To be pissed off that we can't afford a day out.

[Tealady1983]

Hi I am pissed off as we can't afford a day out with the kids. We both work hard but cannot even afford the bus fare to town then entry to the castle or lunch or anything. We can't stay in garden as it floods when rains so it's all marshy. I feel like such a ba mother

I see when you write it like that I am unreasonable but I did say that in the first place.y budgeting is terrible I totally hold my hands up to that one any suggestions to where to find help with that? Sky package includes broadband and phone too hats why think it around 104 Per month including calls. Like unsaid normally when am at work it's not a problem at all I guess I am just feeling the difference from last Summer when at work and now on less than a half of incomeakes a big difference. I am going back to work before anyone says go back to work then but u have to give 8 weeks notice to return early so am in the waiting period at the mo

What about a cinema day? My ds used to love this with his mates. DIY popcorn drinks and darkened room lots of cushion on the floor and have an interval for an ice cream and loo break and then re start it

Just sympathy here. DH has a decent job, you wouldn't think we'd be broke. But I haven't even got a pound to take the toddler to the Children's Centre. We shop in aldi (halved our shopping bill by leaving Tesco), don't smoke or drink, dh and I have holes in our clothes it's so many years since we bought new ones. It's just the cost of living and it is shit.

Library is free. Park is free, if you can walk there. If you live near any countryside, walks are free. But it is soul destroying on a long-term basis.

Get rid of sky and just have freeview.

Regarding your garden, we had similar sounding problem with our new build garden. It turned out to be a problem with drainage on the site so I think it would be worth chasing it up with your housing association. Even in last years heatwave the ground squelched when it was walked on.

YANBU to be pissed off at having nothing left for treats. But....your kids lives and memories will be made up of special moments that you can still offer them even at home and even in crap weather.
We do have a car but with 5DDs days out to attractions are few and far between. A midnight (or night time) picnic with flasks of soup and sandwiches works for us (and the playground is deserted at night so we can go on the zipwire too).

Carpet picnic with a forest on the telly/sound effects on your phone.
Build a fort and play with your kids all day.
Wrap up in waterproofs and get out and about.
I know it sounds trite, but actually it does build memories that most other children will not have.

Ah, ok, have now RTFT - get rid of sky (we don't even have a TV), definitely get rid of gardener, and you could have afforded a day out for the price of a computer game. A brand new car?? Our knackwered old thing was off the road last month because we didn;'t have the money for road tax, and here am I giving you sympathy? Thinking this is possibly a wind up.

"HappyMummyOfOne, you come across as more bitter than happy, perhaps a name change is in order."

Hahaha had my name since the start and in real life it suits me perfectly so I'll stick with it thanks.

Not bitter in the slightest but given the OP is pissed off yet wastes money rapidly and has had numerous things given to her for free I prefer to save my sympathy for those that deserve it rather than those with a huge sense of entitlement.

A couple of months ago I phoned Sky and told them I was planning on cancelling because of expense. They offered me 33% of my bill for 5 years which I accepted. That could be worth a try. Previously when I rang up I got half price box subscription of half price something else for 6 months.

OP I wasn't being sarky when I suggested Money Saving Expert there really is a lot of good advice on there. In the meantime go on broadband choices and price up different broadband and TV packages, you might find a compromise package that costs less but has most of what you want.

Loving he name kenadams

The more detail that has come out during this thread, the less sympathy I've managed to hold on to.
Have to agree with HappyMummyofOne - and also say YABU, as you can afford to go out, but you choose to spend money elsewhere.

One word - priorities!

MA or money advisory service does a good budget planner, sit down and really work out income and expenditure and see where you can make savings, open a savings account and move any spare cash into it. I use 2 savings accounts one is for short term ie days out, clothes, household appliances, the other covers things like Christmas, holidays etc. You might find a similar system works for you the key though is to only leave yourself what you need in your current account.

Bit of a tangent but Happy - HA rent isn't necessarily that cheap, not since the current government arsed about with rents. It will be lower than the (grossly inflated) market rate and generally there are other advantages such as security of tenure, but the days of renting a council house for £50 a week are well gone (unless you've been in the same house for years).

OP we have broadband/calls/TV with Sky and pay £65ish. Ours used to be £104 like yours and that included sports and movies. So, unless you/DH are religiously watching sport and a movie every night, get rid. £35 a month is your day out right there.

There is lots you can do but you really must actively do it. Get a budgeting app on your smart phone or use Excel to create a incomings/outgoings spreadsheet if you're struggling. If once you've budgeted to within an inch of your life there is still nothing left, then YWNBU to be pissed off about it.

We have a ridiculous amount of sky (multi room, demand, movies etc) and our package for Telly, broad band and phone is 80. You need to batter them down

YANBU.

You go to work, pay your taxes, have a family, live an honest life and expect that you have enough left at the end of the month to have a bit of fun. But no, the bills have sucked it all up.

I've been there, and yes it's very bloody disheartening.

(Although my 11yo was this morning fondly remembering the two years we had no heating and how we used to keep warm )

Have you tried Ebay? I search the house out when I need a bit more cash,sell things we don't need or use.

I do so think that people who jump on completely unrelated threads to carp about their ant benefit agenda are cunts.

HappyMummy Oh, did you get the name from a poster with the initial LFR, then? I assumed you were her, just because she used to refer to herself that way.

Huh, I wonder where she went.

YANBU- I wouldn't say it is exactly 'a huge sense of entitlement', that's not really what I'd conclude having read all of the OP's contributions. I would get rid of 'Sky' though as it is just a waste of money- nothing good to watch on it anyway!

My DP is an Architect and on paper has a good income. I am a SAHP as I am the kind of entitled person that insisted on being at home with my babies because we could just about afford it. However, we have days like this, we live in a 2 bedroom flat in an expensive area but we're lucky to be beside the sea so this is always a free option. Equally, we had gifts of National Trust membership and my toddler DD got a year's membership to an under 4's leisure centre softplay activity rather than a toy off my Mum for her birthday.

We have a car we can afford to fill etc. but often the days out I have in mind don't come to fruition as they have entry fees and they are a good 40 minutes drive away so costly in petrol etc. Equally, I can shop at Waitrose for the same price as Aldi - I just mainly cook vegetarian food. I got my inspiration for this from the menu of the local organic, 'green' and mostly vegetarian nursery DD is going to attend soon. So I would look at how expensive your ingredients are although in all honesty it is very difficult to reduce food costs as it is so expensive now!

Good luck.

I think National Trust membership is great if you have use of a car but have found many of the properties and gardens very awkward to get to on public transport.