Packed lunch is sad

[Ribrabrob]

I went to a theme park with a friend recently, fully prepared to buy lunch when I was there however arrived to pick her up and there she was with a bag full of homemade sandwiches and packet of crips each I was grateful, of course, for the time effort and money on her part but I couldn't help feeling a little dissapointed - what's the harm in buying food out?

Its always been the case that I can't help but feel a little sad when I see families on a day out at a theme park, zoo for example, sat on a bench eating (warm?) sandwhcihes wrapped in foil with a fruit shoot.

I had the type of childhood where this was common place - packed lunch for every occasion, no need to eat out becaus there was 'food at home' or it was 'too expensive' (despite no money worries) etc so I suppose it's kind of stuck with me and I don't want that kind of life.

Aibu to think that if you can afford a day at the zoo etc, then spending a little bit extra on some food is no big deal? Aibu to think that life is too short to spend time making a sand which/salad to take on a day out, when really you can just spend a bit of extra money and have the hassle taken away? It just seems so strange to me and as though people try and suck all enjoyment out of life.

Poor OP. You have a very horrible and thoughtless friend for taking the time to make you some lunch. Maybe try to be grateful instead of moaning about her on the internet, how do you think she would feel if she found your post?

(I hate lunch at these places, always nasty and overpriced and crowded)

Dear god. This is the weirdest point of view I’ve seen in here. I’m afraid I give no thought to those who choose a packed lunch over buying food out. I have more things to think about.

Virtuous Mumsnetters who love a picnic? I’ll take that. If that makes me virtuous so be it.

I’d rather enjoy my sad, dreary pack lunch sitting on a blanket with my boys anyway than queuing for cold greasy chips and a burger.

Oh god, the food when we went to Chessington was vile. And we ate it on a dirty table next to pigeons who were foraging.

I can’t remember how much it cost, but it was really overpriced muck!! I’d love a roast chicken sandwich instead

Depends where. I love to eat out and treat myself and kids, however, some places the catering is extremely miserable and overpriced. I don't begrudge my kids an ice-cream or waffle, but I make a much nicer packed lunch than a £3 hotdog with boiled onions boak

You can certainly get naff picnics. Friend of mine makes for each person: one slice of ham in a tortilla, a packet of crisps, an apple and a beaker of tap water. (It's quite boring (and the wrap dry!!)).

Different strokes for different folks. On this thread there's inevitably people who think:

the eating out that the treat part (food not as important)
the type food they eat is the most important part (so bring their own if what's on offer isn't their choice)
the goal is not spending money on eating out.

Anyway hardly an issue. The OP can still buy her food on her day out. Her friend can eat her picnic. Joy reinstalled.

Unless the OP wants control what her friend eats; that's a whole other issue!!!

fish that’s what we do. Buy a pudding or something like an ice cream or a sweet treat.

A lot of the food in those places is rank, unhealthy crap. A nice picnic might be infinitely superior.

Sitting down and having a picnic was all part of the fun when our kids were little. They got to choose yummy food, whatever they wanted and looked forward to getting the blanket out on a patch of grass and us all enjoying lunch together. If they wanted chips too that was ok but most of the time they didn't.
Why be ripped off, at least £1.50 for a drink when you can bring your own for so much cheaper. Queuing for substandard burger/ nuggets and chips isn't much fun with kids in tow. Its not as if they offer a delicious menu to tempt your taste buds.

Guess you don't have to watch the pennies op, for us a trip out somewhere is a real treat and expensive enough. I make a pack up so I can get the kids an ice cream in the afternoon. You do sound like a snob, and I'm thrilled to hear that people will be looking down on us for eating home made sandwiches and Lidl crisps. Fuck off.

I like picnicky food and would be delighted if a friend had made some for me. You can always buy some overpriced chips to supplement it.

I have to admit my heart would sink too, if a friend made up a picnic for me without my knowledge.

Not because I enjoy food at theme parks at all and am generally jealous of folks with nice looking picnics, but because I absolutely cannot stand anything but butter and also hate salad cream. People have very specific tastes and whilst it's a lovely gesture to think of others, in that situation I'd tell the friend what I was planning on doing and ask if she wanted me to make some for her rather than just going ahead and doing it.

I love a picnic. My friend and I are taking her children on a day trip and we love chatting about the nice things we are going to make. However we also have budgeted ice cream or some other treats along the way. It’s a win win.

We do a half way house and stop for Tesco meal deals on the way! I would rather have food with me that I know we all like, instead of not knowing what will be on offer/needing to queue etc.

I can't find the enthusiasm for making a picnic at home (and am not prepared enough to have stuff in for it!) but I like spending max £20 on a picnic lunch from Tesco on the way rather than the higher cost of eating out.

I sort of understand where OP is coming from. We didn't grow up with very much money and I don't have fond memories of packed lunches - baked bean sandwiches and bruised fruit, bleurgh. So when I started my own career in London I went to town buying lunches, breakfasts, coffee etc, because I could afford to and it seemed nicer than the alternative. I'm very comfortable with money now and still do buy food out when it suits, eat out a fair bit etc. But I also don't like spending £7 on a pret lunch that isn't actually all that nice, I've had plenty of disappointing food out too and I would always prefer taking food than eating fast food at McDonald's etc. So I guess I'm kind of coming full circle except the lunches I make and take now are much nicer than the ones I grew up with!

It's definitely possible to make and take nice packed lunches and I wouldn't think it unusual to do it in a theme park. I do understand that there might be a reflexive "ugh not a packed lunch" if you grew up with sad lunches - although sometimes there isn't a choice!

I’m on the fence here.
I don’t like carrrying food around and packed lunch is not something I really enjoy, I don’t like food that isn’t fresh. Having said that I don’t like fast food type places much either.
I do get what the OP means. I recently planned a day out with a friend and we’d arranged to have lunch. She then announced on the day she was bringing her step kids and couldn’t afford it for all of them. I was annoyed cus I didn’t have stuff in and then she got pissy because I took ds off for lunch and her kids were jealous 🤷‍♀️
I think arranging beforehand would’ve been a better idea here for you

I sort of understand the OP because I also hated that thing as a child, and would be told off for wanting a nice crusty pasty instead of a boring soggy sandwich.

There is always a middle way - BUY things in a supermarket - there is no shortage of snacks and treats that you maybe don't have on daily basis.

We always stopped to buy sandwiches and treats en route or made up something out of the norm but still a ‘packed lunch’. Waaaaaay better than nuggets and chips which I wouldn’t have touched!

I had the type of childhood where this was common place - packed lunch for every occasion, no need to eat out becaus there was 'food at home' or it was 'too expensive' (despite no money worries) etc so I suppose it's kind of stuck with me and I don't want that kind of life.

The nub of it! The answer is: it's perfectly understandable to have an issue about something seemingly minor because it symbolises something negative for you, childhood associations.

Just don't fall into the trap of thinking that the Thing universally symbolises what it does for you.

I much prefer taking our own food to certain places/events - rather than pay ££££ for some disgusting processed muck. But if we saw something yummy we'd happily go for that too. And - no queuing. No getting to said place and finding nothing really suitable for kids. We'd definitely, always, take at least a bagel or two just in case plus snacks.

Yabu. And you obviously don't know how to picnic!!

Delicious home made salads, fresh breads, cheese, chutneys, pesto. Yum! So much better than the school dinners type stuff in most places

Also, in terms of budgeting, I would rather have 2 days out with picnics than one day out with cafe food

We love a picnic, especially DS. It's a highlight for us, not a compromise. Eating out is expensive and you can't always find nice places, especially at theme parks etc where it's overpriced AND grim.

If you don't want your friend, I'll have her! She sounds like my kinda woman.

Good post FizzyGreenWater, I definitely think that's the crux of it, it's not so much OP being snobbish as having negative associations with something that probably wasn't all that nice when they were growing up.

My mum does this where ever we go. She is loaded too so its not like she needs to do it to save cash. She does however, tend to say its because of the extortionate prices whenever you go out, along with convenience so you don't get stuck in queues for food for half hours and that. I don't see the problem really, and it is helpful. But, its not a habit thats rubbed off on me tbh I have to say!

The very few times we have bought food at a theme park it has been expensive and disappointing. Plus the queues are far too long. I'd much rather save money and bring a picnic with things I know we all like, and get an icecream as a treat there.

Thinking packed lunches are sad is a bit sad if you ask me.

I guess if extortionately priced sub-standard chips or a soggy £8 slice of pizza is your idea of a fun treat 🤷‍♀️

We tend to take a packed lunch but buy an ice cream or something as a treat.