THE last few weeks of the summer holidays always feel like the longest.
And in amongst finding new school uniform and getting everything ready to start a new school term, kids want to enjoy the last days of freedom, but it can be hard to find new – and cheap – ways to keep them entertained.
Charlotte Deering aka @themoneyferret on social media[/caption]
Why not set up an at-home movie night for your kids?[/caption]
Charlotte Deering, 29, aka @themoneyferret on social media has shared her creative ways to save money and make the money you do have, go further.
She tells Fabulous: “I was a stay-at-home mum in and we were really struggling for cash. I have OCD so I was too unwell to hold down a job and my husband Caine worked long hours in retail, so I started thinking creatively about what I could do to save and stretch the money we had.
“We rented at the time but were made homeless through no fault of our own, we then moved into a hostel before we got the keys to our council house.
“It was a complete mess when we moved in with dog faeces on the carpet and things falling apart, but I budgeted hard and looked around for bargains and completely transformed it.
Charlotte, from Cheshire, adds: “My daughter was three at the time, and she’s five now, but what started as a hobby has turned into a full-time job. I love finding bargains and hunting in charity shops and things like that.”
With 88,000 followers across her Instagram and TikTok, the mum of one started her social media following through necessity as much as choice.
Charlotte says there are plenty of ways to have a great last few weeks of summer without spending a fortune or even worse, getting into debt.
Go App-tastic
“There’s a brilliant and relatively new app called Latest Free Stuff,” she reveals. “It’s brilliant for finding freebies and samples too.
“They have daily deals where you just fill in your details if it’s a freebie you want, or you can refine your search from over 30 different categories. You can get anything from fragrances to food.
“A lot of people know about Gousto or HelloFresh, but they both usually do an offer on for new customers, which can be up to 70 percent off and free delivery, which makes them so much cheaper than a food shop.
“The recipes are delicious and really easy to follow with pictures too. If you just use the introductory offer then cancel it you can really save for a few weeks.
“Check the O2 priority app too if you’re on O2, as they do free Greggs treats every week too. Most mobile providers have some offer for their users, whether it’s cinema tickets or money off for some chains so it’s worth checking to see.
“Too Good to Go is brilliant, I know a lot of people use it daily but wherever I am if I’m out and about, I’ll check to see if there’s anything available to collect locally to where I am.
“My favourite is the Toby Carvery, if you’re quick or early, you can usually get a full roast dinner for only a few quid and it saves you the energy costs of cooking too.
“If you’re not a member already, Tesco ClucCard do a Clubcard Plus offer – you can get a free trial of Clubcard Plus, which gives you 10 per cent off two food shops a month on top of the already good Clubcard prices. Just make sure to cancel if you don’t want to continue.”
Order creatively
“My daughter loves hot chocolate but it can be so expensive at cafes,” Charlotte says.
“Babycinos are an inexpensive treat for kids at places like Costa without buying a full hot chocolate. Little ones never finish a whole cup anyway, so it saves waste as well as money and only costs about 60p. Quite often, you get a free marshmallow in there, too.”
Max out on cashback sites
“Cash back sites like Everup and Jam Doughnut are brilliant,” she adds. “You buy a voucher for the shop you want and get cashback on your voucher, provided the shop is listed on there.
“It’s not complicated and is really easy to do and the savings you can make all add up super quickly.”
Find free things to do
“Most libraries have reading challenges which are great to get the kids involved in,” the mum explains. “They can get a certificate when they’re done, or answer quizzes on the books they’ve read.
Why not spend an afternoon at your local library? (stock image)[/caption]
“A library is also a great way to spend an hour or two with kids anyway – little ones can sit and read picture books, and you can find a quiet corner and read to children who can’t read themselves yet.”
Bag a charity shop bargain
“For holiday clothes, always check out the charity shops,” she suggests. “I’ve found so many amazing bargains over the years, and this can also be a fun day out for kids too. Give them a set amount of money and let them see what they can get. You can challenge them to pick an outfit to wear that evening or start building a holiday wardrobe.
“They’re also a great place to source things like World Book Day costumes or Christmas jumpers.
“Also, do the Vinted swap, where you sell your old things on Vinted to buy new to you items that you need,” Charlotte adds. “The majority of my daughter’s clothes are from charity shops, and most of her birthday and Christmas gifts are too. Then I use the money I would have spent to pay for days out or activities.”
Share holiday costs
If you’re looking ahead to the October half-term already, Charlotte has a few ways to save money on a trip.
“For abroad holidays if you can convince lots of mates or other families to come with you, you’d be surprised at how cheap Love Island type villas can be when the cost is shared,” she explains.
Why not invite family or friends to join you on your next holiday to share the cost? (stock image)[/caption]
“You can have your own private pool and it can work out cheaper than a hotel with a shared pool.
“Wherever you go on holiday, make sure you always locate the nearest supermarket and get a little food shop in. Things like milk, juice, tea, coffee, snacks, and breakfast things. Even basic things can all add up when you are out and about in the day.”
Feed kids cheaply
“If you’re going to the park or anywhere for the day with kids, take some hot dogs in a flask and some condiments and hot dog buns and give the kids a cheap but hot lunch,” she adds. “I do this all the time with my daughter, and not only does she love it, but the other kids always look like they want a hot dog too.”
Low cost days out
“For kids days out, Tesco Clubcard gives you double the amount of your vouchers towards days out or restaurants, so you can either save on going to theme parks or you can put your points towards the food while you’re there,” Charlotte reveals.
“Also look out for National Trust tickets on either in your local area website or local newspapers. They’re often advertised and they usually entitle two adults and three children to get into some National Trust locations completely free.
Money-Saving Tips from Gemma Bird: Save £2k Before Christmas
IF youre’ looking to save cash, you’ve come to the right place, as here, Gemma Bird has shared her top tips that’ll save you £2k before Christmas.
- Set a budget: Track your spending and create a realistic budget.
- Cut unnecessary costs: Cancel unused subscriptions and avoid impulse buys.
- Meal planning: Plan meals to reduce grocery bills and avoid takeaways.
- Sell unwanted items: Declutter and sell items online for extra cash.
- Cashback and discounts: Use cashback sites and hunt for discount codes.
- DIY gifts: Make personalised gifts to save money and add a personal touch.
- Pick up a seasonal shift: A really easy way to pick up a bit of extra cash in the winter is to find yourself some seasonal work.
Follow these practical tips from Gemma Bird to boost your savings before the festive season!
“For the cinema, there is an amazing Facebook page called Escape To The Cinema which is funded by the National Lottery. It offers completely free cinema tickets but only has around 4,000 followers at the moment.
“If you have an Amazon Prime account, you can get two free Odeon tickets Monday to Thursday and if you have Sky Cinema, you get two Vue cinema tickets to use Monday to Thursday too.
“Why not give your local bowling alley a call too? They often do deals at quieter times. Mine does an offer on where it’s £2 to bowl between 9am and 11am and sometimes they include toast too.”
Gift sensibly
“It might sound a bit odd but I prefer to give practical gifts like cleaning stuff, I think it saves people money and then they can spend the money they save on something else,” Charlotte says. “I’ve done my mum a cleaning hamper and I’ve been known to give toilet rolls as gifts too.”
