I’m a mum-of-two and cleared my £40K debt in a year – seven easy steps to save hundreds, even during the summer holidays
FAMILIES spend £1,000, on average, entertaining the kids during the summer holidays, research shows.
A third of parents struggle to keep their brood occupied during the break, which can lead to overspending.
But mum-of-two Yasmine Camilla can help. She has cleared £38,500 of debt since last year and has top money-saving tips.
The 36-year-old project manager, from Penge, South East London, says: “I’ve been in cycles of debt my whole life, until August last year when I managed to take control of my money and clear my debt.
“I did nothing but the bare necessities and cut back on things like my food bill which went from £600 a month to £150.”
Now, single Yasmine, who is mum to Callum, nine, and Amber, seven, gives her 98,000 TikTok followers money-saving advice.
Read more saving tips
And here, with the aid of some of the methods she used to clear her debts, sets out how to slash spending this summer holiday.
ASK FOR A REFILL
REFILLABLE bottles are now commonplace, but do you always take yours out with you? Yasmine believes you shouldn’t be afraid to ask people to fill it up for you.
She says: “Tap water in the UK is 0.1p per litre, compared to 65p for one litre of bottled water. If you buy 14 of these over the course of a week when out and about with the family, you’ll be throwing money down the drain.
“I see people buying water all the time. People are too shy or too British to ask for people to fill it up with tap water.
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“But it’s fine to ask – I’ve never had anyone decline and I ask everywhere. Doing this, you can go a day without spending any money.”
SAVE £54.60
DITCH YOUR DEBIT CARD
IT’S so easy to tap your card and not realise how much you are spending. Yasmine leaves hers at home in favour of taking a set amount of cash.
She says: “Switch your debit or credit card for cash and you’ll definitely spend less. I easily manage to save at least a tenner a week when doing this because I really think about what I’m spending.
“Then use that cash to save too. If you plan your purchases in advance, you are more likely to save towards something you really want.
“I do this by cash stuffing – this involves putting set amounts of money into envelopes each month to save for everything from bills and birthdays to days out.
“Before heading out for the day, I’ll take £20 out of the ‘day out’ fund and we’ll discuss what to spend it on as a family.
“It helps the kids learn about the value of money and I find it makes them not ask for extra bits like magazines which can get thrown away on the same day.”
SAVE £60
EARMARK ‘NO SPEND’ DAYS
DECIDE on set days each week over the holidays where you won’t spend any money.
Parents spend £1,000 on average over the six-week holidays, so if you plan four no- spend days a week you can save £95 each week or £570 in total.
Yasmine says: “You’d be surprised by how many activities you can plan for free.
“Start off by asking the kids to make a list of activities they would like to do over the summer.
“By letting them do this, they treat it more like an activity and a game to see how many things they can get ticked off.
“Also, head to social media groups for local festivals and events that are free to attend.
“There are free apps to download like Geocaching – an outdoor activity, in which participants use a mobile device to hide and seek containers of treasure – and Pokemon which is great for kids and parents, and works all over the world.
“And when the weather is great, sort a packed lunch out and head to a park instead of a restaurant.
“By planning your days in the calendar, it means you can purchase tickets for travel or events in advance at a discounted rate too.”
SAVE £570
TAKE SIX-WEEK FIVER CHALLENGE
THERE’S an easy way to save money without even realising. Simply take the six-week challenge, which involves saving £5 on week one, £10 on week two, £15 on week three and so on – adding an extra fiver to the amount you save each week.
Yasmine says: “This is a really clever way to save, where you start off small and build up to much bigger savings by the end of the holidays.
“You’ll need to tighten your belt as the weeks go on to manage saving £30 on the final week, but you’ll be chuffed if you manage it – and you’ll have saved a load of cash without too much bother.”
SAVE £105
EAT IN SUPERMARKET CAFES
YOU can get great meal deals at supermarket cafes, so why not eat out with the kids before doing your weekly shop?
Yasmine says: “If you haven’t prepared a packed lunch for the day due to not having enough time, get down your local supermarket cafe for a bargain.
“Asda offers free meals for kids under 16, Monday to Friday after 3pm when an adult spends £4, while Tesco is offering free meals, worth £3.25, to kids when a parent spends 60p.
“Morrisons is doing similar – free meals for kids when an adult spends £4.99 on a meal.
“Always check online with chain restaurants, as there will be more deals.
“But keep in mind that this should only be a once-a-week treat. Even then, if you have two kids, you could save £45 dining at Tesco cafe over the summer holidays.”
SAVE £45
SAVE AT THE CINEMA
GOING to see a film at the cinema can be costly, but Cineworld is offering Movies For Juniors tickets for just £2.50. The scheme is for kids under 14 when accompanied by an adult.
Yasmine says: “A trip to the cinema can be a really exciting treat for the kids and it doesn’t have to cost the earth if you plan in advance.
“Swerve pricey snacks like popcorn and sweets and make your own sandwiches to eat during the film.
“Get these cheap tickets for the kids from Cineworld – though bear in mind you’ll have to pay an extra 75p per ticket to book online in advance – and you’ll be quids in.
“Tickets usually cost £6.99 for kids at my local Cineworld, so make it a weekly treat and with two kids you’ll save £53.88 over the summer.”
SAVE £53.88
SWAP THEME PARK FOR COUNTRY
TICKETS for theme parks can be expensive – especially when you buy lunch out too. But, with a bit of imagination, a countryside walk with the kids can be just as rewarding.
Yasmine says: “Of course the kids would love to visit the likes of Thorpe Park and Chessington.
“But tickets to Thorpe Park start from £37 when booked in advance and Chessington tickets are £36, regardless of whether you are a child or an adult.
“For a family of four, you could easily spend £148 – and that doesn’t include train tickets, petrol money or lunch.
“By spending a day in the countryside instead, you can create your own fun with the kids.
“Collect different types of leaves, go on a treasure hunt or play hide and seek.
“Go to for information on where you can visit that’s near you.”
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SAVE £148
Follow Yasmine on and for more money saving advice.