How to keep costs down this half term

It’s time for another school holiday. Yes really. Here’s how to keep a lid on the bills

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It feels like just days since the kids finally went back to school after the lo-ho-ong summer holidays but another school break is screeching towards us.

Half term is just days away (except in Scotland where they are already back. Sorry Scotland.), so how can parents keep the costs down? Here’s how:

Get a tax break on your holiday club

Quite often it’s simply impossible to take yet more time off just two months after the big summer holiday so you may be booking holiday clubs to keep your little ones entertained.

The best way to keep the cost of a holiday club right down is to book well in advance, when providers often offer early bird discounts. Yes, it’s a bit late for that now but bear it in mind next time.

Another possible way to keep the costs down is to see if the holiday club accepts tax-free childcare payments (unless you still get childcare vouchers via your employer).

When you sign up to tax-free childcare, you can then pay money into a digital wallet that the government tops up with 20 per cent, making every £8 worth £10. You then pay your childcare provider from that account.

It can be used for childcare up to the age of 11 but it is a worryingly underused service and loads of money earmarked for parents has been returned to the Treasury. Sign up and get the help you deserve.

Use twofers

So many of the main theme parks, zoos and other big days out have discounts and deals that it’s essential to look for a voucher or code before booking.

Perhaps you have a two-for-one or adults-go-free voucher saved from a cereal packet, maybe you can find a good deal online.

Never pay full price without hunting for a deal first, otherwise you’re subsidising the other people you see that day.

One good place to look for a bargain is the Days Out Guide with National Rail. You can often get two-for-one entry to some of the country’s best attractions if you go by train (or if you buy a train ticket to the nearest station from one stop away).

Use a rail discount

If you are travelling by train then consider getting a Family and Friends Railcard. It costs £30 but saves you 1/3 off adult fares and up to 60 per cent off kids’ tickets.

Even if you’re travelling with a child who is young enough to not need a ticket, it’s frequently cheaper overall to use that railcard and get them a ticket anyway.

Book any days out in advance

If you do decide to head to a ticketed venue then planning in advance can really save you some cash. Many of the country’s big showstopping destinations offer a discount if you book online in advance and quite a few smaller ones do too.

For example, the Eden Project offers a 10 per cent discount when you book a day in advance, Legoland Windsor currently has an offer where you can book four tickets for £99 on certain days, compared with £47-£60 normally, and Chester Zoo discounts by £4 per person if you book a week in advance.

Quite a lot of the best deals do require you to book in advance for the best discount so some advance planning can save you a packet.

Pay less with a playdate

You may feel under pressure to drop work and take the kids on a series of exciting and expensive days out but don’t.

All children and teens really need to have a good half-term break is time out of their normal routines and some fun.

One of the cheapest ways to do that is with a series of playdates (just don’t call it a playdate if you have teenagers). It’s one of the easiest ways to fill a day with fun and break up the cabin fever a bit without spending loads of money.

Best of all, their parents will either be willing to invite your offspring around or they will feel like they have to anyway, giving you some essential child-free time to put your home back together.

Embrace the inset day

Look, we all know that inset days have only been added to the school calendar just to make it more likely you’ll forget and show up at a closed school (yes, we know, in-service training day, staff skill development, we know).

But they are also a chance to get really good value out of a day out. If you are spending money taking the munchkins to a theme park or somewhere with a hefty ticket price then you want to be absolutely sure you get the most for your money.

And the way to do that is to take them out on an inset day. If it’s not a holiday for other schools then that can mean far fewer families are on days out – giving you a better chance of shorter queues and an easier day.