How to Save Money this Half-term

When the kids are home from school, you can feel pressure as a parent to provide a non-stop stream of fun and games to keep them busy. You can end up spending a small fortune if you decide to try and fit in a million and one things. But the good news is that memories don’t cost a thing and there’s plenty of cost-effective ways to have a great time with your kids. If you’re looking for some cheap and cheerful activities, we’ve put together a few things you can do to keep your bank balance in check and your kids smiling.

Bring your own Refreshments

When food and drink are involved, it’s easy to go overboard and make a dent in your pocket. It’s inevitable that you and your kids are going to be hungry, but one way of avoiding expensive food and drink costs is to prepare your own snacks before you take them out. You won’t be being wasteful of the food you have at home and you can provide healthier, cheaper alternatives.

Make a Rota                               

Plan the activities you and your kids want to try out in the week so it’ll be easier to stick to your plans and not divert to costlier pursuits. You can keep a budget and estimate how much you’ll spend each day too, so at the end of the week you’ll have an estimate and can compare it to the actual cost to see how you did.

Local Attractions

Car journeys can be expensive and stressful, so trying to limit them as much as possible is a good idea. Take a look at some of the fun things you can do in your local area and let your kids explore the community.

Use your Imagination

Your house can be a hub of excitement. Transform your house into a fun, exciting environment and entertain your kids by turning one of your rooms into a make-shift spaceship, a disco or a pizza making area.

Tell a Friend

Your friends might be struggling for things to entertain their kids with too, so invite them around and ramp up the fun. There’ll be more than one pair of eyes on the kids and you can have a chat and a cup of tea at the same time.

Get Cultural

You can get into plenty of museums and art galleries for free or there’s discounted admission for children, so it’s worth going and having a look and broadening your children’s horizons. There are usually activities and clubs geared towards children going on in the holidays too.

Go Outside

There are all sorts of things your kids can do outside and they can learn about nature at the same time. All you need to do is step out of the door and you can begin exploring the world through a child’s eyes. Head to your local woods or animal shelter and show your children what there is out there in the big, wide world. Bringing along bikes and skateboards can make it even more exciting.

Home Cinema

Putting on a DVD isn’t a particularly out of the ordinary activity, but by making it a bit more exciting, it can be a shrewd way to save some cash. Try dimming the lights, buying some snacks and making your living room extra comfy to make a mini cinema for your children this holiday.