How to save money on a UK staycation

The UK is experiencing a heatwave, which may make holidaying at home more appealing than jetting off abroad. If you opt to stay in this country, there are ways to cut costs on your staycation.

Temperatures in the UK are set to "exceed the heatwave criteria" in parts of central and eastern England over the coming days, said the Met Office.

With temperatures expected to reach 30°C, said BBC News, "the nights will also be warmer and more humid than we have been used to lately".

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It comes as flight prices are on the rise this summer.

So, if the warm weather whets your appetite for a summer staycation, here is how you can save money on a domestic trip.

Look beyond popular tourist hotspots

Holidaying "outside a popular area" can save you loads of money, Dan Whittaker, personal finance expert at Viva Money, told The Sun.

While a three-star bed and breakfast stay in the "popular seaside town" of Scarborough comes to £459 for two adults during August, said Whittaker, it would be £79 cheaper to stay down the road at Robin Hood's Bay on the same dates.

These small swaps could make a meaningful difference to the cost of a staycation.

Ditch the hotel

Camping is the "perfect way to keep things cheap", said MoneyMagpie, and you could enjoy any one of the UK's 15 "gorgeous national parks" and more than 7,000 miles of coastline.

You could consider Airbnb, said the Daily Express, but beware the lack of regulation. Alternatively, renting a canal boat, camper van or mobile home is a "great way to travel to a different place each day while living a more relaxed pace of lifestyle".

Use your Clubcard and discount vouchers

Tesco Clubcard points aren't just for your shopping, said MoneySavingExpert, and your rewards "may allow you to get three times the value of your vouchers" on stays booked through partners including Hotels.com and Forest Holidays.

Also, look out for discount vouchers on cereal boxes or online for days out at top attractions such as theme parks, added MoneyToTheMasses. You may even get ideas for free activities if you "plug your destination" into Tripadvisor.

Bring your own supplies

Regularly visiting restaurants on holiday can soon "eat into your budget", added Whittaker, so consider "eating in instead of eating out". A supermarket shop could save money over the course of a stay, rather than meals in restaurants.

Additionally, activities and events usually have a "fair price tag attached" said London Daily News, so you could save money by supplying your own equipment, such as bikes.

Set a budget

You may make an "immediate saving" on flights, transfers and "expensive foreign hotels", said MoneyToTheMasses, but it is still worth setting a budget to keep track of what you are spending while away.

Factor in items such as entertainment, food, travel and accommodation, added the financial website, as "the last thing you want is to come home and have to tighten your belts" because you didn't monitor where your money went for a few days.