After our dream holiday to Florida in May this year our bank account took quite a beating!  Park tickets alone were over £2k for the four of us.  Also, with another long-haul holiday booked to Dubai next year we are having to look at budget holiday options if we want another breakaway anytime soon!

Florida all in cost us £8k which is quite a lot of cash to splash on one holiday!  Yes, it was very memorable and the character meet and greets in Disney were so cute.  Yet the costs add up before you know it and you do get a little carried away.  I love to travel and I really can’t afford to spend that much on each holiday we take as a family.

Tips to Book a Budget Holiday

Be willing to go away very last minute!  Check out Holiday Gems late deals to bag yourself a bargain, visit their website and have a browse.  Holiday operators don’t like empty rooms at hotels or unoccupied seats on flights.  You can get some good deals if your willing to travel just a day or two later after you booked your break.  Usually I book a year in advance.  But lately I have been experimenting with different dates and found some super bargains if we literally go on holiday the very next day (or with up to a week’s notice!) that have me tempted!

You can save money booking indirect flights.  I am not a huge fan of this travelling with children as I want the most direct route and minimum hassle.  However, if your prepared to cope with a little inconvenience you can save a lot of money in the process.

Certain times of year are harder to get a bargain – school holidays especially!  Be willing to holiday at the back end of the summer holidays to avoid the highest prices.

Save booking excursions until you arrive at the resort.  Holiday operators tend to charge a premium and it does hike up the overall cost of your holiday.

If you don’t want to go away at short notice, it can be worthwhile seeing if a holiday operator has free child places.  When we went to Lanzarote my youngest had a free stay which did make the holiday more reasonable.

Book all inclusive.  For me this has saved a fortune!  My children have a big appetite for meals and snacks now.  I like knowing when I arrive everything is included.  I don’t have to say no to an extra ice cream and be the holiday grinch!  Our previous trips to Lanzarote and Salou we went all inclusive and I found it more manageable on the finances than our holiday to Portugal when we went self catering.  Plus I don’t mind having a cheeky cocktail or two to help keep mummy sane!

Use a price comparison site to find the best deal on all the extra’s you need!  It’s amazing what you can save on insurance and car hire if you shop around.

My Next Holiday

I turn 40 in December I am hoping with these tips I am squeeze in an extra holiday this year!  Tenerife sounds good.  Apparently they have six or seven hours sunshine compared to our one measly hour in the UK at that time of year.