Summertime family savings! Money tips for the school holidays

There is a lot to love about the summer holidays. But as great as it is to have a break from the school run and homework, spending more time at home with the kids will ultimately result in higher grocery bills, energy usage and childcare costs,  making it a very costly time of the year for families.

Unfortunately, we can’t help with the UK weather, but we can offer some tips on how to keep an eye on your spending and still enjoy the summer months. 

Here are some creative ways to help entertain the whole family this summer whilst sticking to a budget:

Review your monthly spending

The cost of living is forcing everyone to take a hard look at their finances. Doing this before the school holidays will give you a better idea of your spending plan and what your financial priorities are. You could also think about services or subscriptions you could downgrade or cancel over the summer and search for free trials.

Set a summer spending budget 

A different daily routine calls for a different budget. You may need to take time off work, pay for additional childcare and then there are summer activities to cover as well. 

Your summer money plan needs to incorporate all of these changes.

Prep for success

With the kids off school there will be extra meals and snacks to prepare for. Meal prepping is a great way to avoid overspending, unnecessary waste and also save valuable time. Plan your meals for the week ahead by making a shopping list and sticking to your budget. Make your own ‘takeaways’ instead of going out to eat, picnic in the garden and get the kids involved in the prep too. It’s a great way to get them to try different things, whilst teaching them valuable skills, like sticking to a plan and budgeting.

Have ‘no spend days’

A little expense here and there every day can quickly add up - why not try assigning a few days as ‘no spend days’, so you can build up more for treat days. Try to organise some free activities to do: hunt for minibeasts in the garden or the park, use some sheets to turn the sofa into a tent if the weather isn't good and remember lots of local libraries, museums and art galleries provide free activities for children or free entry. 

Join your local Facebook group 

Your local area is bound to have Facebook groups - it’s likely yours will include handy information for activities, services and products available locally - often cheaper.

Make the most of being outside

Discover more of the outdoors in your local area, all kids love a new playground to explore. Pack a homemade lunch, play hide and seek in the woods or try geocaching. Creating an account is easy and the kids will love hunting for hidden treasures. Summertime usually brings discounted travel tickets for bus and rail journeys, with kids sometimes travelling for free, so make the most of the offers available as being outside is great for everyone’s wellbeing.

Download the Hoop app for activities in your area 

Hoop makes it easy to find and book local activities from newborn to 18 years old. You can filter the results by your child’s age, the date, time of day and what sort of activity you have in mind. Plus, all the listings are completely free.

Check out our Budget Planner which could be used to support you in keeping track of your spending during the six weeks. Being prepared could help ensure you have an enjoyable summer without the worry of overspending. 

Have fun!