How to not spend a fortune over the holiday with kids

[sirachaoneverything]

I have to admit I am absolutely crap with money and budgeting - even more so when I am out with the kids. I find it hard to say no… I want them to be happy! And I suppose sometimes I want an easy life!

I have over a week off with the kids (age 10 and 12) and every time I do anything with them it costs a small fortune - and money is incredibly tight this month.

please can you give me some ideas of what to do over the holidays that costs next to nothing other than “go to the park and maybe don’t spend £9 on two ice creams”

thank you!

I think the best thing to do is plan in advance for next time, I know each half term I will spend between £250-£500 depending on how long they are and the activities planned so if I’ve planned a theme park or shopping trip I know I’m spending more. If it’s a winter break I know I’m spending less few trampoline sessions etc cinema

We’ve also done a fair few of these and the kids used to enjoy them. Usually last a couple of hours, or longer if you take a picnic/snacks and stop along the way.
You’re not near London (but maybe similar things in Yorkshire) but I used to pack up a picnic and use my Friends and Family railcard and head off on the train. We’d walk to the South Bank and then tube to Covent Garden to watch the street entertainers. Didn’t buy snacks or drinks because the kids had their own bags with their lunch etc in.
We live near the beach and a fairly big park, so that was a free day out too.
I haven’t personally done it but I’ve heard that geocaching is good fun and your children are probably a good age for that maybe?

Yours are a bit older than mine but when I was this age I spent most of the school holidays playing out with friends.

Yes - my DC love football and basketball and at this aged played with friends most days in our local park with packed lunch. No cost and they were happy as anything in that footy cage!

Not sure if this would suit your DC but mine (now late teens) have such happy memories of endless days with friends in the park.

My DC are older now but here are some of the cheap/cheapish things we used to do.

Meet friends at different parks with a packed lunch.

Early morning cinema then walk into town and buy something from Poundland.

Arts and crafts at home.

Take a train somewhere with a packed lunch and visit any free stuff (I am fortunate to live an hour from London). From a really young age each DC carried their own lunch and drinks in a back pack so I wasn’t carrying everything.

Sell some old PlayStation/wii games/Xbox before the holidays and put the money towards buying a new one (probably a second hand but new to them one). I found cost per hours used this worked out was good value.

Occasionally Toby Carvery brunch then go to the park nearby and that would be breakfast and lunch sorted that day. I usually just had tea and toast myself.