Save money on your holiday

~ mummyhereandthere ~ 8 Comments

Hey readers,

As parents, we all know that during the summer holiday it can be a bit more challenging on the old fiances especially when it comes trying to fork out a holiday for your family. I have found some ways to help save money when you take a holiday.

Go to the park.

I suppose this may sound random but last year I went away with my two boys on holiday to London. We all know that London can be experience especially when it comes to entertaining. But it doesn’t have to be, I and my husband took them to different things but do you know what my 4 and 6 years old wanted more than anything?…. they wanted to go to the park. Yes, we went to the park, hey it was different and to be fair London has some epic parks. They had the best of fun going to these parks and all we had to do was sort out a picnic. We already had travel passes so we went three in one day and traveled and to them, that was like the best day EVER! Don’t give in to the ideas of social media parenting where you have to spend an arm and leg, kids aren’t bothered, they love the simple things in life.

October holiday.

I know this may sound controversial for some people but it is ok not to have a holiday during the summer but maybe swapping the time for October holiday. It can still be mild but also save money going away during the not so popular times.

Travel at night.

If your traveling by plane, train or ferry get the nighttime slot because it is a lot cheaper and plus you can sleep so you feel traveling is a lot shorter then it actually is.

Book plane tickets Tuesdays.

If you are planning on booking plane tickets then make sure that you do it Tuesday night around midnight. This is because airlines often announce their deals on Monday evening and other companies are then trying to get a better deal so that they can get more business with being a more attractive deal for the customer.

Bring your own lunch.

If you know you are traveling then take your own lunch and snacks, so much cheaper then buying at service stations.

Coach.

When considering going on a train then why not try switching to a coach as is much better savings. For instance, a trip in July from National Express from London to Paris cost £20 compared to the Eurostar which would cost you £99.

Research your holiday.

Preparation is key and before you go somewhere, check out what the place has to offer with regards to free attractions such as museums or free events that are happening in the area at the time when you will be there.

Kids.

If you are planning on staying at a hotel then check in advance if you can because places such as Premier Inn offer cheaper rooms in advance for £25. Another thing is to check some hotels as they allow children under 16 to stay for free and they also let kids eat breakfast for free.

A great website to check out holidaygems.co.uk. They are a website that specialises in low-cost holidays and all-inclusive breaks to the popular location such as Spain, Tenerife, and the Algarve and also offer fantastic deals to save you money.

What is your money saving tips?

Cheers for reading X

This is a sponsored post with Holiday Gems. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Then vs Now.

~ mummyhereandthere ~ Leave a comment

Hey readers,

I got talking to my mum the other day and she was discussing her dream to go on this holiday of a lifetime. She said that she made for her home and that she didn’t need to worry about things like a mortgage. I discussed my mortgage my age and how the prices of homes have risen so high over the years compared to her time when she was younger. Some things are better now but also they can be tough going especially for the young couples like myself trying to get their foot on the housing market and make a home mine.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I think my mum is now at the age where she can enjoy her retirement and think about doing some exciting things that she wants to do. She wants to go explore the world and now at the age she is, she can go to Egypt and see the pyramids and ride on a camel. She is fortunate to have that security to know that she has paid her mortgage and can feel secure knowing her home is for life. She can do anything she wants, she could redecorate her home if she wanted to.

It was interesting to hear my mum tell me that she looked into how much her property had increased over the thirty odd years since she had brought her home. It was the best decision for her to buy and invest, she can now enjoy her life knowing that she has been rewarded later on for paying her mortgage. As much as I appreciate her success regarding getting raise her value to her home. I can’t even manage ever owning my own home or if was fortunate how long would it go on for till I finally get to pay off the whole mortgage. These times are uncertain, they’re not as secure as when my mum was younger. Security and a job for life are not always definite. You could lose your home if you lose your job and not manage the payments. It is a much riskier era to be in when considering homes.

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Photo by PhotoMIX Ltd. on Pexels.com

I know it was a lot easier 30 odd years ago when my mum brought her home, the prices were so lower, click here to check how much your property is worth. It was much easier for people of my mum’s generation to quickly pay off the mortgage when my mum brought her home in 1980 it only took her 13 years to pay off. The thought now just doesn’t seem imaginable. Not to mention my mum having much more choice, she has a 3 bedroom semi-detached for £25,000. I can’t even imagine me affording that size property and definitely not for the price. The rise of the cost of the property over the last 30 years is mind-blowing.

So, as you can see my mum was lucky to be around at the right time where now she can sit back and reap the rewards of the increase of the value of her home that she can have the dream of riding a camel.

Cheers for reading X

This is a sponsored post, however all opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

Organised

~ mummyhereandthere ~ 12 Comments

Hey readers,

My word of the week is:

Because that is how I have been feeling. It has been a productive week with getting things up on eBay. Which is easy but finding the time and energy to it is a total different game.

It feels good to start getting on top of all the stuff, the boys have moved into a normal bed so need to sell their cot bed, end of an era. but so good to have a clear space and have more room for them to play. I can confirm they have which been throughly been enjoying .

It is so good to have a cooler week but we still got a couple of picnics in. so, much more enjoyable when you are not sweating and feeling uncomfotable. Everyone is less frustrated and ratty which is a breath of fresh air *excuse the pub*.

hope you have had a good week.

cheers for reading X

Craft review

~ mummyhereandthere ~ 21 Comments

Hey readers,

I was lucky enough to get sent through the post some lovely art and craft items to review from PrintKick. If you have not heard of Printkick they are small UK business that started of selling ceramics, like cups and things in 2001.

With a recent upgrade to their website they have extended the range of products they offer, now they include kids/arts and crafts. Printkick has a new range of eco-friendly items with the focus of informing clients about the impact of the products on the environment.

Below I will give you a review of each product that I was sent.

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First of my son tried out an apron that you colour in yourself. The apron also comes with colouring pens. The material is great to work on and the colour is bright enough to be seen. He really enjoyed personalising the apron and it helped kill an hour in the morning when it was too wet to go outside.

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The art set is a lovely compact item, it includes a small paint set, pencils, crayons, rubber, and a sharpener. Perfect in size so you can take it away or also makes a perfect little gift for someone.

The colour in glasses I think was my sons favorite. The design was based on an island with coconut trees. The glasses also came with colouring pens and the pens were bright enough to see on the wood. The glasses were really sturdy and well made. Both boys did them together and they did it whilst I was cooking the dinner one evening. It kept them entertained and stopped them from squabbling, which for me as a mum was a blessing.

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A lovely little treat for adults is this adult colouring book, it is compact with being all together in a holder (crayons and book). The designs are really pretty. It is great to put in your handbag and the cover is used from a reusable material which is great for the environment.

here was also a child’s colouring book and this is one of my son’s favorite things to do as he has autism so this helps him calm down when he is feeling angry. I actually had to go to A&E the other day and the boys had to come. I brought along this colouring book and it was perfect to keep them entertained whilst they waited for me to be seen.

inally, something a bit different is these colour in magnets. They are so cool and the boys loved colouring them in and placing them on the fridge. A great way to show off their artwork.

So, overall I am pleased with the products especially during the summer holiday as they have come in handy to help keep my boys entertained. I like the fact that the crafts aren’t too complicated as I have a 4 and 6-year-old plus both my eldest and myself have autism. So, these crafts are ideal as they are calming and don’t cause much stress, which is what you want during the holiday.

Cheers for reading.

I was given the items discussed in this post, however, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I hate camping

~ mummyhereandthere ~ 26 Comments

Hey readers,

As the title of this blog post suggests I HATE CAMPING! I had the recent experience of camping again and finally, that will be the last ever camp again. I detest it for so many reasons but one it takes so long to put up the tent, We had an 8 person tent so took roughly 2-3 hours and with young children around that is not what I deem as fun.

I Hate Camping

Even before setting up a camp it is bloody hard work with spending a ton on all the things you need like bottles of gas, food and all the other equipment. Then you have to try and squeeze it all in your blinking car.

Getting back to the tend its self there is the fact you don’t get a good night sleep. You end up having your children with you. They constantly moving about and if that weren’t bad enough they stick their feet in your face.

Then there is the sleeping bag and literally, have to sip up and jump up and down to get in a comfy position. If that is not bad late at night you have to decide do you want to get out of your warm cocoon or do you want a wee. The choices are hard! if you do opt for the toilet you then decide is it worth walking up half a mile to the communal toilets or shall I take a leak next to the tent in the freezing cold. The latter brings the risk of the change of someone seeing your bare ass. Finally, after you have dealt with that trauma you have to zip back up again and jump up and down. Changes are you wake up your little darlings doing this and then guess what they need a pee. *sigh*.

Another point regarding the sleeping situation is the fact that the ground is bumpy and you feel dirty all the time.  It doesn’t matter if you have used a shower, you never clean and you walk back from the nice warm water to a dirty and muddy tent.

The next morning you wake at the crack of Dawn because the light brightens up all the room and the little darlings think it is fun to jump around the tent. Whilst this is all happening you are cursing and getting more and more homesick and you don’t even care about the prospect of washing at this point.

Especially in the summer if you dare leave the tend door unzipped then you risk a gang of flies to enter. You are constantly bitten by all the bugs and it leaves you with months of marks all on your leg. I still have them marks after a year of previous camping have and it resembles someone who is a crackhead.

After two days of staying in a tend you have grass everywhere and appears in your food somehow. My god the food taste rank and it such a ball ache to still on the ground and fiddle about preparing food on a camping stove. It is lukewarm and depressing especially when it is p*ssing it down.

As time progresses you sleep deteriorates as so does your mood and you finally glad when the day comes when it is time to go home. Only to be greeted with the perspective of trying to put down the tent and making sure it all fits tightly together in its holders. Which incidentally never does on the first go, try the fifth in which your hot mess and in a bad mood. But that is fine because you then can rest on the drive home with two tired and ratty children. But the time we eventually come when you get home and you have the pleasure of dealing with the endless pile of stinky, muddy washing.

Everything with tending just feels like a chore. It doesn’t feel like a holiday and yes you save money but personally, I would prefer to be in bed at home in the warmth eating hot food.

Cheers for reading X