what do you do at the weekend

earwig

hi i just wonder what other dfw do at the weekend the reson i ask is i want to save some money but every weekend we end up board and go out somtime shopping sometime day trips and spend money we didnt have tospend like today i have spent 80.00:eek: and all i needed was 62p for a bottle of bleach so what do you do to stop you from getting board and spending money you dont need to we are a famley of four two kids age 3 and 8 and still have tomorrow to get through during the week i dont spend much at all its just the weekends

Valentina2

Hi,
I often used to pop to the shops for one small thing and end up spending loads too so now I avoid shops. I try to go for walks at wekeneds, attend any free events in the area, or watch films or read. I don´t have kids though so I imagine it´s much harder for you to keep them entertained. While the weather is nice, visit some parks or go on a nature trail and take along your own drinks and snacks.

lamplady

I plan for weekends in the same way I plan for meals. I look for free events at local museums and art galleries, or I plan a picnic at the park. Sometimes we go to the cheap cinema showings at 11am...they are old films but it is still fun, and I make up a huge bag of popcorn before we go.

Other cheap ideas are a local train or bus ride to the countryside (you don't even have to get off!), playing tennis or football in the park, or charity shopping..with a budget of £1 each.

On Sunday i make a big effort with breakfast, lots of pancakes and homemade treats, and we sometimes invite friends round to make it more of an event.

We also have I Spy books which are fun, and make mundane trips more entertaining..the airport one is good and there are some good countryside ones too. It can also be fun just to root through the cupboards looking for old games and playing them.

I try to have a small budget for weekends/holidays as if you don't allow yourself anything you are more likely to blow it. We have 4 children and a £10 budget can actually go a long way!

Broken_hearted

Play games
Invite friends round
Garden
Go to the park
watch tv/videos
Visit free museams

Sea78

Hi

I have sat down with the kids (well DD anyway as DS can't talk yet lol) and we wrote down all the things she/we enjoy doing (eg baking, walking, playground, computer things, craft things, soft play, treasure hunt etc) some free, some cost. Then she picks one out and we do what is on it. I have to admit I've taken the not very MSE route of getting in some ready make cake sets (55p tesco own) and ready to make pizza bases. However, she is thrilled that we do something she really enjoys - sometimes it lasts 15 mins, sometimes hours! The treasure hunt takes a little thinking, but you could set up clues around the house - the 8 yr old could read them to the 3 yr old and could end up finding the 'treasure' - some chocolate gold coins and an activity? Even just a game like snakes and ladders to play with them. It means that you have spent some time with the kids, but it needn't be all day but also means the focus is on something not spending related.

It's hard, as our weekends used to consist of shopping. And more shopping. Then some more as well.

Making arrangements for a friend to come round - have a picnic in the sitting room/garden depending on weather is a good time consumer and also enjoyable (get a bottle of wine in ).

Take up a hobby/restart an old one that you can share with the kids? I do scrapbooking and give DD the dodgy photos and she makes her own embellishments

Sea xx

lamplady

Another thought, if you have access to a GPS (on a sat nav or mobile phone?) is to try geocaching.

www.geocaching.com

it's basically boxes of treasure hidden all over the place that you can track with your satnav. You can even hide some treasure yourself. We do it quite a lot and it's a very cheap day out

earwig

thanks :T for all your replys there are lots of good ideas in there will try some tomorrow i dont know why but we always end up shopping just to get out the house and waste money doing it :mad:

skysky69

How are your greenfingers.

We have recently taken on an allotment - expensive stuff at £5.00 for the year.

Our little one loves gardening, digging, playing with trowels, so the allotment is great fun for her, is cheap as chips and at the end of it, it should save us money by growing our own veggies :T

LilMissEmmylou

i dunno where u live but i love going to the beach! and nature walks Even a camping trip would work out quite cheap if you have the stuff to go

joeblack066

I work mostly, lol!! But in the school hols when I am off with DD (10) we go to freebie places..........parks, free museums, nature wlks etc. If the weather's bad or I can't afford the petrol, we bake, or watch an old favourite DVD/ VHS curled up on the settee together. Avoid shops!! Thats the best advice I can give.

beemuzed

Most local papers have lists of what's on in the area, and quite a lot is free or very cheap. Like the previous poster says - avoid the shops!! I'm exactly the same..once inside the doors my money is magnetically attracted away from my purse, so avoiding temptation is the only cure.