I don't want to do "days out" because everything is so expensive and I feel like I'm being ripped off

[doesthismakemeodd]

We are on holiday in the UK in a place well known for tourism staying in a house that belongs to relations so is free us (we are lucky, we know that) we have been here before and know it well but even then haven't done a huge
There is a beach nearby. House owners are joining us later in the week and want to know what we will be doing beforehand and when they join us.
I feel they think we are odd when I say we will just chill, and go to the beach.
They have suggested a place with amusements or a NT place that is outdoors and costs £20 pp to get in (there are 6 of us)

I have looked at the "what's on magazine" . I don't want to do any of it.
I just find "days out" in this country such a let down
Am i the only one?

Paid for attractions are very seldom worth the money. But a beach, an interesting walk, a mission up a big hill, hunt for a barrow, charity shop rummage in a faraway town - these are usually winners for us. If we have a picnic, I don’t begrudge the odd ice cream/bag of chips/hot choc. You can do fun days out without tons of money. And stonehenge is free if you don’t do the visitor centre and stay on the right side of the fence. Small churches are often more interesting than cathedrals, that are still usually free if you hit them at the right time. Having to splash the cash means you failed in my book.

We holiday in Cornwall each year with FIL. He pays for our accommodation and we buy all food, cook dinners and tidy. He still can't get his head around us wanting to be on the beach everyday, all day. For us, the beach offers body boarding, paddle boarding, kayaking, surfing once our boys get bigger... He gently complains every year about being in the same place, however, this suits everyone: the kids are happy and in a good holiday routine of sleep and food (we have lots of allergies) - thus pleasant to be around. DH and I are organised about what needs to be done and get on with it, but can relax as well. FIL himself loves coming down to the beach to play games with the boys and joining in with our free fun, after he's spent the morning driving around spending money on parking, lunch and crazy golf 🤷🏼‍♀️ So OP I get it: why not invite your host to join you on what Your family enjoys doing, because you love their local environment you may surprise them, and inspire them too!

You sound a little miserable OP. You might as well be at home if you’re not going to get out and about. What about forest walks, picnics, mooching around a village or whatever - all free. Go for a drive and see where it takes you. One or two ‘bigger’ days out. A pub lunch or dinner out.

National Trust are offering a free family ticket this summer. If you google it, it will tell you how to claim.

I laughed at the ham and mustard sandwich comment because recently I took my DS for a “nice lunch out” at a tea rooms. When it came to order he carefully asked for “the ham and English mustard sandwich but no mustard please”. The woman taking the order just smiled and said “and what about the coleslaw, salad and crisps it comes with…or just crisps?”. He ended up with about two packets’ worth of crisps on the side of his very plain sandwich. But it’s fairly rare to find somewhere who actually realises what children will realistically eat in public! So disappointing to pay for what you think will be something nice and plain and find that it’s full of pickles and leaves and stuff that will cause instant disgust.

I love days out and visiting national trust or wildlife parks! Best thing about holidays here IMO but the food can be so unhealthy at some - pack lunches all the way! (I also have only one baby who is free everywhere though)

I totally get how expensive everything is though I had dinner and drinks out for the first time since having my baby recently and was shocked at the bill it's like everything has doubled!
I would do a day out with the host out of manners though to a place of their choosing and treat them if you can - it's a bit hard to say you're saving money when they've given you a free holiday!

I did around a 12 mile walk along a cliff top and then swam in the sea and took a meal deal picnic. Free car park. Great day.

If you are in any way public sector (or know someone who is a member who can invite you) you can get a CSSC Membership which includes EH/Cadwr/Scottish equivalent membership, plus Kew and Wakehurst access and lots of reductions on other days out. We use this a lot (Great Tower of London!). We're lucky to be in London though where heaps is free. Also 241 national rail offers (you need a train ticket but it's often worth buying one from the nearest station to the one where the attraction is to get the discount).

I do feel like I've spent the last 10 years lugging picnics round though.

When we visit family in the South West we do absolutely hemorrhage money. And often the 'attraction' is rubbish too. The Yorkshire Wildlife park was excellent value though.

I sort of agree. We do other things as well, but every year we go in our caravan up to the north Norfolk coast. We spend most days at the beach...swimming, boarding, playing, reading...have a mooch around town, sometimes eat at the caravan, sometimes eat out, sometimes have a campfire. It is all just lovely and simple. The money goes on ice creams and coffees and some meals. No big days out really. Of course it is really weather dependent!

You sound miserable and tight. It cost money to do nice things.

We call these Free Ham Days .
I forked out big time for me & the kids to do a Day Out at a via ferrata - basically climbing round an iron staircase in a quarry. It was fun but £££.
The best thing my kids remember is that we stopped off at a beach on the way home to walk the dog & the cafe lady gave us two packs of free ham.

@Tapasgoofy - but it doesn’t? Obviously some ££ days out are great and worth every penny but we’ve also had very memorable days that cost next to nothing! Beach trips, car boot sales where we brought home and armful of old Beanos for £1, the walk in a field when we found a Roman coin…all good and free or as good as free. If only you knew that a £100 day was 10 times better than a £10 day, but it rarely is.

I don't think it's a tight thing.
. £30 for one person is the equivalent of a whole months activities for one my DC
I like doing nice things but I feel like there are a lot of things that cost too much these days.

Atomicblonderose
That's so true.

I disagree. Plenty of nice things that don't cost much and plenty of overrated days out that are £££. I would put most UK theme parks into this category. Most are so overcrowded and chaotic that I would pay to avoid going.

My kids used to love rock pools with little crab nets. They'd spend hours crabbing with their Grandad. I'd help them make sand castles and go in the sea with them. Dh would body board with them too. I used to take a nice picnic and flask of coffee for us and if the weather was not raining off we went. If it was a bit cold I put a cardigan on DD and a sweatshirt on DS's. If it began to drizzle we all went into the sea. It didn't matter as we'd be getting wet anyway. As a treat we had fish and chips for dinner. If it was a wet holiday and we had a couple of those I'd take them to sea life or the cinema neither of which were expensive. I'd also buy a new DVD each, for them to watch. I didn't have enough money to spend £20pp entrance fees. I'd find a play park and take them to and we'd take DS little plastic golf set and make little obstacles on the beach for them to hit balls around. They'd get a comic each which they'd read then swap over. I don't blame you not wanting to fork out hundreds of pounds on days out when you have a beach on your doorstep.

If you are in Devon on Exmore they have letterboxing. You have to find little letterboxes and inside is a stamp. You stamp your card and see how many you can find whilst walking on the beautiful moors. My sister lives close by and she took my son's and they loved it and went on and on about it for weeks when they got back.

It’s not miserable or tight to just want to chill on holiday when all week is dictated by everyone else’s schedules. I get that @doesthismakemeodd. I work ft and juggle everything during the week with dds from school and clubs. Sometimes I feel like the circus clown as I have to entertain or keep dc entertained.
We’re currently away and so far not done anything taxing. Tomorrow we are taking a train and going to a museum and do some shopping. We will take lunch with us and snacks. Only treat will be an ice cream/cake.
Everything has gone up in price 🤫 if no one’s noticed.

Glad it’s not just me! I took dc to a castle near us last week, it is lovely but it cost us £46 for the three of us for entry to the gardens only.

^^

😱😱😱£46!!!?

Agreed.

I think we may be soulmates.

I only took my DCs to free attractions and we always brought picnic food (nothing fancy - really only food I knew they'd eat) and bottles of water.

I used to take them to a very naice mall nearby that was laid out around plazas with numerous fountains. They called it 'the fountain park'. Free parking, free fountains to enthrall kids of 3/4/5/6, and only 20 minutes away... what's not to love. There was another shopping area even closer that had a few Rube Goldberg-style installations outside the stores that they loved so much they would clamour to go there, and would watch the machines for a good hour and a half. Good times!

My kids love holidays like you are having. No stress just playing together, or with other kids. The free things are usually the most fun anyway.

i think taking a picnic is the solution.
we used to love going to castles
but i hate the feeling of being ripped off.

a ruined castle was always more fun