What do people do at the weekend?

[thirtypl]

I'm genuinely intrigued as to what people do at the weekend?

I live at home with my parents, have a boyfriend he lives at home with his family as we can't afford to buy atm. I am currently recovering from being in hospital. I went out for the first time in a while to a local shopping centre on Friday mid morning and it was heaving. Struggled to find a parking space, so many people were out, queues everything you name it.

Which I didn't get because all I hear on the news is everyone's struggling due to COLC / bills etc

Now based on this what are people doing at the weekend? If on a Friday the shopping centre is already heaving with people eating shopping.

I also need inspiration of things to do as I have no idea.

The CoL isn't like Covid, there isn't a lockdown condemning us all to our homes, it is impacting people differently at different times, like every other financial crisis. Some families are doing less, others are cutting in other areas in order to still get treats, others just aren't impacted to the extent you're expecting. The sad truth is that those most impacted by the CoL weren't the ones going to Pizza Express on the weekend regularly previously.

As for what we do on weekends, the one thing lockdown has taught me is that down time is good and we don't need to schedule every minute of our lives. We are a full time working household with kids in after school club or doing lots of activities, so we have fallen into the habit of doing bugger all on weekends and it is lovely! I tend to save days out etc for the school holidays/annual leave, and I am sure we will do more over the summer, but have really enjoyed guilt free weekends at home this winter. But if we wanted to go out and do things, we do have the finances to do so, it's not a financial reason as to why we are staying home.

I'm going to a gym class, followed by laundry and cleaning the upstairs bit of the house. Followed by test driving a new bike, then back home to do a bit more of a blanket I'm crocheting.

Tomorrow I'll be watching MotoGP, Bodypump class, cleaning bottom half of house, more crocheting.

So pottering, basically. I work 9-5 FT so like to chill at weekends.

At the weekend I clean the house, i watch tv, i visit friends or relatives, i go out to new places and explore, i go shopping. Read, go for meals etc

How old are you?

The DC and I do a Tae Kwon Do on a Saturday morning. DD1 has free Code Club on a Saturday late morning which is at the library. DD2 and I read for an hour with a coffee/hot choc which is free too!

DC play all afternoon whilst DH and I do general chores around the house.

Sunday is big dog walk morning for the whole family. Lunch. DC tend to play again and I tend to read. DH cleans the cars 🙄 which I would do once a season!

Sunday evening is usually a nature documentary on TV.

Last weekend was Cub Camp which I am still recovering from! 😂

Kid things. Today baby is napping in car whilst DD is at dance then she has a party, late this afternoon aiming to clean all the windows (how exciting!). Tomorrow morning DD has swimming and then we are going to the garden Center to spend a voucher I got for my birthday and then working on the garden if it isn’t pouring . Potting up seeds for garden inside if it is. Generally kid stuff and trying not to spend money I don’t have.

Thanks for the responses I'm 30 boyfriend is 33

We both have savings, we're saving to buy but we need a little longer / the market to improve.

I'm currently not employed (I was) but recovering due to sickness. We did do things like weekends away (prior to me getting sick) holidays, we regularly go to the cinema and meals out anyway but sometimes we see each other during the week and do these things so then when it comes to a weekend I've got no idea what else to be doing atm. I think since being unwell I didn't go out as much and spent best part of January and February inside a hospital so Friday shocked me as it was my first time going to the shopping centre in months

We Potter about the house, garden & workshop doing v v little. Now that DC don't live with us we make hardly any effort. I love it and find I can really relax now which I couldn't do previously. I think SM creates alot of pressure to be doing things and posting pics about them. I can't be arsed in the slightest, off nearly all SM too which is life changing. I didn't realise how I was affected by pictures of things others were doing, now I just enjoy my own life, it's great!!

The one thing I’m doing with friends this month and next month as it’s cheap is a tribute act a nearby pub, £5 entry, they also do burger drink deal for £12, I can walk or get bus there.

Usually on weekends it’s seeing family and friends and dinner party at friends house tonight.

Sometimes exhibitions but once you factor in transport and entrance can be pricey.

Daytime apart from usual housework it’s walks, would swim but local pools, one is disgusting and I think now closed, other roof is being mended! Sometimes farmers markets/food stall markets.

Today I went to the gym this morning and am just chilling for a bit before doing some housework.

Getting my hair done this afternoon (a rare occurrence!) and then going out for dinner and to the theatre tonight. This is a birthday treat paid for by relatives, so I’m very lucky!

Usually at weekends I try to catch up on housework (and sleep!), get some fresh air and exercise and do something sociable with friends or family.

Well I’ve just been to a yoga class and now home eating breakfast. Then I’ll drop one child at a birthday party and take the other one shopping for some stuff she needs for an upcoming residential school trip. We’ll get lunch out. Then pick child number 1 up and home to chill out for the afternoon. Tomorrow we’re going to a water park for the day.

On a Friday I finish work at 1345 I then give the house a good once over and get an express shopping delivery. Then I do all work/school uniforms for following week. Sometimes me and my partner do absolutely nothing but chill and have a Netflix binge after a busy week of work kids and gym. Today we have my granddaughter till tmw mng so taking her out for the day. We are trying to get our holiday paid as quick as possible so have a bit of pocket money each which we barely use in week so can go and do things at the weekend loke visit a different town, go for tea , long walk and nice cafe afterwards charity shop hunt in a different affluent town for some bargains. But the weekend is to do with as you please Sometimes the best thing to do is chill and recharge your batteries x

I'm also part of a childfree couple. At the weekend we generally go for walks, bike rides, visit country parks, nature reserves, National Trust properties (membership is excellent value for money, you only need to go a few times a year to make it pay), to the beach/coast, that sort of thing. We generally spend a good few hours outside on both Saturday and Sunday. We sometimes get fish and chips, but might just go after breakfast or lunch then not eat except maybe an ice cream or coffee, until we get home.

We'd almost never go to a shopping centre at the weekend, too busy, they're open until 8/9 pm in the week so we'd go after work in the week if we needed to buy something. Weirdly I also found a local retail park very busy busy on a Monday morning a couple of weeks ago. I put it down to a lot of people delaying going at the weekend due to the snow, and perhaps people working part time/different hours.

Are you well enough to go for a walk somewhere at the weekend? See the spring flowers and lambs in fields, ducks and other wildfowl?

I'm also going for drinks with friends later and we tend to eat out as a couple about once a week. We never go to the cinema I don't think I'd stay awake.

Sitting in a cafe looking at the sea having just shared a bacon sarnie with my JRT. Going to get another oat milk cappuccino shortly. Just texted a friend to see if she fancies joining me with her dog. Had a 12hr day yesterday so doing little today

I'm going to do some gardening, probably go to the garden centre. Maybe some baking. And crochet. Need to clean the car at some point too.

Today I'm getting my nails done, meeting friends for lunch then going to pick up DH's 40th birthday present. Next weekend will be quiet at home because I can't afford to do fun things every weekend, but appreciate it when I do.

I’ve been to gym and will spend most of the day pottering and doing the housework. Will go on a long dog walk later - it’s a lovely day here I don’t want to miss the good weather.

I very rarely go into the shopping centres because I tend to get carried away in Primark! I do all my shopping online - mostly Vinted.

A typical weekend, DH goes to gym, I do online tai chi and one or two light household jobs. I or we always go for a walk. DH enjoys horse racing and I've got into it with him, so often watch some of that in the afternoons. Later a home cooked meal that takes a bit more effort. I love reading, so never far away from my book so tend to pick that up about three times in the day. On a nice day I might do a bit of gardening.

There are variations to this, we have lots of hill walks so often go for a 2/3 hour walk on Saturdays with a sandwich. Also, we sometimes see other people, today it's my DM and next couple of Saturdays will probably see friends for coffee. I fancy going to local pub one Saturday soon, as they do a lovely massive plateful for £9.

Sundays, I work. DH always goes for a hill walk, does voluntary training for his job and reading.

Bit of cleaning and a really long walk somewhere lovely (I'm near a national park).
Pub on a Friday or Saturday night quite often.
Sunday usually gardening, visiting mum or other relatives or having them at ours. We used to always go out for lunch but have stopped that now.

I drive my children from one activity to another.

I volunteer at Scouts

I have a season ticket at the football and go to most hone games.

If I have spare time I might do the garden or go for lunch with my mum.

Evenings might go to the cinema or if we get a babysitter go out for dinner with DH.

We are fortunate not to be impacted by CoL but spending a day at the shops is my idea of hell.

So far have walked the dog, hung some washing outside, going to clean & potter round the house as want to be on hand in case of rain shower, so I can get said washing in ( due to COL I have put washing out all through winter when I can to avoid using tumble dryer). Later we are taking DD to a concert and going out for dinner. Tomorrow will be a chill day, pop to see in-laws, take dog into Forest or Beach then yoga class. COL to us has meant some minor tweaks to still allow for treats, I realise we are fortunate to be in this position.

With regard to your shopping centre being busy, we no longer have what you could describe as a thriving town centre, any decent shop/department store has closed. If we want to shop we would have to go out of town and travel to one, this could make you shopping centre appear busy as more out of area shoppers coming in.

I don't understand the connection between the question in the thread title, the cost of living, and people doing their weekly shop on a Friday.

People need to eat. People need to buy food. People choose what day(s) to buy their food. If at work all week then Friday afternoon might be an idea to give them more free time on Saturday.

Anyway- I'm a teacher so tutor twice at the weekend, clean the house, mark stuff and prepare lessons. Fall asleep on sofa about 10pm. Batch cook some pasta sauces on Sunday morning. I try to finish school stuff by about 5pm on Sundays so I can curl up with a book.

Saturday morning my children have sports matches and dance classes. Saturday afternoon we might go for a long dog walk if the weather is mild, or the children might have friends over to play or we might meet up with friends out.
Sunday morning we have church and then we usually either go to friends for lunch or have friends over.
We are really trying to cut back on paid for activities.

I was up early this morning so went to the gym, home and showered now. Ds and I are going out for lunch and then I booked into a crazy golf place for this afternoon. It’s a bit windy!

I like to do something at the weekend, I remember feeling really sad as a kid because my mum was too knackered to do anything with us at weekends, we lived in a flat in a rough area and weren’t allowed out to play, she didn’t drive so we were basically just stuck in all weekend.

This has really stayed with me clearly!!! Obviously there are some weekends we do nothing much but I do encourage some outside time every day (unless heavy rain or whatever) even if that’s just walk to the local shop for something or post a letter (who posts anything these days?!) or any other random made up job. The amount of time my kids could spend on screens is crazy and one of my dds has severe mental health issues so there’s a fine line between a bit of downtime and too much for her.

If you are so skint, what are YOU doing at a shopping centre?