With food prices rising amid the cost-of-living crisis, parents are being provided helpful ways to feed their children during the summer holidays.
The penny-pinching experts at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have looked at affordable ways to plan family meals throughout the summer break.
As supermarkets and fast-food chains increase their prices at the highest rates in over a decade, many parents are worried about the cost of feeding the kids during the holidays.
To support parents in the UK, restaurants and garden centres are offering discounted meals for kids to eat out, but there’s also simple methods to save money when cooking for the family at home.
Mitch Barnes, online consumer expert from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “We wanted to give parents a helping hand this summer, as many will feel the pinch of rising food costs in their weekly expenses.
“There are numerous schemes available this summer with a wide range of pubs and supermarket restaurants offering special discounts for kids to eat out.
“But we also wanted to provide simple ways for parents to save money on making meals at home for their children during the holidays.”
Here are NetVoucherCodes.co.uk’s budget-friendly ways to feed your kid on a budget this summer:
Picky bits for dinner
A classic British summer favourite which many households are familiar with this summer. To make the most of the leftover meals, leave them in the fridge overnight and get creative about which bits can be used for dinner. This tip will save you from making a last-minute trip to the supermarket.
Batch cooking
Many parents use this effective way to make batches of school lunches in the week. Use this tip throughout summer by freezing your food and allocating which days the kids can tuck into a delicious meal without going out to buy more ingredients.
Shop around for summer deals
If the local supermarkets are near one another, don’t be afraid to venture out to each store to work out which has the best offers. Most shops will be near the end of summer discounts, which means the chances of finding even better deals are at an all-time high.
Discounted pub meals
Local pubs are providing a variety of discounts for kids to eat cheaper this summer, from half price fish and chips to chicken nuggets for a dime. Head down and find out which are available.
A trip to the garden centre
Taking the family to the garden centre is the perfect summer day out, with fresh flowers, gardening tools and this summer – discounted meals. Lots of centres are taking on the helping kids this summer initiative, so look up your local garden centre to see what offers are available.
Cheap meals at supermarket restaurants
Throughout the summer holidays, many supermarket chains are offering further discounts on kid’s meals to help with the rising food costs. Have a look at which ones are offering free meals, with many promoting a £1 dine out option.
‘Once a week’ rule
Set some time aside for a family meal out by using the ‘once a week’ rule where you either dine out weekly or you get a takeaway of your choice as a family treat. This way you can plan around your food shops so less food will be wasted, which will also help to prevent overspending allocating food budgets.
Social media budget recipes
Everyone has a favourite social media recipe which has become a weekly make. But if you’re unsure of any meals which can be added to your cookbook, explore social media apps for simple recipes which will cost less than a fiver to make.
Family pizza making
Instead of the Saturday night takeaway, it can be a proper family get together making your own homemade pizzas. While the children are off school it’s a perfect initiative to use this to spend quality time with them, without having to splash a fortune on takeout.
Yellow stickers before scheme ends
The best before scheme is phasing out, so it’s important to make the most of a late minute dash to the shops for reduced labelled food. Have a look in the evenings and on a Sunday afternoon to have the best chance of securing food on a budget.
Family meal plan
It’s best to be organised when planning meals to save the extra pennies. To make this more creative, mark each day with a different colour pen and decorate with stickers when it’s time for a special dish or a day when you’re dining out.
Try veggie days
Meats typically cost the most on weekly meals. If you decide to swap the meat for veggie choices it can save around a third on select meals during the week. Have a look at meals which don’t involve meat or try out some delicious veggie options for half the price.
For budget-friendly ways to feed the kids during the summer holidays, head over to NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.
