Easter's springtime vibes are upon us, with family get-togethers and school holidays adding to the festivities. But with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis hitting hard, many are still watching their finances closely.
When it comes to extra expenses for the break, parents need more food and entertainment. And that’s not to mention the cost of expenses such as Easter eggs and days out, which don't come cheap for hard-pushed families.
To help keep the Easter costs down, CashLady.com has partnered up with ‘Instagram Mum’, Emma Stretton, who has shared her savvy tips to save money during the Easter bank holiday.
“I always feel like the Easter holidays creep up and all of a sudden you have two weeks to fill and an Easter egg hunt to arrange. I try to pack the holidays with Easter activities and also some down time without spending too much,” Emma Stretton says.
Emma is a mum-of-two and savvy saver living in Manchester. Her tips will help you save an estimated £150 on Easter spending so that the family can save on the cost without scrimping on the fun.
Easter Egg Hunts
“The kids love an Easter egg hunt but obviously buying enough chocolate eggs for a decent hunt could add up. I just buy a really basic pack of non-branded eggs and then wrap them in coloured tissue paper.
"I assign one colour to my eldest child and a different colour to my youngest - that way they don’t fight over who gets what. We also hide a few normal hen’s eggs as part of the hunt so then they have dippy eggs and soldiers for easter breakfast.
"I have no idea why, but finding the normal eggs always makes them laugh. They each wear a pair of bunny ears that we’ve had since they were babies and they have a £1 easter basket I bought in a sale years ago. Kids love the fun of an Easter egg hunt more than expensive chocolate eggs if you ask me.”
Estimated saving: £10
Easter Decorations
“Sorry, but I don’t think anyone bothers with Easter decorations! It’s a plan to get people to spend more on stuff they don’t need.
"If you must, then you can make bunting using wool or string, and cutting some shapes out of felt. You could also wrap glass jars in coloured wrapping paper and tie some green or yellow ribbon around them.
"Pick some daffodils and put them in glass jars as cute table decorations or get the kids to decorate some egg-shaped pictures that you can put up.”
Estimated saving: £15
Easter Events
“Our local town centre has a free Easter egg trail every year. You have to use the map to hunt for the easter themed pictures in the shop windows.
"It’s a fun and free afternoon out for the kids and a good way to support local businesses if you stop for a cake and a coffee.” It’s also worth looking if any local farms have events on, or even just going for a trip anyway.
"There’s a local farm near us that is free of charge and the kids can see the chickens and cows before going on the climbing frames. We also always take them to a local ice cream farm that has loads of rabbits and a sunflower field. It’s a lovely day out for the cost of an ice cream.”
Estimated saving: about £20
Family and Food
“Whether we’re doing an Easter Sunday roast or braving a barbecue, I love getting together with family over Easter. If we’re having people to ours, we’ll ask if everyone would mind bringing a dish.
"That way, it spreads the cost and one of us doesn’t have to spend all day cooking. It’s never about the food anyway, as much as it’s about getting together after a long winter.”
“I’ll also use the school holidays as a chance to clear the freezer and pantry out. Anything that has been sat there for a while gets used up so we save money on the weekly shop.
"The kids love a classic picky tea, where they have whatever is in the freezer and we’ve come up with some of our favourite meals by whacking stuff together and seeing what happens. A packet of white sauce with some Cajun seasoning is great with pasta!”
Estimated total saving: £45
Clear Out
“The Easter holidays are always a time when we have a big clear out. My youngest has his birthday mid-April so we go through all of the toys and books and give what they no longer need to charity.
"I also take stock of their clothes and shoes. This year we have a huge pile of things and so will be doing a car boot sale in April to make some extra cash.”
Saving: £50
Budget
“I have a budget for the whole month anyway, but I will break that down into days when the holidays roll around. Some days are no-spend days, where we just go to the park and eat lunch at home.
"Other days might be board games and a visit to a friend’s house, which again costs nothing. Sometimes we might all cook lunch together and then we can go and buy a hot chocolate in the afternoon and have a walk.
"This means that we can use the majority of the budget on things like a day at a play centre or adventure golf. I’ve taught the boys that if you sacrifice small things more often, you can enjoy bigger, more exciting things.”
Saving: £10
Write a List
“Not very exciting, but every night in the school holidays I write a list for the boys to read in the morning. They have to work their way through all of the activities on the list independently and then they are rewarded with time on their tablets.
"It’s a way of keeping them busy without having to take them out or spend money on activities.” The list has everything from ‘make breakfast,’ and ‘tidy your room to ‘draw a picture’ or ‘play snakes and ladders’.
"It’s a must if I’m going to get any work done. If I leave them to their own devices they get bored and start play-fighting or whining.
"The list genuinely keeps them occupied and they like ticking each thing off. I also like to think it’s creating good future habits but that’s possibly wishful thinking.”
Easter Eggs
“This might not be one for the more organised people out there, but I always leave my Easter egg shopping until the last minute - just in case there are any bargains to be had. We get the boys one large Easter egg each and then a few small ones.
"They get them from grandparents too and always end up with too many anyway. The day after Easter is the time to go to the shops.
"Last year we got loads of eggs for about 99p, which lasted as treats for ages. By the end of the holidays, you can melt them all down and make rocky road, cornflake cakes or chocolate covered strawberries.”
TOTAL ESTIMATED SAVINGS: £150
Commenting on Emma’s tips, CashLady.com’s personal finance expert, Dan Whittaker, said: “As a result of the cost-of-living crisis, Brits have become accustomed to saving on everyday essentials where they can, but sometimes expensive holidays can take us by surprise. Some typical Easter traditions don’t come cheap, from eggs to activities, particularly for parents who have kids to look after for two weeks over the holiday, so it’s important to plan ahead to avoid overspending.”
“Thanks to Emma’s guidance, families across the country can use these tips to enjoy Easter with the kids, whilst also saving some cash. Emma predicts that her tips can save you £155, so hopefully other parents can relax and enjoy the Easter period without worrying about their finances.”
