Holidays

Holidays are a definite must but can blow the budget. There are ways to save money in this particular area. Whether or not the suggestions are useful will of course depend on how much you have allowed in your budget for this item and personal choice.

Caravaning/camping holidays. These are relatively low budget, if you don't have to set up from scratch. They can also be great family times (or disasters - too much family in close quarters!). For years we had great friends who let us borrow their caravan, so all Mum had to do was to pack. Camping may be more your thing. Again, low budget. Very low budget if you go 'out-bush' - with no amenities.

Holidays homes/cabins etc. can also be great fun. These tend to get busy (and therefore more expensive) during the summer months but if more than one family goes the cost is quite low.

Frequent flyer points can be used to pay for airfares/accommodation/car hire and this can certainly keep your holiday expenses low.

Keep at look-out on the internet, TV, newspapers and magazines for specials. Some websites show last minute accommodation/packages and greatly reduced prices. So if you are a last minute booker this would be great for you. On TV in my home town there are holidays auctions where you can ring and bid for a holiday and the top 50 bidders win that particular offer. These can also be great value.

Sharing costs with a group is probably the best way of having a holiday - keeping accommodation, food and maybe even travel expenses down.

On this blog I have placed an ad for cheap Carribean holidays. I found this after searching through the internet and it looks great. This is the sort of thing that can really save you money.

Good luck looking for a bargain and have a great holiday!

PS If the budget is completely blown and your holiday is at home instead, don't despair! Try doing some wacky things like having a picnic on the lounge floor, complete with picnic rug, food, drink and potted plant. My 4 year old thought it was a hoot. Just needs imagination and hopefully next time the holiday can be a bit more upmarket.