Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this is plenty of spending money?

110 replies

londontripspendingmoney · 29/11/2023 12:48

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?

OP posts:
glossypeach · 30/11/2023 10:18

Honestly no if you want to not worry about money and enjoy everything. It’s not the same thing, but me and my partner at the time went to Amsterdam with 500 for 3 nights, 4 days. Fair to say we had partaken in the stereotypical Amsterdam ‘activities’ which was a lot of the budget. But it was miserable wanting to buy and do everything but not having the money to do so and having to settle. I would definitely go overboard with a budget and whatever is left over is a win.

Pluvia · 30/11/2023 10:35

Plenty. No reason why you can't have several days out in London for free apart from travel and food: I would have thought £50 a day would be feasible if you take your some of your own sandwiches and snacks and stay away from the shops. You have a toddler so you won't be going to the theatre or clubbing in the evening. Most museums and art galleries are free. Your toddler might enjoy the child-friendly exhibits at the Science museum. There are children's playgrounds in Regent's Park and other places. Feeding the ducks and birds at St James might be fun. You can have a great time without blowing a fortune on things like the London Eye or boat trips or visiting the Tower of London.

mantyzer · 30/11/2023 10:43

You can go on the river using Thames Clippers, much cheaper than the river boat cruises and just as much fun with small children.

mantyzer · 30/11/2023 10:47

@glossypeach I have never even once been able to just buy whatever I want without thinking about money. That is normal for most people. We don't just eat and drink and do anything that takes our fancy without considering the price. If you are very wealthy then the OPs situation may look miserable, but it is normal.

InTheRainOnATrain · 30/11/2023 11:01

mantyzer · 30/11/2023 10:47

@glossypeach I have never even once been able to just buy whatever I want without thinking about money. That is normal for most people. We don't just eat and drink and do anything that takes our fancy without considering the price. If you are very wealthy then the OPs situation may look miserable, but it is normal.

I think it does make for a pretty miserable city break if you’re tired from a busy day of sightseeing, it’s just started raining, you’re cold, you’re not near the hotel and you can’t nip into the nearest cafe for a coffee and sit down because you had pizza express for lunch instead of a supermarket meal deal because it was too cold to picnic and that’s blown today’s budget. I don’t think anyone is talking about improptu designer shopping sprees or michelin star dining, just the ability to pay for a cheap snack and a drink on holiday when you want one. Or do something paid for like the Aquarium if the weather is on your side for the playground. Nothing lavish. Personally if I couldn’t budget for that, I’d conclude that I couldn’t afford the trip and wouldn’t go because it would just be miserable.

aliceinanwonderland · 30/11/2023 11:43

Catza · 29/11/2023 13:11

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.

Edited

use debit card for travel. Maximum cap is £9.60 and toddler is free

alwaysmovingforwards · 30/11/2023 12:05

Ginmonkeyagain · 29/11/2023 12:55

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.

Agreed.
Always find these thread questions so baffling.

mantyzer · 30/11/2023 12:06

@InTheRainOnATrain No one is talking about not being able to afford a coffee. And in London there are lots and lots of rainy day options, some expensive and lots free. It is literally the best place you could be for lots of rainy day options.

mantyzer · 30/11/2023 12:08

@InTheRainOnATrain and Pizza Express is over expensive and not very good pizza. You can spend way less easily in London and get a much better lunch.

Pluvia · 30/11/2023 15:48

You spend less in a cafe for three people? Where do you live? Not in London, I assume.

Cafe Tropea
https://caffetropea.co.uk/
lovely cafe actually in the gardens in Russell Square, offered a full English for under a tenner last time I was there in June. (Hotel was charging £25). There are hundreds of places like it. But surely a toddler won't want to spend time sitting around while the parents work their way through a big breakfast?

The OP is travelling with a toddler. Much easier to take their own breakfast / porridge / bananas/ croissants and cutlery (they're in a car), pick up a pint of milk each day on the way back to the hotel and have a basic breakfast in the room. Or grab a bacon butty from one of the little places that provide breakfast for workers. Economise one day and splash out another. Order Deliveroo to the hotel in the evening or take a takeaway back with you and save money that way. You have a toddler so eating out in restaurants in the evenings isn't on the cards.

I'm wondering whether the OP's partner is the kind of person who can't have a good time without spending money. You can.

Caffè Tropea | Famiglia-Run Caffe in Russell Square

Discover the authentic taste of Italy at Caffè Tropea, an Italian restaurant and cafe located in the tranquil Russell Square gardens. Salute!

https://caffetropea.co.uk/

Muttisays · 01/12/2023 12:31

Why is London such an “unknown”? How do you budget the rest of your life?
Without having to plan every second of your visit, it’s pretty easy to know the kind of things you want to do in advance and roughly price it up. E.g. Google cheap, nice independent restaurants near where you are staying and work out approximately how much you may spend. Then you know how much is left for spending money.

There is no requirement to do everything the most expensive way to enjoy yourself. In real life, if it’s over budget you don’t do it/don’t buy it.

Ref. the breakfast conversation- £40 a day?! A Hilton should probably have a kettle in the room. On one of the days why not take instant porridge pots and supermarket pastries/fruit/juice cartons for breakfast in bed or while you take it in turns to shower at leisure. My kids loved a hotel picnic with teddies when they were little. It saves your budget and energy for the other meals (finding somewhere to sit and eat out 3x per day with a toddler would be the opposite of relaxing for me and consume so much time and money)! Similarly supermarket lunch as others have said. Still allows a little bit of cash for a coffee treat mid-morning but you need to buy less food with it.
We’re not badly off but would not consider buying every meal in a sit-down restaurant or cafe for a whole weekend. How do people ever afford family holidays with multiple kids if they honestly think this is the only option?

Have fun in London op!

mantyzer · 01/12/2023 15:46

I agree that the idea of 3 sit down meals in restaurants a day with a toddler sounds like hell.

Torganer · 01/12/2023 17:19

Pottedpalm · 30/11/2023 08:41

As you are travelling by car you can take lots with you; bottles of water for your room ( may be provided but possibly glass bottles in room) and for taking out and about, biscuits/pastries, evening snacks, toddler snacks and drinks will doubtless be cheaper bought at home than out and about in central London.
one thing I would say, we were in London last Weekend and the crowds were beyond anything we had experienced before. Theatreland and the main lights areas were rammed and I wouldn’t want to be there with a pushchair!

You can drink the tap water in London! You don’t need to bring bottled water!!

Pottedpalm · 01/12/2023 17:21

@Torganer Of course! Refill your own bottle 😄

sonicmum2002 · 01/12/2023 17:38

I found the "too good to go" app a Godsend on my last trip to London. Great for picking up reduced stuff from Starbucks, the Pasty company etc for picnic lunches. £600 does sound plenty, but recommend the TGTG app if you're on a budget!

MarjorieDanvers · 01/12/2023 17:46

Don’t forget you will need to pay the congestion charge (am assuming you will be in the CG zone) and I doubt very much parking is included in your hotel stay - so check that!

otherwise how much you spend is entirely up to you!

NoHunsHereHun · 01/12/2023 18:22

Why on earth are you driving to London? If you don’t live here and are staying somewhere central (which I’d assume) you are going to find it extremely stressful and expensive - ULEZ, congestion charge, parking, probable road closures…

patq1967 · 01/12/2023 18:50

You will be fine , £600 is loads for a weekend in London , I live in London , if you have a toddler I would advise going to Tesco in the morning and getting a meal deal for each of you £3.50 head to the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&A all 5 mins walk from each other , thinking of the toddler bus tour sight seeing the sights of London , Covent Garden Watch the buskers , British Museum Portrait Gallery ( go and have a drink dinner in there restaurant ) one of the best views of London you will see its in Trafalgar Square , walkie talkie building all have roof gardens sky scrappers that you can see for miles but need to be booked in advance and are free Shard you have to pay for , hope this helps you x

pinkspeakers · 01/12/2023 18:53

sounds like loads to me!

I mean, obviously you could spend more if you chose to, but there's definitely no reason to if that's your budget

Yourcatisnotsorry · 01/12/2023 20:25

Absolutely loads! Way more than I would spend on a weekend in London. There is so much free stuff to do, tube and buses are cheap, convienience stores everywhere to grab cheap drinks and snacks/lunch on the go. Unless your shopping is in boodles you’ll be fine.

Treesandsheepeverywhere · 01/12/2023 22:55

Why not do a joint pot of £400 for family spending and say £100 each for whatever you fancy. When it's gone, it's gone.

Book everything dependant on what works best. Some places are cheaper if you pay on the day, like the London tour bus and some theatre tickets.
Some places are cheaper online where you can get 10% off or such.
Do your research and maximise.

ellyeth · 01/12/2023 23:03

It depends on the sort of shopping you are talking about - expensive items? Obviously, that would push the cost up (and perhaps you or your partner have already been talking about things you would like to buy so it is creating the idea that this might, to some degree, be a shopping trip).

If not, I would think £600 is more than enough unless, as others have said, you are planning on eating at the finest restaurants. Even then, you'd be hard pushed to spend that much.

As has been said, there are lots of interesting free things to do when you come to London - the British Museum, The Sky Garden (it is free but you have to book on line and queue for a little while), The Science Museum, The Tate and Tate Modern, other art galleries, etc, etc. A hop on, hop off trip down the River Thames to Greenwich is very affordable too - I believe about £15 each or possibly less. Just walking around is free - there's the South Bank, the Millennium bridge, leading to St Paul's Cathedral (which, if you want to go in is not free), Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden (with all the free entertainers and the interesting markets). There really is no need to spend a fortune - and perhaps unwise if purchases have to be made on credit. If you don't want to walk, the tube is relatively inexpensive.

As someone else said, do a bit of research before you go - eg for reasonably priced restaurants with good reviews on Trip Advisor. Have some idea of what you want to do or you will just be scurrying around with no plan as to where you want to go and what you want to do. It sounds like you only have one free day anyway as you have planned an activity on the other day, so you will have limited time.

Angelil · 02/12/2023 09:12

Think some people have misunderstood the £600. That also needs to cover their fuel, ULEZ fees and parking, since for some crazy reason they are driving down. Since we don’t know where from, we don’t know how much they will be left with (say £400?). Add in crazy expensive activities like London Zoo (as they are also proposing), and you could easily run through the remaining balance in a weekend. It’s doable, but without knowing the costs of their choice to come by car, we can’t really comment on how doable.

kneehightoacat · 02/12/2023 09:36

Are you going to Winter Wonderland?

if so, you will spend £600 there 😂

SkySecret · 02/12/2023 09:44

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.

Then this isn’t a London problem, it’s a you problem. You both need to grow up a bit and learn that you can’t spend what you don’t have. If you’re only paying for one day of activities, 2 days of food and travel costs and can’t stick to a £600 budget then you have a much bigger problem than one weekend away!

Spend the Saturday sightseeing and visiting museums - natural history, science museum etc. They’re all free. You can have a brilliant day in London without spending anything other than tube fares, and tbh most of the central parts are easily walkable.

Take breakfast bars, bottles of water/juice, bananas etc with you, then you don’t have to buy breakfast. Don’t drink wildly expensive cocktails with your dinner. There’s loads of ways to keep costs down.