Charlene Woracker said she used to spend £1,000 during the school holidays
A single mum-of-four ahs explained how she entertains and feeds her kids throughout the summer holidays for £450.
She said she saved £650 throughout the school holidays with “meticulous” meal planning and making the most of free local activities. Charlene Woracker, 35, said she used to spend £1,000 on her kids – aged 16, 15, eight, and three – throughout the summer holidays, but after making changes has sliced her budget by more than half.
Having previously spent up to £200 on a day out, it was the Covid-19 pandemic that made Charlene realise how she could keep her kids entertained “without spending a lot of money”. Starting a new frugal life, she sticks to a strict week by week budget of £75 – spending £450 across the summer.
With food and snacks being her biggest expense, Charlene buys in bulk and makes her own version of high street snacks at home. She makes sure to add £30 per month into a Monzo pot to help her save throughout the year.
Charlene, a content creator from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: “Especially before Covid I just didn’t plan the summer holidays and day trips and it all adds up really quickly. Actually, surprisingly it’s the little expenses that adds up very quickly.
“Some days I would spend £200 on a day out for a family of five and that was the situation I was in. I was feeling like it was costing me a lot to entertain the kids.
“I was probably spending £1,000 over the whole term, but just by changing a lot of things I’ve more than halved that. I spend more like £450 in comparison.”
Charlene said that after the Covid-19 pandemic meant spending lots of time at home it “triggered” her to become savvier with her money.
“That was kind of an eye opener in a way to see that I can entertain the kids without spending a lot of money,” she said. “Now I have more of a weekly budget.
“I find that’s a bit easier to plan because you don’t know what’s going to happen the next week and you have to take into account the weather as well, which can affect plans. Food and a meal plan for a family of five is about £80 per week in the summer holidays with snacks and everything.
“I’m very meticulously meal planning. For most parents they’re going to find snacks cost the most.
“My kids eat me out of a home and for me I’ve got to make sure I’ve got a good amount of snacks in the house every day. A way around for me that’s a lot cheaper is making snacks rather than buying pre-packaged things.
“Even cheesy sticks like Cheesestrings I just cut up a block of cheese and make it into sticks and it’s a lot cheaper. Basic things like baking cookies, cupcakes and things like that cost pennies to make and are a lot cheaper than buying pre-packaged food.”
Charlene also advises looking into free local resources and activities to keep costs low and always visits a local museum in every city they visit as a family.
“The best one we did was in Edinburgh and it was completely free,” she said. “It took us a whole day to get through.
“The library has fantastic programmes for children and always has an event running through the six-week holidays. A free library card is resourceful for the children, whereas before I would think of looking up places you need to buy tickets for, stuff like that”.
Saving £30 per month sets up Charlene for the kids’ time off school – and she said it “relieves anxiety and stress of finances”.
“It’s really important to plan the holidays week by week,” she added. “Even if you don’t stick to it completely, just having a rough guide – lots of parents have anxiety for the holidays and being in control of what’s happening with their finances. I spend £450 in comparison to before I was living frugally.”
Charlene’s top tips for the summer holidays
- Set money aside in Monzo pots throughout the year
- Make your own snacks rather than buying pre-packaged ones
- Have a weekly meal plan and budget
- Plan activities week by week
- Make use of local resources like libraries
