1: Try camping, if you think you will hate it (like I did!) just try it, it really isn’t as bad as you think! I love camping now and we go as often as we can afford. A campsite pitch can range between £13-£25, or $20-35, depending on what amenities the campsite offer, the location and the time of year. If you pick a campsite with EHU (electric hook up) this means you can have some luxury, like an electric kettle, a plug in light, a toaster, a fan heater or even a small TV!

2: Many travel agents will offer last minute deals, the later you leave it, the cheaper you can get your holiday. If you have time booked off work and can just ‘go’ then this is great idea.

3: Don’t pay the first price you are given by the travel agent. All travel agents can offer a discount on all holidays. The trick is to look disappointed and say “It’s is just over our budget, which is a shame, otherwise we could have booked right now”, what will probably happen is that the travel agent will ‘go and ask his/her supervisor if there is anything they can do” - sit and wait for your discount This can be from 5% to around 15%. Travel agents work on commission, they want you to book your holiday right now, with them, so use this to your advantage.

4: If travelling abroad, take cash (in your chosen currency) or travellers cheques with you rather than taking cash out while your are there or using your credit card as the charges abroard for this are very high!

5: Whether in this country or abroad, work out a budget and STICK TO IT! Then you don’t have that awful feeling when you come home of “I can’t afford to eat next week, I shouldn’t have bought that kiss me quick hat after all!”

6: Take your medicines, sun cream, first aid kit and toiletries with you. We have a travel kit that we keep with basic medicines. plasters and first aid ’stuff’ in, this has been used on many occassions because not only does it save money, but if you are abroad and suddenly feel a bit under the weather, you have what you need with you. You can include things like Calpol sachets for the kids, paracetomol for you, upset tummy tablets, sore throat lozenges, plasters, antiseptic wipes, indigestion tablets etc. You never know when you might need these.

7: If you are going camping, take some food with you. A good idea is to have a camping store cupboard in a box. Take a foldable plastic crate and fill it with things like tins of beans, bottles of sauce, noodles, pasta, mixed herbs, salt and pepper, tea bags etc this will give you a head start when eating in your tent and nothing has to be kept in a fridge either.

8: If travelling abroad, look for the good old fashioned ‘package holiday’ where everything is included. These holidays are somewhat out of fashion these days, but are such good value.

9: Just because it is ‘Summer’, there is no law to say you have to have your main family holiday during this time! Why not have your main break away over the May half term or October half term instead, it will be quieter and cheaper.

10: Have a holiday at home! Go out for days, do all the things you would normally do on holiday. Go to the beach, go for walks, go to country parks, visit new place etc but just come home each night. To make it even more of a holiday, why not set up a tent in your lounge for your kids, or bring down all the mattresses or sleep on the sofas and ‘camp out’ for the week! Having a holiday, means having a fun and relaxing time with your family, it doesn’t matter where it is, as long as you enjoy it!

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