How much £ as contribution to holiday food?

[Banino]

Family holiday to France later this year, DS1 is 17 and I have said he can bring a couple of friends. We are "camping" (tents already set up and come with equipped kitchen)- I have booked two tents as we are already a largeish family so there was extra space anyway.

I'm not asking for a contribution to the accommodation/transport but his friends have asked if they can contribute to food budget- what is reasonable for a week? I won't be doing lots of cooking at the tent (it's my holiday too!) and I expect that we will eat fairly ad-hoc during the day (picnics to beach, snacky lunch of bread cheese etc, how very continental!) then maybe simple dinner most evenings either on site (pizzas at site takeaway etc) or easy pasta/rice dishes and so on that I can chuck together easily in a lovely, slightly fuzzy, wine fuelled haze. Maybe a proper restaurant a couple of times.

I have no idea how much it will cost! How much do you think I should ask them to contribute?

Would the restaurant costs be separate from the food money contribution ?

If so I'd suggest £100 from each of them, then keep a rough eye on what things cost. If their share is significantly less, then it goes on dinner on the last evening, if it's more then ask for a bit more.

Also as teenage boys have hollow legs, get them involved in the shopping process as you will have a lot of stuff.

I’d say £200 for the week. Easy food often costs more include drinks and I could easily see it costing Thirty quid a day on average.

I'd say that seeing that they are not paying for anything else (v generous of you) £180-£200.
Teen age boys have big appetites so likely to easily eat a take away pizza to themselves. If you eat out you will be looking at a minimum of €30 a head for main, desert and soft drink. It quickly adds up!

Just thinking that our monthly food bill at home is about £300 - I can’t remember the last time went away that wasn’t purely self catering (as in me still cooking every.sodding.meal) so I can’t work out how much would be fair. I could always give them some back at the end of the week couldn’t I if I ask for too much and we don’t use it!

Can't you do a rough budget?

€5 breakfast (juice /coffee/ bakery items) per day
€10 Lunch and family snacks eg crisps before dinner / ice cream etc
€15 Dinner and drinks

So that is €30 x 7 = €210

I'd reckon this is an over estimation but I reckon it's the right ball park but you can fiddle with the figure yourself.

€20 per day is £140 and €25 is €175.

£200 or euros I would think is a sensible amount.

I would just ask them to bring their own spending money and contribute as they go along. At 17 I’d imagine it would be a good experience to be quite self sufficient - shop and cook for their own meals etc

I'd say £200.

Food prices in France are very high at the moment so you don't want to be massive out of pocket. Teenage boys eat like horses too

I think about £200 too, we just had a week in France and its is very easy to spend a fortune on all the lovely things in the supermarkets and markets, cheeses, fresh fruit (gorgeous peaches, cherries etc), cold meats and other nibbly things.

But I agree with them doing some of their own shopping and cooking too, presumably they do at home at that age.

Are you exoecting the frienda to bieng spending money for ice creams, drinks etc or that they will come to you to pay for that from the 'kitty' to which their parents have contributed.

£200 each but that is quite a lot.

I would have made it clear from the outset that travel accommodation would be provided but not food otherwise I’d feel embarrassed about asking now

do you think the parents can afford it? That would be my worry

I wouldn't ask them for anything except their own spending money and I'd expect them to pay for themselves if eating out.

£200 each for food for a week when you'renot actualy cooking much?

TBH if you're taking a couple of 17yos plus your own, I wouldn't expect them to be doing much with you as a family. I went on holiday with a friend and her family at 18yo and we barely saw them, except one celebratory meal at the end of the holiday, which her dad paid for. We bought and paid for our own food the rest of the time.

Ds and his mate are on a residential next week where breakfast is provided but they have to provide lunch and takeaway tea and I’m sending £15 per day. For 7 nights I’d probably round down to asking for £100.

I'd say £100 a week each. I can't see how £200 each is fair - that means you are expecting to spend £600 on just three teens in one week??
I'd say £100 each to you at the start and that they should also have their own spending money if buying stuff/food when they are out and about. Also say if you are way off in your estimation you will ask for a reckoning when you get back.

To add my son went with his gf and her father to Spain for a week and the dad just said he should bring spending money. He took €200 and came back with half of it (he was 16). Her Dad paid for the flights and food and they were staying at their own holiday home.

£100 ish. Will they be helping themselves to your booze or buying their own? Maybe more than £100 if they drink.

At that age they might want to sort some of their own food out.

When my kids (adults) go on holidays then tend not to spend very much on food at all.

I was including a couple of meals out and some alcohol in the £200 estimation.

On the basis that it's probably easier for one person to pay the bill for a meal out than trying to do several card payments unless you speak French.

£50 maximum you invited them. It's a contribution not the full cost. Also it should cost much more than £50 anyway self catering.

I think £100 is more than enough if they are mostly having home cooked food. As they are a little older, I would also suggest spending money in case they want to go out for pizzas etc. When I went on holiday at that age alongside friends' parents we would have been pretty self sufficient.

We're in France now, self catering. Have spent 250 euros at supermarket so far - prices have gone up!

Soft drinks out are about 3 euros. Meals 10-20 euros. I'd budget on the high side. Teen boys eat a lot!!

£200?! Seems excessive.

If you invited the kids did you tell them or let their parents know you would want up to £200 from them?

if you invited them as a guest then surely you should stump up most of the cost. I wouldn’t dream of inviting someone on a trip with us and then asking for such a high amount. I was thinking £50 as I’d expect they would just pick up their own food when out and about.

This is exactly my thoughts.