How to Say NO to friends?

painted_lady

Can you suggest a day out? Picnic, walks iun the country etc, sleepovers, things that dont have to cost a lot, then you can still all spend time together, but not necessarily spend too much.

Yorkielass

We often go round to a friends house for dinner and then vice versa, 3 out of the 4 of us were students when we started and I was just temping and we couldn't really afford meals out. I find it's nice as you get to try things you might not cook or cook things that need more than 2 people to work. Maybe have a meal together with everyone then send the boys off for a cinema night and have an adults scrabble/monopoly/any other board game night. Everyone is entertained and it really doesn't cost much especially if you're careful what you cook.

Idiophreak

Also, be sure to collect nectar/clubcard points where you can...
Go to the vue cinema and you can pay for the tickets out of the nectar points...Go out for a meal and pay in clubcard vouchers...

If it's money you normally spend anyway, that's free food/cinema

Newgirl_2

One of our friends likes to eat out, another couple we see are also saving money and we take turns to host evenings. The couple know we are saving too, they usually choose to buy a takeaway on their night, whereas I tend to cook - they have never questionned it because they love my cooking.
This means that our 'going out' budget (small as it is) lets us go out with the friend that wants to do that and we told him we were cutting back, so now we go out less frequently.

Sometimes we just have drinks and nibbles rather than a full meal, and we play board games - gets quite competitive!

I hate routines, especially 'ooh let's go to such a place like last Friday' so at least now we enjoy eating out when we do it.

Newgirl

Jessiepig

Its brilliant that you are clearing your debts and wish to move on to reduce your mortgage but children grow up very fast. Do not miss out on the fun times

LouiseJ

Jessiepig wrote: »

Its brilliant that you are clearing your debts and wish to move on to reduce your mortgage but children grow up very fast. Do not miss out on the fun times

I am really trying to find a balance of saving/paying off Debt/Spending

I dont think the children would complain if they swapped one of their cinema trips to a home cinema night in. We always have two annual holidays which are always chosen with the boys in mind I always find that if the kids have a good holiday so do we (less whinging about being bored). I dont feel that they are missing out.

I just think that things are being a little too excessive at the moment and that makes me feel uncomfortable.

Jessiepig

The school hols are always the worse time. I just feel that they grow up so fast. Mine are older and there are some many times that I wished we had done that or this but there is no going back.
Good luck with reducing your debt

skint_spice

Do the kids have singstar or guitar hero for PS2 - it makes a cheap but entertaining evening watching the old folks embarrass themselves. fun for all the family! Also if they are too old for the park would they go hillwalking instead? means you all get a bit of exercise but doesn't have to cost much.
I save my tesco vouchers for the day out tokens (4 x voucher face value) so this way we can get to local theme park and other places free.

Treadmill

Just tell them you are skint... that works

raq

I just tell people now we have so much to do in the house orsomething else has cropped up. I was never one to "Keep up with the jones" and my husband certainly wasn't. He would also be honest and tell them. Although I agree we are both private people and we are paying our debt each week but my parents aren't aware of this but we are okay with it. We would never put it on them.