Haemorrhaging money during school holidays anyone else?

[StressedOutPeanut]

This august has been very expensive for us.
I had to pay £600 in car repairs so that took a big chunk of money I had put aside, We went away for a week so more expense and done a few days out along with the usual school uniform etc.

Now a week & a half left of school holidays and I just have enough to buy food. 🙈
Anyone else in the same situation? I'm feeling very crap about it all, I get paid again just before they go back to school but feeling a bit down I can't take them out and do anything else with them. Feel like we haven't really done much but everything just seems to cost a bomb now. It's due to rain all week as well so can't even take them to the park. They are teens and pre teens so happy to game to their hearts desire with their school friends but still!

doing most things is just expensive these days. Well, most things where there is any kind of financial outlay anyway, obviously walking/parks etc are free.
But my teen isn’t mad about walking unless there’s a pub lunch involved, that’s £60 minimum just for the 2 of us usually - we’ve done it a couple of times a week for the last few weeks purely because I’ve had an operation and can’t manage much more than walking right now and he’s had a bit of a rubbish summer - we went away for a week and had planned a further holiday but because of my op we had to reschedule (all fine, just a bit disappointing).
He’s a big tall lad and it takes a lot of food to fill him up after a long walk, 3 courses most of the time while I’m okay with one light course 😂

It’s absolutely ridiculous how expensive everything is nowadays . And it all adds up very quickly . Even being prepared and packing picnics etc seems to make little difference most events and days out just end up costly . Then there is all the back to school costs at the end of it all

But is it? Ok so we now have computer games but most built up areas are still safe to play in, rural areas more so. We have a nanny culture that kids cant roam now like we used to. Pedophiles have always been there, flashes were more prolific when I was a child and the ones I did come across we all laughed at and went and.told a.parent.

I agree gone are the days you could let them play out till the street lights come on. My younger ds plays out but only very locally as we know everyone around us. Food shop cost less than what I was expecting so have a little bit to do something this week so we don't go stir crazy so that's something.

@StressedOutPeanut my older ds plays out as well and I feel so lucky we will somewhere it is possible because to be honest he enjoys that more than expensive days out . Some days he is out all day with the neighbours kids and they go between all the houses . It’s brilliant

It’s been awful. Even free days out end up costing a fortune with sneaky hidden things.

I’m currently unemployed after redundancy, and the only job I have is a lunchtime supervisor starting Sept. I said we were just doing big camp with friends and then 1 bigger day out each week (Gullivers, ski slope etc) and it’s cost a fortune! Gone into my savings way more than I anticipated! £50 Gullivers, £20 ski slope etc. Camping should be cheap but now there’s extras since it’s got trendy. Pizza van visits £12 per pizza, walk/lunch pub £25, ice-cream in the village £5. I also have 3 weeks of holidays left😳

Well there’s an obvious saving, either eat somewhere cheaper eg Wetherspoons or don’t buy three courses?! He can have one and pudding at home/slices of toast/packet of biscuits in the car.