Self Catering for a week with very minimal spends - tips on how to make it go abit further please

[mummatotwo]

We and our DS age 7 are going self catering for a week in Devon and have had a bit of bad luck with car recently so only have a about £150 spending money (petrol already accounted for).

Im guessing as in previous years its all gone on food...What are your tips for how to manage?

£150 can go on a long way - shop about a bit for the best price and plan your meals to make sure you don't waste anything :-)

Take some ice pops/poles to pop in the freezer when you get there. That would save a small fortune on ice creams.

Just like home, meal plan but also plan in a few treats as well.

To help spread the load, take things like tea bags, marmite (if you use it), ketchup etc from home. They will be cheaper than buying them locally.

We get in the DCs favourite ice cream so that they have that rather than ice creams out. Also saves a fortune but is still a treat.

Take as much food as you can from home . cereal, teabags sugar, tins of beans etc.

take as much food etc from home, no need for new box of tea bags etc

i'm assuming caravan as opposed to tent?

take pasta, breakfast cereal, part baked bread, condiments, toilet rolls, tins of beans, can you bake cakes/biscuits to take also?

i know these are not cheaper than bought, but the budget for them will then be from your normal household rather than holiday spends

Make a big one pot dish at home the night before you leave, and take that for the first meal. We do a self catering holiday every year and a massive pan of goulash is always served on the first night with crusty bread.

Take all the half openened boxes of cereal to eat up while there.

Fill whatever space is left in your car with board games, deck of cards, dvds you havent yet watched or are old favourites. Sometimes even doing the same stuff as at home but in a different location is good enough

We always play Bingo on our holiday, and the kids put in 10p a time of their 'spendy money' to buy a strip for the game and Full House wins the pot.

Take your half used washing up liquid, toothpastes, shampoos, dishwasher tabs etc.

Depending on the age of your DC packets of balloons and bubbles make good treats once you are there and pound land is good for beach balls.

small cottage - sometimes there is tea bags, sugar there. Some great ideas here...cupboards are a little bare at home at mo

thanks again

Go and do a shop somewhere cheap,don't cook elaborate dishes.

Beans/eggs on toast etc are fine

share a bag of chips as a treat

IME a fan wafer and some sprinkles turn vanilla ice cream into the best treat!

Bring a flask that way you can enjoy tea when you are out without having to pay £2.00 per cup. We generally forget ours which is annoying as I really begrudge paying so much for someone to dangle a 10p teabag in a cup

If you want to do treats for the DCs on holiday we go to a charity shop and DS is allowed to pick one toy or game.

google lidl/aldi and see if there is one near. Do you have a cool bag & coolers? If so, take with you so you can take picnics to the beach and can take to supermarket to stock up on icecream/lollies - cheaper than buying out.

you may be able to get a supermarket delivery to the cottage so you can order your normal stuff, and can use the cheaper level brands.

do take sandwich boxes etc for picnics.

oh and packets of biscuits for treats at the end of long days on the beach - cheaper than a pasty (and possibly no worse for you if it's a cheap pasty).