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Mumstown will be on air with Deirdre Hurley on LMFM around 2.30pm today chatting about the cost of entertaining kids during summer.
A newspaper today says its 750 per child to keep them busy with DVD’s, games, days our etc. for their summer holidays.
What do you think? Sounds excessive to me….we are certainly not spending over 2,000 on our 3 over the summer!!
Per child it’s a lot.
But it’s possible.Some parents will still buy an ice cream a day, plus any park / activity (Tayto, red mountain farm, movies, swimming pool (not all offer the mumstown deal like in B court)….) it’s around 10 euro each.
Plus extra petrol plus parents will do their shopping while kids are with them and to avoid to much hassle will buy a treat / small game/toy to keep them happy while doing necessary food shopping.
Plus the day you do any activity there is the extra food or extra ride (all parks have things where they charge extra).
Plus the coffee meeting with some friends in a coffee shop where each child will get hot chocolate and sometimes scone, even if it’s only once over the course of the summer.so 750 for the summer it’s 14 weeks (from the 27th june till 1st sept) so it’s under 54 euro/week / child
if each week you do the following (doesn’t seems extravaguant)
– swimm 7 euro + Mc Donalds after 7 (and even if we don’t do it most parents will)
– ice cream 3 times a week around 6 ? (not a clu did not get any ice cream yet)
– toy / treat with food shopping 5
– park, or zoo or movie 10 + popcorn or extra ride 2
it’s already 27 euro / child then add
+ petrol
+ extra activity materials (arts, baking and decorating stuff, which will add extra pounds and necessary diet when kids back in school 😆 😆 )
+ all the last minute meeting with friends in coffee shop or at the park
+ last minute pic-nic bought at the high price on the way to playground
+ 5 to 10 euro pocket money a week.
all these extra can easily add up to 27/week so 27 + 27 it’s 54or summer camp (anything from 50 to 90 a week already above the mentioned 54 euro/week)
So I’m not surprised of the cost.
Of course people who do know me know I will never spend that kind of money.
And there is always deals or free stuff to do. But how many people buy the zoo tickets full price when if you get organised with Tesco deals it’s only a quarter of t he price? And exemples are endless.
If you’re prepared your summer with children off school will be cheaper.But yes at the end of the summer people will be broke and did not realised that to keep children happy and busy it can be done at a cheaper rate with same level of fun.
As well depending on weather if you can or not go to playground and have to do indoor fee paying activities.
Even museums in Dublin are free but either you pay car park or public transport.Fabienne
Forgot to add in that the babysitter you’ll pay at least once of the course of the summer to enjoy a relaxing night out without kids getting at each other.
Have to go out once for your sanity 😆But there are loads of ways not to spend large amounts of money….
Here are some tips we use:
Instead of buying toys/treats at shops, bring a toy with you.Instead of ice creams every day, make it a treat once a week or even better buy a tub of ice cream from the shop and some cones and make them yourself. They love this on a sunny day in the back garden.
if going out for coffee, look for somewhere with special deals on like bagel bar, they do coffee/tea & muffin for adults for 3.50 and a bagel, doughnut, drink and fruit for kids for 2.95 (these can be shared between 2 children).
there are special offers for places like Pirates Den (5 euro mon, tue, wed), the zoo have offers in newspapers and great deals on tesco clubcard and there are often offers popping up for other places too. we bring a packed lunch and snacks to the zoo and on other days out. nicer and at least you can bring food the kids will actually like and not end up with greasy chips that cost a fortune
Instead of paying a babysitter, why not do a baby sitting swap with another mum? You look after her kids for a night and in return, she looks after yours and no money changes hands.
bucket & spade and off to beach for the day and pack a picnic
off to ardgillen castle for a day with a picnic
Libraries are another great place to go, they often have kids sections and some rent out DVD’s too – the one in Balbriggan is very good and have activities on regularly that are free.
there is no way we would spend over 2,000 on our 3 children over the summer, that’s crazy! thats a holiday with spending money!!
i thought it was 750 total over the summer don’t think i’d spend that per child, but it can be costly but yes there are ways to keep it cheap and simple…
when we were kids we often went to the beach to the mountains etc and alwaysbrought a picnic it was unheard of to get sweets etc when out, unless we went to the likes of bray etc where we would get to choose a stick of rock some candy floss…
i have to say that we still are in the thoughts of we need to spend in order for fun to be had…
we went to dublin and went to the museums which are free, was a great day out…
you could go fishing, again doesn’t cost you anything really, bar buying the gear or even better ask friends or neighbours if they have rods and bring a picnic or bbq…
we need to as a nation bring back the penny pinching days when fun was amounted in free air and families getting together making their own imaginative fun rather than the having to spend money in order for it to result in a fun day iykwim…
there’s lots of fun things to do at home arts and crafts, basic ideas and most will have crayons, markers, glue, paint etc then all you need is some unwated waste like cardboard, tube rolls, buttons, bottle tops etc etc…
kids have a ball making a mess, or get them out cleaning windows some soapy water and sponge kids enjoy the simpliest things, and the messier the better, afterall dirt = fun…
we have spent money doing things, paying into places alright but made the most of them but also looked at the option of special deals and also free options…you just need to research and take the time, save the indoor playcentres etc for the really miserable days when the kids have had their fill of art, baking etc….
more and more people are taking up sports which is great to see, fresh air how much more free is that….and more valuable to the benefits of our overall health and existance
I cant see how people would spend 750 per child for the summer, maybe its the people who dont have the money spending, but certainly wont. My childhood summers were like Scoles, other than the Zoo, Bray and the RDS Horse show ALL our days out were FREE DAYS. I have sent ds to 2 summer camps and he is booked for a 3rd and was looking at another one today, but they are great value and keeps them active
it was mountain hikes with the dogs and a picnic, we would climb trees, walk mountain streams, fall, twist ankles… but it was the best fun ever.
I buy a block of Aldi icecream, cones and raspberry sause 99c in aldi… i can make an Icecream a day for the family for the cost of 1 99 cone from the icecream van. Aldi icepops are great value too.
When we do the Zoo its done on the Tesco vouchers, trips to dublin on the open top bus (tesco vouchers) and we do the Museums ALL FREE.
I we have stunning beaches, mountains,forests, lakes and rivers a good pair of shoes and your gone for the day. A well packed car with change of clothes, wipes, plasters, sugar boost snacks (for after their day out) and a well stocked picnic. We bring rolls, snacks, fruit, juices, crisps…. so we dont have to buy a thing.
There are days were you have to spend more like trips to W5 in Belfast or the Liffey splash, but its all about ying and yang, save where you can but still have fun, then spend what you have to spend for good days out, its all about balance.Movies we do movies@swords pre 1pm tickets are 5e, i bring Aldi microwave popcorn in freezer bags, free parking… so all we spend other then entry ticket is the Drinks
I always have treats and snacks in the car ie lollypops, jellies… just for a little treat and it doesnt cost money, other then buying the treats at a good price in my shopping, rather then rip off prices when out and about
Another tip i would recommend with a few mums, we dont do coffee mornings out, we take turns and kids play and coffee free… Another great tip book a bouncy castle between friends, we book castles 55e from Eurobounce and we split the cost, so you get a days play for all the kids for less then 10e
It’s my point if you’re prepared it can be cheap but you have to look for offers / deals, research offers and all. Thanks to mumstown there’s a trhead about free stuff for the summer)
And I would not feel comfortable ordering just 1 kids bagel if I have 2 kids, will be affraid staff/ management won’t approve.Museums free CAR PARK can be very expensive in Dublin.
A friend went on the beach with her 4 kids, she bought a box of 6 cornetto like conesin centra at the beach it was cheaper than 4 flake ice cream, and to put in the bin the spare 2 that would melt on the beach (it just happen I met her that day so she gave me the 2 spares for my kids).
Yes I agree it’s about time people start to we need to as a nation bring back the penny pinching days when fun was amounted in free air and families getting together making their own imaginative fun rather than the having to spend money in order for it to result in a fun day iykwim..
No way I’m spending 750 per child (don’t have it either) but I’m not surprised, don’t like the idea, but it happens.
FabienneI know someone who parks in Airside in Swords for free and gets the bus into the city, no parking.. i just park in my mothers and get the Luas in so parking in Dublin isnt an issue for me.
I was reading on facebook on mum saying she would well spend 750 euro over the holidays (you know who you are 😆 😆 😆 ) Not a snowballs would i spend that!!!! I did up my weekly budget by 100e (if needed) for the summer, but so far i have only spent 135 for 2 summer camps and maybe about 5 euro onto the shopping bill to stock up on goodie treats…. everything else FREE…. 750euro per child 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
I did do Erths Dinosaur petting Zoo in RDS, but that only cost petrol and 6 euro parking, blagged FREE TICKETS 😉
Have a look at this site, i have it on my facebook page
Have spent barely any extra on dd over holidays every trip we have done so far hasbeen from pookies great thread..or it’s been a play date at a pals or she is just playing with her pals down the street.
We have two hold planned one to uk and one to cork but that isn’t just for dd.
Never sent her to a camp I can’t afford it.
The weather has been unfortunate so far however.
We will go to tayto park on pay day as big treat and that’s it.
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