I don’t know many people who don’t love to holiday – but I think many of us get put off by the idea of the extra costs on top of accommodation and flights that need to be factored in. Things like food, activities, local travel, and the little extras we want on our holidays. Below are a few tips to help you holiday on a budget, but still feel like you are on holidays.
HOLIDAY BUDGET: FOOD & DRINKS
- If you are driving, do a supermarket run before you leave, or visit the local grocer when you arrive to buy food – fresh bread, crumpets and breakfast spreads, as well as snack foods. Think cheese, crackers, dips, choccies & some beverages.
- Take a lunch bag or esky and drink bottles. This way you save on buying bottled water during your days out, and can pre-pack lunches and keep them fresh when you are out and about on your day trips.
- Find a local bakery or ice-cream shop as your snack go-to place rather than being caught out at theme parks or attractions. Use this as your negotiator with the kids, and that way you can control the budget a bit more.
- If you do want to splurge a little on dining out (who doesn’t when you’re on holidays?!), consider going out for lunch instead of dinner. The menus are normally cheaper and a lot of places offer ½ price lunch specials.
- Take advantage of cheap weekday deals – 2 for 1 pizza nights, cheap Tuesday cinema deals etc
- Hit the local surf club or RSL – you will find their menus and drinks will be substantially cheaper, and they tend to have kid friendly menus and colouring-in packs included.
- Do a big cook-up one night so you have left-overs for lunch the next day – BBQ, pasta, Mexican etc are all quick and easy styles, and building your plate from dishes in the middle of the table has more of a relaxed, holiday feel too.
HOLIDAY BUDGET: LOCAL ACTIVITIES
- Research the area before you leave. Find the nearest local shops, parks, playgrounds and walking tracks for kids, as well as other free activities within close distance to your resort.
- Collect discount offers and coupons from the back of supermarket dockets, as well as checking out www.shopadocket.com.au and searching by location can give you some real savings.
- Check out the daily deals websites, such as Our Deal, Scoopon and Living Social. Search by your holiday destination. I have picked up a few restaurant deals doing this in the past.
- Take advantage of free Wi-Fi zones at a lot of big restaurant and café chains such as Starbucks and McDonalds to check emails and keep your family and friends up to date on social media.
HOLIDAY BUDGET: PACK YOUR BAGS!
- Think about the holiday luxuries you might be tempted with, and pack them before you go. Suggestions include:
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- Bubble bath or a bath fizzy for the kids (and you)
- Moisturiser and lip balms
- Aloe Vera gel for sunburn
- That book you’ve been dying to read
- Nail polish, shower & hair products
- Foot fizzies and files to give yourself a mini-spa pedi
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- Try to avoid packing items that are made from delicate materials or need to be ironed before wearing– you don’t want to be taking clothes to a dry-cleaners to get them pressed, or worse, trying to protect delicates if you spill something on them so they stain doesn’t set in.
- Pack DVD’s and microwave popcorn for the kids, otherwise you may see yourself looking for the last DVD store in town, and spending unnecessary money.
With all this research on how to holiday on a budget, my feet are itching to go and get planning now for my upcoming holiday! And with a few money saving tips, Wandrful are making it easier for you to get away more often, for less. What are you waiting for?!
