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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to think 200 Euro is too much?

43 replies

waffilyversati1e · 22/04/2015 09:01

My son is 14 and is off to Germany on a school trip for 5 days in June. They will be visiting a theme park, spending the day at a museum and going to visit some caves as well as other bits and bobs.

We were talking last night about how much money I should be giving him and my Mum piped up that 200 euros would be a fair amount.
We aren't a massively well off family and I just think 40euros a day is a bit excessive (all of his meals and entrance fees were included in the £350 cost of the school trip)

AIBU to think that with this in mind 10euro or maybe at a massive push 20euro would be enough?!

OP posts:

ollieplimsoles · 22/04/2015 09:03

You have already paid £350 for the trip, if your mum thinks he should have 200 euro to spend, maybe she should give it to him?

Give him what you can afford!

mountainofdreams · 22/04/2015 09:06

Hi Waffil, I don't think you're being unreasonable but I think you should give him €200 just in case of emergency.
Tell him you expect him to spend €100 max.
My 14 year old cousin came to visit my family for a week last xmas from abroad and my uncle sent him with €10000 .

londonrach · 22/04/2015 09:06

Germany is reasonal priced. If everything paid for he needs ice cream, drinks and possible bits and pieces so between 20 to 50 euros at most. Work out per day. 5 days 10 euros means he couldnt get an ice cream or drink every day. (Thinking water or coke or lemonaid here)

TwinkieTwinkle · 22/04/2015 09:09

When I was at school there was a maximum amount we were allowed to take. Check with the school, then you can judge if it's appropriate.

TwinkieTwinkle · 22/04/2015 09:10

Can I check, are they visiting Europa Park? If so, it is so reasonably priced for a theme park. And completely awesome.

londonrach · 22/04/2015 09:11

To show you cost i paid 12 euros for two hot drinks, two cold drinks and 4 hot items (think roll with hot cheese and bacon on) in a poshish cafe in the centre of a biggest town right next to amazing very visited church.

londonrach · 22/04/2015 09:11

At easter

FirstWeTakeManhattan · 22/04/2015 09:15

10 euros per day sounds reasonable to me. When I first went away on a school trip, I was really keen to buy little presents for my family - he might want to do that, and it's nice thing to be able to do. 50 euros for the week is enough for little gifts and ice cream etc.

avocadotoast · 22/04/2015 09:19

I'd say around €10 a day would be enough. If he's anything like me at that age he'll spend whatever you give him, so go steady!

OrlandoWoolf · 22/04/2015 09:25

If he's anything like me at that age he'll spend whatever you give him, so go steady

This. He doesn't need to buy much except snacks, drinks and ice cream. As well as a lovely souvenir for you. It will also make him think about budgeting.

mrsmeerkat · 22/04/2015 09:31

I would give 100 if you can.. maybe gran could help?

Ragwort · 22/04/2015 09:32

Perhaps a bit late now but we've always said DS is responsible for his own spending money on school trips and he saves up - we then give him a bit towards food/drinks. He has to use birthday/christmas money to pay for the 'extras' on any trips.

No point asking the school - at one school meeting a parent asked and the teacher said it was in impossible question to answer as people's views on what are 'basic expenses' vary so hugely. .

Penfold007 · 22/04/2015 09:33

€10 a day seems plenty for a school trip where a meals etc are covered. You can only give what you can afford and he will spend every Euro any way.

AlpacaMyBag · 22/04/2015 09:35

Agree it's way too much. We are a family of 4 in a relatively pricey part of the Eurozone and wouldn't spend anywhere NEAR that much on top of meals when we're on holidays. We do like a nice ice cream and a souvenir, but not to the tune of €40/day even for the four of us. Half of that would be just fine for 4 people.

OhOneOhTwoOhThree · 22/04/2015 09:36

If it helps, DS2 has just gone on a 5 day trip to France. His school said no more than 10 pounds spending money for the journey between St Pancras and the school, and 50 euros spending money for the French part of the trip.

OhOneOhTwoOhThree · 22/04/2015 09:37

(the journey to St Pancras is almost as long as the Eurostar to Paris)

Christelle2207 · 22/04/2015 09:38

I think I would send him with 100 if you can. Surely whatever you send him with will get spent?!! If gps want to top it up then I suppose they could but this could lead to resentment if his mates have a more reasonable amount. When I was at school we were only allowed to take a small amount on school trips but my mother always put a bit extra somewhere secret in my case and told me not to tell anyone

WhoNickedMyName · 22/04/2015 09:41

I'd say 10 is not enough and 20 would be fine.

OnIlkleyMoorBahTwat · 22/04/2015 09:43

The schools often suggest an amount to avoid participants turning up with either nothing or very little and being unable to have even the odd drink/snack/ice cream/souvenier or ridiculously huge amounts that will get lost, stolen or spent on inappropriate things.

Perhaps ask the school how much spending money is appropriate? But it sounds like 50-100 Euro will be more than enough.

titchy · 22/04/2015 10:02

I think most schools recommend an amount - they really are only ever going to spend it on sweets, fizzy drinks and maybe a plasticsouvenir. Ten euros a day is fine.

Mountainofdreams - what emergency would you anticipate on a school trip that would require the child to dip into their pocket rather than the teachers?

Model5 · 22/04/2015 10:11

DS1 went to France on a watersports trip for a week, on the basis that he needed to save whatever spending money he wanted. The school recommended £10 per day which I thought was a lot but DS managed to save it (generous GPs at birthday plus pocket money).

He didn't spend it all but many of the children had more. It goes on coffee and snacks and nasty souvenirs, which they don't need but enjoy having.

Would definitely recommend that it's his money not yours though - might make him think about how much he really wants to waste it.

diddl · 22/04/2015 10:17

10 a day is enough.

What does he need it for if everything is paid for?

Drinks/icecream/sweets and tat really!

GraysAnalogy · 22/04/2015 10:31

20 a day I would have said.

SpiritOfTheRitz · 22/04/2015 10:42

I would budget for one drink and one ice cream per day.

Ice creams are cheap in Germany - you can often get them for less than 1 euro for a scoop of (lovely) homemade ice cream.

Drinks can be expensive, and you have to pay a deposit for the bottle on top - you could end up paying 3 euros for a 500 ml bottle of coke or mineral water.

So I would budget at 4 euros per day - 20 euros is therefore perfect.

FickleByNurture · 22/04/2015 12:22

Titchy - not scaremongering but when my school went to France they accidentally left a kid there. Were half way across the channel before they realised. Luckily the kid had enough money to call his parent and be able to coordinate a way home.

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