Hooray! The kids are out of school and your days seem to be filled with more shouting, playing, and laughing than any other time of year. In this post, we’re letting you in on some our favourite holiday ideas that’ll keep the children busy and your wallet safe from destruction.
In recent years, our team at Cigno have seen a spike in the amount of school holiday loans we’ve had to help people with, so we know all about the financial pressure that a lot of parents will be feeling over the coming weeks. Have a look through these quick ideas to keep things under control. If you are experiencing financial need, feel free to apply for a school holiday loan.
Community events
Check out your local community calendar (often put up by your local council) and take the gang to the nearest community days being held. These kinds of events can include sports days, festivals, and interesting one-offs, all of which should be free to join. When money is tight, the last thing you’re going to feel like doing is going out on a spending spree with your credit cards and cash in hand. Community days are vibrant, all-day events that usually contribute to some form of great cause.
Check out new podcasts for kids
Don’t fancy going out? Save money by staying in instead! Podcasts are great because there are loads of publishers releasing great child friendly entries that are free to listen to. They’ll be kept calm and peaceful for hours while safe and potentially learning from a wealth of valuable content.
Podcasts are usually always either filled with easily digestible lessons or are wildly entertaining. This one’s a life saver if you’ve had enough of hysteria and want a solid hour or two to unwind.
One of the best ways to save on your monthly costs is to cut back on pricey groceries. Take the kids out and they’ll likely be harassing you every time you pass something sweet looking. Keep them in for some great listening and you’ll steer clear of tempting treats.
Bake something
Of all the constructive things you could do in the house, baking is perhaps one of the easiest to control in terms of spending limits. Bake bread and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how affordable all the ingredients are. You could even save youself a pretty penny by baking a large batch and freezing the excess for future meals. Things might get messy, but that’s half the fun!
Make a homemade movie
If you’ve already got a camera or a smartphone, why not play hollywood and get the gang to create a fun stab at a homemade movie. It’s absorbing, free if you already have the camera, and can serve as a great creative project. You don’t have to take out a personal loan to fund a production value masterpiece. Get the kids to write a script, cut out any overly elaborate parts, and get filming. Before you know it, the day will be spent and you’ll have a piece of film to tuck away in your album collection.
Museum trips!
Not only are museums great if you’re low on cash, they’re educational too! Most large museums are free to enter and include collections large enough to keep your little learners occupied for most of the day. Bring a packed lunch to land extra savings!
Most indoor activities will cost you a small fortune for the whole family, so a museums a great option if you think you might struggle to make it to your next payday.
That’s it! These are the main ways you can avoid falling into mountains of debt while keeping the kids well and truly entertained during this school break. The most important thing is to pick activities that are both easy to economise and give the kids something to be excited about. Even if it’s free, simple games you can play in an open field will only last so long.
At this time of year, it can seem hard to keep on top of your finances. At Cigno, we do all we can to provide school holiday loans that fit your budget and individual circumstances. You can apply online, pick the exact school holiday loan amount amount you need, and have the funds paid to your account within hours of your approval.
Read more about our school holiday loan products here, or in our previous blog post: Where To Get Online Loans With Instant Approval In Australia