SAHMs, how much do you spend a day on outings/eating out?

[Anonymous]

I probably spend on average $100 per day on a mix of admissions and meals. Some days are more and others are less. I have 2 kids in elementary and 1 in preschool. Of course we spend less during school but in the summer I feel like the summer outings add up.

[Anonymous]

Every day? You spend $700 a week all during the summer? Camp would be cheaper.

[Anonymous]

That's a lot of money!! Are you saying you spend $700 a week during the summer just in "entertainment?"
I have a toddler, we probably spend $15 -20 a day, and that's on a coffee for me, maybe an ice cream for her and a free bucks for a merry go round or train ride etc

[Anonymous]

That sounds excessive.

There are plenty of "outings" that are free

Instead of going out for meals, try packing a picnic

[Anonymous]

No way. I have two (11 and 8) and have been home with them since birth. I’ve never spent anything close to $100/day! 2 bounce house admissions and lunch might be $70, and we do something like that 1-2x a week at the most. We eat at home or pack most days, and spend a ton of time at the pool.

Why are you eating out so much? What kind of activities are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Probably no more than $50/weekly. I only have one toddler. Some weeks it's nothing even though we manage to get out of the house every day and go to the zoo, museums, hikes, the pool, story time, etc.

[Anonymous]

Wtf!?! Get a job.

[Anonymous]

I plan 2 no spend days (stay at home, go to gym/re center where we already belong, have people over, go to park, library, etc, lots of options) and 3 days where we spend up to 50 bucks. This is when we go to places and activities with admission and maybe lunch. My kids are 8, 4, and 9 mo. We don't have a problem sticking to this budget at all.

[Anonymous]

Um, not that much!

Maybe $50 a week, tops. Our week usually consists of one pool day ($10), one lunch out ($20) and one trip to the ice cream place ($10). Other than that, most things are free. Sometimes the ice cream truck is at the park (another $5), or we stop by Barnes and Nobel for a book while out and about ($5-$10). I pack picnic lunches or we eat before most outings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wtf!?! Get a job.

If you can afford to spend $2,800/month just on kid entertainment there’s probably not much motivation to get a job. What on earth for?

What’s your HHI? Where do you go on vacation?

[Anonymous]

I have a 4 year old and 2 year old so not as many activities/not as much entertainment needed and and we live in a lower COL area than DC. We also hardly ever eat out during the week when I'm just with the kids and not my husband (like maybe once a month we'll have lunch or a snack out) but almost all the time I bring lunch/snacks with us from home.

Most of our outings are:
-parks/playgrounds, the library, playgroups/playdates at friends' houses, the lake beach=all free
-the zoo, children's museum, natural history museum=we have memberships to all 3 which cost around $100-$150 per year so if we visit twice per month-which is about average-we're paying less than $5 per visit
-sometimes we'll visit a state park or a nicer beach area that costs $5-$10 to get in for the day

But in a typical week, we spend less than $25 on "outings/eating out" for the entire week. That is NOT an exaggeration at all.

[Anonymous]

Totally varies. There are weeks all three kids are in a mix of full or half day enrichment or sports camps (which of course means it's an expensive week) and weeks like this one, where we lounge around the house/playground/pool, make sandwiches for lunch, maybe one outing on the Friday like to mini golf and lunch (maybe $60?).

[Anonymous]

Maybe $50 a week, most of which is food as eating sandwhiches at home daily gets old quick. I try to find as many free activities as I can and really only will splurge for an indoor play area if I desperate or something.

[Anonymous]

Outings are free, libraries, parks, play areas, going outside at home, zoo. I pack lunch and/or snacks. Might spend $50 a week if we need to ride the metro, or eat out.

[Anonymous]

Maybe $100 per week? Maybe $200 if we do something spendy. $100/day is crazy!