Minimum spend school holiday

[RoseMartha]

I am trying a minimum spend school holidays. If I post on here it might help me see and 🙄 at myself for unnecessary spends . Anyone who wants to join in please do .

So far.
Yesterday. I bought a coffee at the play park for £2

Today we went to local beach parked for free and had a 20 minute walk each way . Took picnic . Ended up spending £2 on 2 ices from supermarket as went in with my sister and we split the boxes between us all which saved a bit of money as the ones near the beach were £2.40 each!

[B1rdonawire]

I'll be aiming to do this too (term not ending for another week here though!). I have started monthly budgets for various categories - coffee, days out, petrol - and have a little notebook in my bag to write down amounts in each as I spend. Been trying this for a month and it's really helped me see that if I go over in one category I need to pull it back in another i.e. coffees are over (because we had 3 hospital appointments and spent some of the waiting time in the cafe) so days out have been under (we have been to the park instead of the swimming pool).

Have also had a good go through DC's rooms bringing forgotten books/toys to the surface so they feel like they've got new stuff to play with, but I've not actually bought anything.

[Raver84]

I do this. I take out 20 for the week in cash sometime I have it left others not. We do lots of park trips and beach walks etc so this only covers ice cream, parking and the odd mcdonalds / cake if they want one. I take lunch and coffee everywhere with me and dunks and snacks for the kids. It's saves a fortune. I also add in the cost of a tank of petrol which is 60 and that does us easily. So the entire holidays shpuld come in at least than 200 (am away for one week away and have set money aside for the holiday of course).

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

I'm trying to do this too. We've got two holidays booked. One is camping in UK where travel and food is pretty much sorted already. The other is abroad but all inclusive and fully paid for including £110 of local currency spending money. We just need transport to and from the airport but using family railcard, that won't cost too much. Freezer has pretty much enough in for meals before trip one and in between trips one and two.

All toiletries and prescriptions have been bought and all of DD's uniform, Forest School kit etc has been bought too. BUT I'm changing from being freelance to salaried and after my last invoice comes in, I won't be paid again until the end of September. DH's salary isn't enough to cover outgoings and we've had to pre-empt shortfall by withdrawing savings so although everything is covered, I can't be frittering money here and there as we've not got any spare!

That said, we have a good coffee machine and stash of coffee so I can take my travel mug filled. Picnics, local rock hunting (it's a thing here), Merlin pass attractions we can visit, the car has been filled with petrol and short journeys are being avoided. DD has birthday money and vouchers to spend and I complained recently about poor quality of a food product which got me £15 of vouchers so that's handy too.

But I am not brilliant with money- balance the books, always (just) have enough but awful at saving so while I'm not a work, have time to walk places, search for supermarket bargains and won't be tempted to buy lunch because work exhausts me and I've been up since 5:20am, I'm hoping that I can have a low spend holiday!

[SageYourResoluteOracle]

@B1rdonawire that's a good idea about old 'new' toys- DD still has some craft sets from TWO birthdays ago when she wasn't particularly into craft so they'll be handy too!

[Titsywoo]

I'm hoping to keep the cost down too. I just got a friends and family railcard as we live near london and there is so much free stuff to do there so this will cut the travel cost up there in half.

We are camping next week, staying at haven another week and centre parcs on the final week (all with friends so money has been saved).

I've got a big list of cheap days out as I'd hate to be stuck at home all summer.

[RoseMartha]

Good ideas.

We went to farm park today but i had a special offer and we got in for £5.50 total instead of £20. However despite taking the trusty picnic and three large drinks each with me we had to buy more as was so hot but total spend for day was £11.

[Allthepinkunicorns]

I'm trying to do a low spend summer as well. I'm self employed and can't work as much over the holidays as I have to look after my ds. There are lots of free things going on at our local library and parks so other than an ice cream they are no spend days. The cinema do cheap films for kids in the morning which is great as ds is an early riser and loves going the cinema. Normally costs less than £10 for tickets and popcorn. I'm trying to budget £30 a week. I have already booked a few days out but that was paid for months in advance.

[RoseMartha]

Not such a low spend today had to buy school uniform with logo on (for new school so no getting out if it, by making do with what we had) and took my mum out for coffee.

Spent almost £100😕😲 and still need to buy the rest of it at some point.

Hoping the uniform will last more than one year!

[MagicKeysToAsda]

Uniform is a kicker. Fortunately we don't have to do branded stuff (primary). However, I thought I was done with buying next year's uniform apart from shoes, and have just realised I forgot PE kit. The tracksuit top might still be OK, but DC's legs have stretched like mad the past few months so trousers definitely need replacing!

[MagicKeysToAsda]

Free activity in the garden this morning went unexpectedly well though - couple of washing up bowls of water and declared it "toy bath day". DC splashed outside for almost 2 hours washing all their toys and pretending they were swimming I didn't really think they would go for it, but I am chalking that one up as a win.

I also bought a pair of water pistols in Tiger yesterday for £4 altogether, and those were a huge hit.

[Titsywoo]

Doing ok here so far. Yesterday I was working so my parents took the dc for lunch and to the cinema. Today I wanted a day at home so we've filled the paddling pool and they are hopping in every now and then to cool down but are mainly hanging out in their rooms. I might get us out and about early tomorrow as it looks like it's going to be very hot here. There's a lido 30 mins away that I quite fancy a swim in. It's open from 6 so could get there at 9 and miss the majority of the crowds.

[RoseMartha]

Lido sounds fun and i am guessing fairly reasonable price wise. Hope you enjoy it 😀

Toys bath day also a good idea.

I am not sure what to do tomorrow. Beach is inviting and cheap, ice cream for kids cost only, but i have an appointment early afternoon which will cut into day. Cant cancel it as its urgent.

I worked today so was a no spend day! And dad did childcare.

[RoseMartha]

Beach so only spent £3 on ices
But had to get tube sun cream for £4

[Titsywoo]

Didn't do the lido as apparently you have to queue for at least an hour to get in when it's hot - bugger that! We went to local pool and took DDs friend too. Cost was £10 for the 3 kids (I have membership so was free) and it was lovely and cool in there (33 degrees outside).

Tomorrow we're going to the park and hiring bikes (bit costly but they love it). Will go early to escape the worst of the heat.

[RoseMartha]

@Titsywoo dont they do pre book sessions?
Sounds like you had fun anyway.

We went to beach again (not the perfect sandy cornwall type beach i hasten to add). Spent £5.50 on slushes and extra soft drinks.

[RoseMartha]

Went to play park thing we have membership for. Ended up buying one ice cream, one slush and one coffee. Came to £7.15. Which was lucky as i only took £8 cash with me.

[Tiredofit]

We are in Scotland and are 4 weeks into our 7 week holiday. I've spent a fortune already . Cinema x 1, soft play x 3 and lots of swimming (Ds3 and I have a membership but it's £6 for ds's friend or dgs who is with us two days a week). We have also had the sprinkler on in the garden and bubble guns which have occupied them for a while.

We bought two slushie makers in B & M yesterday, £2.99 each and ds has made slush in one with great success. So that should be a good activity next week. Unfortunately we are not going away this year which makes it quite a long holiday to fill.

[RoseMartha]

@Tiredofit but dont you think you end up spending lots on holiday especially if weather bad? Its ok if beach weather.

I have slacked on my updates.
Sunday lunch treat with granny no spend
Monday playdate no spend on kids but i had to get couple of urgent household bits. For around £8
Tuesday playdate no spend
Wednesday friends party and playdate no spend.

[Tiredofit]

You are right @RoseMartha it's not just the cost of the holiday it's the spending money too.

I need to buy school uniform for ds3 who starts secondary school in August however I knew I had kept any good uniform left from ds1 & ds2 so checked that out first and there's quite a lot fits him so only a few bits required, yay!

I've found a free STEM afternoon at the local university for ds3 and friend next week so another frugal win.

[MagicKeysToAsda]

Off to a country park today - we have an annual pass and I've packed a picnic, so will be OK with paying for an ice cream for DC. Yesterday we stocked up at the library, so that was a free day and will keep all of us occupied for a while (we got some craft/activity ideas books too). Tuesday seemed to be mainly water fights in the garden

Last weekend was our holiday away (3 nights) which was mainly self catering, and included access to a pool with the cottage, so spends were petrol, couple of cafe visits, and 1 activity for DC that came in at 20.

[RoseMartha]

@Tiredofit a free afternoon always good. Glad you can make savings on school uniform. I still have to get more as new school too but brought last week all the items with required logo on which i am hoping will last 2 year min, some bits are fairly big ie the pe jumper is huge and was smallest size and will fit more than two years.

@MagicKeysToAsda you are doing well especially with your holiday 🤗 hope you enjoyed the country park.


We went to the park and i just bought a couple of slushes for £4 as was so hot.

[RoseMartha]

Beach yesterday just bought kids ices for £3.40 total.

[RoseMartha]

No kids day as they went out with dad. I had a no spend day, went out but loyalty coffee card was full so got free drink .

[RoseMartha]

Much to my surprise as had a family day out at kids attraction that i used tesco vouchers for i only spent £3 on extras

[RoseMartha]

Worked today my mum kindly had kids and treated them to an ice cream so no spend day. We will have to take her out for coffee tomorrow to say thank you