5 BIG saving tips for the summer school holidays

With a little imagination it’s possible to come up with a ton of free or cheap ways to keep the kids occupied (and preserve parents’ sanity!) right up to the start of the new term. What’s more, with a focus on frugality you could be teaching your kids some valuable financial lessons in-between all the fun.

Let’s get started….

1. Mess about on the water
2. Give ‘gamping’ a go
3. Make a furry friend
4. Do a bedroom makeover
5. Have a restaurant at home

1) Mess about on the water

For most of us, summer holidays conjure up images of splashing about in the surf, but you don’t necessarily need a beach holiday to enjoy time in, on or around water. New research from the Inland Waterways Association reveals a total of 7,000 miles of waterways in Great Britain. Of these, 5,000 miles are navigable, and the other 2,000 are either derelict or under restoration.

It means there are plenty of options virtually on your doorstep for dipping a toe. What’s more, many custodians or special interest groups associated with the waterways offer free family activities to reel people in. Get Fishing, for example, is the Angling Trust’s campaign to get more adults and children into the sport. Each year it runs hundreds of events for all ages and abilities, including free taster sessions. Or check out the Canal & River Trust’s impressive diary of events – from bat walks, guided tours and festivals to boat trips, open days and floating markets – which are also usually free and family friendly.

For a cheap waterside holiday with a difference, you could also sign up for a Waterways Recovery Group family volunteer weekend. These are ideal for anyone with kids aged between six and 14 who are looking to do something different, learn new skills and work together to help canal restoration.

Of course, you don’t need to sign up with a charity or sports club to get your water fix. Wild swimming, a game of pooh sticks, towpath walks and lakeside picnics are just a few other ways to enjoy the rivers, lakes, canals and reservoirs in your area independently and at little or no expense. Or simply put up a paddling pool in the garden…

Costs (on the 18th of June, 2023)
Waterways Recovery Group family working holiday: £25pp for a weekend, including food, accommodation and all-day activities 
Get Fishing taster event: Usually free
Argos Rectangular 7ft paddling pool: £25

2) Give ‘gamping’ a go

Camping is always exciting for the kids but it doesn’t have to be at an official holiday site. Try your own garden (or ask a friend or local farmer if they’ve a larger plot) for a low-cost way to sleep under the stars.

If you’ve never been camping as a family before, this is also a sensible way to try it out before investing in all the equipment. For one night only in the backyard it doesn’t much matter if you make do with blankets, tarpaulin and a string of fairy lights under the trampoline rather than a proper four-person canvas tent. 

The garden camping model (or ‘gamping’ as it has come to be known) can even work abroad. The trend took off during Covid when hotels and campsites were closed) and has continued into 2023 as an attractive budget holiday option against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis. Web platforms such as HomeCamper and Campspace list basic plots alongside yurts, caravans, farm stays and tree-house lodgings.

Fans of gamping say it offers a more secluded and ‘slowed down’ experience, with the chance to build a nice rapport with hosts. The flip side is that facilities are generally more spartan – often little more than an outdoor toilet and a BBQ pit. However, considering that one of the biggest costs of an overseas vacation is accommodation, taking your own tent and pitching it in someone’s garden is a great way to save on holiday abroad. 

Costs (on the 18th of June, 2023)
Four-person tent at Decathlon: £79.99 OR free if you already have one.
Camping sleeping bag at Decathlon: £24.99 each OR free if you already have one
Camping in France with HomeCamper: from 7 Euros OR free in your own garden

3) Make a furry friend

One way to make the most of staying home for the holiday is by offering to look after friends’ or neighbours’ pets while they’re away. If your kids have ever nagged you for an animal of their own, this is a great way to teach them about the responsibilities involved while simultaneously doing the owner a massive favour. 

Many pet-owners prefer someone they know to take care of their dogs or cats rather than using a kennel or cattery. Obviously it avoids the expense, but it also ensures their pet is less stressed by staying in a familiar environment. 

Providing the animal in question is child friendly, the whole family should benefit from the experience. Not only will you make a new furry friend, but caring for a dog will offer a great excuse to get active outdoors by going for daily walks.

If you’ve got a responsible teenager, why not suggest they offer to water the garden or pick up the post while the neighbours are away too? They could earn a little cash in the process. Just remember to check that they’ve done the chores properly, and talk to them about ways to look after their hard-earned holiday money afterwards. There are plenty of great bank accounts for 16-year-olds to choose from, for example, and no better time than the holidays to set a morning aside to help them sift through the options and open one.

Costs
Pet food: Supplied by the owner
Dog walking: Free

4) Do a bedroom makeover

They say a change is as good as a rest so if you can’t get away for some R&R this summer why not encourage the family to alter the scene at home instead. 

Bedroom makeovers are a great way to bring out a child’s creative streak and give them a sense of purpose. Afterwards, they’re more likely to want to spend time playing and relaxing in their rooms rather than complaining of being bored. Redecorating can last anything from a couple of days to the entire holiday, depending on your budget and the scope of the project, and it’s a particularly good activity when bad weather thwarts other outdoor plans.

You don’t have to spend the earth to get a good result. Pick up second hand furniture for free (or cheaply) on Facebook Marketplace, Preloved or Freecycle. If you’re handy with a screwdriver or paint brush, you should be able to fix any minor damage and/or personalise it pretty easily.

Don’t feel pressured to fork out on massive tubs of paint either. Walls can be just as effectively transformed with stickers and stencils, or pick up a small pot of chalkboard paint to give kids the chance to redecorate a section every day. For the finishing touches, blank canvases can be bought relatively cheaply to entice them to make their own art.

Before they begin, remember to set a budget so they know exactly what the parameters are. If you’re letting them loose in the shops, prepaid cards topped up with an agreed amount are a good way of giving them a degree of independence without having to worry about them over-spending. If they’re after something specific and slightly costlier for their room, such as fancy new bedsheets or a TV, encourage them to save up for it themselves. Budgeting does not need to be dull, and drilling this message into them from an early age is a great way of setting them on the road to financial fitness as adults too.

Costs (on the 18th of June 2023)
Dulux paint tester pots (perfect size for stencils and murals): £2.45 at B&Q
Set of 17 rainbow wall stickers: £9.98 at Wayfair
Set of three blank art canvases: £4.99 at B&M Bargains
Bed/bookcase/storage/desk: Free on certain social networks and websites

5) Have a restaurant at home 

Fear of missing out can affect your spending at any time of the year, but it’s particularly hard to control it in holiday periods, when Instagram and Facebook are awash with photos of friends looking sun-kissed or cultured on beach and city breaks around the world.

Rather than taking out a short-term loan to leg it over and join them, look at cheaper ways to recreate a foreign holiday experience at home. Food is probably the best place to start. That lively Greek taverna they’ve found behind their Airbnb in Corfu, or the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet in the hotel can, with a bit of ingenuity, be something you can have a bite of too.

Get the kids to choose a theme (American diner, Australian BBQ, Italian pizza party) and use cheap knick-knacks from local charity shops or discount stores to decorate your table and give it the required national character. Add candles, a menu, music and, hey presto, the scene is set.

When it comes to the food itself, cooking can be a whole family activity. Give each child a course to organise and let them find recipe inspiration on the internet or in your cookbooks. Remind them, however, that the whole point of the exercise is to ‘fine dine’ for less, so talk about ways to save money on groceries before you hit the shops.

Cost to Sample an Italian menu: (on the 18th of June 2023)
Chorizo linguine with fennel seeds and tomato sauce: £1.61 per serving at Sainsbury's
Tiramisu dessert: £2.49 at Aldi
Limoncello 50cl: £14.50 at Tesco 
San Pellegrino sparkling water 1L: £1.60 at Tesco

Conclusion

These are just a handful of ideas to help show that your summer holiday doesn’t have to break the bank. Our dedicated money-saving blog posts have plenty of other tips to see you through, including if you’re heading off abroad. We explain why taking a prepaid travel card can help keep costs down, for example, with many offering competitive exchange rates and commission fees alongside obvious budgeting benefits.

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