Curing the Sizzling Summer Holiday Budget Blues
If you have kids and are planning on taking a summer holiday, will no doubt have experienced that worrying double-take moment when browsing through the price band; Running your eyes along a list of pleasingly acceptable prices you suddenly encounter the “peak” period where the brochure price suddenly zooms up into the stratosphere. No need to check the term dates then, just look at when the prices go up for the holidays.
One of the joys of parenting is juggling the finances so you can get that much-needed summer holiday, so here are some ideas and tips on how you can keep the cost of your holiday as low as possible.
Planning ahead
It seem an obvious thing to suggest but if you set up a holiday fund and get into the habit of saving regular amounts or adding extra when money when you have it, you will soon have a worthwhile sum of money saved up.
Stashing the cash for a sunny day as well as a rainy one is great way of breaking the back of the overall cost of your holiday and it makes the brochure prices a little more palatable when it’s time to pay.
Be flexible
If your heart is really set on one of those fabulous Greek Islands for all the family then you may well not get the best deal around by limiting your choice of destination.
If you are prepared to be flexible as to where you end up for your fun in the sun, you might well be able to secure a cracking deal. There are normally last-minute deal and special offers around. Bag one of these and you should have a bit more spending money to use while you are on holiday.
Compromise a little
It can make quite a difference in price when you choose to stay in three-star accommodation rather than a four-star. By being prepared to compromise a little on your choice of accommodation or location, you can make some big savings.
All-inclusive
Holiday budgets can often be the source of an argument when the kids want an extra ice-cream or another drink.
If the holiday budget is likely to be a bit tight, consider booking an all-inclusive deal. These can offer very good value and once you have paid for your holiday before you leave, you won’t have so many worries about how much you are spending on food and drink while you are there.
Mid-week money savers
The most popular time to travel for holidaymakers is a Saturday. A lot of people like to take their week of work and simply look for a Saturday to Saturday deal so they are back to work on the Monday.
If you have the option of taking your holiday so it starts on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, you should find that these midweek departures can work out much cheaper than weekend flights.
Getting to the airport
It’s amazing how much you can spend just getting to the airport and parking there for the week.
Be smart about it and pre-book your parking and travel tickets in advance, which is normally cheaper than paying on the day.
Travel money
Way too many leave the job of getting their money changed into the local currency until the last minute.
The airport is highly unlikely to be the place where you get the best exchange rate. Get it sorted before you go and order your cash in advance. Wherever you’re planning to travel to, be sure to get a great exchange rate on your travel money from ACE-FX.
