Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think 500 is enough spending money for weekend away

78 replies

Scottishdreams1991 · 06/07/2023 09:31

Family of 5 going to a caravan Fri to Monday. Doesn't include food or eating out.

Dh thinks we need more

OP posts:
Needmorelego · 06/07/2023 11:29

Is he one of those people who never actually go into shops so have zero clue how much normal everyday things cost?
I know several people like that (male and female).

Blueey · 06/07/2023 11:33

We just spent £2k spending money on 2 weeks in Italy, family of four - but that was for all activities (including boat hire, boat trips, cave trips, canoeing, aquarium etc so not cheap) food (self catering), eating out almost every night, souvenirs, ice cream. It felt like a lot to me. £500 for a weekend seems plenty even if you needed to get food out of that.

IamSmarticus · 06/07/2023 11:40

badluckorbadvibes · 06/07/2023 10:15

Surely if it doesn't include food etc it is plenty? How would it be cutting it fine?

Show quote history

My bad.. I read it as though food needed to come out of this as well, sorry!

Toniii · 06/07/2023 11:52

So activities are covered, food is from another pot. So this £500 is for maybe alcohol? Fruit machines? I'd be mortified spending £500 on just those things, and I certainly wouldn't be taking more! £300 is even too much for a family of 5 for those things.

gogomoto · 06/07/2023 11:53

That's loads for a weekend, even for 5 people

Cucucucu · 06/07/2023 11:55

He is right , unless you eat in . We are currently abroad in a very cheap to eat country ( full meal lunch is less than £10 per person all in including drinks and deserts) and we still account £120 per day for us 5 as there is always something to buy or go on . We are doing one meal at home and one out every day .

Cucucucu · 06/07/2023 11:56

Oh sorry if food is separate then should be plenty enough

IamSallyBowles · 06/07/2023 12:25

If you're panning on staying at a cottage/caravan/centre parcs etc and you have activities and food sorted - I would expect that to be enough.

Maztek · 06/07/2023 12:27

I think £100 each for the weekend is perfect.

berksandbeyond · 06/07/2023 12:30

If you have £500 to spend on tat, and you’ve also got separate money for the caravan and the food, then you could have gone somewhere a lot better than haven!

AndrexPuppy · 06/07/2023 12:39

Why do people keep talking about food/meals/eating out/shopping? The OP literally says that the £500 doesn’t include it and then goes on to reiterate their point several times. How hard is it?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/07/2023 12:42

I’d have thought more than enough if not eating out.

Caravanvirgin · 06/07/2023 12:43

OP - what exactly do you think the money will be spent on? I haven’t been to haven before (I looking at it for next year).

GoodChat · 06/07/2023 12:44

So it's just for the kids to play in the arcade or ice creams or whatever? It's way more than enough.

Coronationstation · 06/07/2023 12:44

what the hell are you going to spend £500 on on a caravan site if you're not spending it on activities, food and drink?? it that's all paid for I would have thought £50 was more than enough!

badluckorbadvibes · 06/07/2023 12:44

berksandbeyond · 06/07/2023 12:30

If you have £500 to spend on tat, and you’ve also got separate money for the caravan and the food, then you could have gone somewhere a lot better than haven!

We go to haven because we want to, it's not a matter of finances.

That said we only use it for somewhere to stay, not the activities or amusement

lljkk · 06/07/2023 12:53

Friends said they managed to feed their family of 6 & have some entertainment for about that amount for a week, maybe 6 years ago. The caravan was free in their case.

MrsRandom123 · 06/07/2023 13:00

there are 5 of us & for Mon-Fri in a caravan we’d need less than that if it’s just spending money for ice creams, arcades etc but we’re not big alcohol drinkers so you’d need more if you are. Food is obviously more & we’d do eat in caravan a few nights & a couple out & cereals, lunch etc we’d sort ourselves as self catering but again if you eat out all the time including lunches it’s more.

Surely it depends what you can afford - if you only have £500 just get on with it & it should be doable but if you have more take more & enjoy your holiday.

Crunchymum · 06/07/2023 13:03

I'm budgeting that for 9 days (self catering, x2 adults and x3 kids) but I will also take my debit card.

(The £500 doesn't include a big food shop we'll have delivered on the first day!)

Oblomov23 · 06/07/2023 13:13

£500 sounds like a lot, but for us 4, when we go to Dorset caravan, once I do a big food shop, fish and chips, and a meal out, it soon adds up, plus both ds's Poole water slides, I think I might need more.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 06/07/2023 13:17

I don’t understand, normally the spending money is for eating out/drinks/snacks and for activities. If both are already covered then what do you need to pay for still? Presumably staying on site you won’t really have shopping opportunities.

Nogbadthebad · 06/07/2023 13:25

It seems like a huge amount to me, especially if food is covered separately.

whenitrains5 · 06/07/2023 13:36

Family of 4 here just returned from a caravan fri-mon and spend just under £400. This included food and drinks and tat for the kids...

whenitrains5 · 06/07/2023 13:37

Sorry. We also had £50 in cash. So more like 450 for the whole weekend.

Original poster
Scottishdreams1991 · 06/07/2023 21:54

Both dh and me dont drink any alcohol. We do like to spoil the kids on hoilday and say yes to what they want.

OP posts: