Whether you’re a single parent living in Yorkshire or anywhere else in the world, paying for a holiday for you and your kids can be tough. Read on to find out some of the best money-saving tips for holidaying with your family…
Some weeks it’s hard enough paying for the day-to-day expenses, never mind getting enough money together for a decent holiday. Thankfully, there are a number of ways you can make your money go that little bit further.
So, whether you’re scrapping together the pennies or trying to put a separation agreement in place to receive some money from your ex, we’re here to offer some friendly advice. In this post, we’re going to help you stretch those funds by sharing our top ten money-saving tips for single parents on holiday.
How Do You Save Money on a Holiday as a Single Parent?
There are lots of ways single parents can have an amazing holiday without breaking the bank, they’ve just got to get a little creative.
1. Consider a Staycation
Before you go planning an expensive holiday abroad, why not look at holidaying in your own country? If you live in the UK, you have access to lots of amazing holiday destinations such as the Isles of Scilly, the Scottish Highlands, the Cotswolds, the Peak District and loads more.
The added benefit of holidaying locally, other than saving cash on expensive flights and accommodation, is that you don’t have to spend hours traipsing through an airport. Loading your family onto a plane and loading them off again can be tricky when you’re by yourself. Not to mention the new COVID-19 restrictions that have made travelling abroad that much more difficult. Instead, load your stuff into your car, put some music on, and enjoy the ride.
2. Find Cheap Flights
If we haven’t sold you on the staycation idea, fear not, for there are lots of ways to save money abroad as well as at home. The first thing you need to do is get yourself a cheap flight.
If you book early and choose the right airline, you could end up spending £150 on a flight instead of £1500. Flights tend to be released 9 months before departure, so get in there early and book a cheap flight.
3. Exchange Your Currency Before You Get to the Airport
It’s incredibly convenient to have currency exchange counters at the airport because it means you can leave your currency exchange until the last minute. The only issue is that with convenience comes cost and you’ll have to exchange your money at a trumped-up rate.
Make sure to get all your money exchanged online way before you go to the airport. It’s a good idea to watch the exchange rate fluctuations over time, so you know when the best time to buy your currency is.
4. Get Travel Insurance
Buying travel insurance might seem like a loss because you’re spending money upfront, but you don’t want to be caught short if you end up needing it.
When you’re travelling as a single parent, it’s harder to keep track of your kids and easier for them to injure themselves when left unattended. If your kids do end up injuring themselves and you don’t have insurance, the medical bills will cost you thousands.
- Don’t Overpay on a HotelA good way of saving money if you’re planning on spending a lot of time at a hotel is to book all-inclusive. Though the cost may seem high at first, you often save money in the long run. You should get a nice, clean hotel that has the amenities you need but doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Go to a site like booking.com, look for cheap hotels that have good ratings and make sure there isn’t a cancellation fee just in case you have to back out at a later date.
6. Pick an Inexpensive Location
One of the best tips for saving money on holiday as a single parent is to choose a location where things don’t cost too much. For example, you can get cheap flights, and even find cheap hotels, to Oslo in Norway but anything you do there will cost you, dearly.
Instead, why not try somewhere like Turkey or the Canary Islands? Or perhaps the Gower Peninsula in Wales, Devon, or Cornwall if you’re happy to holiday domestically.
7. Go Away with Other Families
If you’re friends with other people who are struggling to scrape enough money together for a holiday, why not go on holiday with them?
That villa you were looking at that you couldn’t afford as a single-family could be within your reach if you pool your money with another family. Creating a joint kitty for food, drink and other essentials can also help you save money as a single parent on holiday.
8. Take a Packed Lunch
Speaking of saving money on food and drink, don’t fall into the trap of eating out every day when you can just pack your own lunches. This doesn’t mean you can’t go out and enjoy the local cuisine at night, but by cutting back to one meal out a day you can save a lot of cash.
Find a local supermarket, buy some bread and filling, make loads of sandwiches and you can feed yourself cheaply until you go out for an evening meal with the kids.
9. Have a Beach Day
Whether you’re going abroad or holidaying domestically, going to the beach is one of the most fun and inexpensive days out you can have. It costs nothing to lie on your own towel, soak up the sun’s rays and go swimming in the sea.
It doesn’t have to be a completely free day of course; one round of ice creams and a donkey ride shouldn’t cause too much damage to your wallet.
10. Never Pay Full Price for a Day Out
That brings us nicely to our last tip for saving money on holiday as a single parent; never paying full price for a day out.
If you’re holidaying in the UK, you can apply for a Tastecard that can save you up to 50% off your bill at thousands of restaurants and on days out. There are equivalents of cards like this in holiday destinations across the world so make sure to do your research and get one.
Are These All the Tips You Have for Saving Money on Holiday as a Single Parent?
In this post, we’ve shared our top 10 tips on saving money on holiday as a single parent from booking cheap flights to never paying full price for a day out.
There are other tips out there if these don’t save you enough money to go away, but hopefully, our advice helps you save a couple of pounds on your next holiday.