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

[FreshStrawberries97]

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

Not for my family as our shopping is over £200 a week but there are lots of us.

But for myself and 1DC? Absolutely, how could £400 not be enough for just food, petrol and outings?

Yes £400 is more than enough for 1 adult, 1 child for food petrol and activities for a fortnight. What kind of budget do you usually have to think this is might be impossible?! Gosh, we’d be having an expensive day out each week… so the zoo/ aquarium etc and I’d still have some change !!
If I had £200 for my family of 6 for a week, I’d have about £50 left over , which with my family size would probably mean a free day out but being able to go to Greggs for lunch and get an ice cream!

Yes it is enough. You can ɓuy groceries, and will have money left over. I took my kids out every day, weather permitting, to one of the local parks or green areas and didn’t spend much money. We were We went to the library kids programs, to a local splash pool type thing in a park, we would sometimes have a picnic on a blanket there. Kids that age are easily entertained.

If you need to trim down food spending id try and use on joint of meat for 2-3 meals.
Roast chicken dinner - use leftovers to make a pie
Gammon and eggs - use leftovers for campfire stew
Chilli and Rice - chilli and jacket potato or loaded fries
Beef stew - beef pie

Really cheap meals - Jacket potato and beans or cheese
Omlette
Pasta and pesto ( nice with bacon lardons)

Of course it's enough. We're a family of 5, including two active teenagers with appetites to match, and we're financially comfortable, so not watching every penny while grocery shopping. I do a weekly grocery shop which generally comes in between £80 to £120, depending on whether I'm buying the more expensive, longer lasting things like dishwasher tablets or olive oil, or just stuff for that week. I then buy extra milk during the week as it disappears in about 5 minutes in this house. I have a small car, so petrol is only about £50 each week - and a tank sometimes lasts longer than a week.
So on an average grocery shop, and normal petrol expenditure, that would leave us £100 for extras. You essentially have three adult-sized eaters fewer to worry about. Why wouldn't it be fine?

same here. How insulting to the many posters and people in this country who have to manage everything on this amount per MONTH and there is no spare money for extras for their child
BUT
speaking as I find most people in this situation are resourceful and resilient and spend time and effort sourcing free activities and second hand items and still manage to have a decent quality of life
i I include myself in that, I am disabled managing and enjoying a simple life on lifelong disability benefits
i had 3 children and managed similarly
it’s mindset not money
Goady as fuck @FreshStrawberries97
if your user name reflects your age… snowflake

I am guessing, OP is going away for a couple of weeks and is unsure of how much money to give the person caring for the dc to cover essentials, or OP is going to babysit a 5 yr old and is unused to children so is asking.

Let’s do a life swap 🤣. I feed me and two kids on £300 a month!! In all seriousness, unless you’re driving from Lands End to John o’Groats a few times in a Range Rover, you’ve got plenty.