Five ways to cut summer holiday costs
Posted by Money is tight especially in the summer holidays with the kids off school, our ambassador @stephloveshoney shares her top 5 ways to cut increasing summer holiday costs. on 21st Aug 2022
Money is tight especially in the summer holidays with the kids off school, our ambassador @stephloveshoney shares her top 5 ways to cut increasing summer holiday costs.
1. Take a picnic
If you’re off out for the day, ten minutes spent making lunch for everyone before you head out is well worth the cost saving! It also means that if someone wants their lunch early or needs a snack, you’ve got it covered without the need to purchase expensive food and drink from the venue. Lots of places will refill your water bottle free of charge too, or have a water station you can use, don’t be afraid to ask!
2. Slowcooker dinners
Meatballs, chilli con carne and chicken korma are our slow cooker favourites. They take minutes to prepare, then I put the slow cooker on low and off we go. When we get home, I just cook a pan of rice or pasta and then we can eat. Knowing we’ve got a meal ready for us when we return home means we’re not tempted to order takeaway or stop at a restaurant on the way home.
3. Advance planning
I save or jot down event information when I see it pop up on Facebook or Instagram, then I write a list of places we would like to visit and people we want to catch up with and start organising. This means I can plan a mix of free and paid for activities/days in line with a weekly budget.
4. Take stock of what you’ve got
A walk to the woods with a bag full of outdoor toys and a picnic lunch is completely free. We pack den kits, nature scavenger hunts and our Hape swing and set up camp! An old tarp or lightweight picnic blanket can also be used for den making, or just use sticks and branches. Ace loves making race tracks on the forest floor and Honey adores making fairy villages using moss, twigs, bark and whatever else she can find. This tactic can also help you save money at home. At the start of the holidays, I do a tidy out and stock take of our craft cupboard, so that on ‘homedays’, I can suggest a range of ideas if the kids can’t decide. Often, we find things they’ve forgotten about of wouldn’t normally have the time to use and it feels like they’ve just been out and bought something new!
5 .Don’t forget about your bikes!
Check out your local cycle paths and get plotting. We like to cycle to a range of play areas to break up our route. Don’t forget your helmets and remember to take bike lock so you don’t have to stay by your bikes at each stop!
