I’m a saving expert, my secret tips mean you’ll save loads on the summer holidays – you can even go out for posh dinners | The Sun
AS PARENTS prepare for the little ones to be off for six weeks over the school holidays, many will be worrying about the financial strain entertaining the kids can be.
But fear not as a finance expert has provided five tips to help cut your parenting costs in half this summer.
Personal insolvency provider Creditfix has launched its new Summer Holiday Survival Guide, which helps mums and dads on a tight budget to find ways to have fun with their children, without the financial burden.
Layla Johnson, regional manager at Creditfix, has listed her top tips below:
Make use of kids eat free schemes
Hundreds of supermarkets, restaurants and cafes are offering free meals to kids this summer holiday, to help parents with the rising costs of food and everyday essentials.
Some examples of offers include:
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- Tesco – At cafes across the country, kids eat free in Tesco, providing a purchase of 60p is made on the Clubcard. (Mon 24th July – 1st September 2023)
- Bill’s Restaurants – Up to two children eat free if one adult orders a main dish. (24th July – 1st September 2023)
- Yo! Sushi – Kids eat free all day on weekdays when dining with a full-paying adult (£10 minimum spend – 10th July – 1st September 2023)
- Dunelm – You can enjoy one free main meal including a drink for every £4 spent in the furniture shops Pausa Cafe’s this summer.
- Plenty of food outlets also offer free food and other rewards when you download their apps, including McDonalds and Greggs.
Free days out
There are an abundance of businesses offering free days out and discounts on travel during the summer to help parents with the cost of living crisis to keep the little ones occupied.
Some examples include:
- Free outdoor cinema in London on Ghat Steps near King’s Cross, showing Mamma Mia, Hunger Games and more.
- Chapter Arts Centre is offering free packed lunches to kids and free films over the summer holidays.
- The Trainline has many ‘kids for a quid’ train tickets, including on several off-peak travel tickets.
- Many libraries are running a Summer Reading Challenge, encouraging children to read books during the holidays.
- Tennis For Free offers free coaching sessions in public parks for all ages.
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Geocaching adventures
The great outdoors is a parent’s best friend during the summer holidays.
It can cost next to nothing to explore it, and Scotland is already a dream destination for young explorers to find hidden treasure.
Geocaching is essentially a digital treasure hunt, where kids use a GPS to discover the buried containers – known as geocaches. You then sign the log to state you found the treasure, before moving onto your next discovery.
The beauty of geocaching is it not only helps kids to discover a sense of adventure, but encourages them to enjoy vital daily exercise, too.
Be less loyal to supermarkets
While it pays to get loyalty and membership cards to supermarkets, such as the Tesco Clubcard, Asda Rewards and Morrisons More, it can also be smart to shop around.
Write your weekly food shopping list, and don’t deviate from it. We often overspend in supermarkets when we go without a plan, and you’re far less likely to go over your budget if you stick to the items you actually need for the family this week.
If you have a number of different supermarkets nearby, consider shopping around to see if you can save – each retailer will have different offers each week.
Bake with the kids for less than £1.50
Let your kids explore their creativity, and have a real sense of achievement with an at-home baking masterclass!
Jo Middleton, author, podcaster and blogger at Slummy Single Mummy has shared her quirky recipe for a well-known jammie biscuit that parents can use to spend quality time with their children AND enjoy a tasty snack – for just 10p per cookie.
Commenting on her tips, Layla Johnson at Creditfix, said:“There can be immense pressure to ‘make memories’ during the weeks the kids are off school, which may mean parents can be left feeling anxious or isolated.
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"Costs are rising due to childcare and food supplies, especially if their children were getting free school meals.
“These tips and our Summer Holiday Survival Guide have been created to help with both free and cheap activities, but also to ensure that parents know that they do have a number of options and resources to turn to, should they feel overwhelmed.”
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