Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Days out- how do people afford them?

312 replies

lovelydaffodils · 19/03/2022 16:28

Went to a local attraction.
Coffee was £2.90
Pizza was £12
Entry was £30 for the three of us.
Activity was approx a two hour max

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 19/03/2022 20:00

@Soffit

A nice supermarket sushi box would do too but you rarely find these things when you need them
Who thinks "oh we're going on a day out tomorrow - best pop to Asda for some sushi"?!

MN is another world sometimes Grin

HairyScaryMonster · 19/03/2022 20:01

Ultimately it's about not overextending yourself in other areas. we could afford a bigger mortgage and another car, but with costs rising we're staying where we are and 1 car.

Fernandina · 19/03/2022 20:02

In the entirety of my childhood I don't think we ever actually bought food on days out, other than the occasional ice cream or cups of tea. We always took a bloody picnic. Oh how I yearned to eat out in the cafe or restaurant like I could see other people doing, but looking back it's obvious why we didn't.

sparklyponies · 19/03/2022 20:03

Alternate memberships with national trust / English heritage etc. We even did Merlin one year but that was £££ and given as birthday presents.

seashellsunderthesand · 19/03/2022 20:03

@FoxyFoxyLoxy

The answer to these threads is always the same.

Some people have more money.

Some people have the same money, but choose to spend it differently.

Obviously.

Exactly! It's seems obvious to me, unless the OP is asking how to get free stuff or vouchers, but aside from that, it's one of these 2 options
BarbaraofSeville · 19/03/2022 20:03

I don't understand what's wrong with that. Asda, or Waitrose have great sushi counters.

Not cheap but comparable with takeaways and of you wanted a sushi pack up, you could just pick it up as part of your weekly shop.

Metabigot · 19/03/2022 20:07

Groupon/wowcher can help. Got an overnight stay in a lodge at gullivers world with entry to the theme park for 180 for up to 6, going with a friend and 2 kids each so £90 per family and will bring pizza wine and sarnie/brekki ingredients for next day from the nearest tesco.

Kite22 · 19/03/2022 20:07

Don't forget garden centres and palaces that have lots of fish tanks.

Of course much of this will depend on the age of your dc, but once they get to 6, if they are Beavers (then Cubs, Scouts, Explorers) they get to do loads of days out or weekends away for minimal costs, so needing to 'take them out places' becomes less important, and can be a very occasional thing. Same, to a lesser extent with other activities they might do at the weekends - if they are in a sports team, or a drama group then they don't have regular voids of spare time when you need to entertain them.
Before that, simple things please them - a different park from your usual one. ..... meeting someone different in the park....... going on the bus somewhere if you usually travel by car......going on the train..... various things like the fire station open day / local school fete / community car boot sale / libraries often put on activities in the holidays ....... get involved with your local community garden / church / arts forum / 'friends of X park' / local carnival or Summer fete / etc.
There are so many ways to occupy all ages of dc that needn't cost a fortune.

NeedAHoliday2021 · 19/03/2022 20:10

Save up and use Tesco vouchers. Also, I live in a house with a mortgage of £180k when we could borrow £450k so have available funds to do stuff while living in a modest home; plus we drive cars that we bought 2 years old that are now 10 and 7 years old; we take packed lunches.

NeedAHoliday2021 · 19/03/2022 20:10

I actually think your day out is very reasonable when most are over £100.

DetailMouse · 19/03/2022 20:11

Who thinks "oh we're going on a day out tomorrow - best pop to Asda for some sushi"?!

MN is another world sometimes grin

I wouldn't get sushi, but I absolutely would shop for picnic food before a day out.

Cocomarine · 19/03/2022 20:15

I find it funny that the OP (is she coming back?) adds in coffee and pizza that’s a third of the total cost. Is it not obvious that people afford the activity by not adding in unnecessary food and drink? Especially when it wasn’t even a whole day out!

Donra · 19/03/2022 20:16

We don’t do expensive activities very often. It cost us £80 to go to the zoo but we only go once every couple of years. But if you’d seen us on that day you’d assume we must have loads of money.

ISpyCobraKai · 19/03/2022 20:16

@NeedAHoliday2021

I actually think your day out is very reasonable when most are over £100.
My current days out cost petrol, £10 max and perhaps £1 for a packed lunch. The lunch would multiply per person, the petrol wouldn't.
LuckyC27 · 19/03/2022 20:17

Annual passes (yes expensive when first buying but we use ours every 2-3 weeks) plus take your own food

ISpyCobraKai · 19/03/2022 20:20

@Cocomarine

I find it funny that the OP (is she coming back?) adds in coffee and pizza that’s a third of the total cost. Is it not obvious that people afford the activity by not adding in unnecessary food and drink? Especially when it wasn’t even a whole day out!
That is madness, it was a two hour trip which to me wouldn't need anything to be bought, I'd take my water bottle!
WishIwasElsa · 19/03/2022 20:22

We do a mixture mostly free with some others now and then. But what is council soft play?

modgepodge · 19/03/2022 20:29

[quote soootiredddd]@modgepodge you’re talking about Beale park aren’t you! :-)[/quote]
Haha yep that’s one of the ones I’m thinking of, though Wellington is similar, and bucklebury and odds farm are too (haven’t been to those though!) Then in to Surrey there’s Jakes farm and chobham adventure park which are a similar set up too though more focus on play than animals. All looking at well over £40 for 2 adults and a toddler who can’t do half the things.

Jmaho · 19/03/2022 20:29

@Mullercornershop

Annual passes to one place are a lot cheaper than going to different places all of the time. An annual pass to my local zoo is £30 for a child and £50 for an adult. We go at least twice a month.
I've just checked annual prices at our local farm (small and not much to do especially if you'd been before, could go there for 2 hours max) it's £120 per person regardless of age under 12m old go free
Tdcp · 19/03/2022 20:30

Food is something I only buy if it's a real treat day, for a 2 hour excursion you either take some snacks with you or eat before you go or after you leave. Food ALWAYS costs a lot, though £12 between 3 is pretty cheap. I spent that on a McDonald's yesterday during a 3 hour drive with DD.

Also cashback sites / kidspass etc, they can have some really good money back or money off deals.

blitzkoff · 19/03/2022 20:32

Years membership to EH for an adult includes 6 kids for free , take your own packed lunch , ditto NT

Jamesolo1 · 19/03/2022 20:34

Follow kiddoadventures on Instagram

girlmom21 · 19/03/2022 20:35

@DetailMouse

Who thinks "oh we're going on a day out tomorrow - best pop to Asda for some sushi"?!

MN is another world sometimes grin

I wouldn't get sushi, but I absolutely would shop for picnic food before a day out.

Oh I completely agree about picnic food - it was the specific sushi suggestion that baffled me
reluctantbrit · 19/03/2022 20:35

Get memberships as family Christmas presents

Convert Tesco vouchers to buy memberships

Vouchers

Kellog's 2for1 entry vouchers

Take lunch

Realise that coffee is more expensive than in other places

LunaLoveFood · 19/03/2022 20:35

Membership for Christmas presents from grandparents and picnic

Swipe left for the next trending thread