Can Group Buying & Voucher Codes Get Me Through Maternity Leave? Err...

Readers of my blog since December will know that, in attempt to reduce my outgoings in preparation for maternity leave, I've been dabbling in the whole group-buying experience. It has worked for me on one or two occasions but the problem I find is that very rarely when I actually need or want to buy something, is that something available on a group-buying site. It isn't like a normal online shopping experience... you can't just search for the thing you want to buy and know that there is someone somewhere who wants to sell it to you. You can only buy the things currently on offer and more often than not, the offers are totally irrelevant to me.

However, being someone who naturally refuses to buy anything at full price unless she ABSOLUTELY has to, I'm exercising my right to search for voucher codes. Once again I think you have to pick and choose when it comes to online vouchers and discount codes. In recent weeks I've found really useful vouchers for fabric softener and nappies (both things I actively needed to buy) but then received another one for brie (hmmm, not that useful when pregnant).

My ultimate challenge when it comes to finding a bargain during 2012 is to source discounts on all of the elements of my epic family road trip in July. Finding discount codes for hotels in the UK is relatively easy, in fact, I have a couple of weekend trips already planned with a Travelodge Discount Code that means we can stay near friends for less than £20. However, finding discount codes for hotels on the continent is proving slightly harder.

So, if you know of any places that offer voucher codes for european hotels, car hire or ferry crossings that are valid for bookings in July then PLEASE let me know! Thank you.

Summer Holidays With Babies & Toddlers Don't Have to Break the Bank

I’m trying to win an iPad 2 in the iSave, iWrite, iPad competition from PlayPennies.com!

When I became a parent, nearly two years ago, I was determined not to let parenthood stand in the way of me and holidays – it's of the ways I remain mellow. In the UK or abroad, I like to travel, explore, chill out and take photos. With a third person in the family, it became important to us not to overspend on holiday and, as our family grows, our concerns about money (I'm sure) will become greater but I'm determined not to let cash flow ruin our enjoyment.



This year we have one overseas trip and one UK holiday planned. The costs, I'll admit, do add up so I wanted to share a few money-saving tips that I've tried and tested along the way – the arrival of an extra little person doesn't have to make a holiday prohibitively expensive.

We took our first transatlantic trip when Lara was 12 months old – for the 7.5 hour flight we invested in a separate seat for Lara but, in all honesty, she spent over 70% of each journey on one or other of our knees. In May Lara will fly with us to the Mediterranean, less than a month before her 2nd birthday and this time we've decided to save the cash. Experience has told us that the stress of sitting with a wriggly toddler on your knees is bearable given the cost savings and, as most airlines enforce that your child sits in their own seat after 2 years old, this will be the last chance for Lara to fly without having to pay a full child fare.

While I'll admit that these days, a self-catering holiday in the UK, or abroad can often cost more than a good all-in package holiday, the important thing about a self-catering holiday is that YOU are in control of your finances (and your waistline). If you're holidaying in the UK you can quite reasonably fill your car up with all of your food and supplies from home – a week away need not be any more expensive than a week at home. Abroad, you can choose to eat in your accommodation every night of your holiday, should you wish. You can spend as much or as little as you like on food. And, if you're feeling flush, you can head out for a restaurant meal as a special holiday treat for the family. Some of my most vivid, and treasured memories of my own childhood holidays revolve around meals sourced, cooked and enjoyed with my parents while self-catering in the UK.



When we travel abroad, we almost always hire a car. The first two times that we took Lara with us, we paid the extra money to hire an infant or child car seat at our destination – thus saving us the hassle of lugging a heavy seat half way across the globe. On both occasions, the car seat we hired was dirtier than we would have wished, harder to use than our own and caused long delays at the point of collection. Since then, we've saved money and stress by taking our own car seat. I've been surprised to find that most airlines will carry these for free and that airports actually make check-in and collection of oversized luggage quite easy!



Whether I'm travelling at home or abroad, I like to research my location thoroughly. Maybe it's in my genes but trust me, a little homework can really help you save your pennies. I start at the library. It can be tempting to rush into buying guide books and maps but your local library may well have both of these already... for FREE. I've found that Rough Guide travel books are the most thorough at documenting places to see or events to attend that you would often never know about otherwise – many of them costing little or nothing. If a guide book can't help you find these secret places then the local tourist office probably can. In the UK and abroad I've found the leaflets and posters inside tourist offices to advertise local events that no travel agent, tour rep or guide book could ever tell you existed. In the south of France where everything costs the earth, we've found free private beaches, art exhibitions, family fun days and nature walks this way.



Perhaps the most important thing to remember about a holiday is that, even with a toddler who needs entertaining, you don't need to pack every day full of attractions and activities. It's OK to chill out on holiday and to do nothing in particular. Take a couple of family games or a few favourite books to read and RELAX.