Tuesday 11 March 2014

How to save money on days out with the kids

With the weather warming up (allegedly) and more school holidays on the horizon, more and more of us are heading off for family trips and days out. But the cost can soon mount up, so here are my top tips to save money.



Research your choices

There's no greater waste of money than forking out for somewhere your family isn't going to enjoy, so make sure you check out the venue or attraction first to see if it's somewhere you're going to have fun.  Sites like Away With The Kids have lots of suggestions with helpful information such as opening times and entrance prices.  Do also check out other parent's reviews and recommendations both on the site, and through word of mouth among your friends.

Membership Schemes

If you're fans and regular visitors to a particular type of attraction consider whether it's cost effective to get an annual membership. The National Trust; Forestry Commission and English Heritage all offer annual membership which will give you various benefits and discounted or free access.  Look out for special offers like X amount of months free, or free gifts.  Alternatively, family memberships are great gifts - you could always put it on your birthday or Christmas list!

Individual and independent attractions also may offer membership cards and in the past I've found that this can sometimes even be worthwhile for just one trip.

If you do have a membership card - remember to take it with you!  Put the card in your purse or the sticker in your car, that way if you pop in somewhere on the spur of the moment you'll always have it with you.  If you do manage to forget it, it's worth still mentioning it at the entrance.  I've done this before and they were able to look me up on the database and still give me free entrance.  In fact, even if you're visiting a different attraction, it's worth mentioning because there may be reciprocal arrangements - for example, our English Heritage card got us in free to Welsh properties too.

You may also find that membership gives additional benefits like money off in the cafe or gift shop.

Search for money off

Before going anywhere, it's worth doing a quick online search to see if there's a discount code available. You might be able to use supermarket loyalty points towards entrance fees or meals out.  Follow the venue on social media too - often places will offer discount codes on Twitter or Facebook and don't forget to check their own site too for any special promotions they are running that day.  In October half term a quick check of a theme park showed that they were giving free entrance to any kids in fancy dress and offering money off for 'green travel' so if you arrived by bus or cycle you got a discount!

Don't forget old fashioned paper vouchers too.  Local newspapers or flyers often have coupons in and tourist board leaflets are generally crammed with vouchers.

Be prepared for the weather

The elements are so unpredictable in the UK, and there's nothing worse than a day being spoilt because you've had to run for shelter.

Sun cream in mini handbag size containers is a huge waste of money, so keep hold of small squeezy bottles from hotels or gift packs and decant from a larger, cheaper bottle.

I've been caught out before and had to fork out on expensive sun cream/umbrellas/gloves and even a coat once while out!  Make sure you check the forecast, and then pack everything anyway!  It's much cheaper to stock up on wet weather gear at home rather than in a tourist shop, and look out for deals in outdoor shops.



Food and drink

This can be a huge expense on a day out.  By far the cheapest way of tackling this is to take your own.  We generally pack a picnic lunch and a flask/cartons of drink.  Taking a flask of coffee and a tin of cake also prevents indulgent afternoon visits to cafes too!  Remember to check that it's allowed at the place you are visiting - some sites do not permit you to bring your own food.

If you do decide you'll be eating out, again check for special deals and discounts online.  With some chains you can get special apps so you can do this on the go and simply show the code to your server.  It's worth also signing up to mailing lists in advance if you know where you'll be eating - a quick sign up and print out of an email at the weekend gave me 2 free glasses of wine in a local restaurant!

Meal deals can sometimes work out to be cost effective - but not always!  If you only want a sandwich, only buy the sandwich and don't be seduced by the extra offer of crisps and snacks.  Ditto kid's meal deals.  I tend to find that children's meal deals are so massive we end up bringing food home with us - often it's a sandwich, drink, crisps, snack, biscuit and a piece of fruit.  If you have 2 children you can often split this between them both.

Don't be embarrassed to ask for tap water, and never be afraid to say "I'll have one slice of cake and two plates please/One bowl of ice cream and two spoons please"!

Pack extra fun

Make the most of your day out and prevent boredom setting in by packing a few extra items to enhance your trip. For example, if you're going to a zoo or a safari park, take a pair of binoculars so little ones can see more.  Make or print activity sheets for the kids to tick off things they spot.  If you're visiting a wildlife or country park, you could take a magnifying glass and a field guide book so you can do some bug hunting. Take a bucket and spade to the beach for treasure hunting and sand castle building and maybe you could even make some flags at home beforehand.  We have had literally hours of fun with a fishing net from a pound store and a jam jar, paddling about in a stream and catching tiddlers.


Exit via the gift shop

This is a tricky one, and most places now have a deliberate policy of forcing you through the gift shop before you leave.  If you can't avoid it, it's best to have an agreed strategy.  You might simply be able to say "we paid a lot of money to come out today so I'm afraid we won't be buying a treat from the shop as well", or you could agree a set amount beforehand "You have £2 each to spend, you can pick whatever you want for that amount" or you could encourage them to bring their pocket money/birthday money and take ownership of their own finances.

Do you have any tips for saving money on family days out?  I'd love to hear them.

Disclosure:  This post is brought to you in association with Away With The Kids.


19 comments:

  1. Some fabulous tips, we always try to take a picnic with us as the kids are fussy plus it can save quite a lot of money.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great tips! I do these about half the time and then other days just go for an easy life and it costs twice as much.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have a great tip.As I don't drive I buy a family railcard every year to go to places (some newspapers offer them for free so it's worth looking out for that) and I also buy train tickets in advance which means not only do we save money but we get seats reserved, which is a godsend with young kids.The railcard also sends out e-mails for money saving offers to places.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Some fab tips there. The other two I would add are: 1. For discount vouchers, if you're planning on going to a local attraction always keep a look at the back of your parking tickets or till receipts - many often have 2 for 1 or kids go free vouchers on the back, especially in the run up to the holidays. 2. The dreaded exit through the gift shop problem. LMC has a friend who has moved to Australia and now whenever we go somewhere we just buy a postcard to send to him. She concentrates on choosing one for him and then conveniently forgets about everything else the shop is selling :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great tips and I do love the photos!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good tips Lizzie - Membership to places that are close can give such huge savings can't they? Does that mean I'll have extra to spend on gin? *looks hopeful*

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great tips!!! I wish oh how I wish my husband would want to subscribe to the picnic! He loves eating out and calls me 'Mrs Austerity' if I try to say to save money on things!x

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am a big advocate for family fun not costing the earth. Love your post!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm all for the memberships and always forget about the restaurant discounts because it's so rarely we don't take a picnic!

    ReplyDelete
  10. What amazing tips. We are contemplating whether to get a Merlin pass this year.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great tips . She is such a tall girl now x

    ReplyDelete
  12. A brilliant post (as always) Totally agree that fun doesn't have to cost a fortune (or anything in many cases) I've just had a convo with my eldest girl about the gift shops - I have given her £5 and if she wants to spend more she has to use her birthday money - she's actually over the moon about this as it gives her a little bit of freedom, responsibility and shows I trust her with her own finances.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I likewise purchase train tickets ahead of time which implies in addition to the University Assignment Help fact that we save cash we get seats saved, which is a gift from heaven with little youngsters. The railcard likewise conveys messages for cash saving proposals to places.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Presently at whatever point we head off to someplace we simply purchase a postcard to ship off him. She focuses on picking one for him and Coursework Writing Service afterward helpfully disregards all the other things the shop is selling.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Some astounding tips Writing Service UK - UKWritinghelp.co.uk, we generally attempt to accept a cookout with us as the children are fastidious in addition to it can save a considerable amount of cash.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Assignment writing is not every students cup of tea and many find it extremely hard to complete the tasks on time. And many search for professional assignment writers to get help with the writing tasks. The students can directly buy assignments online from the experts.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Planning days out with the kids on a budget? It's a bit like seeking philosophy assignment help - you've got to find the hidden gems! Scout for local parks and free events, and always pack a picnic to save on meals. It's all in the strategy!

    ReplyDelete
  18. A Thesis Statement Generator is a digital tool designed to help students and writers craft a clear, concise thesis statement for their essays or research papers. By inputting key information about their topic, arguments, and stance, the generator provides a well-structured thesis statement, streamlining the writing process and ensuring a strong foundation for their work.

    ReplyDelete