Providing spending money for child going on hol

jellyhead

It sounds like it should have been a cheap holiday, to be honest. £40 should have covered everything including admission.

I've just come back from a cheapy camping holiday. I was with people who drove, so we went to larger shops or supermarkets to bulk buy things like drinks. We made up squash in old bottles for days on the beach, we bought loaves of bread, packets of ham, boxes of cereal etc. so we ate pretty much as cheaply as we did at home, so I think £40 is a lot for just a few days. A ten year old shouldn't add to the petrol costs much, and when you say fast food - mcdonalds, KFC or a chippy is quite cheap. Ice creams can be less than £2 especially if you choose a small single wafer cone, and they don't need an ice cream every day. Donkey rides were only £2 on the beach we went to and there were no other costs because we took a flask of tea with us and some squash - you can do that sort of thing when you have a cooker, etc.

You covered the big charge - the theme park - yourself, for the whole party! Crazy golf isn't expensive, so I'd say that the aquarium plus the crazy golf would be equivalent to what you'd paid out for the theme park for the other child.

I think the mum was unreasonable to ask your daughter to pay unless it had been agreed beforehand - maybe one night in the caravan when they discussed how much spending money she had left, for example, if it was much more than what the other child had to spend. If she is asked again, maybe check how much personal spending money the other child has, and match that for your daughter?

Our other holiday this year will involve theme parks and hotels, and we'll be eating in the theme parks and hotels so that will cost more per person per day than the camping trip did. I think this holiday that your daughter went on would be more like my camping trip, cost-wise. And when I invite a child somewhere their spending money is for photos, keyrings, 2p machines or tat from the gift shop, not for entrance costs.

Spendless

jellyhead wrote: »

If she is asked again, maybe check how much personal spending money the other child has, and match that for your daughter?

Well, this is a wierd bit. I don't think friend had any. :cool: Daughter has said she gave money to her friend for a few things including an ice cream. That's come up tonight as DD was discussing that sprinkles etc were being charged at 30p per topping and friend's mum thought it dear (I agree) and money for the 2p machines. DD has also said that friend's mum said to her daughter 'where's your pocket money?' but friend told my dd that she didn't know what to say cos her mum hadn't give her any. Can't quite make head or tail of that tbh.:cool: but it could just be the way it's being repeated to me.

shegirl

Poppy9 wrote: »

TBH I didn't think £40 was that much to give.

I live by seaside and when DD was younger and as I worked part time I was often free childcare! I would take them cycling or roller blading along sea front. An ice-cream from one of the parlours would set me back about £10 for us all.

Even if I prepped a picnic for the beach I would spend a tenner buying some nice bread, fillings, snacks etc.

Sometimes they wanted to go further afield and had to drive so petrol!

I was never offered money by the parents - I wouldn't have taken and 1 of them always reciprocated when DD was with them but one mother was so blooming mean. If DD was invited over to go roller blading I would always ensure she had £1.50 for an ice-cream and everytime the mother would ask the girls for their money after asking them if they wanted ice-cream!

We often take DD best friend out with us for meals and she used to look awkward and offer money but she knows now she's invited as our guest. DD has never been invited out by her parents and it didn't really bother me as they don't do the whole "have friends over" but last week they took out their DD boyfriend for a meal to meet him. And now I think - not once in 6 years have they ever taken DD with them! (they are 18 now)

I agree,£40 isn't actually much for a few days away in the uk (me ans ds often spend twice that per day!!!)especially 5 days.Where did they go op?

I'm guessing your daughter felt 'uncomfortable' When she had to pay and I would be too.

But,knowing how expensive things can be,all the little bits that add up (maybe even bits your daughter may not register) it could be that they had overspend.

I'm guessing

jellyhead

Hmmm, that sounds a bit odd. Was the mum drinking a lot?

shegirl

Spendless wrote: »

Well, this is a wierd bit. I don't think friend had any. :cool: Daughter has said she gave money to her friend for a few things including an ice cream. That's come up tonight as DD was discussing that sprinkles etc were being charged at 30p per topping and friend's mum thought it dear (I agree) and money for the 2p machines. DD has also said that friend's mum said to her daughter 'where's your pocket money?' but friend told my dd that she didn't know what to say cos her mum hadn't give her any. Can't quite make head or tail of that tbh.:cool: but it could just be the way it's being repeated to me.

Oooh,arcades...now if any money was spent there it could've easily mounted lol so maybe they done more that costs than your dd has considered?

Also,is it possible there was a 'mix up' with her friends pocket money leaving the mum shorter on cash due to her daughter not having any?

Spendless

shegirl wrote: »

I agree,£40 isn't actually much for a few days away in the uk (me ans ds often spend twice that per day!!!)especially 5 days.Where did they go op?

I'm guessing your daughter felt 'uncomfortable' When she had to pay and I would be too.

But,knowing how expensive things can be,all the little bits that add up (maybe even bits your daughter may not register) it could be that they had overspend.

I'm guessing

A cheap seaside resort rather not say exact location, but Brighton or Padstow it ain't.:D Along the east coast, I live in the North and it was 2 hours drive is the only things I'll say re location. It wasn't 5 full days, it was 3 days + 2 half days to include travelling.

Spendless

shegirl wrote: »

Oooh,arcades...now if any money was spent there it could've easily mounted lol so maybe they done more that costs than your dd has considered?

Also,is it possible there was a 'mix up' with her friends pocket money leaving the mum shorter on cash due to her daughter not having any?

The arcades they went to, daughter played on 2p machines included her friend and the money came out of her £20 pocket money. I believe they made 2 trips but one of them was only for 10 mins -but again I'm going on a kids view of it. Oh dd also mentioned going on a deal or no deal machine don't know how much they cost??

shegirl

Spendless wrote: »

A cheap seaside resort rather not say exact location, but Brighton or Padstow it ain't.:D Along the east coast, I live in the North and it was 2 hours drive is the only things I'll say re location. It wasn't 5 full days, it was 3 days + 2 half days to include travelling.

Location doesn't matter A chain holiday camp/venue?

Seaside resorts are brilliant for making you skint,'cheap' or otherwise (I don't think there is such a thing as a cheap seaside resort btw lol)

It's likely the mums money didn't go far enough.Or she could be a pain,but the former is likely.

shegirl

Spendless wrote: »

The arcades they went to, daughter played on 2p machines included her friend and the money came out of her £20 pocket money. I believe they made 2 trips but one of them was only for 10 mins -but again I'm going on a kids view of it. Oh dd also mentioned going on a deal or no deal machine don't know how much they cost??

Trying to remember,possibly a quid a go.May actually be less,by quite a bit,but it's one of those that has you putting more money in

Dunroamin

Spendless wrote: »

No it doesn't really matter but a) I am at home ill with an ear infection unable to stand up as it makes me dizzy and I thought it might be an interesting topic to have a conversation about instead of lying her bored and feeling miserable about it.

b) I do think I need to do it differently next time, but how I am unsure of. Friend's mum is not particularly organised so wouldn't know in advance what they were doing (whereas I would).

But to detail costs

Eating out was 1 fast food restaurant
Trips out was 1 trip to funfair (paid for by my vouchers for both my daughter and her friend). No admission costs for adults
Crazy golf - daughter had it paid for
trip to pub - daughter claims she had 1 drink but I'm not sure on this it could have been more
aquarium - daughter paid her £5ish charge in out of £20 pocket money.

I'm just surprised my £40 didn't cover all the above with a little bit over to cover the price of the food she ate in accommodation.

A 10 year old with a healthy seaside appetite is likely to have cost more than a "little bit" of money to feed for several days.