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.

MsTswift. Feel smug, no. £30 is half my weekly shop budget, ito sensible not smug.

I kind of get what you say as my dh is like you
He had a very poor upbringing and if they ever went anywhere (rarely did) they’d have the barest picnic possible and no bought stuff, no gift shop (not that it was as big a thing in the 70’s)
Therefore he over compensates. Everywhere we go, we have to buy a coffee. He has to buy a cake. He’d be the same with dd when she was small
I’d happily take a picnic as dd was fussy and I’m a pig and would eat loads - but this horrified him
He’s the same with leftovers. Won’t. Absolutely won’t eat them
What are you like with leftovers out of interest ?

We often eat out, but sometimes we take a packed lunch if we know the food is going to be completely overpriced, limited in choice or there might not be enough time for long queues. Sometime we are out all day and I don't want to pay for 3 overpriced meals, so we take lunch and breakfast and eat dinner out.

It's not sad; it's practical, healthy and saves a bit of money sometimes.

The food at theme parks is not exactly the kind I enjoy - the queues, the noise indoors, the mess around peak times. I’d be delighted if a friend made a packed lunch and we could find a nice spot to enjoy it outside. Far better memory than fast food. And there’s always the option of buying a small snack which takes our fancy afterwards.

I like eating out. But only if the food is decent quality and fairly priced and that is almost never the case at attractions in the UK.

Exactly. We went to Legoland last week - queues out the door for £8 burgers, reheated buffets etc that didn’t look great. I was really happy that we’d brought food and snacks.

Pictish you missed out finding a table to sit down at in a packed cafe, whilst balancing a tray full of food, a buggy, a toddler, an overexcited/grumpy youngster or two, a crying baby, various bags...

I'd much prefer a nice packed lunch with decent quality bread, nice salad stuffs and fruit and drinks of my choosing rather than eat what they have an offer at theme parks - which is usually pretty pricey anyway. But then, I'm not a fan at all of burgers, hotdogs etc and given my son is pretty hyper, he'd much prefer to pull out a quick sandwich then get on with things. Likewise, the message he hears around why we bring a packed lunch is that it's healthier and easier so he doesn't feel he is missing out because we 'can't afford it'. If it's sunny, I'm not against buying an ice-cream or slush puppy though which seems to be a happy medium. That said, if you like the type of food they sell at these establishments then that may be part of the enjoyment for you which isn't unreasonable but not everyone does or, some people may just prefer to spend their cash on other things or simply may be on a tighter budget than you - either way carrying a packed lunch I don't think is particularly sad.

I want delicious food when I go out and I know a picnic prepared by me will be much, much nicer than the overpriced, industrially prepared junk they sell at theme parks. It will be ready exactly when I want it with no need to queue and will be perfectly seasoned.

OTOH I will always have room for a few fresh fried doughnuts. Possibly the junkiest thing available and absolute heaven.

I always pack a picnic. I buy nice crisps like Pringles and good quality cakes/bread, deli meat, with salad. I find the shops that sell food at these places, have enormous queues and predominantly sell chips/hot dogs/burgers which I don't like for a fortune. I think your friend is thoughtful to pack you a lunch. If you want to eat fast food on your next trip, just ask your friend not to make you any sandwiches.

I actually agree with you OP and have always thought a sweaty packed lunch is a bit sad. I do hate packed sandwiches though unless made with particular bread and fillings because they go soggy.

However, I recently went away with a friend to centre parcs and she made packed lunches and actually I found it so much easier than rushing between restaurant appointments. It meant food was there when they children wanted it and we could go off to the next activity. I was quite won over!

I know what you mean, OP,

I've told this story before but when we were children we were taken on a couch tour for the day. At lunch everyone else filed in the cafe and we had to stand on the pavement outside and eat our lukewarm egg sandwiches. I was dying of shame the whole time and I've never forgotten the feeling.

There's always the 'halfway house' approach if taking a packed lunch is too awful to contemplate.

Have a decent breakfast, get an ice cream while you are in there and go for fish and chips, McDonalds or pub tea on the way home, or get a takeaway. So you still get the eating out experience but it's likely to be cheaper and better quality.

But if you like overpriced shitey theme park food OP, crack on.

I feel you OP. When we were younger, we had the warm sandwiches, a bruised banana and a carton of juice lunch. I can still remember the smell of the coolbag. When we go out now, we may take some snacks but then we will just buy a cheapy lunch out. However I know some of those places can get expensive!

Ps I agree a picnic is better and now if we go to ie a zoo or farm i take M&S food because they food they serve at those places is so rubbish and buying it so stressful

Er, what? It saves money, is healthier and you can munch in queues rather than stand in an extra queue for food if it's a theme park.

We went to that ghastly Atlantis water park in Dubai once where we weren’t allowed to bring in our own food and were this forced to buy burgers, chips and a soft drink each. It came to £60 for a family of four. Luckily we hadn’t had to pay the extortionate £250 entrance fee on top as we were staying with people that ‘knew people’ but bloody hell, £60 for a tray of junk food . We were quite happy to scuttle back to the UK and our NT picnics after that

We bloody love a picnic and my DC would be disappointed if we bought food rather than took our own.

Theme park food and zoo food is BAD! I make a great pack-up, often with homemade bread, home baked ham, salad etc... it is far better food! I buy an ice cream and enjoy the lunch I made.
If we go into town for the day we eat out somewhere nice!

Don’t feel sad for me, my packed lunch is delicious!

)Thus not this)

Whoever would have thought that an egg butty was "sucking the enjoyment out of life"

We do eat out but I want to choose to spend our hard earned money on a decent restaurant or cafe not a crappy theme park. The only theme park I’ve ever been to where the food was good was Magic Kingdom all the rest were completely shit.
I don’t know if you have kids but feeding them by eating out every time you go for a day out would get so expensive.
My kids aren’t particularly bothered by restaurants anyway so it isn’t a treat for them.

Food in those places is often over priced, poor quality, with huge queues.

We normally take a picnic in to places at like that as I’d rather not spend time standing in a huge line to buy over priced crappy food.

Fresh baked bread, nice cheeses and meats, cherry toms, homemade coleslaw, delicious quiche, maybe some raspberry and white choc muffins and some sparkling cold posh fizzy-pop vs fried overpriced rubbish. Unless the weather is very bad we are a picnic family followed by an icecream. We're not tight, we just not mugs.

I sort of relate to the op. My mother only allowed pack lunches and they weren't that nice. But she fled dv and had fuck all money so I forgive her.

I'm that parent now. But I make nice pack lunches. Also I can't be fucked queueing and over paying. Also the extortionate abs not that nice food at Harry Potter compounded my feelings about this. I cannot he fucked with the stress. I take nice balanced food my kids will eat and can eat whenever we decide.

Yanbu op.

My ex is like this, he takes the kids for days out but always takes packed lunches, and would never buy them food or drinks / ice cream when they’re there. Hes worth 40 million pound by the way just really tight.