Spill the beans... on your holiday tricks

mizscottish

i went self catering last year with the kids as they wanted an extra 150 each for the food, this was 450 and when i worked it out i didnt think i would spend that much on food if we ate out... i was right as when i added it all up when we got back i didnt spend near that much on food for us...(2 adults, 8 & 1 year old) i also packed some packet rice which went a treat for lunch times with some meat i got out there :-)

there are quite a few things you can take with you like tins an noodles an that.. i go abroad for the weather and normally if i go without the kids i go all inclusive but we drink that much anyway lol happy hols people

pippo

Bob_the_Saver wrote: »

Low wattage travel kettles are no problem - even in France, I've never had a problem yet with 800 watts.

We use a £7.00 kettle from Asda - [STRIKE]steal[/STRIKE] take a few extra cartons of milk from the ferry and Bob's your uncle!!

pippo

Becles wrote: »

Look on Trip Advisor forums or find a forum dedicated to the area you are going to visit, and find out who the local trip providers are. Chances are you'll get a cheaper trip and a much better experience than going on the tour operator trips.

I always split the clothes up so everyone has a few things in each case. That way if one goes missing, at least you have some clothing to use until the missing case turns up.

Buy cheap chick lit books and swap them with other guests or give them away at the end of the holiday.

Re books, usually jumble sale or Charity shop buys, then swap... also less weight on return!!

sheilavw

We recently went to Turkey for a week SC . We never bother with breakfast, just a couple of coffees. I took a tiny zip cooler bag , the kind you put your lunch in for work. I put in 1 pack of bacon, 1 pack of ham, 2 packs of turkey breast pieces a bbq and a coronation chicken and one pack of low fat cheese and an ice pack on top. Bought cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes onion and bread n had huge salads. When this ran out bought eggs and had poached egg on toast. Lunches costs hardly anything then ate out at night

Obviously_the_best

Top moneysaving tip, go all-inclusive. It saves so much on eating out drinks etc.

potato_pizza

If you enjoy going out for meals on holiday then my tip would be to go at lunchtime rather than in the evening as you can usually get better deals, set menus etc

Constant_Gardener

We often end up self-catering (package hols) in very small Greek resorts where the tavernas are all offering the same menu at mysteriously the same (high) price, and tiny supermarkets have limited stocks. Moneysaving and more variety of meals mean we take fewer clothes and eat in a lot - take packets of smoked bacon, block of cheddar, tins of chilli / chicken in white sauce, packet pasta etc (I have a checklist) and including as much of our home grown organic veg as will last and be within our baggage allowance! No kids, so cooking is less of a nightmare on 2 electric rings, and less of a chore than at home as we are more relaxed.
We try and get a good view (investing a bit more in accommodation if necessary), and enjoy eating on the balcony with a glass of ouzo. Dining out is then much more of a treat, rather than ‘which one are we going to again?’ (at 30 euros a night, minimum). Take ipod + tiny speakers so we chose the music etc.
A carrier bag of library books for a quid when they sell them off is great for leaving / swapping after the holiday. Take Tracker bars and make our own sandwiches etc for lunch / snacks. If you can safely ride one, a scooter is much cheaper than hiring a car to explore.
Think I’ll go just and check out what is available…Mind you, for some destinations / countries it is more cost effective to go all inclusive.;)

stoneman

bobmats_shel wrote: »

Don't take a suitcase! Simple as that! We are a family of 5, and regularly fly Ryanair to Italy and Spain, you do NOT need to take that much stuff with you (bar newborn babies or people who need a lot of equipment/medication/aids). We have a wheeled cabin bag each that weight 0.5 of a kg and fold up into nothing, leaving us 9.5kg to pack each. It's more than adequate, even for a fortnight! Saves having to wait for your luggage to come round the carousel, or risk losing it in transit.

Take small sachets of handwash liquid if you think you'll need to wash anything, and rinse in the bath or shower and hang over the balcony. Saves having a mountain of washing to do when you get home as well!

Buy your toiletries when you get there from the supermarket. Take food and snacks out in your bags for the kids to stop them guzzling expensive drinks. Raid the pound shop before going for colouring books/puzzles/games to keep them entertained in the car/plane. Pack a cool bag with food/drinks/milk if you'll be staying in an airport hotel overnight, and just leave it in the car (empty obviously).

Could go on forever, but i'll leave it there.

"Take small sachets of handwash liquid if you think you'll need to wash anything"
Hmmm, you might just need to wash something if there are 5 of you and take just hand luggage for 2 weeks.:eek:

stoneman

If waiting for a cab we always ask if there is anyone else in the line going the same way as us, then we split the taxi fare.

Bob_the_Saver

jenniferamy wrote: »

NEVER buy anything from traders on the beach!

We were stung on our holiday by a local group selling fruit on the beach. I asked how much and before answering the person chopped up the fruit, handed it to us, then wrote '9' in the sand (each), wanted almost 20 euros off us for 2 slices of watermelon!!! Did try to argue, but I didn't know the language and felt intimidated as they might have called over their fruity mates.

Just say no.

Just say f*ck off, they'll understand
or shout POLICE that will usually shift them.