From Frugal Foundations to Fortified Family Future

Cheery_Daff

I was just going to mention YHA - i stayed in one recently that was a partner one but which was doing either whole venue or private rooms (rather than dorms) - I was surprised by how empty it was! 2 nights in August, not a weekend but even so, just 3 or 4 of us staying in a hostel which had room to sleep about 70 i think! I paid £26 a night for a private room (I'm a member) - definitepy worth exploring as an option for other adventures, especially as they usually have a kitchen (membership is £20 a year, and on this occasion got me 25% off). 

They're obviously few and far between though - but the last couple of years I've searched for a place that had a private room free on the date I wanted then built an adventure around that (obviously not an option for this time!)

Is there anywhere you could camp, or are you not set up for that at the minute?

Greying_Pilgrim

Cheery - we have some camping gear, but it's a date in October.......  I'm pretty sure DH would be a hard 'no' immediately it was suggested 😂  I will research some more.  I'll be honest, I'm balking at the cost of accommodation for a 'free' event.  Especially as there are other holiday opportunities coming up.  But the event could be of interest to us all, it's something a little different/quirky, and it'd be nice to go at least once.  Ideally, the accommodation would also need to be easily cancellable, as in recent years, the timing of the event has co-incided with some bad storms, and it's not the sort of place to be, nor travelling to/from if there's the risk of flooding.  Worth wracking my brains to see if it "could" be made to work.

I also like your suggestion of 'find the bed' first, and work the adventure around it.  The way to do it!  And it's not like there aren't a gazillion adventures awaiting out there for Family Greying - throw a compass in any direction and you hit some sort of fun and interest 😁  You're right Cheery - I need to change how I approach adventurising sometimes.  

Greying X

themadvix

Would a camping pod type affair be more acceptable to Mr GP? I wouldn’t fancy a tent in October, but something solid and maybe with a heater might be more palatable.

 Pity about the hostel - that is the problem these days, so many are exclusive use only 😔 Although you can volunteer to run a couple of the exclusive use ones for a week, which I definitely think would be fun (and a free’ holiday’)!

Greying_Pilgrim

tmv - I will definitely look at pod/chalet availability.  It's something I noticed on the YHA site, that they've diversified into chalets and pods at some locations too.  I've camped at a YH before, but I think that YH has been sold now.  Mind, it was a long time ago, and most definitely pre-LG 😁  I like the volunteering and getting a free hols gig.  Had we not had LG I was contemplating a gig-economy life, including being wardens at a campsite/caravan park for the season.  Still, life changes, and we wouldn't want to be without LG now 😁

Greying X

Cheery_Daff

Looking for the bed first was how we ended up in a very lovely flat in Portsmouth recently 😂 Not a place we would have gone otherwise 😂 And both my YHA adventures were like that, and I had a marvellous time and discovered some new places. Not for everyone, or all the time, but perhaps a one or two night mid-week break in a long holiday? I see they have some discounts now if you book quite a long time in advance.

(Full disclosure - I used to work for the YHA so I do have a fondness for them despite their quirks and imperfections!) 

Greying_Pilgrim

Right, I've done a bit more research - of camping/caravan sites (actually looking for glamping/pod type options), and of hotel booking sites, and nothing has come up.  It either requires a 2 night minimum stay (not impossible, but difficult for the Friday night, and DH would come out in hives at the possibility of being late to work on the Monday morning 🙄), or is already booked, or offers 10 bedrooms and is currently offered at over £2,000 for the night 😂

I briefly mentioned it to DH - he's not terribly comfortable with the cost of the business motels, and has suggested we either travel for the day, or we don't go at all.  I think if it was a super-duper, must see event, I probably would stump up for the business motels option, but for just a room, it is a bit pricey.  As I was walking into Greying Town, it dawned on me that the cost of the room, for one night, equates to the cost of NT membership for a family for one year.........  I suspect we would get far more value out of NT visits in a year, than one night's accommodation for a 'quirky', but not 'must see' event.  

At least leaving travel to 'on the day' we can bail if the weather takes a turn for the worse.  

I got some printing done at the library for LG, including a couple of pics to finish off their diary entries for the summer hols.    I have also got the remaining CHB cash out of the bank, and will divvy up what needs to be spent in the remaining 3 weeks of the benefit period.  LG will need new pumps for PE before too long 🙄

The washing is out on the line.  I have filled every inch with clothes.  If I can get these clothes pretty much dry over the weekend, then I'm up to speed with work and school clothes and have done the 'holiday' wash.  I'm behind on towels and sheets, and will have to try to catch back up if the weather cooperates.  

I'm going to make pizza for tea - probably a mushroom one, so will look to start the dough for that just now.  I hope to be able to watch the women's rugger at 5pm, although there is a clash with the men's footy - but frankly, I think the Red Roses will win out on 'interesting' to watch, given recent men's footy matches.  Apart from a couple of excellent saves by the Scottish goalkeeper last night, the match was quite dull to watch.  

Greying X

themadvix

Is the event the sort that always happens on the same date each year? If so, could you diarise to look at hotel costs early in the new year - assume the business hotels have demand-based pricing, in which case you could get in quick for next year. You could potentially even get a good deal on a refundable rate too, giving you the option to cancel if nearer the time you don’t fancy it or the weather is looking grotty. Although if you decide to drive this year and you think it’s a one-off, then I guess this won’t be necessary.
 Excellent point about NT membership/hotel cost!

Greying_Pilgrim

Good point tmv - I do think the event is on the same weekend each year, and for sure it would be set/published early on enough in the year to make early booking possible.  It's part of a "season", events go around the country, pretty much to the same calendar each year.  You know, like F1 motorsport, or Yachting regattas, or dog shows, or Flower shows etc. 

Daft question though, and I fully realise that I've never booked a business hotel far in advance - but are the prices actually significantly lower earlier in the year?  I realise since c'vid prices have only gone one way, but everything seems so expensive now.  I ought to emulate Cheery and find one of the '£35' rooms when they go on offer and then build an adventure around that 😁

DH and LG had a good time yesterday.  There is a an event in a nearby market town today that I was trying to encourage DH to take us to.  It's very much their jam, and whilst it may happen again, it's a once a year gig.  But DH has said he's not bothered about going, and LG needs to get on with their homework.  I have to say, the homework burden has really ramped up this year 🫤 If i was a cynical person, I would say the school is stuffing the classes to the point where not everything can be covered in class, and the onus is shifting to more being done at home.  Which is a foolish strategy, as not every home has the capacity to support young people's learning.  

I made spiced apple cake yesterday.  Based on a conventional fruit cake recipe, but chopped up apple replacing the dried fruit.  It used 4 eggs, and I have 2 eggs left over.  Egg butties for lunch I think! There were 3 pieces of pizza leftover, they have gone in the freezer.  I made a full mushroom pizza (sometimes I do half and half, mushroom and black olive), and noticeably LG ate all their portion, of mushroom pizza 😉  There are some mushrooms left over (I bought a larger punnet), and I plan to use them in a stew or something - even if I make it for the freezer.

Right, fair do's DH is sitting down with LG to ensure the homework is completed, so I'd better do something too.  Folding dry washing I think.  I was lucky that everything dried on the line yesterday, so I'm more caught up than I thought.  

Greying X

themadvix

I’m pretty sure lodge of travel and purple hotels vary depending on demand (and from week to week) - if there’s a big event on, then I’m sure the price will hike as the rooms get booked up.

I love Cheery’s approach too. In fact, we’re doing something similar (hopefully soon). We have some constructive feedback to a hotel chain and they’ve credited us a one-night stay, so we’re planning on going to Birmingham to use it - to enjoy wandering the canals, rather than the shopping centres (*shudders*). The chain has limited options and for one night, it can’t be too far away. Might try to squeeze an NT visit in too, although possibly on the way to/from as the ones in Birmingham tend to be pre-booked/certain date affairs IIRC).

Watty1

Yes, I use those business hotels when i work away and i find if I book in advance the price is very reasonable, leaving very close to travelling it seems to go up, and booking on the day up even more!