Last week my children had their half term holiday, and as any normal mother, I truly hate these short school holidays. Why do they give children holidays? Children don’t need them, they are better off in school. Holidays, especially half — term, just wreck our daily routine. The problem is that those holidays always surprise me, even though the school had given us the holiday schedule at the beginning of the year and they also reminded us of it, but still I feel like the half term holiday is just some unplanned system wrecker that intentionally aims to put my own studies on hold, so not fair! But since this holiday thing is just inevitable, I decided this time to face it and do something about it, rather than being asked everyday, “Mama! we’re on holiday, so where are you taking us today? We’re soooo bored!” So, I booked for us a short break at a famous holiday destination in the UK. We made our plans with a friend of mine, and her children since it was easier that we both (sophisticated Ph.D. students) faced the ill-timed and inconvenient school holiday together. I wanted a place that offered lots of physical activities and less electronics and videogames. I also wanted value for money, (after all, we were scholarship students on a budget) and the destination we chose really ticked all the right boxes.
We hired bikes and cycled and enjoyed other outdoor activities and the children loved the swimming pool. What I love about the British is their determination to create a summer ambiance even though it’s cold most of the year; the pool is covered, the water temperature is controlled, and has a tropical atmosphere with its creative decor.
After that we went for a fast overnight trip to London, the city that never ceases to amaze me with its historical architecture from the outside and very contemporary modern decor on the inside. However, The problem with London is that no matter how carefully you plan, it always drains your funds; it’s like you walk around with a torn pocket and money just drops on the floor. We wanted to enjoy our time but without the torn pocket syndrome, so I tried to apply some rules, and surprisingly they worked.
Still, London is a very expensive place but at least we managed to enjoy parts of it without going totally broke. What I did is that I tried to find all the free or low cost attractions, and believe it or not, they are plenty in London. For example, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, the British Museum and the Natural History Museum are among those free attractions that are really worth a visit with your kids. Far from being about boring displays, they incorporate lots of interactive activities that children can engage with them and have fun. And of course, London’s parks are among the finest in the world; you can enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the Hyde Park or Regent’s Park and all you need is a pre-packed picnic.
Another big budget wrecker in travel is transportation. In London in particular, taxis are very overpriced. The good news is that public transport is amazing in London. Buses and underground trains are cost effective and they cover every inch of the huge city and best of all, young children travel for free. So we saved on outings and transportation, but of course, children’s demands are always the number one pocket drainer. They will always be hungry and thirsty when you least expect them to be, and take it from me, small stuff like bottled water and snacks from tourists attractions are the worst in terms of being overpriced, and then we wonder where has the money gone! So, I bought bottled water and snacks from reasonably priced supermarkets and I managed to keep them handy with me for when the kids start whining, “mama! I’m hungryyyy!”
Those small few changes really made a difference to my pocket. Also I made a deal with the kids that shopping was not part of our break. In London, souvenir shops are very attractive and are designed to make you feel that leaving London without stocking up on souvenirs from them is a crime — and of course they are far from being cheap — but we managed to control the urge to buy stuff that we know we don’t really need. All in all, we had a lovely holiday without breaking the bank, which was such a relief!
Yes, It takes a lot of self-control, but I have long ago discovered that avoiding shopping centers in any place is the biggest money-saver ever. I know that telling some women not to shop at all is unrealistic, but really, if you are on a budget, why waste money on buying stuff when you could spend it on fun activities? Sorry ladies but this is the truth. Impossible? OK then, go window-shopping but don’t buy everything you fancy!
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