There are a few things that often get forgotten when planning for your holiday so add them to the pre-holiday check list so you don’t end up paying more!
Going on holiday is very exciting. If you’re sensible you would have booked it up months before so you can spread the cost. If you are leaving the country you would have checked everyone’s passport are in date and if you’re staying in the UK you would have checked the car is fully serviced and the tax and MOT is in order.
What about the other costs involved in going on holiday though? You know, those ones that bite you on the behind because you haven’t thought about them. Then, at the last minute, you need to spend money you haven’t accounted for.
Take a look at a few of those things that you may forget, so when you do finally settle down for some well deserved rest and relaxation you don’t get a nasty surprise.
Accommodation add ons
Before you head off for a few days of fun it’s worth checking that the holiday accommodation supplies everything you need for a stress free holiday.
When we’ve travelled in the UK, a few times we’ve arrived at our destination to find out we need to hire things like travel cots and high chairs which aren’t always cheap, especially when you can take your own travel cot and high chair from home, which you can pick up for good value.
Eating and drinking
If you’re all inclusive then great, you’ll have a fab time eating and drinking to your heart’s content but, what if you’re self-catering?
I remember going away a number of years ago to a holiday park in Wales. We’d gone self-catering but Daniella was only a baby so we were happy to stay in and cook. Problem was the nearest shop was five miles away and the supermarket on site was really expensive! It probably would have been cheaper to go all-inclusive!
If you are going self-catering and staying in the UK you can either invest in a cool box and take a load of food with you or even better, get the supermarket to deliver you a food shop on the holiday park itself.
Days out and activities
When we go on holiday, especially if it’s somewhere we haven’t been we normally like to get out and explore. To reduce costs it’s wise to do your homework before hand and see what’s in the local area to where you’re staying.
If you’re staying in the UK, check with the local tourist board to see if there are any special offers on tickets or check if you can use Tesco reward or Sainsbury’s Nectar points in pay for or at least get a reduction in price.
If the places are spread out over a large area plan your days so travelling and fuel costs will be kept to a minimum. You can be even thriftier by checking the cheapest place to buy petrol in the area.
Expecting the unexpected
My last tip for not getting caught out on holiday is to expect the unexpected. The weather may be forecast to be hot but, as we all know, you can’t always rely on the weather channel to get it right.
Instead on just packing your shorts and tee-shirts, throw in a jumper or two as well. The last thing you want to do is fork out for warm clothing if the weather isn’t up to scratch knowing full well it’s a unnecessary spend.
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It’s always worth remembering to add these tips to your holiday check list as there are so many things to forget (especially if you’re holidaying with babies and children) – and you certainly don’t want to be caught out and have to cut into your spending money.
Penny for your thoughts: Do you have a money saving tip for not getting caught out on holiday? Let me know in the comments below.
Image: Flickr
Ricky Willis is the original Skint Dad. A money-making enthusiast, father, and husband to Naomi. He is always looking for unique ways to earn a little extra.
Really helpful post this. You’re right about forgetting things. We were in such a rush to get on our last holiday that we didn’t pick up our holiday money and only realised when we were a couple of hundred miles away from home.
We always go on holiday in UK and are real pros at it now 🙂
We have a case that we set aside for all our kitchen bits and pieces so we can take our own tea bags, washing up liquid, tea towels, oven glove (the ones in the rented places are too thin!) and even take our own pillows (I don’t know whose been sleeping on the ones already there). It all just makes the place more comfortable and more like home.
We usually try to plan what to do when we arrive as we like having a wonder around the area to get a feel for the place and can pick up leaflets while we’re out. We probably could save a bit using our reward vouchers though if we thought about it a bit more in advance. We’ve got a few months until we head off again so I’ll certainly look into it.
Leave your jewellery at home to avoid loss, theft and forking out on expensive safe rental.
It is only cheaper to go all inclusive if you are at the hotel all day, most days, and like a drink. If you’re planning days out and/are not much of a drinker, consider half-board. It is cheaper eating at the hotel as much as possible than eating out due to economies of scale. You can drink your duty free on your balcony!
Check and double check what your flight price includes, and stay within your allocated luggage weight. So-called budget airlines can work out more expensive than flying with British Airways for some destinations due to extras (eg in-flight meals)
Buy your toiletries at the airport after checking in. They are cheaper, do not split in your luggage and do not count towards your luggage weight. You can bin them at the hotel before you leave.
NEVER get your currency at the airport. Better to get it before you leave, or locally using your debit card at a cashpoint.
When I was younger I didn’t are about going on all inclusive holidays at all! – I thought, what’s the point – we’re going to Ibiza or wherever and I don’t want to be tied down to the hotel at certain times of the day just to ear free. Now I’m nearly in my mid 30s I would LOVE to go an inclusive holiday at some point where you don’t have to worry about how much you are going to spend on food or drink during he holiday.