Great ‘Holiday at home’ Hunt: How to have a cheap holiday without leaving home

Laney22

Go to a local campsite for a few days!

We used to travel a few hours a way for our summer camping holidays, but since my hubby got made redundant we just stick locally (to save petrol) and it's just as fun!
Pack up a huge picnic and some ball games, book into a local campsite, set up camp and enjoy some fantastic family time!!
If you can then choose a decent holiday park and then you can enjoy all the facilities - pool, entertainment etc. you'll totally forget your 5 mins away from home.
We're in Kent and have been going to New Beach holiday park in Dymchurch. If anyone's near I'd really recommend it. We went for a few days a couple of weeks ago and booked through the website, the company's Park Holidays UK. I think it worjked out just over £20 a night for the 4 of us. Bargin!

troubrs

I've been made redundant & am due to start work again after the school summer holidays, so I've been looking for some low budget/free days out with the children, here are a couple I've come up with in addition to the obvious Tesco, Nectar, Air Miles trips.

I know in the old days when it used to rain on UK holidays we used to spend a fortune visiting National Trust properties. However, I don't think I've ever visited any of my local ones (& they're not all stuffy old houses either, there are all sorts of things). So, do laugh if you want, but every time I see a Walkers crisp packet on the floor, I pick it up, take it home & put the 'days out' code on it into the computer (you need to register for Walkers - Gary's Great Trips), then do my bit by throwing away the packet! So far I have amassed 84 points (& tidied up my neighbourhood a bit too) & you can get a family day pass to National Trust properties for between 5 & 15 points - so that's a lot of free days out! (you can get individual passes too). I have young children & live in Essex so I am going to visit Sutton Hoo & Ickworth House, both of which apparently have great childrens' play areas & activities. You can look up on the National Trust website which have adventure playgounds etc. There isn't much else totally free in the Walkers offer, but you can get a 2 for 1 pub meal, & this includes a great pub near us with a massive garden with loads of big trampolines, play frames etc where you can practically camp out for the whole afternoon after you've had lunch!

I'm also planning to buy some Abbey Well water (500ml or 750ml) for the free swim on Mondays. One of the free swims is at Haven leisure parks where you can use their pool complexes for 2 hours on a Monday, so I will combine this with a day to the seaside.

chickenrunner

Hi Laney22 - yer hubby must have got a decent pay off if you can be off on one of them there holidays!!!

carolt

Go for a country walk, go blackberry picking, and cook the results when you get back - plenty already appearing near me!

Free, yummy, and healthy!

Wottinger

Hi
A week or two back I read via Money Tips a board with ideas with how to entertain young kids at home in the holidays. Now I can't find that thread... Please can anyione help?

ailuro2

Go to the beach if you live near one - (be aware you'll be reminded how sand gets everywhere)

Sleep in the spare room if you have one - then you'll be reminded how much you love your own bed.

Use up the little bottles of toiletries you have in the overnight bag from previous holidays. Marriott Aromatherapy stuff smells lovely. Then you'll be reminded of previous nights away. Don't do this if you only go to Travelodges - their soap sliver is just plain derisory.

Go to a Museum then out for lunch - it's cheaper than dinner and you can go home for a nap afterwards. Just call it a siesta.:D

savingqueen

Hi brushcolour

I also live in Basildon and have two little ones aged 2 and 5 years old. I rarely get to pamper myself. OH encourages me to go out shopping or whatever to give myself a break but don't always feel like it and can't afford to buy much anyway. Some quiet time to myself "indoors", just having a soak in the bath, doing my nails, reading and sleeping etc with no interruptions sounds like heaven and for £9 affordable. I'm going to book myself in first chance I get. Daft question (to anyone) but do you have to actually stay the night?- even just an afternoon on my own would be great... big sigh

ljwoody

This is a really good idea - you should post where the best ones are!

norahj wrote: »

Living in Cornwall, there are a plethora of attractions but they all cost a small fortune. Most of the time my children were only interested in the play facilities, so last summer we had a tour of municipal playparks in the area! Free, varied, take a picnic, design a rating sheet for older ones to fill in to compare and contrast... Don't forget that what is mundane for some is a novelty for others - going on a train is passe but a bus is an adventure!