Like the lead up to Christmas, we know it’s coming every year and yet it’s still a surprise how expensive the school summer holidays can be. I’m Leigh, a money saving mum of two and I talk about money and mum life on the internet as @mortgagefreeleigh. This is my first year with a school aged child, so I’ve put together a list of my top 10 tips to help you through the financial strains of the summer holidays.
1) Savings on food
The first tip HAS to be food related because the cost of keeping hungry little bellies full through the summer break can be a huge worry for some families and whilst there are many ‘Kids Eat Free’ offers out there, a lot of them come attached to a not so savvy minimum adult spend. My two top picks to REALLY save you money are supermarket giants Tesco and Asda.
Tesco has the cheapest Kids Eat Free offer around as adults can spend as little as 60p on a piece of fresh fruit to qualify for a free children’s meal. You will need a Tesco Clubcard to claim and this offer excludes weekends. Find promotional dates and info here.
Asda follows closely as they have extended their popular Kids Eat For £1 promotion ALL YEAR and there is NO minimum adult spend associated with this offer with hot and cold meal options included.
Additionally, some local councils do offer means tested financial support for eligible families so do check with your local council to see if you can apply for help.
2) Childcare costs
If you’re a working parent and you don’t have a village to support you with childcare during the school summer holidays, the cost of paid childcare can be shocking (believe me, I know this first hand – Hello £1600+ childcare bill!). If there is one thing that continues to surprise people EVERY SINGLE TIME I mention it, it’s that tax free childcare can be used for approved childcare which CAN include holiday clubs where the setting is signed up to the scheme. Contrary to popular belief, tax free childcare does not end when your child starts school and it can actually be used for children aged 11 and under. Eligibility criteria apply – Check your eligibility here.
3) Summer holiday tips
For those of us lucky enough to jetting off abroad for a summer family holiday I have one crucial tip which is to make sure you’ve applied for your FREE GHIC card (formerly EHIC). The global health insurance card gives you access to healthcare if needed at the same rate as if you were a local, which could make it free. Whilst I hope you don’t need it, this could save some SERIOUS financial worry if the worst were to happen. Don’t be duped by scam websites that charge a fee, this is a completely free service and you can apply for here. One little known fact about this card is that to receive the benefits you must actually show it before you receive treatment so don’t leave it in the hotel safe when out and about!
4) Take advantage of your local library
Aside from the obvious endless supply of books, they often have various free activities over summer including Summer Reading Challenges, drop in crafts or Lego clubs and some even offer free events as well as whole day sports camps (booking may be required). There are also likely to be toddler and baby specific events such as Rhyme or Story time. Many libraries also offer refreshments for an optional small donation – I can’t stress the value of getting to know your local library services year-round but especially in Summer. Similarly, local church groups and children’s centres can be a winner for finding free or low-cost activities.
5) Consider free but fun ideas
Okay, so going outdoors is an obvious one as most parents will have visited every local park within at least 5 miles by the time their child is 2 but we can sometimes over complicate the school holidays and feel the need to fill them with paid activities. Sometimes, taking it back to basics can be exactly what we need. From bike rides to nature hunts, den building to bug spotting there are so many free activities you can do outdoors with the help of Google and a little imagination. If you’ve exhausted this one already, get on the internet to find your local splashpad as these are often free and the kids will love playing in the water!
6) Free or discounted attractions and museums
We all want to spoil the kids with a visit to a local attraction, but the costs can quickly add up! To cut the cost of a family summer day out I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Firstly, check for promotional offers on grocery items which may give you a free child ticket with the purchase of an adult one, two for one entry or other discounts. These are most often found on cereal, confectionary and, more recently, hygiene products like handwash. Quite often the saving will far outweigh the cost of buying the item. The same goes when checking newspapers for offers as recent freebies have included National Trust Family Passes. However, for some attractions none of this thriftiness is necessary as many Museums offer completely free or by donation entry. This list from Which Museum gives you a HUGE list of Museums with free entry!
7) Cheap cinema trips
My cheap cinema hack is currently hugely popular on Instagram (see the video here) because it allows you to take your child to the cinema for under £5! This particular offer showcases the Vue Mighty Mornings offer where 4 – 11 year olds (and their accompanying adults) can enjoy a film for £2.49 a ticket meaning two can visit for under £5! What about snacks I hear you ask – Well, Vue’s terms of admission actually only prevent people bringing in hot food and alcoholic drinks so it’s actually not against the rules to BYO. If you don’t have a Vue nearby don’t worry as many other cinema chains have similar offers for younger viewers.
8) Shop second hand
My children call the charity shop the ‘toy shop’ because this is where we buy the majority of my kid’s toys. We have had some absolute BARGAINS including Disney Princess Dolls, a karaoke mic stand with flashing disco ball, a ride on truck for my toddler and the list goes on. I actually enjoy shopping the charity shop much more than the actual shop because you never know what you’re going to find and often, particularly in the case of kids’ toys, it will be a fraction of the original price. So, if you are in the market for a few new toys this summer, why not set the kids a challenge and see what they can find for their allowed budget.
9) Cheaper travel around the UK
If you’re taking longer journeys as part of your summer holiday adventures you might be able to save yourself some cash. When it comes to rail, check before you book as under 5’s travel free on many rail networks and 5 – 15-year-olds may be eligible for a half price ticket. If you’re taking a longer journey or plan to hop on a train frequently, a ‘Family and Friends’ railcard could also save you some money as adults get 1/3 off their fare and children get a 60% discount.
You could also consider taking a coach as, whilst it takes longer, this can often be a much cheaper way to travel and don’t worry, toilets and wi-fi are now relatively standard!
10) Take advantage of reward schemes
Get rewarded when you DO spend – Even with my list of ideas that cost little or no money, the chances are you will inevitably end up spending money at some point but don’t do it without checking if you can be rewarded for it first! There are so many ways to collect rewards on money you are spending.
The first being to sign to up to all of the loyalty apps for your favourite brands and collect points when you do spend to earn rewards later down the line – you could even get a freebie just for a signing up!
However, if you REALLY want to take your money saving to the next level then you’ll love discovering the world of cashback where you could get a percentage of your spend BACK in your pocket. There are so many ways to get rewarded on purchases from traditional click through sites like Top Cashback and Quidco to newer apps such as Jam Doughnut and EverUp which give you cashback on the purchase of gift cards.
I hope this list has been helpful and to learn more about cashback, help with the cost of childcare or general money musings you can find me on Instagram, Tik Tok and, more recently, YouTube.
Lianne Macfarlane is a money saving mum of two in her 30’s from the North West of England. She has a busy life as a part time employee, part time content creator and full time mum. After having her first baby and navigating the challenges of managing her finances during maternity leave she discovered her love of budgeting. She now loves to chat about all things money and mum life on the internet and shares her knowledge and experience to help other parents raise kids without going broke.