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Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Original poster

Is £230 enough spending money to go to Cornwall for 5 days?

420 replies

MascalPascal · 14/02/2025 09:03

Going to Cornwall for Feb half term. Booked a lovely caravan which was very cheap owing it to it still being out of season. Going to St Ives.

Everything is booked and paid for, including all activities. Over the last 6 months i have been booking things slowly. Biggest expense really will be a food shop and petrol (I need to pay for return journey petrol from this money too).
Should that be enough?

OP posts:
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Waitingfordaffs · 14/02/2025 11:13

Can you go through your cupboards and take what ever food you can from home - I think a lot of your budget is going to go on Petrol and you’ll need to eat cheaply

SlightlyJaded · 14/02/2025 11:14

I think £300 is closer to being comfortable OP

Sounds like you've booked and pre-paid for some lovely things but even if you take packed lunches and cook every night except one (you deserve a treat!) I think you need to factor in:

Petrol topup £100
Petrol to trips £50
Snack/treat at trip (ice cream etc) £30
1 x takeaway for you and DD (fish and chips or whatever) £30
Food shop: £80
Parking £10

= £300

And that's saying 'no' to every other 'Can I have?' "Can we go" etc

Can y9ou raise £300

Sounds like a lovely break

HelmholtzWatson · 14/02/2025 11:14

Yes. When my partner and I go hiking to The Lakes for 1 week, we spend about £80 on a food shop, a full tank of fuel around £70 and then maybe a £10-20 a day for parking, coffee, ice cream, etc so your budget seems doable.

bungobungobungo · 14/02/2025 11:15

Look on Moneysaving Expert's website for places doing free lunches during half term, eg Asda I think is one?

Goodluckanddontfitup · 14/02/2025 11:15

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Wow, completely uncalled for. £230 for 5 days with accommodation and activities booked is by no means not having a pot to piss in, how judgemental. Quality family time with a change of scenery in a beautiful area certainly could be a wonderful way to spend 5 days, money and expensive things is not everything and a lot of my happy childhood memories revolve around being with people that loved me enjoying the simple things in life.

MugPlate · 14/02/2025 11:16

RubyRedBow · 14/02/2025 10:16

I would want that much per day for meals out and activities plus random spends for snacks, whatever the kids want.

OK, but OP doesn't have that? 🤔

I think it's perfectly doable for someone who seems to be used to budgeting, as you are, OP.

Don't forget the kids eat free offers for half term.

Indianajet · 14/02/2025 11:18

It sounds like a lovely holiday - we had many holidays with a restricted budget when our boys were little. Beans on toast/pasta etc. are fine - lots of walks on the beach - playing games together etc. If your child likes craft, beachcoming then making collages or scrapbooks .
Have a great time!

WestwardHo1 · 14/02/2025 11:20

SlightlyJaded · 14/02/2025 11:14

I think £300 is closer to being comfortable OP

Sounds like you've booked and pre-paid for some lovely things but even if you take packed lunches and cook every night except one (you deserve a treat!) I think you need to factor in:

Petrol topup £100
Petrol to trips £50
Snack/treat at trip (ice cream etc) £30
1 x takeaway for you and DD (fish and chips or whatever) £30
Food shop: £80
Parking £10

= £300

And that's saying 'no' to every other 'Can I have?' "Can we go" etc

Can y9ou raise £300

Sounds like a lovely break

Edited

Parking will be more than this unfortunately.

Parking charges in Cornwall are an absolute bastard. Cornwall Council sees it as an easy cash cow, even out of season.

Which holiday park are you staying at OP?

Bjorkdidit · 14/02/2025 11:21

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Did you enjoy pissing on the OPs chips like that? Are you seriously suggesting she gets into debt to spend money she doesn't need to?

Did you miss the part where the OP says she's got a full tank of fuel, has paid for several activities and only really needs to pay for food for her and a 7 YO, most of which will be from a supermarket, and some petrol from her £230?

I'm sure they'll have a lovely time including being able to eat out and get ice creams, fish and chips etc.

flipflophjnnsnnd · 14/02/2025 11:21

MascalPascal · 14/02/2025 10:08

Sorry. Just me and my 7 year old going. Travelling from East of England to St Ives. Full tank of petrol already in car but will obviously fill up on way too. Everything is pre booked and paid for. Booked Eden project, paradise park, swimming, crafts, chocolate making... will bring packed lunches in the day when we're out and cook when we're in for the evenings which is 3 of the 5 nights.

This changes everything - sounds great.

Some attractions, like the maritime museum and (I think) the seal sanctuary have annual membership with the entry ticket (or with a few pounds more) so you can go a few times.

Do still visit the beach in winter and look for some local cliff walks, as the scenery is stunning.

Watch out for parking, particularly in the touristy areas. There are some horrible car parks with private tariff control and you can accidentally get a monster fine.

KilkennyCats · 14/02/2025 11:24

MascalPascal · 14/02/2025 10:08

Sorry. Just me and my 7 year old going. Travelling from East of England to St Ives. Full tank of petrol already in car but will obviously fill up on way too. Everything is pre booked and paid for. Booked Eden project, paradise park, swimming, crafts, chocolate making... will bring packed lunches in the day when we're out and cook when we're in for the evenings which is 3 of the 5 nights.

In that case, yes, you’ll be fine.
Have a ball Smile

ValentineValentineV · 14/02/2025 11:25

It sounds fine, have a lovely holiday.

RosesAndHellebores · 14/02/2025 11:28

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Our children's happiest memories are of crabbing, beachcombing, football on the beach, and watching sunsets and stars. Especially when we had time for them

How sad you seem only to take pleasure from events involving gratuitous spending.

@MascalPascal buy some ice-creams for the freezer and you can tell your lad "hey, we can do a couple of cornets from the van but I have some lovely Kelly's in the fridge with sprinkles for a quarter of the price and it means there's money left for other stuff.

CreepySquareBrackets · 14/02/2025 11:29

Perfectly doable for 5 days!

Make sure you pack bits from your kitchen at home so you don't have to waste money on things like salt, pepper, ketchup and washing up liquid. I also take cling film and plastic bags for the lunch packs.

Flasks are your new best friend! The Lidl or Aldi instant hot chocolate is quite nice and only £1.79, that would make 5 small flasks to take out with you. Hotdogs 🌭 are great in a flask, just take your buns/ketchup separately.

Buy cans of pop, crisps other goodies from B&M if you can, possibly go for stuff you normally wouldn't to make it a treat.

Take as much food stuff as you can from home, get your pack lunch/dinner stuff in at the start, take off the cost of a tank of petrol then you will know what you've got for extra treats, like an ice cream etc

It sounds like a lovely trip! Enjoy!

ladygindiva · 14/02/2025 11:29

You should be fine with all the things you've booked. The weather's shit here though today and due to be crap all through half term, just so you know!

Ameliepoulainandthephotobooth · 14/02/2025 11:29

Absolutely fine! Plenty of things to do that are free and you have planned activities already! Holidays can be as expensive or as cheap as you make them.

Just don’t buy chips in Steins and you will be fine 😂

Have a great time.

KilkennyCats · 14/02/2025 11:30

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No, you haven’t “told the truth”.
It’ll be absolutely fine. Don’t be a dick.

RedPandaLove · 14/02/2025 11:31

Fuel depends on how far you live from Cornwall really and if you can be arsed to calculate how many miles per gallon/litre your type of car will use. Food-wise it sounds like enough if you’re shopping and cooking your own meals instead of eating out. Depends how many of you are going too…

RedPandaLove · 14/02/2025 11:35

@CreepySquareBrackets

”then you will know what you've got for extra treats, like an ice cream etc”

Brrrrrr not in this weather 🥶 hot chocolate! Yum!

L0bstersLass · 14/02/2025 11:35

MascalPascal · 14/02/2025 10:08

Sorry. Just me and my 7 year old going. Travelling from East of England to St Ives. Full tank of petrol already in car but will obviously fill up on way too. Everything is pre booked and paid for. Booked Eden project, paradise park, swimming, crafts, chocolate making... will bring packed lunches in the day when we're out and cook when we're in for the evenings which is 3 of the 5 nights.

I think it will be fine and your holiday sounds lovely. You sound very organised.
I hope you both have a wonderful time.

tonyhawks23 · 14/02/2025 11:37

That's plenty.have a lovely time OP.itscold right now so bring warm stuff but perfect for snuggling in a caravan or looking for shells at the beach.eden will be gorgeous with no crowds.and there's a humpback whale off the coast at the moment and some beautiful stormy waves to watch you will love it.

OMGitsnotgood · 14/02/2025 11:38

It won't be a holiday with such a teeny budget. There I told the truth. Sounds rubbish to me. Borrow some money?

What is rubbish about the Eden project, paradise park, swimming, crafts, chocolate making???

Makes me sad that people don't think lovely activities like this, alongside free activities like beach walks, rockpooling etc make for a good holiday.

wherearemypastnames · 14/02/2025 11:40

Sounds lovely with activities and spending money for a treat each day

Build in some quiet time if I recall correctly the child is young so will find the excitement exhausting

pootleondown · 14/02/2025 11:44

You'll be fine. I always take a cool bag and Chuck in whatever's left in the fridge at home, plus a bag of pasta and various meal making dry goods out of the cupboard. I normally make a simple meal plan before we go so I know I don't have to spend lots in the supermarket.

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