there, jumping in the pool a million times.

If Park Sport is run by your local council you might be able to get free swimming atcertain pools. We've done tennis and nerf gun wars for £1 a session on Park Sport too.

I haven't noticed days out go up where I am. My dm took 3 kids to cinema today and it was £20 for all 4 of them. Swimming was £12 for 2 adults and 2 kids last week.

You’re not wrong. It’s so expensive. I’ve invested in paddle board/bikes and we’re doing outdoors stuff. No idea how families on average wages are supposed to afford stuff. I do appreciate everything is more expensive to run but I expect once the summer is over demand will drop and the it’s on deals will come back or places will close down / be sold due to bankruptcy.

I want a paddle board! We have wetsuits and love piddling about in rock pools etc. Also have body boards.

Where is swimming £45?!!!

I paid £66 for 4 people at a super duper slide pool. It was worth it but a once a year thing. For regular swimming I'd want to pay a lot less.

A local country park is £70?? I don't think I've ever been to a country park that want free to get into.

Yes and the price of getting a drink or snack / lunch is enough to make my eyes water! I paid £15 the other day for 2 smoothies and two small ice creams (and believe me they were small!)

I'm paying £45 for ds to do 2 hours of paddle boarding. I can only afford it because I only have one. How could a bigger family afford this?!

Those prices are insane. Our local pool has slides and is £6 per adult, free for kids during holidays. Farm park is brilliant and £38 all day. Country parks are free!

Just got stung at bloody Whipsnade zoo. Extortion. I do understand how hard it is for zoos especially after lockdown etc but Jesus Christ!!

£30 each entry- when we got there they surprised us with a further £25 to be able to take your car in- you can opt to do it all on foot but I’m eight months pregnant, and it’s a huge site. Luckily we did pay the the extra £25 because it’s a long way to the back to look at mostly weeds and stinging nettles. No maps, they’ve ‘gone paperless’, unless you pay £4. No free water points to fill up. Train £9 for two and didn't see much from that, some deer sitting down.

They’ve apparently shipped off some animals to Yorkshire zoo. They’ve let all the weeds and grass grow up so it blocks out a lot. Hardly saw any animals. Not doing talks or public feeding time or anything like that. Was pretty awful.

I’m in two minds
Yes things are massively and ridiculously expensive which prices people out
There’s been several things the kids fancied this holiday but I’ve said no to due to the cost- which means that these places have lost out on money I would have happily paid in previous times.
But- these places are trying to recuperate after covid / keep peoples jobs/ etc while remaining covid safe

I do feel for them and people need jobs
But I hate the idea that attractions are only for the wealthy

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

Where is swimming £45?!!!

Coral Reef in Bracknell cost me that today to take my DC. They love it and it’s the best one that’s close enough to go but it’s a rare treat.

Our local trampoline park used to be £8 each, now it’s nearly £14 for an hour! Such a bloody rip off.