To ask if you could make this amount of money last 3 weeks and how?

[CrumblyCookie]

Around £540.
After all bills paid.. this has to last next week (half term) and then another just under 2 weeks after that. Also to include food for 1 child + 1 adult. And a small amount of petrol.

That would last at least a month. I’d say you were doing ok with that left for 3 weeks.

My goodness. How many miles do you do in a week?

Err, yes.

A pretty generous £100 a week on food, and a tank of petrol at £40 (and, yes, i do 350 miles a week on a tank of petrol costing about £40, in a Honda civic)

That leaves £100 for activities this week, and £50 each for the school weeks.

Sustainable and enjoyable long term? Probably not. There are no clothes, big days out like zoos or theme parks, haircuts etc factored in. But as a 3 week stint, no problem.

200 ish

With one 6 year old sure

I would spend £2 on a box of freeze at home ice pops

Prime age to learn to ride if they can’t already and have a bike (even if they don’t you can ask on FB local groups there are always people looking to get rid of small bikes their family have outgrown many free, some a small charge £10/20 that’s 2 days of the half term there - no add £15 for a hike helmet)

Offset by a long walk to the playground

odd ice cream from ice cream van

in short yes with one adult one 6 year old
all the books and toys they already own
weather as it is (sunny and dry)

Ok say-
£100 petrol
£80 x3 food
£100 half term week for outings/ ice cream etc
£50 each week for the other two weeks

@coulditbeme2323 you spend £120 a week on 200 miles worth of petrol? That's obscene. About 12 miles per gallon. Do you drive a bus?

AMG

More fool you. I can drive 200 miles on about £20 of fuel.

Wow! Genuinely I spend £50 and like I say, my commute is 60 miles round trip so that’s 300 miles, plus at least another 100 on a hobby that takes me away or just picking ppl up etc.

Amazed someone spends £120 on petrol to cover 200 miles! That’s 60p a mile just in petrol, nvm wear and tear. If you ever claim mileage you must be seriously out of pocket.

Anyeay @coulditbeme2323 rest assured that neither your petrol consumption nor your assessment of how much money is needed for fun are stall usual.

This is a reverse yes?

I absolutely could and I'm assuming someone in your life is telling you they couldn't.

@breadedchickenlips That crossed my mind too

Or @coulditbeme2323
is enjoying the attention

Yes that would be fine.

I mean it sounds like it’s a one off 3 weeks. So it’s one half term, not every half term until they finish school on same budget.

Just use this half term to relax.

Aside from if we have a larger holiday or weekend away booked, I don’t think I ever spend that much on my 6 year old every week. I take him out somewhere every weekend and holiday.

Because I disagree with the race to the bottom mentality on MN?

Of course we have less than that for a family of 5 to live off for food and petrol!

Lots of trips to the park, local museums and library or friend's houses. Take a packed lunch when out and about. Having aactivities in the park is always good e.g. nature walk, sketching, Frisbee etc so it doesn't get boring.

Pasta bakes, jacket potatoes, curries, fritters and frittatas are all good to eat and quite cheap. So are stews and soups but weather might be a bit hot for it.

There are always items on sale in all shops if you feel things are a bit tight as well as Facebook marketplace etc but that amount is fine for one adult and one child.

That would last me 2 months, although it's only me! I walk a lot, am in the centre all today so took in a packed lunch of sandwiches, crudités, an apple and a vegetarian sausage roll after a filling breakfast of porridge, chopped nuts and seeds and fruit.

I naturally like things like lentil, potato and vegetable casserole. It helps that I live in the city so a lot of free food is given out.

You should be fine on that?

I could definitely do this, and I have teens. Plus the weather will be good. But our half term when kids were little we just lived in the park with a picnic. Just a lot of sandwiches and snacks . Never bought anything out. Kids will be back in school for the final two weeks . My food bill now is still only £60 a week which covers mine and their packed lunches too. I don't run a car so can't comment on the petrol. But if all other bills are paid you should be grand even if school throw a sudden expense in there.

@coulditbeme2323

You are entitled to your view obviously, but don't make assumptions based on your pov and very limited information from the OP

As is usual on MN, this thread is a mix of empathy, questions and RL comparisons

I consider food shopping a bill, but I just spent £120 on food shopping for 5 days for 2 adults, a teen and an 8 year old. Would be half that if just 2 of us.

I have about £800 left over after bills and food shopping each month. Out of that, I pay £400 in livery charges for my horse! So about £400 a month left after that. It costs £110 to put diesel in my car. I don’t spend much on anything else though. Parking, medicine, the occasional coffee or snack out or some incidental thing I need to buy. For example, just spent £40 on hot weather clothes for me and one dc as he had nothing to wear except trousers and jumpers.

We’re going out to dinner on Sunday, just me and one dc, and that will cost £50 plus parking, but that’s a rare treat. Our days out are mostly walks, river swims, beach days, cycling with a picnic.

I think too many people are quick to jump on the op with "it's loads."

Can she survive for 3 weeks on that? Yes of course she can.

Will it be much fun? I doubt it very much.

This is plenty!!! I gave this sort of money left over each month after bills and do just fine. People's lifestyles are the problem - they think you have to spend loads and have loads of subscriptions to be happy

When dd was little, we had an annual pass to a theme park a fair amount and used to take a picnic. Having just checked, entrance is £20.49 each peak times, an annual pass is £94.95 per person. It’s obviously not one of the big places, but dd loved it, it wasn’t heaving with hours of queues and they also have a splash zone in the summer.

We also used to go to various different parks around and about, free activities etc. It really doesn’t have to cost much for littlies.

This has to be a joke, because yes that’s not difficult at all, many people manage on less

Seems absolutely plenty, even if you weren’t being too careful.