Ten Ways to Save on a UK Winter Staycation

Ten Ways to Save on a UK Winter Staycation

Google searches for ‘Staycations’ across the UK have surged by 233%, as Brits are looking for a winter getaway closer to home.

With the cost of living continuing to dent our bank accounts, many will be opting for the cheapest ways to get away ahead of the festive season.

Fortunately, Sam Whillance, a savings expert at Deal.Town has shared his expert tips to help you save as much as you can when booking a winter staycation this year.

Book closer to home

No matter where you live, you don’t need to travel too far to find a complete change of scenery.

With petrol prices on the rise, you want to save as much money on travel as you can, which means opting for somewhere closer to home.

Therefore, swapping a long drive for a journey of an hour or so to a nearby coastal or rural area, will help you save on petrol money, stress, and of course is better for the environment too.

Avoid events when booking accommodation

If you book a weekend somewhere without realising there is a huge concert or sporting event happening at the same time, not only will prices be higher, but also places will be a lot busier.

Generally, weekends are always more expensive than weekdays, due to higher demand, so if you can get away during the week, do so.

Ideally, the weekdays leading up to Christmas, before the 19th of December are going to be your best option.

Book directly with a hotel

Whilst using comparison sites to check prices and locations is a good place to start, it is recommended you directly contact the hotel or B&B for a good deal.

Often, their best deals aren’t always on comparison sites.

Also, it may be the case that the hotel is listed as sold out for your dates on a comparison site, however by directly contacting the accommodation, they could let you know whether they get a last-minute cancellation.

Bring your own food

Whilst eating out is one of the best parts of a holiday, it can be expensive if you’re doing it every day.

Especially if you are in a cosy lodge in the countryside, bringing along your own food to cook will definitely help you save on spends.

If you are doing a supermarket shop on the way to your trip, do some research online for the supermarkets that currently have the best deals.

Of course, being signed up to a loyalty scheme offered by supermarkets will slash your basket price significantly.

Sign up to loyalty schemes

Speaking of loyalty schemes, like supermarket shopping, it is also worth signing up to free loyalty schemes with hotel chains and booking websites to save money when staycationing in the UK.

Often, they will give loyal customers promotions and discounts for their next trip, so it is always worth getting yourself on the mailing list.

Opt for budget-friendly accommodation sites

Always opt for budget-friendly accommodation websites for your staycation.

Often, the best option is to look for vacation rentals by owner. VRBO offers accommodation owned privately that are usually less expensive than traditional hotel rooms and can offer more space and amenities.

Another option is booking a room in a bed and breakfast (B&B), that are often family-owned and operated. Therefore, you will receive a more personal experience and often B&Bs will offer discounts for longer stays.

Plan ahead

We all know that saying, but planning ahead will always help you avoid being caught out by last-minute price surges.

Planning your trip in advance can allow you to take advantage of early bird discounts and special offers.

Stay with friends and family

This is not always possible for everybody, but if you are lucky enough to have friends or family in different parts of the UK, you could save a lot of money on your staycation trip by staying with them.

Whether it’s a family member’s home, a friend’s caravan or a winter lodge, don’t hesitate to ask, as this could save you a great deal on accommodation.

Try to travel off-peak

If possible, travel during off-peak periods, this will be significantly cheaper.

Essentially, avoid weekday rush hours from 6 am-10 am and 4 pm-8 pm. The best time to travel on a motorway to avoid weekend congestion is on an early morning, Saturday or after 6 pm before congestion becomes more likely and around 11 am on a Sunday.

Don’t forget insurance

Even though you may not be leaving the country, unexpected and costly problems are just as likely to arise the same as if you were heading abroad.

There can be anything from travel delays, lost or stolen luggage and cancellations.

Therefore, if you are purchasing a train ticket, it is always worth adding insurance onto it, just in case there are any sudden changes to your journey. The same applies to accommodation, it is always worth securing any money you have spent.

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Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

Typically thought of as being an easy to clean area of the home, hard floors have risen in popularity in recent decades. Globally, hard floors are the most common floor type,2 and research released today by Dyson has uncovered poor cleaning habits that mean hard floors are likely to be harbouring an array of hidden nasties. This comes as 32% of Brits – equating to 21.6 million people in the UK – will use the same dirty mop head for six months or more before replacing it. What’s more, one in 20 also admit to keeping the same mop for a year or longer, and one in 10 think it is acceptable to use the same mop 100 times, spreading dirt around their floors every time they use it. Cross contamination is a primary issue for most common and traditional mopping methods with germs and bacteria further being unknowingly spread around homes as Brits use dirty water to clean floors.3 45% only change the water to new water between rooms, whereas 41% wait even longer until it looks dirty. This could mean that floors are being washed with dirty water, adding more dirt rather than taking it away. Surprisingly, almost one in 10 (9%) even admit to not changing the dirty water at all when mopping. Over a quarter (28%) admit to mopping their floors once a fortnight or less while over half (53%) admit they don’t regularly clean behind appliances and leave dirt to build up for as long as six months at a time. image002.jpg On how to achieve a perfect barefoot clean feel after mopping, Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert offers their top tips for eliminating dirt around the home: 1. Create a cleaning schedule to stay on top of dirt build-up. In the last year, there has been a 15% global reduction in the number of people who maintain regular cleaning schedules. 47% of the British public admitted to only being motivated to clean when they spot visible dirt or dust.4 Regular floor cleaning with a wet hard floor cleaner like the Dyson WashG1™ removes more stubborn dirt than vacuuming alone. It is important to have a debris free surface, clear any clutter from the floor or other surfaces. Choose the right machine: Different vacuums are designed for different floor types and home sizes. Some machines will be engineered with hard floors in mind and will struggle on thick pile carpets, for example. Choosing the right machine for your home will make a big difference to the ease and speed with which you’re able to clean your home. Clean your floors ‘little and often’. Washing your floors frequently in areas that receive more foot fall will help to stop dirt building up and getting trodden into your floor. Using a dedicated wet floor cleaner on hard flooring such as the Dyson WashG1 is helpful for this, as the versatile format means it vacuums and washes the floor simultaneously. Cleaning schedules have also become less regimented. In recent years only 41% of people claim to have a regular cleaning schedule, and 60% admit to cleaning reactively; being motivated to clean only when there is visible dirt or dust5. It’s perhaps not surprising, that a fifth of people are still concerned their floors are dirty after they’ve mopped them (22%) and one in four6 feel extremely worried about indoor dust at home. Geli Lee, Dyson Engineer and Home Cleaning Expert reveals why it is important to change the way we mop: “Cleaning your hard floors properly and regularly is important for maintaining a healthy environment around your home. Without a proper cleaning routine, dirt may unknowingly build up and spread around your home. It is evident from our research that current mopping habits mean British households aren’t cleaning their floors as effectively as they should. “From ignoring problem areas where dust and debris build up, cross contamination with dirty water to not replacing mop heads or inconsistent cleaning, current mopping behaviours may be making floors dirtier as opposed to cleaner. Moving away from traditional methods, wet floor cleaners like the Dyson WashG1 simplify the floor cleaning experience and provide a modern efficient and hygienic solution” To help take the guesswork out of mopping, the brand new WashG1 is Dyson’s first dedicated wet floor cleaner that tackles wet and dry debris in one go. Engineered for hygienic cleaning and maintenance, the WashG1 is revolutionising wet floor cleaning, removing the need for multi-products and multi-steps to achieve a barefoot clean feel around the home. To put the product to the test, Dyson have cleaned one of London’s most iconic landmarks The Victoria and Albert Museum. From cleaning the grand marble floors housing the most prestigious exhibits, to cleaning up leftover food in the Gamble Room Cafe, the WashG1 had a dirt busting tour of the museum leaving it spotless. Images can be found here. The WashG1 introduces Dyson’s engineering expertise to cleaning hard floors. With a 1 litre clean-water tank to cover flooring up to 290m2, the Dyson WashG1 uses a combination of hydration, absorption, and extraction technologies to remove wet and dry spills and stains simultaneously. The Dyson WashG1 is available to purchase now from Dyson.co.uk, retailing at £599.99.

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