To ask if you could make £400 last 2 weeks?

[FreshStrawberries97]

For 1 child, 1 adult. Any meal ideas? Rent and bills paid already.

Yes, it's plenty, including petrol and activities, unless you're planning any particularly long trips or pricey activities.

Definitely more than enough!

Why don't you just do the sums? If your little one has school meals then they can't be needing that many outings in 2 weeks. The weather is good and the park is free.

OK I will bite.

Why on earth do you think you might not?

What has changed that has made you question whether it will be enough? What would you normally spend? What would you normally spend it on?

Outings? Just go to the park surely. All the parks. And any local museums that are free that have kids stuff. Why would you spend on outings if money is tight?
And take picnics/packed lunches. Dont buy food or drinks out.

Petrol - save that mostly for essential trips.

£400 for two weeks is a lot of money if bills, rent and even school meals are already sorted. That could easily last 4-6 weeks.

Well when I was young and not a parent, if my rent and bills were paid, I could make £30 last 2 weeks.
Add a child or two’s food on top of that and I think you’ll be fine 👌

To be fair these sort of things give me anxiety… I have roughly £500 a week AFTER all bills and food and still sit up at night panicking… I think sometimes our little heads overthink. Deep down I KNOW I’m fine, but still worry. Maybe the OP is the same? Especially if she’s been skint before.

Mealwise:

For breakfast I’d buy some porridge oats and add some yoghurt and frozen berries,overnight oats is easy and a nice breakfast for you.
Cereal/toast and fruit for your child.

Lunch, child is sorted, sandwiches/soup/meal leftovers.

Evening meal: usual stuff say spag bol and other pasta dishes, wraps with protein and veg, curry, burgers with salad, even omelettes , the list is endless really!

@Makingpeacei haven’t seen those prices - 500gr corn flakes for 60p? Dozen eggs for £1.25?? Where?

Outings: this week is going to be hot.
Don your suncream and head to the park. A trip to the ice cream van whilst there won’t break the bank.

DependsZ is a massive salad and/or chicken involved?

£400….. 1 child and an adult? …….. I like the nice things in life and could get by just fine with that after bills, especially as a one off. How much petrol do you really need? I would scrimp here to have more fun together.

The weather might be the challenge over the next couple of weeks I guess. It’s going to be too hot to spend too much time outside comfortably (where I live anyway. However the museums etc. are often quieter, and a free option for outings, depending on area.

Instead of always relying on outings maybe get your little one involved on preparing the meals. Cooking can be great fun for kids.

Meal plan for 2 weeks and stick to a list pop money away for fuel and activities for the 2 weeks too.

Of course, that's much more than we spend on a family for 4 for food. We'd eat like kings on £200pw. Am I missing something?

Edit to add, even with petrol and other expenses it is very easily doable. Little kids are pretty cheap to feed and entertain.

Op this is crazy. My food bill for 5 (4 Very sporty huge adults and 1 teen) is 100 a weekz 15.on a bad week.

Me neither, it was ChatGPT.

Download the Petrol Prices app to make sure you fill up at whichever station is offering the best price. There’s plenty of good tips on here re meals and £400 sounds more than enough to me, but good general advice is to buy staples that will do several meals - eg chopped tomatoes, mince (spag bol, chilli con carne), cheese, beans, bread, potatoes (beans on toast, cheese on toast, jacket with beans & cheese), tuna (tuna pasta, tuna jacket) just as a few examples. For outings, things like the park, museums etc are free. Some cinemas do kids specials on a Saturday morning too.

For one adult and one child I could shop at Waitrose and still not spend half of that in a fortnight, so I'm struggling to understand why you are in any doubt.

Absobloodyluetly!!!!

🤣

What are you planning on eating? Caviar and prime rib?

Maybe if you only shopped in Aldi and LIDL

Yeah, I'd expect more like double both those prices for cornflakes and eggs. Not to say they're not good choices, but I think Chat GPT might be working from prices 5 years ago..

How much do you usuallyy budget for two weeks for these things? Why is you budget tighter than usual this month. What can you cut back on that ou usually spend on?
Cheaper meals? Free days out etc.? I think with minimum effort and a tiny bit of imagination you can do it.

£400 for food, petrol and activities for a 5yr old who is still in school for the next two weeks? Really?

Food:

You can get a full week’s worth of meals from Lidl for well under £60 for 2 people.

main meals -think spaghetti bolognaise, tuna pasta, roast chicken, baked potatoes, macaroni cheese, beef stew etc

lunch - Sandwiches and leftovers

breakfast - porridge/weetabix etc

Activities:

take him to the park, the beach, take a walk in the forest, go to the library or local museum. So many free or low cost activities that a 5 year old will love!

petrol - just stay local!

What were you hoping to do with your child that would cost over £400 for 2 weeks?

Quite easily. And surplus put in the bank.

How do you manage that?