What things can I do with £10 a week for adult and toddler?

hereigoagain22

Hi ladies

Just updating my budget as I have been fairly relaxed and overspending recently. Now I have returned to work and have childcare costs to pay I have £10 a week for the forseeable future (things looking better in around 2 months when I've made some final debts repayments.

This amount is what's left after all bills and debt repayments, food, cleaning and I'm hoping I have enough toiletries to last a couple of months.

I have a 2.5year old daughter and an 8 month old son. I'm a single Mum to both so getting anywhere takes a lot of planning and preparation!!

What would you ladies suggest to make the most of £10 a week. Normally I'd just waste it but as this is long-term ish I really want to make the most of it.

My toddler and baby are both in nursery from 8am - 1pm Mon - Fri while I work so they do plenty of activities there.

Normally in a week we'd do soft play. Which is £3.50 entrance fee then it's around £3 for a cake and a drink for DD and a couple of pound for a coffee for me. We aren't allowed to take our own snacks/drinks inside. Normally any change I'd buy myself a sneaky can of juice and sweets as a treat once the kids are in bed. I'd also normally spend another £10 on trips to the shop for a treat, extra bus fare for visiting and I don't really know what else.

There are a couple of farmparks nearby opening at the end of this month that my eldest would absolutely love but at £6.50 for me and £5.00 for DD plus unable to take our own snacks/drinks we just can't afford it. But maybe I could try to save £2.50 a week or something and go at the end of next month?

At home we have playdough and a few bits for making cakes or biscuits. We also do things like jigsaws, playing with the cars and DD likes to help with the cleaning. But I feel like we are missing out with friends and their little one's as they are always out at soft play, lunch etc. and we just can't afford to go along anymore :-( All DDS crayons and colouring books are ruined so I would really like to buy her a new set as we loved doing this at bedtime. DD loves messy play so I'd love to be able to get paints etc. as we used to have so much fun doing hand and feet prints and she likes playing and making with dried pasta. We haven't done this lately as she does so much of it at nursery I'm always stuck for new ideas.

She is desperate to make her own "lolly pops" but I'm not sure how to do this?!?

If it's dry we go to the park but DD isn't a fan of the colder weather and prefers to be inside unless it's sunny when we take my Mums dogs a big walk up the forest.

I have a sister with my nephews nearby but DD and my nephew are at a horrible age where they fight and bully each other whenever they are together at either house so normally we have to go out to soft play or meeting up is more work than pleasure.

There are some toddler groups for only £2-£3 but most are on in the morning so kids are at nursery. And the afternoon ones normally start at 1 or 2 and my DD always takes a good nap after nursery and just can't manage without it. So generally we can't out to do anything until after 3.30pm and have to be back to make tea at 5 then get bath and beds ready! She does skip a nap for special occassions but ends up waking all night. I feel guilty that sometimes we spend the whole week not really doing anything except staying in.

We have a garden too but it's filled with gravel and DD gets upset that she can't push her pram/cars etc. on the gravel! She does like books but only at bedtime really.

DD is the type of child that needs to be kept busy all the time or she will sit glued to TV and then get hyper, over-stimulated, grumpy, tired etc. so I need a list of things that I can keep her focused on and also some things that she might be tempted to do herself so that I can get on with dinner. We have every toy known to mankind but she just isn't interested!!

What else can we do? Any suggestions welcome!

ragz_2

How about swimming? our council leisure centres do Aquababes sessions where you only pay for you not the little ones. Tricky with two but if elder one is ok you should be fine. Though times would likely clash with nap time...
Library?
Making pizzas is fun.
Threading with pasta and string.

I bought a roll of wallpaper lining paper from poundland, stuck it to the floor with masking tape and let DD paint on it the other day, we even drew around her so she could paint herself (we have laminate so wipe clean!).

Wornoutmom

Swimming? At the moment by us you only pay for adults so this would work out quite cheap.

I always prepare dinner while my youngest (nearly two) is having her nap as it is impossible to do much when she is awake. There are lots of meals you can get pretty much ready and then just bung in the oven!

Have you thought of making your own playdough this is quite cheap and keeps mine busy?

You can print off lots of colouring pictures online for free if this helps?

Have you looked on netmums? I have found lots of activities on there.

Also search for free activities and museums there is a science museum for example in Manchester which is totally free, aimed at children and you can take your own picnic inside where about are you

Also I would say sell sell sell once you have finished with clothes, baby items, unwanted toys ... when you only have £10 an extra couple of pounds will make a big difference

HTH

savingqueen

Hello

Mine are past the toddler stage but a couple of things spring to mind:

Surestart centres - do you have any near you? They are free! It might not fit in with DD's naps but nap times change so maybe later on? You don't have to stay for the whole session either.

You mention friends. I often had friends and their littlies over for a cuppa and play. Most invited us back to their home too. Children get to mix and play with different toys etc.

We went to the library lots - often went to the free stories and rhyme times. Both mine loved choosing books to take home and are good, avid readers now they are at primary school.

We had a couple of big petshops/aquariums locally and often popped in for a half hour to look at the pets/fish. Garden centres also fun.

My kids loved to "help" me with simple household chores like loading the washing machine (wish they liked it now!)

Probably other ideas but I'm too tired to think now. Will post again if I think of any.

edit - try freecycle for crayons and other unwanted craft bits

sq:)

chirpychick

Wornoutmom wrote: »

I always prepare dinner while my youngest (nearly two) is having her nap as it is impossible to do much when she is awake. There are lots of meals you can get pretty much ready and then just bung in the oven!

HTH

sorry to interfere but what meals do you make at naptime as im trying to do this too but only thought of cottage pie lol.

Sorry op I can't help as I only have a 3 month old but the one thing that sprung to mind is to go for a walk and find different leaves and then go home and find what tree they belong to and stick them to paper etc - educational and fun and a bit crafty.

Have you considered putting DD into something like trampolining once a week where we are it's fairly inexpensive, this way she can meet people and burn off some energy. Personally I am totally anti trampolining in gardens as they are dangerous but in a gym they take so many safety precautions with foam soft stuff around.

Or as some have suggested - swimming. We have after school swim time which would be after your daughters nap.

pigpen

Our ice arena do toddler sessions £3.75 a week and an optional £10 membership for the toddler club each year which knocks a bit off the price. I picked up skates for £5-£10 on ebay.They have stuff on the ice suitable for tinies too.. baby walker, stroller, rockers etc. If there is one near you they might too.

Swimming.. toddler sessions in the small pool usually you can take 2 non-swimmers on your own providing they have arm bands.

The park? Garden centres often have nice playgrounds

My 2 y/o loves a trip to tesco or B&Q.

Lilyplonk

Have you signed up to netmums? You enter your area on signing up and they can keep you up-to-date with reasonably priced and/or free activities in your area.

Also quite good for information on groups for meeting other mums and toddlers where you live - though you do need to keep a check on 'how active' the registered groups are. Have occasionally been known to have folded without anybody notifying the website to remove the details.

They also have lots of parenting tips and good recipes for you to make FOR the kids to eat and for making WITH kiddies helping you.

If you have any large Parks&Gardens where you live, get yourself on their e-mailing lists - that way you'll know in advance when there's stuff being planned. Things usually start happening from around Easter onwards - just avoid them when they've got Fairgrounds booked in cos those are v-e-r-y expensive to visit!

FairyPrincessk

I presume you mean the hard sweet kind of lollies--which I probably wouldn't make with a toddler as the hot candy would be quite dangerous and there isn't much they can safely help with. However, if you ever wanted to have a go during naptime, there are loads of instructions around:

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/03/30/how-to-make-homemade-lollipops/

Of course, she may be persuaded to join into ice-lolly making. Just pour juice into molds and freeze. You can probably find proper molds at a CS or car boot sale if you look around a bit, or you can always use paper cups and craft sticks.

If you have all the toys in the world and she isn't interested it might be that she has too much choice. It might help to put some of her toys away (on a high shelf out of sight) for awhile. A lot of toddlers find it difficult to deal with so many options.

You could host dance time where you put on music and dance, craft time (there are lots and lots of toddler crafts on the internet) she's probably getting old enough to help you bake, hm playdough is definitely fun. You might also plant seeds and watch them grow-perhaps bean sprouts as you can plant them in a clear container and then eat them afterwards. Have a tea party with the dolls and soft toys--bonus points if you get to dress up, go for walks with a purpose--i.e. who can find the first flower, stone etc. Obviously make sure you're walking in park where no one will miss the odd dandelion:rotfl: Toddlers love purpose!

bbh30

I always take my own food and drink etc into soft play places. just do it discreetly.
with the weather getting better and going into summer, it is much easier to find cheap activities. the park, go and feed the ducks, definitely check out your local sure start place, go to the local pet shop, invite friends over to play, hopefully they will reciprocate. do gardening. is there a beach nearby?
also, don't feel you have to do something every day- your children are in nursery all morning so sometimes might just want a chance to be at home and play with their toys.

Wornoutmom

chirpychick wrote: »

sorry to interfere but what meals do you make at naptime as im trying to do this too but only thought of cottage pie lol.

I do fish pie and lesagne which can be just bunged in the oven but I also do lots of prep for other meals so its really easy like a would peel and chop any veg or prep chips / wedges.

I also make burgers, fish cakes, chicken nuggets, fish nuggets, bolognaise, yorkshire pud batter for toad in the hole so they can be just chucked in the oven or on the hob from the fridge once we are ready to eat.

I do use my slow cooker aswell for casseroles, chicken curry and goulash etc this is great for if you are going to be out most of the day.

The other thing I make alot is pizza you can make these up and put them in the fridge ready to chuck in the oven too.

Another one I do is beef pie I make the filling in the slow cooker and prep the pastry while dd asleep then I can just chuck the filling in the pie and then straight in the oven with my pre chopped chips

HTH:)

tessie_bear

dont know if it would help but if you find somewhere u like going u can sometimes buy season tickets which is a biggish outlay but much cheaper if u go every week....hopefully if the weather gets better u could go to the park which is free instead of softplay....do u have a local libary and /or museum which might put on free stuff

i find it hard in the winter but a few more places suggest themselves when the weather gets better

u could get some craft bits from such as hb and do that at home...or some baking

hth