Cheap hacks to keep the kids busy this half term
The October half term is around the corner, which means parents and guardians up and down the UK will be planning how to keep their children entertained over the autumn school break.
However, making plans during a cost of living crisis may prove to be tricky for many households. Brean Horne, personal finance expert at NerdWallet, is on the case and has put together five tips to help keep kids entertained for less than a fiver.
Get crafty for Halloween
Halloween is around the corner and making your own costumes and decorations can be a great way to get creative and save money. Be sure to use old fabrics, cardboard and spare paint to get your designs up to scratch!
If you’re struggling for inspiration, use sites like Pinterest and TikTok to get on top of the latest trends. This may help when it comes to putting together an individual look or a group outfit. The Best Ideas For Kids is also a great site to get inspiration for decorations around the house.
Visit free-to-enter museums and galleries
Museums and galleries are a fantastic way to keep the little ones entertained and learning about new and exciting things during the half term break. What’s also great is that so many exhibitions up and down the UK are free to enter and you may even find some venues that put effort into decorating for the season!
10 free to enter museums and galleries include:
● The British Museum, London
● Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
● World Museum, Liverpool
● Nottingham Contemporary
● Millenium Gallery, Sheffield
● National Football Museum, Manchester
● Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow
● National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
● St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff
● Royal Armouries, Leeds
● The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
Learn to cook cheap recipes
Not only is cooking a great life skill, it can be fun too! The BBC Good Food website is full of recipes and even has a Budget and Everyday page to help keep costs down on warming meals.
As well as veggie and vegan dishes, they list budget family meal plans, 5 nights of meals for £25 and a host of healthy options.
Some of their cheap eats include:
● Spinach falafel & hummus bowl
● Vegetarian fajitas
● Sausage and broccoli pasta with cheese
● Coconut fish curry with rice
● Easy crepes with seasonal fruit
If you find you have leftovers, they also have a section on what you can do with them for other meals!
Check out cashback website deals
Voucher websites like hotukdeals could be a great place to look for voucher codes, deals and freebies. Sites like these can also give you a nudge as to where family-friendly promotions are being run in your region, with the validity of the offers voted for by like-minded bargain hunters.
Similarly, cashback websites give you money back every time you shop online, on everything from clothes to toys and even activities. It’s always best to check these websites before booking a getaway or making a purchase, as some of the savings could be substantial.
Discover hacks from social media
A quick and easy way to find free and cheap events in your area is to log on to social media and start searching by your location. On Facebook, you can search for events near you and save the links to the ones that may be of interest to you. If you register your interest, you can be notified when the event is getting close.
Similarly, you can search on social media pages like Instagram and TikTok for the exact things you are interested in. For example, if you want something free to do in London, search for the hashtags #London and #Free to see who is posting about those trends. This could help give you ideas from accounts with similar interests to you.
