to feel sad that we could never go to the local fairs/fun days, of which there are many

[EleanorReally]

when dc were younger.
or if we did go we could hardly spend the money

who are these fun days for?
so expensive for families

even the local fun fairs?

but i still feel depressed when i drive by them now, and the memories of counting up the money to see if we could go - going in and not being able to go on the actual rides.

We are definitely on the ‘haves’ side of the socio-economic divide but even we thought going to those fairs expensive! There used to be the first 30 minutes free at our annual fair and we strategised how to get the most rides in.
I think a timed wrist band flat fee would be fairer as those rides really add up fast. If we found it expensive I can’t imagine how others managed. It was only once a year but still it’s so public you can’t avoid your kids seeing it and wanting to go.

I remember being on holiday with the kids years ago, and the fair came on the last night we were there. I hated having to say no to the kids because we’d run out of spending money. It would have been such a lovely finish to the holiday.

It's so expensive to go to the local fun fairs. I took my three to our local one last month and I must of spent nearly £100 and that was just mainly on rides!

i spose people get into debt with these type of treats

There are lots of free fairs and fetes you can go to. They don't have big fancy rides, but they do have games or small things you can do. The most expensive thing is buying food and drink, so just pack a lunch. It's not the same, but still a lovely day out.

You don’t have to go to them all, I have 4 kids and am a single parent and we’d choose one we all enjoyed and go to that kids saved pocket money or we’d get vouchers and I had a bit aside for stuff like this. It’s not always easy but kids need to know what they can and can’t do within the family and realise money only goes so far.

I have always felt that those who don’t have a huge amount of dispensable income are thinking that those who do are doing stuff like this. In reality we are a high income household and yet like fuck am I forking out £2.50 a ride!!!!!!

There is an evening where it’s £1 a ride and I still think that’s dear. Plus I’m not at all convinced about the health and safety side of local rides as I nearly came a cropper on a few rides myself as a kid.

So my kids are also missing out of these fun treats. I might relent when they’re teenagers though and it means more to them.

Don't be sad. When we went, it was never uncontrolled spending. In some, I paid for one ride, and children paid for any others from their pocket money. They were a lot less willing to go on rides when they were paying and everything was carefully weighed up before they parted with their cash. Otherwise it would have been ridiculous money if I paid for everything they asked for.

Don't most fairs have kids sessions in the afternoon/early evening where all rides are £1. The ones where I used to live do.

Agree with SheShoots - we're not watching the pennies but there's no way I'm paying £2.50 a ride either! With three kids, it's just not a good use of our money. A few rides, a burger and a drink and you've spend £75. Much better ways of spending that money.

These type of fairs don't seem to be a thing around here though.

I agree with you. We went to our local one a few days ago. Some of the rides were okay price wise, the best value was the dodgems. The worst was a big inflatable slide. £1.50 for 3 minutes. If the kids were quick they might have got 2 goes on it max. Needless to say, ours didn't go on that one!

We still spent about £50.

There's some local ones with a flat fee of £7.99 (I think) for 3 hours which is so much better and we still have to budget before we go as we need to pay for two

Like winter bloody wonderland. You can spend £70 in the blink of an eye and have to queue up to buy tickets (£1 each) to exchange for the rides. So expensive and crappy.

We never went to these things when I was a child and I never understood why. Then we took the DC one year and it cost a fortune. The rides last about 1 minute and are £££ each and there is nothing else to do. I'd rather go to a theme park where you pay up front for the whole day so at least you know what you're letting yourself in for.
Having said that, the fair is due in town in a fortnight and we will go as most of the DC's school friends do and I don't want them to feel left out. Like a PP, we go on the opening night when it is cheaper, we pay for two rides and something like an ice
cream or a stick of candy floss (I aim
to spend no more than £15 in total which I realise is still more than many could afford to fritter away) then if they want to do extra rides or have anything else to eat, they can use their pocket money. They become much choosier when there is a clear limit or their own money is at stake!

I won’t spend my money with these people anymore. My dh put our five year old ds in a haunted house thing then came a cross to me as I was putting our three year old dd on a little carousel type thing. Ds ran straight off i not you had to stay on understanding. I walked him back to the woman all smiles asking could he go back on as he didn’t understand it was more of a play area than a ride. The witch of a woman refused and and said “I was watching you I knew you would come over, you should have been watching your son, how am I supposed to keep track” really nastily. I though well you obviously have kept track and your being mean nonetheless. What a horrible attitude in a small village fair.

Really? We could afford to go to the fair but don't because it's over priced and, IMO, probably dangerous.

I get what you mean though...unless you're totally loaded there will always be things you can't afford for your children.

I'm with you. I hate how every event now has pay for fair rides. We've not gone to multiple events/open days etc because of it. £2.50 a pop, 2 kids and they want to go on again and again. These events usually have a entrance fee or parking so to pay for the rides on top is just too much.

I get really upset about this because it's just not worth the money and the kids dont understand this.

We’re ok off - not rilling in it, but can afford certain luxuries - but we very rarely take out DC to funfairs. They’re just so, so expensive! And it ends up feeling like a mission as you have to say ‘no’ to so many things.

We tend to only indulge in these things if we go away on holidays (which I understand in itself is a luxury). But local visiting Faye’s etc are just too much of a dent in the pocket .

I don't mind spending money on carousels/bouncy castles/ferris wheels - physical stuff you can enjoy, but the 'hook a duck' and coconut shy type attractions are always rigged/run by scammers in my experience. At big fairs anyway. Little country shows raising money for the village hall or whatever, chances are they're more straight up.

They are shit anyway.

I grew up really, really poor. We always went to the local fair but mum had a strict budget and when the money was gone it was gone. Being poor doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life but you may have to be ruthless with your budget to allow this — so they need to be planned for.

At £2.50 a ride you'd quickly spend loads of money, rather save up and have a day at a theme park

We don’t take our kids to fairs. There’s one local at the minute advertising rides at £1 each, but only with a £1.50 wrist band. We have 5 kids plus most rides require an adult.

The only time they can have a ‘treat’ like the fair is when we are on holiday and we go to a pier or similar.

Tanner a go as a kid in the 60s.

And the fair was on the way home from school so used to wander through on my way home sometimes being lucky enough to find a 6d on the ground a getting a free go - those were the sweetest rides

Agree. I think better to look for vouchers for theme parks - works out much cheaper. And more fun tbh