Did you know that the average spend on a summer holiday is £1,175 per person and this cost then leaves us Brits concerned about how we can afford these holidays? Research from digital banking service B found that 57% of the population put their holiday on a credit card and many don’t save for their flights or spending money.
However, it doesn’t need to be this way and yesterday I had the pleasure of listening to some of the best in the holiday business share their tips on how to get beach budget ready. I am known for getting a good deal and knowing where to save money but it was great to pick up a few new tips and tricks from the likes of Alice Beer, Jasmin Birtles, Cate Dixon at Kuoni Travel and David Judic from B digital bank.
How to be Beach Budget Ready Today
Next week sees the start of the peak summer holiday season and many will already have made their plans but it is not too late to think about your budget.
- Alice made the really important point that holidays are an emotional want and this needs to be acknowledged. We all invest in our holiday and put a lot of thought into how it will make us feel. We want quality family time, we want the children to be happy and she suggests this should be our starting point when planning a holiday. Consider what we want and then set a budget accordingly. This really resonated with me as my husband and I have quite different ideas on what constitutes the perfect holiday. I want relaxation, sun loungers and the children being able to eat and drink as they choose. In other words the fully inclusive package. Whereas my husband doesn’t like the heat as much and would like to be more active.
- Jasmin talked about how all the family could be invested in the holiday and contribute financially. Holidays are a big family expensive and children need to realise this to help them understand the value of money but also to appreciate the cost of this precious family time. Look around the house, sell your unwanted goods, have a car boot and put this money towards the family holiday.
- When saving for this have a dedicated holiday fund, this can easily be set up using the mobile app based banking service B which gives users much more control over their money. It allows you to save specific ‘pots’ knowing what each pot is for. You could give up your coffee habit and pop the money into your holiday pot instead, this top tip came from David whose second tip was that he lets his wife sort the travel plans as she is amazing at it! Sounds a lot like my house as I recently took control of the teens first holiday too!
- Other tips included looking at airports that are not the main tourist airports as this often reduces the cost of flights.
- Look for better value destinations like Costa Brava, Spain and Cate, from Kuoni , suggested speaking to your travel agents as they are the specialists who offer insider secrets and knowledge. For example, Dubai is expensive whereas it will be cheaper 30 mins away.
- Finally, book in advance for the best deals, this is something I have done and by booking 15 months in advance there are the best deals including free child places and more choice of rooms.
These tips will ensure that you are beach budget ready. If it is too late for this year bear them in mind for next year and plan ahead.
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