New guest post from our friends at Moneysupermarket.com

UK Half Term Holiday Destinations

Half term is fast approaching and the worry of what to do to occupy the kids for a full week is filling many parents with dread. The desire to provide them with a fun filled educational week off is conflicting with the necessity of not breaking the bank. There are many great things you can do at home to have a great half term break and not spend a lot but sometimes getting away even for a couple of days can make the break seem like a real holiday.

Here are a few of the great UK destinations suitable for short breaks and ways you can enjoy them without spending a fortune.

Chester

Often overlooked for its neighbouring cities of Manchester and Liverpool, Chester is a fantastic place to get away with the children. Home to Chester Zoo, the whole family can enjoy a day out here, granted this can be a bit on the expensive side when there is a few of you but there are ways of reducing the cost. Chester Zoo often offers discount vouchers, particularly during the school holidays, always look out for these before you go. Avoid the restaurants and cafes when you are in there as they can be expensive, instead take a picnic, there are plenty of picnics spots available (indoor and outdoor) and that way you can control the amount you are spending on food and drinks.

To save even more money when visiting Chester, head to the lesser known attractions such as the Ice Cream Farm and the Candle Factory, close by you can even visit both in one day.

For a completely free activity if your children enjoy history, get them to pretend they are a Roman soldier for a day and walk the city walls and visit the ruins of the amphitheatre. A visit to the museum, which is also free, can provide you with all the knowledge to provide them with a fun and educational day out.

York

York, like Chester is a city steeped in history so is great for families with children who enjoy learning about soldiers, leaders and the key figures of times gone by. As well as its role in Roman history, York is also the birthplace of Guy Fawkes and visitors can take part in the Guy Fawkes walking tour at only £4 for adults and £2 for children.

For a fun filled day out head to the York Dungeons, here families can enjoy an interactive experience of all of York’s horrible history including rides and actors to make it all the more realistic. Money can be saved on tickets to the dungeon by planning ahead and booking online, particularly when booking a family ticket of 2 adults and 2 children (the price reduces from £49 to £29.40)

Blackpool

Blackpool has long been associated with British family breaks, although more recently has been given a bad reputation, largely due to hen and stag parties flocking to the area. While it is true that there are a fair few revellers around in the evening this doesn’t stop the area being a great traditional destination for families during the day.

Of course the best free attraction Blackpool has to offer is its beach, although not many of us will want to be sat on a beach in the freezing temperatures of February! Instead staying indoors is much more preferable, Blackpool has many attractions that are great for kids, the Sea Life Centre, Pirate Adventure Mini Golf (again indoors!) Louis Tussards waxwork museum, Blackpool Tower and countless arcades. Granted these all cost money although many offer vouchers and discounts so it’s a good idea to check before you go as you could end up saving a lot of money. Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Nickelodeon Land are fantastic for the kids and both will be open this February, the Pleasure Beach only opens at the weekends but Nickelodeon Land is open every day.

Conwy

If Blackpool is a little bit to lively then heading to the North Wales coast for a beach break might be more your thing. Conwy is a beautiful town that is a great destination for a family break, as well as having a stunning coastline which is great for walks (ideal if you have a dog and like to take them on holiday with you) a castle and even the smallest house in Britain!

You can see Conwy Castle as soon as you arrive in the town, wonderfully preserved, once you enter its grounds you can imagine how it would have been when it was first constructed during the 1200’s. Admission is just £13.90 for a family ticket. Once you have visited the castle, head just down the road to the smallest house in Britain! This tiny house is just 10 feet by 6 feet in size and was built in the 16^th century with people living there right up until the 1900’s. On visiting the house you can learn all about its past owners, the last being fisherman Robert Jones who himself who 6ft 3in. Visitors can enter the house and see for themselves how it must have been to live in Britain’s smallest house! Throw in a bag of fish and chips and this day out can be a great day for families with children of all ages.

This is a guest article from Charlotte at TravelSupermarket.com, whether you choose to enjoy a short break in the UK or a last minute holiday overseas, TravelSupermarket can help you to find a great deal for you and your family that’ll leave you with plenty of spending money to enjoy your time away.

Today is Safer Internet Day, so how safe are you and your children online?

We all try to keep our lives private but with the age of Facebook when friends share photos and locations online, it becomes easier for people to track our lives, for the good and the bad!

When I was growing up, we didnt have the internet, we were so excited when my brother received a Sega Megadrive as a Christmas gift but my children have access to our laptops and blackberry and the 6 year old knows how to use the ipod better than me. Whilst confidence with technology is great, it also comes with its pitfalls.  People can pretend to be someone they are not online, there are some unscrupulous people that prey on children and trusting adults too so increasing awareness and security is at the forefront of parents minds.

I spend far too much time on my laptop (like now) and my blackberry (like always), so maybe when I have time with my children, I should turn the technology off and remember this poem (edited)

I hope my children look back on today

And remember a Mother who had time to play

Children grow up while you're not looking

There'll be years ahead for computers, cleaning and cooking

So quiet now facebook and dust, go to sleep

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

There are lots of things you find out as you get older, the things you wish someone had told you as a teenager, so here are my top 10.

1. The most popular girl in school isnt always the happiest. Be happy being you.

2. Boys arent made the same way as girls. They think differently. You cant change them, so find the one that makes you laugh and when he frustrates you - laugh about it.

3. Chewing gum on clothes can be frozen off in the freezer. It doesnt come out of hair!

4. Your first love will probably break your heart. You may never forgive him for it but dont punish every other man for it either.

5. Bus journeys are fun when you are 3. Bus journeys can be entertaining when you are 13 but if you have children of your own, a bus, a pushchair and some shopping, is neither fun or entertaining. If you get the chance to learn to drive - do it.

6. Your family is a gift. You probably wont appreciate them till you have your own children but they will love you regardless of what you do. Love them back even if they embarress you today!

7. If you make a promise, make sure you keep it, especially to a child.

8. You can prepare mind and body for childbirth. You can do it, its what you were designed to do.

9. Remember where a dogs tongue has been before you let it lick your face.

10. Dont eat yellow snow!!

What do you wish someone had told you??

We are delighted to have another guest post from our friends at Moneysupermarket.com, so grab a cuppa and sit down to see how you can save money on your holiday plans!

Saving Money on Family Holidays

Money can be tight around this time of year, the over spend at Christmas can often lead to a miserable January of budgeting and being frugal with finances but if there is one thing a miserable January almost always evokes is the longing for a holiday in the sun. However research by TravelSupermarket.com has found that despite our lack of funds us Brits are still putting a high precedence on going on holiday, with 96% planning on taking at least one break this year. Other findings of the research showed that the price of the holiday will be the number one consideration for us when booking a holiday, overriding other factors such as accommodation and weather.   

When you factor in a whole family to pay for then costs can really escalate. Here are some tips on how to get the most for your money on your family holiday:

Choosing the right destination

One of the best ways to save money is to choose wisely when it comes to your destination, if you pick the right destination you could end up saving hundreds off the total price of your holiday. For families with young children Spain and the Canary Islands have always been a popular choice due to the short flight times from the UK and these will continue to offer great value for money during 2012. Greece will also be offering its visitors plenty of tempting offers in an attempt to attract tourists to boost its suffering economy. For those who fancy a long haul beach break, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Mexican coast around Cancun are all offering great all inclusive package deals during 2012.

Be savvy with your spending money   

When it comes to planning the budget for your holiday, many people fail to include their holiday spending money. Doing your research before you go can end up saving you money, never change your money at the Bureau de Change at the airport as they can often cost you a lot more than if you purchase your money online in advance.

Another great way to make the most of your holiday spending money is to take out a pre-paid card, you load as much money as you need on to it before you go and use it as you would any other debit or credit card. The benefit of doing this is that you won’t be faced with the charges so often caused by overseas transactions. You also have the added security over carrying cash with you which could be stolen; whilst of course your card could be stolen you will need a pin number to make any transactions.

All Inclusive vs. Self Catering

Deciding whether all inclusive or self catering is the most cost effective for your family depends on the type of holiday you intend to have.  If you’re the type of family who enjoy long lazy days by the pool and don’t mind not venturing to far from your hotel then all inclusive could well be the most cost effective for you. If however you enjoy long days out where you might require a packed lunch going all inclusive may not be the best option – you don’t want to end up paying for food at the hotel and spend all of your time buying meals whilst you’re out and about.

When you do go self catering it can be easy to over spend on meals and snacks out, decide on your budget before you leave and stick to it, otherwise you could end up spending a lot more than if you were to go all inclusive.

Travel Insurance Options

When it comes to saving money on your holiday don’t be tempted to cut costs with your travel insurance, while it might be tempting to not pay that initial out lay of cash it could end up costing you thousands in the long run if anything were to go wrong whilst you’re away.

When travelling with your family, a family travel insurance policy can be the most cost effective, usually the policy with consist of cover for two adults and up to 4 children (although this will vary from insurer to insurer.)

Purchasing individual policies for each family member can become costly particularly when buying it straight from the tour operator, shop around on price comparison sites such as MoneySupermarket.com for the best deals and you can find you can get it considerably cheaper online, freeing up money to spend on enjoying yourself whilst you are away.