Providing spending money for child going on hol

Spendless

jellyhead wrote: »

But if they couldn't afford it they didn't have to invite an extra guest, and if money was really tight then they needn't have gone to the aquarium at all.

Well that's what I wondered, why go (to aquarium) if they were on their last beans? :cool:

shegirl

jellyhead wrote: »

I agree, but this was an invited guest ... if the money ran out then the host family should have shouldered the extra cost.

Spendless wrote: »

They had a cooked breakfast each day in the accommodation and then a meal when they went back late afternoon/early evening because dd has commented that 'they don't eat 'dinner' (lunch to the southerners). I believe this to be correct as when DD stays at friends there is often a 'mid-day meal' missing for want of a better word, when I'm querying what she's had and if I've queried it with daughter's friend if she's come back to stay she'll state that they don't have dinner. In addition they are not early risers, so I also suspect the cooked breakfast was serving as a brunch.

I think the lunch/dinner thing (terminology) varies,not a north/south thing lol

Not the cheapest way to do breakfast!

jellyhead

We go camping with 3 or 4 other families, both with and without children, and none of the others have lunch. They have a late brunch. I take breakfast items for myself, my 8 year old and the other 8 year old because we rise before 7, but the 'brunch' is rarely before 12, so we have that for lunch

This year they were sniffing around to find my 'breakfast bag' before they'd even gone to bed. Lidl's wrapped brioche rolls are an unhealthy favourite. I kid myself that if they are eaten alongside a punnet of blueberries that it's a healthy meal

flea72

I think the confusion arose due to you separating the money. If someone gave me £40 i would think it was to cover food/cost of accommodation/travel. With the £20 your DD had being used for everything else

They did pay for some extras out of the £40, but money doesnt go far at seaside resorts. Its about £2 for a 99 icecream, crazy golf is £3pp, a coke in a pub is £2 and fruit machines (deal or no deal) are £1 a go. Even £1 worth of 2ps would be gone within 5 mins in an arcade

mum2one

I think it was rue to make your DD pay out of her pocket money for the aquarium, the way I see it
-Holiday already booked
- Meal planned to eat in (yes one more mouth - but 2 meals a day)
- You gave vouchers for funfair
-Aquarium - maybe spur of moment decision??
-Travel - they were going in a car - petrol would already been covered.

To me, they asked DD to go with them after the holiday had been paid, you gave more than your fair share, and therefore the £20 spending money would or should have been DDs.

I take DD' friends out for day trips, and I always cover the costs from admission, cinema, even providing sweets, popcorn drinks etc.

About 2 yrs ago we were going to a National trust property - mum asked could she pay (nearly fainted with shock) so I said, that be great, I'll pay the entry, as we go for a family ticket, but if the kids want to see Father Xmas its £5 each. We always made a day and stopped at a pub.

Day we go pick up DDs friend - mum gives me money folded up - thought she'd done it like that to save her daughter knowing, - when I went to pay for Santa - there was only one £5 there......

Seaside - the deal or no deal usually £1 a go, a £1 of 2ps they last about 10mins, but it really sounds like youve been a cashcow,

Sorry to sound so blunt,

If you asked next time, I would say shall I contribute xx towards food, enclose any print off vouchers (no excuse - pre empt) and say DD got money for spends - its off DD's grandparents. xx

Dunroamin

mum2one wrote: »

I think it was rue to make your DD pay out of her pocket money for the aquarium, the way I see it
-Holiday already booked
- Meal planned to eat in (yes one more mouth - but 2 meals a day)
- You gave vouchers for funfair
-Aquarium - maybe spur of moment decision??
-Travel - they were going in a car - petrol would already been covered.

To me, they asked DD to go with them after the holiday had been paid, you gave more than your fair share, and therefore the £20 spending money would or should have been DDs.

I take DD' friends out for day trips, and I always cover the costs from admission, cinema, even providing sweets, popcorn drinks etc.

About 2 yrs ago we were going to a National trust property - mum asked could she pay (nearly fainted with shock) so I said, that be great, I'll pay the entry, as we go for a family ticket, but if the kids want to see Father Xmas its £5 each. We always made a day and stopped at a pub.

Day we go pick up DDs friend - mum gives me money folded up - thought she'd done it like that to save her daughter knowing, - when I went to pay for Santa - there was only one £5 there......

Seaside - the deal or no deal usually £1 a go, a £1 of 2ps they last about 10mins, but it really sounds like youve been a cashcow,

Sorry to sound so blunt,

If you asked next time, I would say shall I contribute xx towards food, enclose any print off vouchers (no excuse - pre empt) and say DD got money for spends - its off DD's grandparents. xx

I can't believe that you think that £40 for over 3 days away was being "a cashcow"! It sounds like a bargain (but a fair bargain, OP) to me!

paulineb_2

Dunroamin wrote: »

I can't believe that you think that £40 for over 3 days away was being "a cashcow"! It sounds like a bargain (but a fair bargain, OP) to me!

I agree, 40 pounds for 3 days isnt excessive I think, and I know people can do holidays on pennies, but that takes a lot of pre planning and the OP said that her daughter going was a last minute decision.

I go away weekends now and then, where all of my food is paid for, but I'll still spend £15 plus, probably more if Im spending time hanging around at airports etc

£60 for 4 days on a self catering holiday really doesnt sound too bad.

paulineb_2

jellyhead wrote: »

I agree, but this was an invited guest ... if the money ran out then the host family should have shouldered the extra cost.

The thing is, everyone does things differently. What one family might do with an invited guest will be different from another family will do with an invited guest.

And of course it depends how much spare cash the host family have to start with.

Did the girl enjoy her holiday? That would be the main question.

Not whether the arcades cost a penny or a pound or how much the sprinkles on top of an ice cream cost

I could understand if the host family had actually come back clutching some of the daughters spare cash but that doesnt seem to have happened.

The only way you can have control of what someone spends on holiday is to give them all the money you want them to have over the few days or to be there yourself.

The only issue seems to be that the entrance fee to the aquarium was paid from the daughters pocket money and not the 40 pounds that was handed over?

I agree, you go to a seaside resort and you'll probably pay more for food and drink than you'd pay at home. Her spends including admission to places and treats was £15 a day, its not a tiny amount but its not excessive either.

And Im assuming you didnt pay anything for her to be in the holiday accommodation? I'll read back but apologies if Im wrong.

If you didnt, thats 3 nights accommodation, meals, entrance fees for £60.

Which isnt bad at all.

balletshoes

I think now, from what you've said, that your daughter's pocket money has gone on the arcades and ice cream. She's lucky that she had enough left to pay for her aquarium entrance, but I do think thats strange that she was expected to pay her own way for that. Its possible if she'd spent up before that, that her friend's mum would have paid her in and then asked you for the money when they got home I suppose.

sweetcheekz

Everyone is different, but if I invite a child for a day out with us I am always prepared to bear the costs. If I was to take a friends child on a holiday I would either fully bear the cost, or would explain to their parent what part of the holiday I would like them to contribute to. I would say something like " we are going away I have sorted all the food, travel and accommodation etc, would you be happy to make a contribution to the entrance fee's and give them a little bit of spending money?"
To be honest, for a 10yr old, anything I was buying for my daughter like drinks or ice creams etc I would also buy for her friend, spending money would be for any sweets or souvenirs they wanted to buy.
If I couldn't afford to pay for food and things I wouldn't invite someone along.