Panorama Programme About Cost of Entertainments

I wonder if the cost of such activities as a percentage of household income has changed significantly- or not?

Doodledog

I'm not sure what point the OP is making. I don't suppose parents 'feel obliged' to spend money, but if they want to do things as a family there are not always a lot of alternatives. If you live in the country or near the beach you can go outside to play more easily, but in cities and towns things often do cost money.

Children don't play in the street as much as they used to, and more households have both parents in work, as houses are expensive to rent or buy. Even watching TV together happens less often as children watch on screens. There are fewer opportunities for free entertainment.

Going out together to eat is one way to get together - yes it's expensive, but the family would have to eat anyway, and it's a way of bonding as a family and catching up with one another.

I used to take my children out to eat after school once in a while. A local restaurant had a 'happy hour', and they loved going for the experience of choosing from a menu and being waited on. I didn't 'feel obliged' to do it - I did it because we all enjoyed it.

You have actually answered my query, thank you Doodledog.

This makes a big difference: "If you live in the country or near the beach you can go outside to play more easily, but in cities and towns things often do cost money."

There is a whole new problem due to the prohibitive cost of meals out , and other activities. I wonder if neighbourhood initiatives such as play streets, and local buildings such as disused churches or empty shops could be repurposed for recreation spaces.

I'm not sure what point the OP is making. I don't suppose parents 'feel obliged' to spend money, but if they want to do things as a family there are not always a lot of alternatives. If you live in the country or near the beach you can go outside to play more easily, but in cities and towns things often do cost money.

Children don't play in the street as much as they used to, and more households have both parents in work, as houses are expensive to rent or buy. Even watching TV together happens less often as children watch on screens. There are fewer opportunities for free entertainment.

Going out together to eat is one way to get together - yes it's expensive, but the family would have to eat anyway, and it's a way of bonding as a family and catching up with one another.

I used to take my children out to eat after school once in a while. A local restaurant had a 'happy hour', and they loved going for the experience of choosing from a menu and being waited on. I didn't 'feel obliged' to do it - I did it because we all enjoyed it.

When i had young children I would absolutely have chosen to spend money on experiences with them rather than clothes, things for the home, etc.

argymargy

I didn't see the programme but when I look at some prices now, I tend to think that a good proportion of people won't be paying full price. There are so many ways to get discounts and concessions that you can easily avoid ever having to pay the full price. Memberships, vouchers, family rates, off-peak, etc etc etc.

You are so right and it’s a good thing, newspapers often had/have vouchers.

Across the years I’ve used Tesco vouchers for many a treat, I was most out out though when it stopped being four times your voucher when swapping points for partner vouchers, but even at double it’s still worth doing as our household is still 6 adults so food costs mount up, so lots of points!

MartavTaurus

I'm not in the UK currently, so I didn't see the programme, but any entertainment venue has seen an enormous increase in their own costs.

I'd rather families were shelling out to do that than buying video games for the children, though a day outside at the seaside or in the woods costs very little.

This is true, but once they get to Secondary school it often takes a little more to sell it as a treat.

I'm not in the UK currently, so I didn't see the programme, but any entertainment venue has seen an enormous increase in their own costs.

I'd rather families were shelling out to do that than buying video games for the children, though a day outside at the seaside or in the woods costs very little.

Allira

Zoos are concentrating on conservation now.

Their costs must be massive.

Oh, I appreciate that - and I know Edinburgh Zoo (that's the one I'm talking about here) does a great job in that respect. I just hadn't realised how much the tickets were these days as it's been many years since I've been. I'm pretty sure you could draw comparisons with other popular family attractions right across the country.

I didn't see the programme but when I look at some prices now, I tend to think that a good proportion of people won't be paying full price. There are so many ways to get discounts and concessions that you can easily avoid ever having to pay the full price. Memberships, vouchers, family rates, off-peak, etc etc etc.

Having watched the Panorama programme all the way through, I think that the families featured made it very clear that they only go out seldomly for special occasions. They also stated that they will be going out even less as the cost of living soars. There was no indication that they were unable to enjoy themselves without going out and spending money.

The truth is that going out to eat and be entertained has become prohibitively expensive and as a result businesses are going under at a rapidly increasing rate which obviously leads to a sharp rise in unemployment. The total effect is a cycle of closures and a sharp reduction of disposable income which means more closures and so on.

Taking the family out for a treat is nothing new. I remember going to Lyons Corner House after watching Peter Pan at a matinee when I was a child in the 1950s and there were quite a few other family outings. I did not come from a wealthy family but though they were careful with their money, I don't think my parents ever struggled to make ends meet, even though there were three children and my mother was a SAHHW.

Zoos are concentrating on conservation now.

Their costs must be massive.

Just yesterday, I was booking tickets to the zoo for my son and his family (two adults, one child and one baby) through a friend who can get special discounted rates. Out of interest, I thought I'd look up the normal ticket price and was shocked to discover it would be £89.50! That's before you add in the cost of parking and, of course, any food you might want to buy while you're there.

I would imagine in days of yore grandparents couldn’t understand why the younger generations wanted to go to the cinema.
I go to these places with my family so I’m well aware of the cost.
It’s obviously very popular as you have to book a time slot.

Because Capitalism depends on people spending money.