Friday 22 July 2011

Save money this summer - go walking


A new survey has revealed a staggering statistic – that parents are expected to spend a total of £8.6bn on childcare and entertainment this summer. That’s an average of £660 per child over the holidays, including £246 on childcare and £414 on entertainment.

Added to this, the Cost of a Child Report research by insurer LV= found that 55% of parents with children under 18 will not be taking a holiday abroad.

But even though parents are making cut backs this summer, they are finding more creative ways to entertain their children. Cash-clever parents are taking advantage of discount offers for museums and parks, while almost two-thirds of parents will be making doing at-home activities with their kids, such as cooking, drawing, painting and crafts.

If you’re keeping an eye on the pennies this summer why not book a short holiday or weekend in Scotland – and make the most of the great outdoors. Walking is a cheap and fun activity and is highly accessible to all the family.

In Angus, in particular, there’s a host of family-friendly walks through glens and even a couple of the easiest Munros you’ll find. Exploring woodlands, riverbanks and hillsides can lead to some great wildlife sightings and you might even discover a beautiful waterfall or a pool for splashing about in.

Glentrek can offer a wealth of advice on waling in the area and help you to book accommodation to suit your budget. There are many family-style hostels or campsites that won’t break the bank and if you’re enjoying the outdoors and walks every day you will keep the cost of the holiday to a minimum.

If you’re feeling a little more generous one day – and you want to treat the kids to a summer holiday day they won’t forget, why not check out the adventure activities being offered by locally based Highway2Adventure?

Scotland’s outdoors offers so much to do and for just a small outlay so you may not have to spend as much this summer as the research suggests.