Welcome back to Broke in Bristol – the blog that helps you save money, make money and live life to the full on a budget. I’m Ms Broke in Bristol and I’ve got 10 tips that will save you money this week!
After quitting my full-time job last October to work for myself, Little Miss Diva and I have had a lot less money coming in. But the good news is that thanks to a bit of belt tightening, we can still afford a holiday, yippee!
Our five-night glamping break at the Tregoad Holiday Park in August is costing £245 for one adult and one child. It may be a step down from our usual holiday abroad, but it’s also a step up from braving the unpredictable British summer in a tent! If, however, you’re happy to stay in a tent, you can stay at the same park in Looe, Cornwall, for five days for as little as £135 and there are still a few days available this summer!
Go all-inclusive for £283…
Some of the holiday parks I looked at were asking for ridiculous amounts of money! I mean how can they justify asking for more than £600 when you can go abroad (even during the school holidays!) for the same price? Don’t believe me? Check out Holiday Discount Centre which has a week all-inclusive to Tenerife for £283 per person flying from Bristol Airport on August 8. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can save even more by not opting for all-inclusive. Whether you agree with Brexit or not, all-inclusive is definitely a better option at the moment because of the weaker pound.
If that still seems expensive, have you thought about moving your bank account? You could save enough money to be able to afford to go on a cheap and cheerful summer holiday after all! Move over to M&S Bank’s premium or standard current account and you’ll be rewarded with up to £220 in M&S vouchers during the first 12 months. Worth it if you do your food shop there anyway, maybe not if you find the store a bit pricey. There’s an M&S Bank at Cribbs or you can sort it all out online.
Sales, sales, sales…
Now that our summer holiday is sorted, I need a few bits for my holiday wardrobe! Do you sometimes find that clothing sales are a bit of a let-down ‘cause they’re only discounting stuff that they can’t sell and you can never find anything in your size? Well there are absolutely loads of summer sales on at the moment and I’d recommend Next (50% off) and Dorothy Perkins (70% off) as they both have some stunning summer outfits available. Boohoo’s Ebay store also has a cracking sale on men and women’s fashion with prices starting from as little as £1 plus free delivery!
It’s about time I had my hair cut too. I tend to stick to the same hairdresser now, because a couple of years ago, my hair was a right mess after flitting from one Groupon deal to the next! However, did you know you can get it cut at Toni & Guy in Bristol city centre for just £8? Shanade Fudge is a third year apprentice at the salon in St Augustines Parade and she told Broke in Bristol that she’s looking for models – just message her first to arrange a suitable time. I used to have my hair cut by a Toni & Guy apprentice when I was skint in London and she always did a fabulous job!
Or for other deals on hair dos, spray tans and beauty treatments check out Treatwell where new customers can save £10 off their first £25 order with the code SUMMERCITY10. These beauty bods are also offering £7 off for customers who download their app – and it’s well worth using this site as you can save up to 50% at loads of Bristol salons.
If you’re constantly shopping online and you’re not registered with a cashback site yet – get with the programme! Actually, for someone who claims to be clever with cash I’m a little behind the programme myself, lol. But, now that I’m shopping online all the time, I’ve decided to trial TopCashback. I’m currently owed a tenner just for doing my Asda shop via this site – a shop I would have done online anyway! All the major supermarkets are on there as well as other big brands like Boots, RAC, Next and Dorothy Perkins. They’ll even pay you to eat takeaways! They’re giving new customers 4.2% cashback when they order food from family favourite JustEat. You could also try cashback site Quidco to see what its rates are.
We’re not off on our holibobs ‘til August, so like many other broke and fraught parents across Bristol, I’ll be trying to entertain Little Miss Diva on a shoestring! If you’re stuck for ideas of what to do over the next six weeks – check out my 25 free & cheap things to do in and around Bristol – I’ll be publishing a few more events on Thursday! If you hear of a cheap local deal or event feel free to leave a comment on our Facebook Page and we’ll do our best to spread the word. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page, so that you never miss an update!
