Self catering, very cheaply please

[Freewheelin]

I'm on my own with three children and would like to have a holiday with them, last two weeks of august.
Very little cash. Don't know where to start. No car. South east England, yeah, that really budget friendly bit.
I've been shocked by the cost of rented cottages online and even Haven is £800 odd. That's not including train fares, food, entertainment, trips.
Any brilliant suggestions?

What age are the children? there are perhaps more options if they are junior aged plus than if they are tiny.

Does it have to be 2 full weeks?

House swap?

If the dcs are older I would be checking on line for a few nights in a premier inn (or maybe b&b), this may be cheaper than self catering cottage? If i did that i would have snack healthy ish lunch from local shop or supermarket (fruit etc) and fish and chip type tea.

Do you live in SE England or is that where you hope to go?

It might be cheaper and more fun to book a super advanced train ticket to Northumberland than to stay in the South East. I stayed there without a car a while ago and found the buses along the coast pretty good.

I live in south east- Kent in fact. Thought it would be cheaper to stay around that part of Britain, although I do have a family railcard.
Children are 9,7 and 15 and no it doesn't have to be two weeks, that's just the time I am able to take then away as I've booked time off work.

Something like this comes in cheaper www.holidaylettings.co.uk/bracklesham-bay/
A lot of the holiday parks have mobile homes that don't match the standard and are let privately. Check out Daltons or gum tree.
We did a very cheap week at Woodlands near Dartmouth. Includes free entry to the leisure amusement park but that's camping.
Neighbours regularly house swap all over europe

At those ages I would book a cheap fare to Birmingham and travelodge , lots of free museums etc. cadburys world and aquarium, you can get bogof deals on these. Kids eat free breakfast buffet and look at restaurant voucher deals on Martin Lewis.

Thank you, I'll check those out. Birmingham isn't somewhere I'd ever considered but sounds interesting.

Have you thought of Youth Hostels? They do family rooms and you can self cater.

Try Park Resorts - cheaper than Haven and imo absolutely brilliant value - really clean sites and friendly staff. I've used them a lot. and go for a shorter stay. They have 4 night holidays in Essex and Kent from £270 in school summer holidays. their sites all have swimming pools, entertainment, kids' playparks and most are near areas of outstanding natural beauty (eg massive beaches etc.)

You might need a cab or bus from nearest train station to reach the park, but your children will have a great time once you're there. I've been to Romney Sands before. It's beautiful: beaches, mini steam railway running through the campsite.

Hi I would second Birmingham or if you don't go there definitely a travelodge elsewhere. You can get rooms in August for £26 -£30 a night if you book now. Buy cereal bars and cartons of juice for breakfast, buy sandwiches etc from a supermarket for lunch or kids eat free breakfast in a chain pub and don't bother with lunch and cheap cafe/ chain pub/ chippy for tea.

Could you get to Clacton? I found a 3-BR mobile home there for £445 last week of August. (3km to beach)

'Good-size, spacious 3-bedroom caravan on one of the best sites in Clacton-on -Sea Essex.
Separate kitchen with full-size cooker, fridge and microwave and separate dining area with table and seating for 8.
Separate shower room and toilet.
A good size lounge with plenty of seating, T V with some Sky channels.
Indoor and outdoor pool on site and pub-style restaurant as well as a take away.
Excellent entertainment facilities on site and a 24hr Tesco supermarket opposite.
Clacton is a lively sea-side town,with great beaches and shops.'

Details \link{http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/clacton-on-sea/352513\here}