Q Is it worth taking a term time family holiday with our children as I can’t afford it during the holidays? 

A As a money expert and a mother, I fully understand the financial pressures many families face when planning holidays.  

While prices of travel and accommodation are often significantly lower during term times, it’s important to weigh the potential educational impact and any fines or penalties that might be imposed by the school. 

If you take a term time family holiday without the school’s permission, you can be fined. The fine is typically £80 per parent per child, which increases to £160 if not paid within 21 days. 

What’s more, persistent unauthorised absences can lead to more severe consequences, including prosecution. If found guilty, you could face a fine of up to £2,500, a community order, or even a jail sentence of up to three months. 

Beyond legal implications, consider the potential impact on your child’s education. Missing school for a family holiday can affect their learning and progress, which might have long-term consequences. 

Luckily, there are few additional ways for families to travel without breaking the bank, even when schools have broken up. 

Ask our experts your money questions

One way is to use AI to help you find the most affordable trip for your money. 

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, helps computers perform tasks that usually require human intelligence – and using it to plan your vacation is easier than you’d think. 

If you think of AI as a smart assistant – or your own travel agent – you can enter prompts that mean it can analyse historical price data to predict future prices, giving you a heads up on the best deals.

It can also suggest cheaper travel destinations that you might not have considered by considering your local airport, preferences – such as climate, activities, culture and, most importantly, your budget.  

Here is an example of a prompt to type into Chat GPT or whichever AI you prefer. You can tailor the details to meet your preferences:  

“You are my travel agent. Give me five ideas for an August holiday destination. I would like these locations to have temperatures of between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius during August.

“I will be traveling in a group with two children and two adults.  We enjoy things like swimming, beaches, and theme parks. All in, we would like to spend less than £1,500 amount for seven days. Ask me five questions that would help you do a better job of helping me pick a place.” 

Then it should help you by suggesting holidays that suit your requirements.  

Another way to help make travelling more affordably is to bulk up your holiday budget and sign up for a cashback website such as Quidco.com to save money all year round. 

Here, product providers and retailers pay commission when shoppers click on their links. In turn, the cashback website rebates some of this commission to you.  

I recently paid for a weekend getaway in Paris with my daughter with my Quidco earnings and it made a massive impact on the cost of our trip. 

If you are unable to pay for your holiday in one go, a 0% purchase credit card could help you to spread the cost of your holiday interest-free over several months. 

However, you’ll need to make sure your credit limit stretches to your holiday requirements and avoid spending more than you can afford to pay back. Try to clear your balance before the 0% deal ends and interest kicks in. 

Keep in mind you’ll need a good credit score to qualify for the most competitive credit cards. 

When it comes to a term time family holiday, I know many parents feel like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but with thoughtful planning and the right resources, you may be able to have the best of both worlds. 

Kara Gammell is an award-winning financial journalist with nearly two decades of experience writing for national newspapers and magazines such as the Daily Telegraph, the Sunday Times, Good Housekeeping, the Metro, the Independent, the Guardian, the Observer, Marie Claire, the Sun, and Cosmopolitan. Kara is the founder of a money-saving blog Your Best Friend’s Guide to Cash, which promises to help you get more bang for your buck, no matter what your budget. Her first book, Your Best Friend’s Guide to Cash: Eight Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Money, was published by Harriman House in 2014. Her latest book, Bargain Hunter: Easy hacks and tips to save money every day will be published by Headline Publishing in January 2025.   

Photo credits: Pexels

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Unlimited time off for employees has become the latest in a string of flexible working options to emerge in the wake of the pandemic. But is it actually worth it?

We live in a new age of flexible working. Since the pandemic it has become common to see benefits such as a four-day work week and remote working to be offered by companies – plus one other novel benefit – unlimited or ‘discretionary’ time off (UTO).

One of the most high-profile firms to implement the policy, Microsoft recently announced that all US employees would have unlimited paid time off. Kathleen Hogan, chief people officer at Microsoft commented at the time: “How, when, and where we do our jobs has dramatically changed.”

What is unlimited paid time off?

Unlimited paid time off is a structure where employees are not given a fixed number of paid leave days in the year.

Employees can take time off as per their discretion, generally as long as they do not disrupt business activity.

There are benefits and drawbacks to consider whether unlimited PTO is for you, and whether you should consider it if your company offers it.

Benefits

Work-life balance: Unlimited PTO offers more flexibility to employees to balance their work and personal lives. Employees can take as much time as they need to prevent burnout and improve mental health, without worrying about losing holiday entitlement.

This should ultimately lead to increased productivity, benefitting the employees and the employer.

Employees view limited PTO as a use-it-or-lose-it plan. Unlimited time off could mean that employees self-check regularly and take time off more effectively.

Less micromanagement: With UTO, employees could be given more responsibility for managing their own time. Employees could then feel a higher sense of autonomy and therefore satisfaction with their job.

At the same time, companies will have less administrative processes to account for every employee’s time off and reduce quarrels over a day’s leave every so often.

This means employers can reduce the need for heavy admin and decrease the micromanagement of employees and their activities.

Talent recruitment: UTO is a powerful recruitment tool for employers if used correctly. Having UTO could be seen as a considerable perk for a new employee, especially if implemented well.

A company’s holiday policy is the second-most rated benefit (after healthcare) when ranked by employees on US job comparison sites.

Thanks to the pandemic, many workers increasingly look for flexibility when considering a new job, and UTO could be an effective added benefit to attract workers as a result. It also shows that the company is more forward-thinking than others and is likely to be a more progressive place to work.

Drawbacks

Lack of structure: While employers are freed of administrative processes, there is chance it could create a lack of structure in the organisation. UTO can leave employees and their managers struggling to balance workloads and ensure work isn’t going undone when they’re off.

Overlapping holidays in some times of the year such as summer or Christmas can also leave insufficient staff in place and an excessive burden on those who are working in that time.

Some balancing of the practice and restrictions on how many employees can be off simultaneously might be required, limiting the effect of UTO.

Loss of quitting benefits: UTO helps save cash for employers, to the detriment of employees leaving the company.

Under UTO, employees can’t claim their earned unused leaves’ compensation while quitting or being made redundant, because effectively they don’t have any, unless a minimum entitlement is laid out in their contract specifically.

This is good for employers though as they save money when severing ties with a worker.

Denial: While UTO is theoretically unlimited, managers could have the discretion to deny leave if they feel it is excessive or comes at a bad time for the team.

This means on top of losing your right to certain paid benefits when you’re working a notice period, UTO isn’t necessarily actually ‘unlimited.’

Underuse: Setting a defined leave entitlement can be a good way to give an employee a target for time to take off. Without one, a diligent employee might not take enough time off and might burn out despite the UTO policy in place.

This leaves them undercompensated and overworked ultimately, so managers should ensure their staff are taking time out.

Potential abuse: Overuse of UTO by existing employees is certainly a problem employers could face, although in theory there is no such thing as ‘overuse’ if staff have no limitations.

A company should try to manage the policy carefully and discourage anything that could be considered ‘abuse’ of the freedom. Good leadership at all levels coupled with a positive company culture will have employees taking reasonable time off and maintaining high productivity.

Photo Credits: Unsplash

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Mouthy Money blogger Shoestring Jane looks at how to find a cheap holiday that is still as fabulous as want it to be!

With the cost of living rising fast, you may feel that any kind of holiday – particularly if you have a family – is out of reach for the foreseeable future.

However, by thinking out of the box, it is possible to have a great holiday on the cheap. Here are some ways to have some new experiences and a change of scenery without breaking the bank.

Discover a cheap holiday solution from the following alternatives

House swapping

Swapping homes with another family has a lot of advantages. Firstly, you quite literally get all the home comforts you would expect if you were at your own place.

Comfy beds, a fully equipped kitchen, a decent WiFi service and probably a better TV package than you could expect in your average holiday rental, for starters.

We swapped with one family in France whose children were similar ages, which meant they also swapped toys for the week!

You have to be prepared to trust strangers in your property, of course. However, over the course of five or six house swaps, we experienced only kindness and respect.

Our hosts left us food, tourist guides and advice, and we always came home to a spotless property.

One disadvantage that I found was the time I spent cleaning beforehand, however. I felt the house had to be immaculate before I could welcome in guests. We even repainted a couple of times.

Yes, your home does have to be in good, clean condition with all appliances working properly, so be prepared to do a little cleaning and maintenance.

There are various house swapping organisations that can put you in touch with prospective swapees in the UK and even internationally. Be aware that you will need to pay a joining fee and don’t forget to factor in the cost of your transport.

Pet and house sitting

Lots of people prefer to leave their beloved animals at home with a kind person to care for them when they go away rather than put them into a kennel or cattery.

Having somebody in the house also increases security. This creates opportunities for free accommodation for those of us looking to have a great holiday on the cheap.

Obviously you have to be an animal lover, be around at feeding times and take dogs for walks. But this type of arrangement can take you all around the UK and beyond. 

At the time of writing, perusing the Trusted Housesitters site, I can see a long weekend in Southwold up for grabs, some light cat sitting in London or the chance to spend a week in a cottage in Scotland, looking after two dogs and a parrot.

Some accommodation is family friendly, whilst others prefer a singleton or a couple. Again, although your accommodation is free, you will need to factor in the cost of your travel.

Going under canvas

Some of the best – and cheapest – holidays I had when my daughters were younger were camping trips. Sure, you are at the mercy of the weather, particularly in the UK, but if you make sure you have warm sleeping bags, wellies and waterproofs you can overlook a little rain most of the time. 

In my experience, children absolutely love camping – once they get over the lack of internet, they really enjoy the chance to run wild, meet other kids, explore the great outdoors and get away from technology for a bit.

The cheapest and quietest sites tend to be the most basic too. We loved Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, which offered a shop, a shower block and toilets, but not much else. Apart from the forest itself, of course. We saw glow worms, wild ponies, bats and owls and had some fabulous walks.

Other campsites offer entertainment, shops, swimming pools and kids clubs, but you will obviously pay more for these.

You might think it will cost a lot to gather together the tent and other equipment required to have a holiday under canvas, but not necessarily.

I suggest asking friends and family if you can borrow theirs first as a trial run, then take to Freecycle or Freegle and put in a request, or buy second hand. 

A working farm holiday

If you are holidaying alone or as a couple, a working holiday can be a great way to experience a different sort of life and make new friends in the process.

One interesting organisation offering working holidays is WWOOF, which stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

You get free room and board, whilst helping out on the farm, learning about sustainability and experiencing a different culture.

If you have a genuine interest in ecological farming, then this could be the trip for you.

Youth hostels at any age

The Youth Hostel Association isn’t just for youngsters and students. These days the YHA has a range of accommodation, including private rooms, family chalets, glamping and more. 

The YHA is a good option for the budget traveller, as you can still get a really cheap bed in a shared dorm though from about £13 a night.

Best of all, you will find hostels in the most fantastic locations, from a city centre to a beach side location or a forest. 

You don’t have to join the YHA to book accommodation, but if you do you save 10% on each stay. Individual membership starts at £15 a year.

A holiday at home

There has been much written about staycations in the past few years, as travel opportunities became temporarily limited by the pandemic.

However, for many people, a staycation doesn’t just mean holidaying in the UK. It means remaining in your own home whilst behaving like a tourist.

If money is really tight and you can’t afford to travel far, then holiday at home. Take a week off, put chores to one side and look at your local area with new eyes.

Find out about local museums and art galleries – which often have free entry – visit local beauty spots, take a picnic to the beach, or visit a historic site or stately home. 

A proper staycation can really make you appreciate the area you live in. 

Travelling abroad

If you do choose to travel overseas, don’t forget to check if any covid restrictions are in place, and factor in any extra expenses such as the cost of PCR testing and isolation requirements. You can find this information at gov.uk.

Whatever type of break you decide to take, I hope these ideas will help you to have a great holiday on the cheap and some fantastic experiences with your friends and family.

Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels

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With the govenrment changing its mind on travel to Portugal, it might be time for Brits to think about staycations again.

Flight prices from Portugal are soaring as anxious British holidaymakers race to get out of the country after it was axed from the Government’s ‘green’ list.

From today, holidaymakers travelling back to the UK from the southern European holiday hotspot will need to purchase two Covid-19 tests and quarantine for 10 days.

The government decided to kick Portugal off its green list — countries that don’t require a period of quarantine upon your return — after it experienced a flare-up of Covid cases.

The announcement health secretary Matt Hancock has since suggested that summer holidays were ‘on hold’ for now.

Experts have suggested that holidaymakers with flights booked for Portugal may not be able claim off their insurance or demand a refund because the Foreign Office has not warned against travelling to the country.

With the government’s selection of green-listed countries appearing to be fairly fluid, would-be holidaymakers are advised for now to stick to the UK for a staycation this summer.

Shortage of summer gear

That being said, shoppers and staycationers are being warned to expect shortages of typical summer goods such as picnic baskets, garden toys and garden furniture.

Some 60% of British suppliers have experienced import delays according to customs clearance platform KlearNow. This in part comes back to the blockage of the Suez Canal earlier in the year.

But thanks to the increase of staycationers, demand for these items has also increased significantly.

KlearNow’s chief executive Sam Tyagi says: “A combination of Covid-19 restrictions, the backlog from the Suez Canal blockage, increasing global demand for shipping containers, disruption to shipping caused by India’s public health crisis and a shortage of packaging materials means UK businesses are already struggling to meet summer demand.”

Britain not ready for a digital pound

The Bank of England has published a study of the possibility of introducing a central bank digital currency (CBDC).

The Bank says while it sees some potential uses for a CBDC, at the moment some issues are resolvable through traditional financial means instead of uprooting the current system of money.

It also warned that borrowers could face elevated interest rates were a new digital currency to drain money out of the old financial system.

The Bank says it has no plans to launch a CBDC for now, but it will continue to study the idea of digital cash and its potential future uses.

WATCH: Mouthy Money co-editor Edmund Greaves talks to James Max on talkRADIO this morning on these topics:

Photo by riciardus from Pexels

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Holidaymakers could face lenghty queues to get their passports renewed, the Passport Office has warned.

It comes after a massive drop in renewels in 2020 – four million down from an average of seven million.

The Passport Office says anyone applying for a new passport should expect delays of up to 10 weeks, instead of the usual three, because it expects a surge in demand thanks to last year’s shortfall and a sudden reopening this summer.

With EU countries now requiring UK passports to have at least six months left before expiry – as is the case for the rest of the world – anyone considering a break abroad this summer should check their passport has enough time on it.

Without sufficient time before expiry travellers could be denied entry to their holiday destinations.

Anyone needing to renew can do so online via the Gov.uk website for £75.50, or by post for a cost of £85. The fast track service which allows people to pay more for quicker turnaround is currently suspended.

WATCH: our co-editor Edmund Greaves discusses these stories on talkRADIO with James Max:

Halifax relaunches £100 switching bonus

Anyone looking for a free £100 could benefit from switching to a Halifax Bank account.

The firm is offering the switching bonus to anyone who moves their currenty account through the Current Account Switching Service (CASS) before 4 May. The switcher will need to open a Halifax Ultimate Reward Current Account or a Halifax Reward Current Account. If you are already a Halifax customer you won’t qualify for the offer.

Both accounts charge a fee in exchange for added products. The Ultimate Reward Current Account costs £17 a month and requires a deposit of at least £1,500 monthly. The Reward Current Account is free if you pay in at least £1,500 a month, or costs £3 a month if you pay in less.

The Ultimate Reward Current Account offers AA breakdown cover, home emergency cover mobile phone insurance and worldwide multi-trip family travel insurance, plus cashback at certain retailers. The Reward Current Account lacks the insurance benefits but comes with cashback offers.

If you’re not keen on switching to Halifax or already have an account there, try HSBC which offers £125 or first direct (owned by HSBC) offering £100. Virgin Money currently offers 12 bottles of wine and £50 to charity when you switch.

Costa Coffee celebrates birthday with 50p drinks for customers

You can pick up any hot drink at Costa Coffee from today to Thursday (15 April) to celebrate the chain’s 50th birthday.

All you need to do is download the Costa Coffee App on the App Store for iPhone or Google Play store for Android users. When paying for your hot drink you’ll just need to make sure to scan the app at the till.

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