So I've said before that I will share my motherhood discoveries as I discover them myself. Recently on the life-vine: money. With it being summer and wedding season we are definitely feeling the sting, so I've been scratching my head a little over how best to ensure a wholesome experience for Amelie [albeit she is only 5 months] and myself throughout the week. Then I realised that actually, there are a large number of ways to enjoy the weekdays that don't cost much at all. (Obviously excluding petrol because to me, that's already calculated into the essential monthly budget)
So I set myself a challenge of entertaining ourselves for the week, for £5.
Day 1 - Soft Play
We have recently discovered soft play. So let me just declare my love for these places. Anywhere between 50p-£1.25 is standard adult entry, and totally free for under 1s! The price is great, but the best part? It's a sensory heaven for babies. They are constantly taking in their surroundings and absorbing new sights, sounds, textures and the like, so it acts as an intense learning platform for them. What appeared to be a large foam Lego piece to me, provided over an hour of entertainment for Amelie and me. Of course we weren't just holding onto a block for an hour, there were colours to look at, other children to socialise with and a great deal of varying sounds to take in. I don't crash and bang around at home, I don't run around and I certainly don't screech. These things are all new for Amelie and are (often scary) but part of her learning, and will do wonders for her social skills! So for 65p it's great! Usually I would get a cup of tea and a cake, but for this week I wanted to actually stick to the £5 rule so opted to take a drink with me and had lunch at home!
Day 2- Picnic in the Park
What better than to ensure mumma and baby both gain something from the venture. I met up with my friend who also happens to have a baby to have a picnic in the sunshine - and shade for Amelie -and we had a great time. I picked up some Sainsburys Basics strawberries (which looked nicer than the slightly more upmarket ones to be fair) and a lovely Apple and Pear juice, and grabbed some crisps from home! £1.80 was the total cost here, and I become aware I had spent nearly half of my weekly budget on the second day but I was determined to achieve my goal!
Day 3 - Garden Centre
My little cherub absolutely adores fish! I'm sure it's the lights and sounds as well as the colourful nature of fish that she enjoys really, but nevertheless it's always a great success for us. This month we do not have £17.50 for the sea life centre (yes it is that expensive) so I researched garden centres in the local area to see which ones had an aquatic section, so we could have our fishy fun for absolutely free. We saw puffer fish, pond fish and pretty much the entire cast of finding nemo (or Dory, whichever one is most currently 'lost') without spending a penny. I felt a little apprehensive with zero intention of buying fish so I actually asked one of the salesman if it was ok to have a quick look at the fish. He ended up coming around with us for a short while to talk us through some fish! So an all round great experience.
Day 4 - Beach Walk and the Chippy
What's better than the sea front? Amelie and I had a lazy morning with a nice lay in and some garden time, but we both prefer to get out every day, so we waited for Joe to finish work before our day out. We went for a super long walk equipped with bottles, nappies and other baby essentials like a change of clothes in case of a poo explosion and a jumper and million blankets. Just a few of the bare necessities. So a large portion of chips is £1.50 and a jumbo battered sausage is £1.00. Joe and I shared a large chips so I could technically claim it cost me personally 75p, but I won't! The point is, 4 days in and I'm £4.95 down. Not bad at all.
Day 5 - Windmill Walk
I am always fascinated by the windmill I drive past nearly daily. So despite the unappealing distance by foot, I packed a small load of baby bits and set off on what turned out to be just a little longer than a 2 hour walk. It sounds a lot, but in the 'walking-with-a-buggy-mum' world that's no distance at all! I'm seriously debating using Strava for these walks - now that I'm not likely to use it for runs or a bike ride anytime soon! So anyway, my point is, we discovered a beautiful windmill tucked away discreetly in a back road. And we loved it! A completely free day! It would seem silly not to research places like this locally. We are exceptionally fortunate to live in such a history-rich country, it'd be a shame not to take time out to appreciate it!
My weekly total... £4.95! Mission accomplished.
This is just a typical week for me, and by no means extensive! I do find it super easy to book into/onto things and before I know it were £50 down and that is hardly cost effective! We do not scrimp at the weekends either (but probably could) so these are just a few ideas to save a few pennies because who doesn't like saving 'some P' [I recently heard of this expression from my girl Tania - she keeps me up to date with the lingo] so below are a list of affordable or free activities I came up with!
- Play dates
- Swimming - check your local swimming pool as often there are baby sessions. Our local area offer £2 for 2 adults and 2 children!
- Pet shop
- Local farms
- Duck feeding
- Long, adventurous walks
- Book shops - often offer free drawing stations for older children
- Libraries - story times
I'd love to hear any I might've missed! Hope this helps anyone at a loose end!
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