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Original poster

Are belly dancing classes an unjustifiable extravagance?

32 replies

Caligula · 31/01/2005 22:00

After mortgage, insurance, bills, childcare, etc., my weekly food, clothes, transport, cleaning stuff, ents and everything else budget is £46. So very tight.

I do a belly dancing class which works out at £5 per lesson, but pay a babysitter (next door neighbour) £7.50 so I can do it. If you work it out over the year, it works out at about £40 a month. I had decided to give it up as a no-brainer - it's an unjustifiable luxury.

But I went this evening and really enjoyed it, and it's the only hobby/ ents thing I do for me which I spend money on. Everything else is spent on kids and household. It is a lot of money though, as a percentage of my household income. Now I'm having a moral dilemma about whether I should give it up or if there is some reason why I'm justified in spending so much money on something which I'm a bit crap at and won't have any long term benefit, but which I just enjoy.

What do you think?

OP posts:

colditzmum · 31/01/2005 22:04

Is it going to absolutely bankrupt you to continue with the lessons? If not, I would keep going, us mums don't get much to ourselves!

LapsedGymJunkie · 31/01/2005 22:04

Caligula

Are you flying solo ??

If so, this is your sanity check and as such is totally justifiable.

Whereabouts in the world are you ??

Tommy · 31/01/2005 22:05

If you enjoy it and it makes you feel good about yourself then go for it!

Mine is a damn good haircut - need to treat myself again soon!

Branster · 31/01/2005 22:09

Keep it going if you can still keep within your budget.

Original poster

Caligula · 31/01/2005 22:33

LGJ, yes, I am a lone parent. My DS does piano and swimming lessons and he goes to a social club that he loves every week, so I figure he gets stuff spent on him, and DD just loves her playgroups (but govt. pays 70% of that!)

Budget is fine for normal day to day living, but if ever there's an emergency or an extra outlay (like someone's birthday) it's noticeable. So I think if I had this almost extra £40 per month, it would actually make quite a lot of difference to our household income.

OP posts:

sparklymieow · 31/01/2005 22:37

I'd love to do belly dancing lessons

lavenderr · 31/01/2005 22:42

no they're not, go out and enjoy yourself...you have a right to be happy too....£5 is nothing in the grand scheme of things ...at last home someone I babysat for did this and she said it was the only thing she did for herself, she had about 3 children.....life is for living not restraint

acer · 31/01/2005 22:52

sounds like great fun! If you have the Belly!! can you cut it down to every other week? But if it is in your budget - then why not?!

jabberwocky · 31/01/2005 22:57

I used to take and teach belly dancing. It's fabulous exercise and so much fun. Definitely keep going!!!!

ScummyMummy · 31/01/2005 23:14

So it makes you happy and harms no one, just makes you a bit skinter than optimum but still fine day to day? Personally I would say do it do it do it.

Fran1 · 31/01/2005 23:51

It is justified in that you are a cool, calm, destressed Mummy for the rest of the week!

(are you?)

marthamoo · 31/01/2005 23:58

You enjoy it. You don't do anything else just for you. You're right, it's a no brainer. Go belly dancing girl, go!

bobbybob · 01/02/2005 07:57

Why should the kids get all the social life and the lessons? Go for it!

Original poster

Caligula · 01/02/2005 09:56

He he he, this is what I like about Mumsnet, permission to be norty!

So the consensus is that I should carry on, even though it could increase my disposable income by about 15%?

Oh all right then, you've talked me into it!

OP posts:

motherinferior · 01/02/2005 09:58

Also it's so frightfully good for you, AND self-affirming because you have to have a booty to shake while getting your tummy muscles into glorious shape. I'd say it's pretty well a long-term investment in your physical and emotional well-being, actually.

weightwatchingwaterwitch · 01/02/2005 10:01

Caligula, I'd say do it, definitely, but could you find someone to babysit free on a reciprocal basis? If you could have their child while they did something they wanted to do and they had yours while you belly danced it would make the cost completely justifiable. I still think you should do it even without this arrangement but maybe work towards free childcare to get the cost down?

Original poster

Caligula · 01/02/2005 11:47

Hmm, I've thought about that WWW, but the problem is that my 2 are in bed at 7pm, and other lone parents are also going to have their kids in bed at that time, so me taking my kids to someone else's house and getting them to stay up late is going to be a non-starter (they can't cope much after 7.30pm). Another lone parent is going to have the same problem. Unless her kids are old enough to be left, in which case she won't need my reciprocal help! And someone with a DH is going to have him to look after her kids, again not needing my reciprocal help!

I guess I?ll just have to pay the babysitting costs for the foreseeable future and build it in as part of the budget. At least I know I've got something to trim if I need to!

OP posts:

Kayleigh · 01/02/2005 11:51

Caligula, maybe you have a friend with a dh/dp that would like the occasional sunday lunch out together, or couple of hours shopping. That way you could have her kids during the day, without upsetting your kids bedtime routine.

If you were near me we'd have a deal

Original poster

Caligula · 01/02/2005 14:39

Where d'you live? Where d'you live?? Where d'you live????

!!!

OP posts:

Kayleigh · 01/02/2005 14:42

I'm in Herts, where are you ?

Original poster

Caligula · 01/02/2005 14:53

Damn, miles away, in Kent.

Never mind, will start scouring the playground for people who look like they need a shopping trip to Bluewater without the kids!

OP posts:

motherinferior · 01/02/2005 15:33

Believe me, Caligula, you will find many of those.

Oooh, a lunch out with DP....

Kayleigh · 01/02/2005 15:43

You live near Bluewater ...oooohhhh
I love it there.

MummytoSteven · 01/02/2005 16:16

could you compromise and do it once a fortnight?

used to go to belly dance classes - fab fun, and tend to meet interesting ladies at the classes - don't you dare give up

Original poster

Caligula · 01/02/2005 16:39

Can't do it once a fortnight, would never be able to catch up on dance steps!

OP posts:

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