To want to take my children to both?

[LoveMyGirls]

We are skint due to a bad year so far with money, thing's breaking etc before we knew these things would happen we considered a summer holiday for a few days/ week camping we have decided not to go as we can't afford it so we've thought about taking dd's out for a couple of day trips, one to the space centre (dd1 wants to do) and one to a safari park (dd2 wants to go) the cost for both would be £81 plus petrol (we would take packed lunches)

I feel like we need to save every penny to try and get ourselves out of this hole but at the same time I think it's not as expensive as a holiday and it will be the last time in a while we get a day out as a family though I am a childminder and will be doing quite a few trips over the summer hols so they won't go without trips if we don't go but it's nice for us to do something just as a family sometimes.

So AIBU to do both when we can't really afford it? (If we go it will go on the overdraught that we dip in and out of constantly)

I'd say leave it for this year. They'll still have plenty of trips.

I would probably go but could you sell anything on e-bay/gumtree to minimise the pinch? maybe old toys your kids don't use - tell them the reason behind it.

Can you get half-price vouchers for them from money saving expert/ tesco vouchers/lastminute.com?

Why don't you post the specific places? Perhaps someone will be able to point you to an offer for them. Tesco vouchers?

Thats a lot of money for a day out. can you use tesco vouchers, we use these for most of our days out. the space centre is good but not worth the entrance fee if you have to pay full price imo. tesco vouchers are redemable there and at west mids safari park.

Can you not look at some cheaper days out, there are lots of free things to do over the summer and I am sure you could find something similar but cheaper if you looked around creativly.

I sole everything I could in May and it went for hardly anything tbh.

I don't shop at tesco but could try the offers, I can't believe I didn't think of that.

The places are west midland safari park and the national space centre.

I know they will still get to go on trips if we don't go it's just that sharing me with several children isn't the same as a trip with just me and their dad because when I take a group of children obviously my attention is split between a lot more children and I'm focusing on not losing any and making sure they all get to take turns doing activities etc.

Well we are not as badly off financially as you ... and I would hesitate to take the DC on 2 such trips. There are many lovely places you could go to that are free or nearly free and I bet the DC would love just as much.

redskyatnight is right. There's so many places to go to that don't cost much.

A picnic away from your usual environment would probably make them really happy.

Our local newspaper lists all the activities available for the DC.

I'd be tempted to do a couple of nights camping for the same cost instead of day trips.

I think I'd be inclined to put those two trips on some kind of a wish list and to save towards them as a family and let your DDs choose a couple of the daytrips that you'll do as a childminder.

An alternative would be to go to the safari park this summer and save the Space Centre trip for Christmas time so each DD has chosen a special outing that will, hopefully, happen this year but without them being spoilt by the feeling that you can't really afford to do them.

How old are your DDs? Could you set them a budget and have a competition as to who can plan a day out for you all within that budget? You and your DH could also enter and the prize could be that every outing planned within budget is done this summer... if your DDs are old/cunning enough you may find they pool their budgets to plan a joint day out which will be more lavish but their choice.

Don't use your overdraft - it'll be Christmas soon enough and you'll be worried about that too! Teaching your girls to budget and to be realistic with their expectations this summer will help with Christmas desires too.

I'm not sure that a few days camping would cost you any more.

I say go, £81 more is not a lot on the scheme of things and you will have two amazing days, and two very happy children.

Dd's are 4 and 10.

I've planned the summer hols already and have planned so many park & picnic type trips (at least 2 per week) and have tried not to go to the same place twice as well as 2 farm trips, a science discovery place, a canal boat trip, a theme park, a nature reserve and a few toddler groups, obviously some craft, paddling pool etc so I've tried to give the children a variety of things and tried to keep the costs down for parents. I really hope they all enjoy these trips its just the 2 trips that dd's have picked are just for us as a family because they have to share me so much of the time. (guilt emoticon for having to share me all the time)

SE13 - my car went bang a few weeks ago and I can't do all my various school collections without it so I've had to put my car on the overdraught

My head says no don't do it, be sensible but my heart says my kids are only young once and I want them to have happy memories out good times with just us as a family instead of doing all the fun stuff when I'm working and they're having to share me.

Hummmmmmmmmmm

[http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=486318 just found this so looking at it, it might be worth waiting a couple of years for the space centre one]]

If the car's already on the overdraft then I'd definitely steer clear of adding to it. Your children are only young once but they also have a fantastic few weeks of day trips planned.

just found this so I think we'll just do the safari as that's not so bad as a compromise

Thanks everyone

I know it's not quite the same as the Space Centre but New Walk Museum in the centre of Leicester have a Space Age exhibition on at the moment. We haven't been yet so I can't vouch for it but it is free .

And I don't know whereabouts you are in the Midlands but the Leicester Mercury is printing loads of offers for days out, you just need to collect a few tokens. There's been nothing for the Space Centre as yet but I'll keep an eye out for you.

Go to the safari park. Save the Space one for when it's wet and rainy in the Autumn/Winter time (gives you more time to save for it and you can break it out one weekend when they're driving you crackers).

Also last year at west mids safari park they gave you a voucher for a free return, they may still be doing that.

They are sumum, we went last month and have a free return for the same number of people in the same car, if that makes sense.

Oh- I would have said save the safari park until weather is cooler, much nicer and easier to see the animals when they're not all hiding away in the shade.

The combined cost for both events for both children is £81+transport costs? Truly? If that's really all you're doing this summer, and if you can be disciplined about spending in other areas: I say go for them both (and I am normally superfrugal with money). I don't see how £81 is going to make a difference to your big hole, and knowing you have those events to look forward to should help motivate you to adopt very frugal habits the rest of the time.

no! you dont have the money!!!