How families can enjoy a special Easter without breaking the bank

It can be costly for families to fill the Easter break with activities, but here are some tips from Lynn Beattie, aka Mrs Mummypenny, for saving cash.

Families could make savings this Easter by planning ahead (Alamy/PA)

The Easter holidays give families a chance to get together for some much-needed fun and relaxation.

But Easter can also be costly, and filling the school holidays with engaging activities that don’t break the bank sometimes feels like a challenge.

And, this can often be a bit trickier than during the summer, when the weather is more likely to be warmer, allowing more time for playing outdoors or on the beach.

Easter falls early this year, with Easter Sunday taking place on the last day of the month, March 31, so the weather may not have warmed up yet.

Handily, personal finance expert and mum, Lynn Beattie, aka Mrs Mummypenny, has some top tips to help families make their budgets stretch further this Easter.

1. Combine Easter egg purchases to lower the costs

Beattie suggests snapping supermarket deals up early.

She says: “You can also lower costs by buying them in bulk (at least four) – why not combine your Easter egg purchases and split the lower cost with friends or family.”

2. Plan Easter travel in advance

Planning your journey ahead can generate some surprisingly big savings – and Beattie says she recently saved £50 on a train ticket by splitting the journey into two parts.

She says she makes use of ticketing websites such as Trip.com and Split Ticketing. Trainline also has a “SplitSave” feature and allows people to check for alternative trains on slower routes.

Beattie adds: “Make use of a railcard too – save a third on travel with cards such as the friends and family, network and young person railcards.”

3. Try an alternative roast for less

“Lamb is the traditional Easter roast, but good-quality joints are increasingly pricey,” says Beattie.

She suggests looking for cheaper cuts, which can be a great way to save money, or considering different meat options.

Shopping from the frozen aisle can be another great way to save, she suggests.

4. When buying vegetables, look for ways to chop the costs

“Supermarkets often reduce the cost of key roast ingredients just before Easter,” says Beattie.

“Last year, potatoes, carrots and parsnips could be snapped up for less than 20p per packet.”

5. Save on family days out during the holidays

Beattie says: “Family attractions can be expensive, but luckily there are ways to lower the entry fees. For those working in (or retired from) the public sector or civil service, Boundless membership includes a free annual subscription to Kids Pass, with loads of discounts on days out and UK attractions, plus unlimited free admission to Kew Gardens and all nine WWT (Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) centres across the country.”

You could also check out noticeboards in libraries and community centres for free activities for kids taking place over Easter.

6. Cash in rewards

Points built up at supermarkets can be spent on family days out.

Beattie suggests: “Check the balances of your Tesco Clubcard and Nectar points – you might be surprised how many points you have built up.

“Using these vouchers is a great way to help cover the costs of Easter holiday fun.”

7. Enjoy free fun outdoors

On fine and sunny days, families can have plenty of fun getting creative outdoors.

Beattie says: “You can treasure hunt for plenty of things besides Easter eggs during the holidays – we like to head outside and send the kids on nature trail missions, with a treat for the winner who can spot everything first.

“Ideas for springtime include a daffodil, blackbird, oak tree, dog, pheasant, flat skimmer stone, a white flower (and a) bluebell. If you can get to the coast, search for shells and fossils – or brave a dip in the sea.”

8. Visit a free museum

“There are loads of free museums and galleries to visit across the UK, from London’s big museums to the smaller places more local to you,” says Beattie.

She continues: “MoneySavingExpert has a fab list of free museums where you search by location. On rainy days we love RAF Museum London, London’s Natural History Museum and the V&A for hours of fun exploring. Take a packed lunch to save even more and avoid the gift shop at the end.”

9. Be supermarket savvy

“It’s easy to keep going back to the same, familiar supermarket, but it could pay to shop around,” says Beattie.

She suggests: “You can check prices for your favourite items using a price comparison site such as trolley.co.uk.”

Supermarkets also often have cheap deals for children to eat in their cafes.

For example, in February this year, Asda said that its Kids Eat for £1 initiative has served over 3.1 million meals since its launch in June 2022.

10. Finally, drive frugally

“If you have to drive to visit family and friends over Easter, can you car-share or pick up relatives along the way?” suggests Beattie.

She adds: “Always check your tyre pressure before you leave, try not to overpack the car and keep the speed down, it all makes a difference to fuel usage.”

PetrolPrices can help motorists to compare fuel prices.

Mrs Mummypenny’s tips were given in conjunction with Boundless – a membership club that offers deals to public sector and civil service workers, current or retired, along with their friends and families. Boundless offers its members deals on experiences, events, volunteer activities and things to do.