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?

For me, it's Covid, which stopped me doing anything with my kids, DD1 was 13 now she's 16 and put their lives on hold for lockdown - they are growing up fast and will leave home before too long, I feel cheated, so fuck it I'll go into debt to spend time with them now before they are gone. What a shambles.

I just can't understand why family attractions attract families ~~mystery~~

The thing I don't understand even if you can afford 7k annual heating bills many will still be impacted by the effect on hospitals, schools, etc.

Tourist area here. We've had a quieter summer until the last couple of weeks. Next week it will be dead. Same every year. Then we get the couples and retired returning until autumn bites.

There's a lot of people older or childless who won't be hit as hard this winter

The energy price crisis hasn’t hit us will full force yet. The price cap is currently £1900 ish. Yes more than it was, but it’s only costing me an extra £80 a month. Annoying it went up, but still perfectly manageable for me and my budget.

When the price cap increases to £3.5k, and further, that’s when the real problems will start. People will really have to start cutting back and businesses will notice a big drop in footfall.

@bellac11 this absolutely & as my dh said to me earlier when we were discussing this - how is this going to affect manufacturing and businesses theatres nurseries schools hospitals nursing homes and endless other things
I still think the government did a base around apex thinking with these handouts. They were never as Tories going to agree to nationalization but - maybe instead use this money as a bribe to the energy companies to restrict their rises and use the stick of increased corporation or whatever tax if they don't & why the blue blazes did they agree to closing the gas storage and closing the coal fire energy before they had replaced it? hey ho, what am I saying when did this mob ever think in terms of long term cohesive planning or consequences of actions or inactions

This is how I feel. My teenagers will be too old for a lot of these things in a couple of years time. If it was just DP and I would be behaving differently. But I will not let them have even more years where they do not get to enjoy normal family days out.

The increased costs takes a big chunk out of our monthly savings. We will do our best to offset it by making cuts where we can to mine and DHs spending and on energy use. But our kids won’t notice any difference and we will continue to go on holidays and days out. I realise we are in a fortunate position.

Agree with some PPs that I just don’t see any effect at all yet. We own a large construction firm and are still absolutely pulled out. Had no cancellations despite MN being full of people saying they can no longer afford work, materials etc.
All diaries full until next summer now and people still calling to ask if we have a cancellation list. Every plot has just sold off plan within weeks on a new piece of land and we have cancellation lists for that.
No sign of anyone cutting back anytime soon.

Our Merlin passes cost us £11/month.

We're a 20 minute drive from our closest theme park.

Eventually the payments may have to stop. But until then it's a way to keep DC happy for very little money.

We often spend nothing on theme park days as we go after lunch and take water bottles and some snacks.

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

Very true. It’ll be when the bills come in that people will stop spending. I’d put money on a lot of those Christmas bookings being cancelled.

Also next years holidays are booked and paid for. As I imagine lots of others are. One of them is Center Parcs.

Whether we can afford the year after will need to wait and see.

So it will take a while really.

Luckily for both DH and I we work in areas that people won't stop needing/using and so our jobs aren't in any danger.

My youngest is now 3 so I am getting 30 hours free childcare so what I am saving on paying childcare is now going on energy bills and I am also upping my hours at work to give us a bit of an extra income. Its really disappointing because I was looking forward to being able to save a little bit and have some money to spend on myself but instead it will be used to heat the house. We have been away but we will be making cut backs. I wanted to take the children somewhere to see Santa but the place I was looking at is £130 and I cannot justify that when people are starving and freezing. I am also not doing my daughter a party next month. I think the rises in January and April will hit us a lot harder.

We went to two family attractions last week: we were on holiday in the UK. Camping. One place we had a week long ticket for, and the other was English Heritage so free to enter, as we are members.

Our week camping is sneered at by many, yet it cost us significantly less than a 'proper' holiday, so we can enjoy days out whilst away.

Also, whilst we are acutely aware of the cost of living crisis, and making some changes to prepare/mitigate, we are not yet struggling as much as others. We also won't face the utility bill rise for over a year, thankfully.

Places are busy, because lots of people are not struggling.

I live in a seaside town, it's very busy this year. We've been to the zoo recently, Legoland coming up and we had a holiday in Holland. Zoo, Legoland, Eurotunnel, recent Pizza express meal all paid for with clubcard vouchers.
I never spend them back in store, they only have single value there or triple value elsewhere. We also use our blue light discount where possible, always pack a lunch for a day trip and petrol has gone down a bit especially if you buy it from Costco (membership £16 a year with blue light).

I think a lot of people are quite savvy with discounts, freebies and doing things as cheaply as possible these days.
Frankly if we're going to spend the winter freezing and huddled under blankets/duvets I want to get out and have some fun now. I realise this is a privilege of our position.

Like a PP we are comfortable enough to buy DS clothes in advance out of season so much cheaper. DH built a log store and is now enthused about the log burner he wasn't fussed about five years ago when we were still renovating our house. There's a local tree surgeon who sells large amounts of seasoned wood cheaply.
We need a new kitchen, but that will go on the back burner. The appliances have all been bought since we moved in and dated cupboards and an artex ceiling never killed anyone. Fortunately we've already done the rest of the house, dive we moved in six years ago.
We used to have a guy help out once or twice a month in the garden over the summer, we just do it ourselves now so it's tidy but I have less time for the pretty things. We've cancelled the milkman after much deliberation but just can't justify £6.50 a week as opposed to £2.15 from the supermarket.
We are very fortunate that we have luxuries to cut back and savings, much like PP said we can hunker down tighten our belts and get through it. I don't need any new clothes and nor does DH, we have plenty. I will batch cook and microwave, make soup for warm lunches. We have freezer space and enough money to be able to buy larger amounts of ingredients.
It's those already on the bones of their arses, without the material things that will make this bearable, without a savings pot in case the boiler goes etc, who already live pay day to pay day, who are going to be in a really awful position. In our town lots of those people work seasonally, on the ice cream huts, arcades, funfair, farm park, tourist attractions etc so if this summer wasn't busy they'd be in even worse situations.

They may have season tickets which really help.
Also, I've bought all of our Christmas tickets to panto and lights etc already before the huge hike in prices so we can afford it.

Our local "posh" shopping / cafe area was really busy yesterday some cafes with queues out the door. For a lot of people the energy rises are something to be aware of but not worry about very much.

We've not made any cuts to our budget / spending (yet).

There was a thread the other day where people were listing changes they had made (soap instead of shower gel etc) and I was surprised and sad that people were that skint.

Agreed! DC are 11 and 14. The last 2.5 years have been pants, with significant non-Covid illness thrown in. I'm going to enjoy this summer whilst I can and tighten my belt once they are back at school.

We'll have less money going into savings but can still afford to do stuff. There will be a lot of people in the same position.

There are people who won't be that badly affected; and also people who know that they will struggle in the coming months, but have money now, so are doing things as a last hurrah while they can still afford it.

And it might also be that people are not going overseas, even without the cost of living issues, it's been very difficult with queues at Dover, cancelled flights and long waiting times for passports.

I'm enjoying myself while I still can. We've done way more than normal because come October when our fix ends we'll have nothing to enjoy ourselves with. Yes I could make more savings now, but the worst part of being skint is the boredom. So I'm making memories while I can do it.

The cost of living hasn’t really hit us yet partly due to promotions in the last year and fixed rate bills (for now). I’ve noticed days out are costing more, higher ticket prices, extortionate parking and cafes but I’m just paying it. Center parcs is booked for next summer and I’m going to book again, for during the winter, just to make the most of being able to do so.

My little one has missed so much due to covid and I only have this narrow window before he’s in school. So I’m just taking him wherever I want while I can.

Not sure how people can afford the season tickets even in the good times! They are utterly extortionate in my view.

Just added some tops to sons wardrobe - jo jo maman Bebe for a £1 and two brand new for £2... a winter coat for £7 instead of £100 . Local carboot brilliant, I’m being careful already