We all want to go on holiday really don’t we? It’s kind of a given. As a single parent on a self-employed income, I often worry that my daughter won’t get to experience what other families do thanks to the fact that mummy chose to have her as a single parent and that I then decided to one up myself by going self-employed. However, then I just thought about my own mum who was a single mum to 3 at one point and I cannot remember missing out on anything and have plenty of fond memories of holidays from when I was a child. Holidays do not have to break the bank and I’m lucky I’ve managed to take Alyssa away to some amazing little getaways both in the UK and abroad. So, I thought I’d share some tips with you on how to have a great low budget holiday…
Location
So, if you are not worried about going abroad then there are plenty of options for holidays in the UK. We went to Bluestone Wales for a week and that was amazing. There are also various other holiday and caravan parks, some of which do amazing deals and vouchers. Get one of those and all the entertainment for the kids is included so there’s no more expense unless you go for souvenirs!
If you’re set on going abroad, then why not book cheap from Holiday Gems or see what package deals you can get. If you’re prepared to go anywhere and happy to book last minute, why not see if you can book something a few days or even a few hours before you’re due to go – the savings are insane!
Food
Now food can always be a bit expensive on holiday, especially if you are eating out. However, there are a couple of options to save you money that are at polar opposite ends of a holiday. Firstly, if you’re going self-catering, whether it’s in the UK or abroad, try and keep one suitcase empty on outbound and fill it with food to take with you. Pasta and other dried foods work really well and of course snacks for the kids which will save you loads. Then when you get to your destination, DON’T shop in the complex shop where prices will be higher. Step just outside and ask someone where the local supermarket is so you can get all the fresh bits and pieces that you need.
The other option is that when booking your holiday, do just take a look and see if there is an All Inclusive option and check the difference in price. You’d be surprised – I’ve seen differences as small as £50 from self-catering to all-inclusive and honestly you couldn’t get your shopping for much cheaper. You’d get all your meals included and a lot of drinks – just check the terms to see what is included to check if you’d need to pay anything else.
Holiday Wear
If you know that you’re going to be going on holiday in advance then shop the sales the season/year before for the kids and just buy everything a size bigger. If you have kids of a similar age, buy gender-neutral clothing so some can be shared as well. If it’s a bit of last minute excitement and quick packing then use clothing lines from Supermarkets or Primark or have a browse on e-bay and see what bargains you can snag. Every penny saved is spending money for when you’re there.
Hope these tips have been helpful – if you have any tips then please do feel free to share them below as I’d love to add them in. Have a great holiday – send me a postcard!
*This is a collaborative post.