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Cost of living

Stretching your budget? Share tips and advice to discuss budgeting and energy saving here. For the latest deals and discounts, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

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Original poster

Ideas for family holiday with a zero budget?

39 replies

MapLand · 10/04/2019 21:15

Very tricky I know but can people please share how they manage to have a holiday when there is no money for one? Family of 5. We don't have any budget for accommodation, and don't have a car. This is our situ every year & I want to get creative about it rather than depressed. One year we house sat for friends in their big house in the country, but I found it really hard as couldn't help comparing our tiny rented flat to their massive house, & ended up feeling rubbish. There must be others in same boat - what do you do? TIA

OP posts:

TanMateix · 10/04/2019 21:21

I would say that most people who do not have the budget do not go on holiday, as simple as it is.

But if you want to let your kids have a holiday time at home you can try some ideas... how old are your kids?

RussellSprout · 10/04/2019 21:21

We have booked four nights in a caravan in Rhyl for £230 with Hoseasons. Family of four. It's all we could afford this year.

I don't know how you'd do it with literally zero budget, I think you're asking the impossible there unless you have other friends you can house sit without getting jealous.

Isleepinahedgefund · 10/04/2019 21:30

If you have no money for a holiday, you don't go on holiday!

Have you looked into "staycations" - take a packed lunch and find free things to do around your town.

MyDcAreMarvel · 10/04/2019 21:33

Premier inn £29 rooms , take cereal bars, croissants etc for breakfast . Lunch a picnic from a supermarket , dinner chippy or take a toasted sandwich maker to hotel.

Stuckforthefourthtime · 10/04/2019 21:35

One year when I was a kid we borrowed a friend's huge tent and camped for 3 nights in the garden of my grandparents house. It was such a fun adventure! It was only later that my mum said that there was no space for us in the house (family of 6) and no money for a caravan or B&B. Could you do something like that?

Or if not, can you sit with your DC and plan a lovely treat each day - e.g. each get to invite a friend for a movie viewing, where they make a den and you bring them squash and homemade popcorn (costs pennies), another day do some interesting craft, another day go on an adventure to a new park etc?

user1474894224 · 10/04/2019 21:37

Can you borrow a tent and have a festival in the garden? (Or at a campsite if you find budget). Cook over a stove, toast marshmallow, sleep in the tent, sing songs, play card games. Make bunting to decorate the garden. (And adults can drink alcohol all day!!! ;) )

Stuckforthefourthtime · 10/04/2019 21:39

Also I think that you might need to adjust your own expectations. Children don't need a holiday each year - we certainly never did. And staying in a big country house wouldn't have depressed your dcs, that was you - if you look at the positives, it's a sign of what a good friend you must be and how well behaved your kids are that they'd trust you with their lovely home! Your kids will have a lovely holiday even without much cash, hopefully you can find a way to enjoy it too.

user1474894224 · 10/04/2019 21:39

...we love premier Inn....but as a family of 5 you have to book two rooms. (At one PI I called direct and they did allow 5 people in 1 room. Breakfast is £20 for all 5 of you and you can eat enough to not need lunch.)

anitagreen · 10/04/2019 21:40

Sounds silly but when we was broke we'd go to Butlins for the week it was £838 for 7 nights but we paid it of like £30 a week and booked the train tickets months in advance so worked out £5 each way this was only a few years ago mind x

user1474894224 · 10/04/2019 21:41

There's a bit of a river locally with a sandy bit (beach) where you can paddle, fish, swim, float on inflatables, etc... On a sunny day taking a picnic there is great fun. Add in a disposable BBQ and it would be like a holiday day out. Is there anywhere like that near you?

ShhhItsMySecret · 10/04/2019 21:42

Collect the holiday tokens out of The Sun newspaper.
5 nights for £29 or something similar.
The idea of the garden festival sounds great though.

Slippiepippie · 10/04/2019 21:42

What about stayaway or homeaway websites where you can pick anywhere in the world and go stay with a family or people for a few weeks for free in exchange of helping or teaching english or building light stuff or painting?

Other than that.. Do you have any disposable income at all? Even 20 a week you could spare? You can maybe book a cheap deal with travelrepublic and pay over the space of a few months or a year.

crimsonlake · 10/04/2019 21:43

As others have said if you have a zero budget you cannot go on holiday. Do you have family that you can go and stay with, or has been suggested camp in the garden?

Lokidokiartichoki · 10/04/2019 21:48

Homeswap for the holidays.

We used to do this when we were children - we’d go to a distant cousins house in Dublin and they’d come to our house in England for the same two weeks in the summer. Was only the cost of travel and usual food shopping once we’d got there.

I’m sure there must be websites for this kind of thing!

OhMyGodTheyKilledKenny · 10/04/2019 21:51

If your children are really young you can camp in your own garden and they'll be excited enough about that - build campfires, toast marshmallows etc

If they're a bit older and your own garden isn't holiday-like enough then camp in someone else's garden or field (friend or family member obviously, don't pitch in a complete strangers garden )

Swap houses with someone. Do you have friends that live somewhere you can get to easily enough on the train? Go there and explore their home town whilst they explore yours.

SoyDora · 10/04/2019 21:52

Generally, people with a £0 budget don’t go on holiday. The years we haven’t had any money for a holiday, we haven’t gone on holiday. That’s just life!

bibbitybobbityyhat · 10/04/2019 22:25

Is your tiny rented flat in a desirable place? Could you house swap?

If not, swap skills with someone local for the loan of their tent and go camping? (so offer to decorate or clean or garden or babysit or pet sit and take the loan of a tent instead of payment).

Offer to do a vlog or blog for someone like Haven/Butlins? .

It's difficult but holidays are one of the first luxuries to go when things are tight.

Original poster

MapLand · 10/04/2019 22:33

Thanks all, some lovely ideas here. Love the camping festival idea.

We don't have a garden, we live in a high rise flat in a city. Sadly no garden at a relatives either that we could camp in, although love the idea of that.

I totally get the 'if you've got no money you don't have a holiday this year' motto, but fact is it's been this tight for years & looks set to continue for a few more, so trying to find creative solutions.

Maybe home swap is the way forward. Anyone know how to go about finding a family to swap with?

OP posts:

INeedNewShoes · 10/04/2019 22:37

Don't the Sun and other trashy newspapers do deals where you collect 6 tokens and then pay next to nothing for a caravan for a week?

Original poster

MapLand · 10/04/2019 22:38

Bibbitty we must have cross posted!

Love the idea of skills swapping! We do have lots of skills!

And a vlog for Haven is a Brilliant thought- has anyone ever done something like this??

OP posts:

staceysmith · 10/04/2019 23:25

Where do you live mapland ? I live in London would swap for a weekend ?

livingthegoodlife · 11/04/2019 20:39

Have you got friends in a holiday type location you can stay with? Another house swap?

Staycation - treat it like a holiday, prepare special treats for breakfast every day eg pancakes & squirty cream, croissants, fry up. Make packed lunch. Buy cheap pack of lollies in supermarket for treat out at beach/park/museum

Look up free things to do. Hobbycraft do free workshops for kids in the holidays. Libraries also have free things on.

Try and do things different from the norm. Sleepover in the lounge with a film & popcorn.

Make it fun! I'm broke at the mo but have planned pretty much the whole Easter holidays with outings everyday. Total spend £20.

stressedoutpa · 13/04/2019 20:16

Have a look for one of those companies that does free accommodation in exchange for staying/looking after the pets?

Housesit Match is one company.

applesarerroundandshiny · 14/04/2019 16:59

Do you literally have zero budget or just low budget? I can think of things which would cost very little but nothing totally for free.

I don't think the house sitter/ pet sitter idea would work . They are normally a way retired people get a bit of income rather than where a family can stay in someone else's house- but the swap may work if you live somewhere where others would be wanting to come to.

I think your best bet for low cost holiday with children is to look out for when they do the special tokens in the Sun, think they also do them in DM but they aren't normally for school summer hols apart from sometimes the first or last weekend. Alternatively borrowing a tent off someone, may be. If you don't have a car though you will need to pay coach or train fares.

Where do you live?

applesarerroundandshiny · 14/04/2019 17:09

Breakfreeholidays.co.uk has special offers on holiday parks

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