If your house is anything like ours at this time of year, you will have heaps of clean laundry overflowing everywhere, half packed cases getting in the way and an over worked iron. Not to mention a frazzled mother (that’s me), a cat that has just been kicked out for leaving muddy paw prints over the teenage daughter’s skimpy white bikini, and a husband hiding behind a newspaper waiting for the magic of holiday packing to miraculously happen.
Yes holiday season is upon us and I for one can’t wait. It will be lovely to escape the madding crowd for a couple of weeks and let someone else take over the cooking and the cleaning. I am dreaming of sun, sand and sea, with the odd cocktail thrown in for good measure!
This year I am particularly proud of myself as we’ll be saving money while away, thanks to some forward planning. By using websites such as mycreditmonitor I’ve been able to find loads of money saving tips which will ensure we don’t come back from our two weeks completely broke and in the doldrums.
Saving money when you go away is completely possible and I know we are still going to have a great time! All it takes is a little effort and not accepting the first deal you are offered. Be savvy and shop around. Because of the children and the strict rules about taking the kids out of school now, we are restricted to going away in the school holidays, which is always more expensive. Even so, we’ve still saved money.
So the first thing I did was use a comparison website, which trawls the internet and finds the best deals out there. I didn’t rely on just one either; I had about four on the go at once! Put in your exact dates and it’s easy to compare who is offering the cheaper travel out of all the companies.
Food and drink take up a big chunk of your money so holidays that offer these in the price may seem pricey at first, but when you break it down it usually saves money to include these. This way you know exactly what you are spending upfront with no nasty bar bills. If you have children who like to drink pop and eat ice-cream you will know what I mean!
Be careful about accepting the airport transfers without further investigation. Other companies often offer a better deal, and it can sometimes be cheaper to hire a car, particularly if you want the option to sightsee off your own back.
Talking of trips, all hotels offer excursions and if you book in advance from home rather than wait until you get there you can save loads of money. This is true whether you are on holiday home or away.
Coupons and vouchers are also great for saving money on days out. Supermarkets all have their own loyalty scheme, and I have managed to save enough vouchers to get tickets for us all for two separate attractions while we away – completely free!
Amazingly, some places still offer free attractions – do your homework on the area you are visiting and find out what is available. It could save you pounds.
The Daily Deals are also good for cheap days out – keep an eye on them by subscribing to a daily email and you will be told as soon as new deals come up. We managed to save 50% on a barge holiday this way last year.
Of course, you have to have new clothes. I found a money saving tip which recommended leaving your holiday shopping until just before your holidays if you are going end of July or August, as the shops put everything on sale ready for the autumn collection. My beautiful tummy tucking swimsuit came with 75% off!
I think this year I am going to be writing quite a few postcards on holiday to MyCreditMonitor and all those other sites who have given me great money saving advice. Thanks to them I won’t be worrying about money while on holiday – I’ll just be having the time of my life. Cheers!
