Top Spring Money Tips For Homes And Holidays

With research from 2023 revealing that families are spending on average £635 on summer holiday activities, it’s never been more important to find cost-cutting tips for spending quality time together.

Novuna’s personal finance people have shared top tips for making some nifty cost savings this spring when it comes to homes, holidays and having a great time with the family.

Go green – Early spring, between March and May, is the perfect time for planting fruit and veg in your garden. From tomatoes and peas to salads and strawberries, a pack of seeds will usually be enough to produce a small crop of fruit or veg. Not only will you save money, you’ll also have loads of fun tending to your tasty treats – especially if you get the kids involved. You’ll also help reduce carbon emissions from food transportation.

Host at home – Rather than spending money on a few pints in the pub, host an at-home cocktail evening or a potluck party. Ask everyone to bring a dish (or a bottle!) – you could even set a theme or fancy dress. For a different twist, try a boardgame night – pick a few different games to play and invite friends round for a tournament, rather than heading out.

Taste the deals – When craving a meal out, look at the deals available to help lower the costs. Tastecard, for example, offers discounts on thousands of restaurants across the UK helping you to save an average of £23 every time you dine out.

Stay local - You might think music gigs or stand-up comedy is out of your spring budget, but you'll find loads of smaller (and cheaper!) gigs happening in venues near you. Bars and theatres now host more intimate gigs to give up-and-coming talent the chance to shine. Bag your front row seat and enjoy a fab night out for less.

Small savings can have a big difference – Why not look at your memberships and subscriptions and review which ones you could cut or whether you could make savings by shopping around elsewhere. If you do decide to cancel a few Direct Debits, you could pop the money into your savings account each month. This way, the money will be put aside instead of swept away in day-to-day outgoings.

Get summer sorted now – The long Easter weekend is the perfect time to get your summer plans sorted. Set up price alerts for your favourite holidays; don’t limit your search to a specific airport and be as flexible as you can with dates. And know your timings; Tuesdays and Wednesdays are often the least expensive days for scheduled flights, and generally, you'll get a better deal on mid-week selections. You might also find that a long haul destination that’s on your bucket list may be just as affordable as a European trip, so take into account exchange rates when doing your research and find out the average price for everyday items to avoid over-spending when you’re there.

Spring clean those savings – With spring being the end of the tax year, it’s a perfect time to put money aside in an ISA. You can save up to £20,000 each tax year into an ISA which is tax free, helping your money go further.

Theresa Lindsay, Marketing Director at Novuna says:
“It’s always great when spring arrives and the days get lighter and longer, but during school holidays and weekends it can be daunting to work out how to fill the time without spending more. Hosting at home, staying local and making the most of the time in the great outdoors are just a few ways we can make the most of our money without compromising on quality time together this season.”