How to Save Money on your Family Holidays

*This is a collaborative post

There is no getting around it, family holidays can be expensive. Whether you have one child, two children, or *shudder* a full brood, taking children on holiday is a quite the investment, and keeping them fed, watered and fully occupied for a week or two over the holidays can sometimes feel like a bit of a plate juggling challenge!

Despite not having a great deal of disposable income once the bills have been paid, we still manage to have at least one family holiday a year, and do so via a combination of forward planning, bargain hunting and saving where we can.

Here are my hints and tips for saving money on your family holidays, whether that be in the UK or abroad!

1. Keep an eye out for bargains, holiday discount codes and special deals. Whether it’s kids go free, last minute deals for leaving at short notice, or free nights on longer stays, it is always worth doing a bit of a search before committing to the final booking.
2. Book early or book late? – There are deals to be had at both ends of the spectrum! Book early and you can often get a better price on flights with more choice over seats, book late and prices are often slashed as the departure date gets closer – no one wants empty seats on a flight or vacant rooms in a hotel!
3. Don’t rule out unsociable travel times – whether you’re travelling on a ferry or a plane, many travel operators will discount the times that are likely to be a little less favourable (e.g. very early in the morning or late at night). With young children these are sometimes the easier times to travel, as they will *hopefully* sleep on the way!
4. Go with friends or family!! – Some of the biggest costs associated with holidays come from under occupancy charges or from having a fixed fee for accommodation which can sleep more people than you require. By linking up with friends or family members, you can not only get the benefit of a higher standard of accommodation but often do so for a lower price when the bill is split between you. Another added benefit of holidaying with friends and family is the potential for onsite babysitters – you may get that elusive date night in the evening sunshine yet!!
5. Look for end of the week inset days – if you are lucky (and if your local schools are kind), they may have inset days that are placed together, towards the end of a week or just before a regional school holiday. By booking flights on the days that are not national holidays, and not on a Friday or weekends, you can often travel for a reduced fee.
6. Unsurprisingly when you consider the name of my blog, I ALWAYS read the reviews – just because a hotel is cheaper, does not automatically mean it is of a poor standard. I always read reviews online before I commit and press that button, and try to get as much information as possible about the facilities, the location and any pros or cons I need to be aware of.
7. Try and scrounge a lift – pull in a favour and ask a friend of family member to drop you to the airport. We do this for a few reasons – a) it doesn’t highlight to any unscrupulous passers by that you are leaving the house empty and b) it saves incurring extra charges on taxi fairs or airport parking. You may have to return the favour at a later date, but hell, that’s what friends are for!
8. Pack an entertainment travel bag, full of activities and snacks for long car journeys or flights. Taking enough snacks and drinks for the journey will not only prevent regular exclamations of “are we there yet?” but also help avoid paying higher prices at motorway service stations when the children get hungry on route.
9. Buy your kids summer clothes in the sale ready for next years trips – I am a bit of a pro at this one, as each year I buy my girls swimwear and summer clothing in the sale in a larger size, knowing that by the time next summer comes around I have everything ready without needing a last minute dash to the shops. I also do the same with winter coats, boots and wellies. I have a Next VIP account, meaning I get early access to the sales, and have saved myself a fortune by shopping a bit more savvy.
10. Self Catering? Think beyond the on-site shop. At most UK holiday parks, caravan sites and places like Center Parcs, the on -site shop prices will be SIGNIFICANTLY more than your normal supermarket prices, with them cashing in on a captive audience who want the convenience and ease of shopping close to their accommodation. The lure of the child friendly trollies may pull you in, but they also make it very hard to leave without your child loading said trolley full of expensive snacks. You have been warned! Before you go, check out the location of the nearest large supermarket and buy your essentials from there – you can even do a free click and collect with the bigger chains and swing by and collect it just before you check in.
11. Check your mobile phone policy BEFORE you leave. Many phones now have international packages automatically that help you avoid roaming charges – however, if you don’t, that simple updating of your Facebook status or making a quick call back home could cost you a pretty penny. If your international calls are expensive as standard and you are likely to need to make them, look into whether you can buy a one off bundle to cover the period of your holiday – this will work out far cheaper in the long run.
12. Don’t fall for the tourism hotspots – when travelling in busy tourist attractions – avoid the more central restaurants and bars, as whilst busy and popular, they are likely to be far more expensive. Go for a stroll, have an explore, and seek out the hidden gems on the streets a little further from the action. In my experience these are much more reasonably priced, purely because they don’t face an iconic landmark or neighbour the main square.
13. Set yourself a daily budget – plan your spending money in advance, and set yourself a daily budget to try and stick to. This way you can ensure you don’t run short towards the end of your break, and don’t incur bank charges for trying to withdraw more.
14. Take advantage of any existing membership deals – National Trust members can get free parking at many UK Beaches, many breakdown cover policies have special deals on airport parking, and some employers offer discount schemes that may help get special prices on travel insurance. Don’t miss out by forgetting to make the most of what you have!
15. Finally, and this is definitely one to remember – think back to our own childhood holidays, and chances are the things that you will remember aren’t about how often you ate out, how many new things you bought or whether or not you had a brand new cozzie – more likely it’s about the memories, how you spent quality time playing with your siblings or finally managing a full length of the big pool, how your mum brushed your hair and applied your after sun before bed, how you spent hours building sandcastles before having a photo taken Wackaday style. Holidays are an absolute blessing, but honestly don’t need to cost the earth.