Have you had fun on holiday with very tight budget?

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I booked a beach holiday when i could afford it. In the couple of years since my income has dropped considerably. I don't want to cancel as the children are looking forward to it and, like many, a number of trips have been cancelled the past two years.

It'll be a very different holiday than planned. Maybe only a couple of evenings of proper eating out - and relaxing rather than trips.

Have others made this work on very tight budget?

When mine were that age, a take away pizza eaten on the beach as it got dark in the evening was really special.

Definitely get everyone to eat a good breakfast and foreign supermarkets are a must for snacks to take to the beach.

DH and DS always made amazing sand sculptures, I used to join in though they were very much theirs and they would take a few hours to make. They made a Mayan temple once that people came over to look at and chat to them about.

Also used to dig extensive networks at the edge of the sea with dams, that’s was my thing and reminded me of being a kid.

At that age just some sand and sea should be enough.

If you're in a b&b it's worth asking the host if you're able to use their kitchen for some basic meals. We often ask if either a meal can be provided (when we are travelling) or if we can use the facilities to make a simple meal. Most say yes!

If not, go out in the morning to the bakery and get some bread, tins of sardines or similar or ham and cheese and keep them in a chiller bag (I'm sure your host will let you keep freezer packs in their freezer at the very least). That's perfect for beach or pool. For dinner get pizzas or fish and chips etc and eat walking along the promenade.

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8 and 11. I figure if we eat out midweek and on the last evening that will feel like a treat. And actually the youngest gets bored sat in restaurants. Yes foreign supermarket might seem fun. Own pocket money in cash should allow lots of treats. I am torn between worrying about money and thinking just relaxing and being somewhere new is fun in itself. (Beach holiday Greece).

I have older kids who do like eating out, but we would still only eat out a couple of times on our beach holiday. We have a beach holiday in Greece Oct before covid and ate out twice (maybe 3 times) and had a lot of fun. Kids also took it in turns to cook 2 nights (mostly potato wedges or pasta). Have you got a kitchen? It was one of our best holidays and spent most of it on the beach/sea. Take waterbottles so you don't need to buy too many drinks and picnic from supermarket.

yes lots. Am actually a fan of finding basic yet dreamy places. We've spent time in vintage wooden beach chalets in UK, stayed in e.g 1 /2 max hotels in gorgeous settings in Europe. It's one of my secret vices. Looking on booking.com for 1 or 2 star places in e.g beachfront location but having lots 9+ ( outstanding ) reviews and ratings. I've had amazing finds and cheap trips , often at last minute. Combine with tripadvisor forum you can find absolute and inexpensive gems.

Is it a package holiday OP?

If so you've probably got infinite packing amounts. Jet 2 has given us 23kg each plus 10kg on board.

You could email the hotel and ask if the room has a fridge and freezer bit as would help to know this. Stupid things like cling film are cheaper to bring than buy abroad.

If I was organised enough I’d try to remember to pack a lunchbox each for the kids, Tupperware would be fine but better still if it’s an insulated lunch bag. Doesn’t weigh anything but makes life a lot easier when you’re there! I’d also buy and hide in my suitcase a couple of daft inflatables if you can find them - those stupid hammers or sharks or whatever - so when they’re covering whatever shit thing everyone else has at the pool a couple of days in you can whip those out and be the hero of the day without paying resort prices. This isn’t particularly cheap but would cause a riot in my house! Giant Gator Childrens Large Inflatable Ride On Alligator With Four Grab Handles #58562 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000030000/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gl_i_H4H3QPQD873KVGMYG99R?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

If you know that you have your breakfast sorted thats one meal down!. I find kids arnt as hungry in the day as its warm. Its more drinks and Ice-cream that they want! How about if the money you'd usually spend on your weekly shop at home you use that as your food budget for the week, so it's not like your massively out of pocket that week . It could be you can pick up takeaway pizzas, or bread and cheese from the supermarkets each night And the weeks leading up to the holiday could you put a little extra aside so that could be your Ice-cream/ daytime drinks budget?
Does your hotel have a pool or near the beach? Kids don't usually want to go round sightseeing when they arrive by water they just want to play so I wouldn't worry about taking them on trips save your money!!! A meal midweek and one at the end of the holiday will feel like a treat. Just getting changed in the evenings and having a stroll makes you feel like your own holiday

I'm feeling much better reading all this thanks. Great tips. I half expected replies saying you need x amount or it'll be miserable.

Packing well seems to be the key thing.

RedPandaMama sounds like you have had a lovely time.

On- if it is a package it maybe worth seeing how much it is to change to have a basic apartment with a kitchenette. Greece is full of basic places like this. I am a single parent and we travel a few times a year, it is my hobby but we do it very cheaply! We went to Greece a few times during covid because it was one of the few places we could go and did it on £10 flights and in simple family hotels with a lovely pool and had the best time!

I have a teen now but honestly she just loved chilling in and around the pool, maybe going to the beach (but happy with the pool) and at night was happy to have a simple meal in the room, even if I wanted to head out! You can eat very cheaply in Greece - gyros for example. Supermarkets abroad are always amazing and easy to get picnic type food.
People are very snobby about a holiday around the pool but for most children this is their ideal. We extended from 7 nights to 10 where we were staying (we were meant to be island hopping) and had a lovely time relaxing and laughing together whilst not doing very much but strengthening our relationship floating around the pool. We used the local bus a couple of evenings to head out for a meal, but this was more for me than DD. Totally doable - your children do not actually want days out!

Fill up at breakfast, take what you can from the buffet for lunch, big bag of Lays in the afternoon and streetfood/cook for tea. Greece is cheap.
Have a lovely time x

I’ve just come back from a European holiday (not Greece). I’ve got the Too Good To Go app in the uk. If you aren’t familiar with it basically you buy a ‘mystery bag’ for somewhere between about €2.50 and €5. Well, anyway I was absolutely amazed how much came up on it whilst away. Literally hundred from all sorts of places. (Supermarkets, restaurants, takeaways, hotels, bakeries etc) would save you an absolute fortune.

The tip about TooGoodToGo is an excellent one!

I always limit eating out if I am paying for it on hols OP. You'll have a fab time. You don't even need to cook every night, cold food will be perfect.

I'm going away on a budget too this year, two weeks split over four different locations (including a city for a couple of nights). Apartments cost £1100 in total (vs £1200 for a cottage for one week in the UK)! Flights booked ages ago on a cheap deal. I never hire a car, just use trains when we need to.

We'll have a coffee and a bit of lunch out most days but my budget is tight for two of us for two weeks. Still DC (teen) loves our travelling style and would rather go away like we do than not.

We picnic on the terrace too - fabulous evenings, you don't need to worry about getting home!

One of the best holiday I ever had with DC cost about £200 all in. It was at a Parkdean resort flat which was £60 for five days in the easter holidays, so high-ish season. We just played on the beach, build sandcastles, explored rockpools, went swimming in the resort pool, bought fish and chips and take out pizzas or cooked simple food in the apartment, rode the steam train and went to the fair, had ice creams from the 1950s parlour. It was idyllic.

Honestly one of my fondest memories of being on holiday with my parents is sitting on the balcony eating soup with warm bread bought from the bakers. I didn't want long drawn out meals and I'm super fussy hence the soup in Spain😂don't worry about the money yous will have an amazing time. I honestly can't remember any meals out but I remember as the fun stuff we done in the pool, going out at night for a wander.