To be surprised that family attractions are so busy?

[cattyfranny]

I see and hear a lot about families cutting back due to the current economic situation and yet attractions (theme parks, zoos etc) and holiday parks (Centre Parcs etc) seem to be packed. I thought Christmas businesses might suffer but those that have started taking bookings are already selling out. Are people going into debt for this kind of thing? Or are there more people with high disposable income than I realise?

People don't talk about the fact that they're not struggling with money.

As unpalatable as it is to read for some, many families aren't struggling and haven't really needed to cut back yet.

No, there are just too many people on the planet! Everywhere is busy during school holidays wherever you go. DD wants to go to London for the day. I couldn't imagine anything worse than having to queue ages for attractions, especially when it's hot

I’m on holiday at a seaside town in the UK and it’s heaving here and in all the cafes etc too. I think the cost of living is very much not affecting people evenly - it’s not really affecting us at all and we won’t be the only family in this fortunate position. But equally there will be lots of families who can no longer afford these things. Or families who might have gone abroad previously or done a holiday and are now cutting back to just day trips.

I agree. If you read MN it appears that everyone is starving or facing the prospect of a winter with no heating at all.
Yet all of the people around me in a very ordinary area seem to be going out/on holiday or having work done on their houses.
There doesn’t seem to be are correlation between what I see on the news and what I see in real life.

People don't talk about the fact that they're not struggling with money.

As unpalatable as it is to read for some, many families aren't struggling and haven't really needed to cut back yet.

Yep. Money is a tighter for many, and things are noticeable more expensive so people are a bit more cautious on what they buy and when, but not to the extent that most people can’t plan anything fun or have time away.

Cost of living crisis hadn't really hit most people yet. My energy bill hasn't changed as I'm on a fixed rates until end March. I think in the next 3-12 months it'll start to hit, but while some people are really struggling, there will still be plenty of people who are wealthy enough to weather the storm. People will still have days out, just maybe not as often. If you listen to the media and some of the posters on here, the whole country will be shivering around a candle come December, and it will be awful for many people, but not for everyone.

This message keeps being repeated. The cost of living crisis is not going to affect everyone and certainly is not going to cause destitution for everyone, its not going to affect everyone to the same degree even among those who are affected

It seems to be absolutely forbidden and outrageous to say this for some reason.

But its true.

Busier than ever. It’s like after covid people really just want to get out there.

Many friends are willing to use their credit cards or go into their overdraft for such things atm and have a “fuck it” attitude after covid.

Yet all of the people around me in a very ordinary area seem to be going out/on holiday or having work done on their houses.

There doesn’t seem to be are correlation between what I see on the news and what I see in real life.

I think people who are seriously struggling are for the most part people who have always seriously struggled. I think it’s kind of shameful that just because people who usually do ok have noticed their petrol prices go up that those seriously struggling are finally making the news.

Lots of people are doing just fine, and the ones who aren't probably were already not going to Center Parcs.

No massive bills have hit yet. Schools are off in much of the U.K. and parents want to get out and enjoy the sun. Similarly with booking for Christmas now. I’ve got money now. So have many of my friends. The holidays we’ve enjoyed were carried over from 2020, in many cases.
Ask again in the new year and it might well be very different.
We have only had one big day out over the summer though, I think a lot of people have done the same over the bank holiday weekend as it’s been so lovely here!

I've made a few adjustments, I'm just over the limit to get any benefit/UC whatsoever, single parent household used to spending money without too much thought BUT we don't drink alcohol, eat meat, I don't do expensive holidays and I've got rid of the cleaner as I WFH and it's more hassle than it's worth to have someone faffing about when I'm in. I spend a lot on cafes, eating out, buying nice food, cinema, charity shopping, teens go out a LOT to similar things with their friends. So, it's not that we are not affected, it's that we are able to shuffle round our money to what we enjoy doing. Many households won't be able to do that.

My mum does the same: she has a smallish pension, but spends it on coffees out and charity shopping, the odd coach holiday, choir, she looks lovely, goes out almost every day, appears richer than she is, but actually her lifestyle is very much tailored to her budget. No mortgage though and nice big house paid off just before retirement.

There's a different between genuinely having no money at all, and having to just cut back/adjust a little.

This is the first time I've seen someone say this on mn! It's so true, as another pp has said, if you relied solely on the media and mn you'd think 99% of the population are destitute already and by march there won't be a shop or business left open. Yet in real life everywhere is busy and on the day the orice cap increase was announced gigantic stadiums sold out coldplay tickets STARTING at about 100 quid in minutes.

It's probably a mix of factors that can be boiled down to some people have and will be financially fine, and others aren't but are spending anyway!

tge cost of living rise won’t affect everyone to the extent that it will stop days out. For us, it will mean cutting back on some of the more extravagant purchases, being better at meal planning and we’ll probably just have one holiday. It won’t affect days out or anything else really.

Tbh all my friends and family members in council houses at 72 per week and working full time jobs at 30-40k a month are having the best times of their life and all at legoland the merlin attractions, Spain etc.

Where as obviously because I chose not to get pregnant at 16 and missed out on that boat. I'm paying extortionate rents I can't afford and can barely make ends meet.

I sold a handbag so I could give my kids a decent summer and new clothes for them. No regrets though!

Bills not come through most peoples letter boxes yet, it's summer so no heating or high lighting demands.
I visited the South Coast over the weekend with my oh on the motorbike, and agree it was heaving.
But just because some are coping financially, it doesn't mean that others aren't.

My next door neighbour is disabled and struggles each month, she is so worried about winter and increasing bills.

This. The people worst affected couldn't afford to go to these places anyway.

Centre parcs is cutting back if you’d usually go abroad, Christmas attractions might be instead of a ski trip. It’s all relative and not everyone will be destitute.

Another difference is that if you have had money these past few years, you probably have an ok car, a nice wardrobe, know the cheap good places to eat out (I go out a lot but never spend that much), have heaters already bought, electric blankets/lovely throws. You can then cut back for a year or two as you already have all this stuff without massively altering your lifestyle, or shoving on an extra blanket.

The problem is for people already living in poverty, as then every solution, such as buy electric blankets for 5 people in a house, or buy oil filled radiators, becomes really expensive, or if the washing machine or other appliance breaks.

People who have had money are cushioned by that money, plus my relatives would give me money if I didn't have any say for my kids' university living costs, people who don't have no back up plan or existing set of great appliances/clothing and goods and that's why it falls apart much quicker.

There's a two tier society - those that can't afford to go out are pretty much invisible. But they're there.

And many people can still go out, but not spend money - so the Tate modern was full (and free) this weekend- no need to buy food and eat out if you can't afford it.

Our local attraction is busy because they are closed half the week

50% of people earn more than average - who’d’ve thought it!

Yep - exactly.

Maybe the people at the theme parks, zoos and holiday parks are the people who would have had a foreign holiday in previous (non covid) years, but can’t afford them this year, so they are doing things that cost less than they’d have spent on the holiday, @cattyfranny?

Could it be that local attractions are busy because people are not going abroad?

We have just come back from a local attraction - Wentworth Woodhouse - entry cost £7 for 4 of us, which is (currently) affordable. Especially after 5 weeks of kids rattling around aimlessly at home.