To think this is plenty of spending money?

[londontripspendingmoney]

Partner and I are going to London tomorrow for 3 nights with our toddler. We are driving there and mileage is around 270 miles each way. Hotel is paid for already so it's just fuel costs, food and activities / shopping etc that we need to factor in. We have a budget set aside for this and there's £600 in the pot currently. We have already booked and paid for one activity happening on Friday, so the cost of that isn't needed. The £600 is for fuel, food, travel in London (tube etc), and any other activities we might choose to do. Bearing in mind we are only there for two full days (Friday and Saturday), with tomorrow and Sunday being full days of travel (so only food and fuel costs needed on those days). Even if we chose to do a small amount of shopping on the Saturday, surely this is enough money? Partner thinks we will overspend and need more and end up using the credit card. I don't agree - I think £600 for this trip is do able for 2 adults and a 2 year old

Thoughts? Who is right?

Unless you're driving a hummer or planning on eating at expensive restaurants that sounds plenty. Lots of things you can do free or cheaply in London if you're on a budget. Museums are generally free, although have special exhibitions you can pay extra for. Do you have an idea what you'll be doing? Even travelling around on the top deck of a double decker to see the lights is cheap and usually interesting to a toddler.

I mean it really depends on what you are planning to do. It is possible to spend a day in London and hardly spend a thing. Equally you can spend thousands in the space of an hour.

Work out a budget.

Maybe it doesn’t matter who is right or wrong (I think you are right FWIW), if your partner is worried that you won’t have enough spending money suggest that he could pack food and snacks etc. to take with you and save money on eating out.

It really depends on what you want to do and where you want to eat. Is breakfast included at the hotel? It's certainly doable, there's lots of free things to do in London, the museums, parks, and the sight. You don't need to pay to see the sights but obviously it costs to go inside. For lunches I'd check out the markets and go for street vendors over sit down restaurants. Take water bottles and snacks for the kids.

Easy peasy with that budget! Does your DP think the only shop in London is Harrods?

Well you could spend £600 and then some if you wanted to, but it's a decent amount of money a budget that would be easy to stick to without feeling that you're limiting your enjoyment.

But surely if you've decided that the budget for the weekend is £600 then you stick to it and if you run out of money, you stop spending, you don't just end up putting it on the credit card?

Fuel is fixed
Food and travel is reasonably well known, I assume that you're not planning on taking your 2 YO to high end restaurants?
Then what's left is available for 'shopping' and needs to be in budget.

If you see something either of you wants that's threating to blow the budget, then it comes out of separate personal money, or you don't buy it.

I think it’s fine but why don’t you plan a little - look at the prices for places you might want to eat and tot up so you have at least that. Don’t forget to add snacks, alcohol and coffees etc. Then it’s just a case of what you want to do/buy on top of that. Set a budget for purchases - those things may tip you over on into credit card.

I'd be prepared to take the odd taxi with a toddler, especially if they're tired and it's busy.

London can be as cheap or expensive as you want. Lots of free activities and you can get food cheaply alternatively you can do activities and restaurants that cost a fortune.

Travelcards just over £30 per day
Petrol around £140 depending on how economical your car is.
Parking/ULEZ ?
Evening meal with alcohol £100 per night
Sandwich and a coffee £10 per person
Breakfast £30-40 per day

I think the budget is tight but not impossible. Probably won't stretch as far as shopping but then there isn't anything you can buy in London that isn't available elsewhere/online.

😂 I think so

I think that's a generous budget TBH. It's really easy to get cheap food in London. You can walk lots and get the bus (more fun for toddler and less intense than the Tube). Loads of things are free.

I think that's loads, unless you are shopping or drinking a lot. I often have days in London and only spend on taking the bus, I take a packed lunch, walk around, go to free galleries.

Why is he worrying? Do either of you have a tendency to say ‘fuck it, let’s blow the budget?’ If not, then you just stick to £600, surely?

Where are you staying and parking?

Eating out is as cheap or as expensive as you make it - I honestly doubt you’re spending £100 a night when dining with a toddler. You’re just not lingering that long in fancy places! Ditto £30-40 on breakfast.

Also, on travel costs, if you just tap and go on the tube or buses it’s going to get capped at £15.20 for a day 1-4 travelcard but it could be much less per day if you’re not doing many journeys. London is so walkable, and toddlers love buses.

Unfortunately yes, we have both been here before🙈 Hence why he's worried I guess. We've spent a while getting on top of our credit card debt and we are finally there. I guess he's worried about racking it back up which I understand.

At a Hilton hotel which has on site parking but I hadn't checked actually whether it costs extra for the parking so will do that now!

Avoid hamleys and you will be fine!

Don't take the card then

It's way more than enough for a good weekend

Ah, OK.

Then break it down a bit further. Make budgets for what you’re spending that £600 on.

You need £X for fuel, £X for travel cards, £X for eating out, and £X for activities (look up entrance prices online).

Now what’s left? Take away a 10% contingency. Now what’s left for souvenir shopping?

I mean ‘a bit of shopping’ is a bit nebulous. What are you buying? For me that would be a separate part of my budget - if I wanted to hit Westfield and do my Christmas shopping then that’s not coming from my £600 holiday spending money.

It's obviously the worst case scenario (within limits). A main course is around £25 in a London restaurant. So two mains, starters/desert plus a child's meal, plus two glasses of wine will come to £100 easily. We had two mains and one starter plate, plus two drinks at Wagamama the other night and our bill came to £65. Unless someone is going to Pizza Express and sharing one pizza, I am not sure £100 would be entirely unrealistic.
Cooked breakfast in an average cafe will be around £10 per portion + drink, so £30 is accurate for two adults and a toddler.

That’s why I mean though - you are for 2 + a toddler (your starter plate) for £65, not £100. Mains are less than £18 in Wagamama. There’s tons of places to eat in that mid-price range, certainly less than £20 pp main course.

I honestly doubt you’re spending £100 a night when dining with a toddler
Based on prices at my local pub, it’s nice but family friendly and nothing fancy:
£10 starter x2
£20 main x2
£10 2 course kids meal
£3 kids juice
£30 bottle of wine
£10 tip
Total £113
Obviously you can do it cheaper if you want to but I personally think it’s really quite easy to spend £100 on an evening meal with a toddler!

£30 on breakfast isn’t a lot either if you go for a sit down place. I got 3 pastries, 2 coffees and 1 juice from the Italian deli at the top of my street this weekend and it was about £20!

I think @Catza ’s estimates are spot on: It’s enough to have a good time but it probably doesn’t stretch to shopping.