[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
The cost of living crisis is hitting all of us. And if you\u2019re going through divorce your financial and emotional burden is heavier than usual. But that doesn\u2019t mean your holidays have to be a write-off.\u00a0 Holidays, when money is tight, can still happen. Here we explore how you can make your purse-strings stretch further when times are hard. Here are 7 ways to plan for the holidays when you\u2019re feeling the pinch in divorce.<\/em><\/p>\n You might not be expecting me to talk about values on a blog about money-saving. But our values are the key to our sense of purpose and meaning. For children too, although they might not use those words!<\/p>\n Values are principles that can guide how we live. And we can explore them for all aspects of our life, including holidays. For example, values that might be related to holidays include:<\/p>\n So spend a moment and think about what it is that\u2019s really important to you about a holiday this year. And ask your children the same question. Your children might come up with \u2018destinations\u2019 rather than a \u2018values\u2019 answer, so you can help them dig deeper:<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to go to Australia for our holiday?! What is it about Australia that\u2019s so exciting? Ah, it\u2019s where that cartoon is set – okay. What do you love about that cartoon?\u201d<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified what your holiday values are, it becomes much easier to come up with holiday ideas that are in budget.<\/p>\n Am I saying that lack of money isn\u2019t a problem? No. Often having a bigger budget gives us more choice, and means we can tick our holiday wish list more easily. But I am saying that when you know what\u2019s important, deep down, it\u2019s a roadmap to finding holiday solutions that meet your needs.<\/p>\n For example, let\u2019s say your children really crave a sense of adventure, but you can\u2019t afford the all inclusive white water rafting trip to France. You can offer that sense of adventure with a camping (or glamping) trip for a couple of nights. Or make sure you have some day trips to a forest where they can feel the call of the wild.<\/p>\n If you want to take a holiday, and have the finances to do so, think about it now. Quite often the best deals are found in advance. Train tickets are released three months in advance, so now is a good time to look for August. Planning early means you can seek out the more affordable accommodation, especially if you have fixed dates to stick with. It also means you can book tickets for local attractions: in these covid-aware times many places with free entry are still operating an advance ticketing system.<\/p>\n On the other hand, if you can be flexible with dates, you may be able to pick up a last minute holiday bargain – though you might have to be flexible with where as well as when! Holidays, when money is tight can happen if you’re open and ready.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got children you\u2019re probably a dab hand at identifying the free events, workshops and activities on offer in your local area. Check websites or notice boards in your libraries and parks for news of holiday events coming up. Many businesses or council initiatives have \u2018kids eat free\u2019 food offers during the school holiday period – Google to see what\u2019s available for you, and make the most of local parenting groups to get up to date information. Holidays, when money is tight can happen on your doorstep.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re going away, you can do the same thing. Why not see what the local library is like in your holiday destination? And check out the parks. Just because it\u2019s free doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s boring. Sometimes the best holiday days are unstructured, especially with children. You can explore the local area at your own pace, with a picnic in tow, rather than feel frazzled as you \u2018make the most\u2019 of an attraction you\u2019ve paid over the odds for.<\/p>\n The cost of living crisis is affecting most of us, to different degrees. It\u2019s likely that friends and family are having to cut back and get creative too. They can be a great mutual help in making summer holidays fun and affordable. Next week\u2019s blog is all about what to consider when going on holiday with your wider family, but you can also think about: Holidays, when money is tight can be just as fun for all the family as those trips to more expensive destinations. Remember, children remember how experiences make them feel over what they did. Den building with friends or setting up an icecream stall can be just as thrilling as the fairground!<\/p>\n Summer 2021 was a scramble for UK holiday destinations, with limited overseas options. That\u2019s likely to be true again, even as covid restrictions lift, with people cutting back on the cost of travel.<\/p>\n So if you are looking to get away from home, how can you find somewhere with availability? And that won\u2019t be heaving with tourists or cost the earth?<\/p>\n The answer is to stay away from well-known destinations. Whether it’s the coast you\u2019re after, or city breaks, the UK is filled with overlooked places, which tend to be cheaper as well as less crowded. Holidays, when money is tight can open your eyes to options and destinations you’d never have considered and this could be your greatest adventure yet.<\/p>\n The thought of organising more garden\/lounge sleepovers might make you shudder in memory of spring 2020\u2019s long lockdown. But those days stand you in good stead for now – and this summer you have the benefit of being able to meet up with other people too.<\/p>\n Here are a few, low-cost, low effort activities you and friends could organise to entertain the small ones:<\/p>\n With accommodation one of the biggest barriers to getting away, home swaps can be an affordable solution. They do need planning well in advance though, and preparing your home for another family is a big commitment. There are a number of official home swap membership sites such as Love Home Swap<\/a> which help you manage your swap for a membership fee.<\/p>\n If you have family or friends in another part of the UK, would staying or swapping with them be a more informal option? It gives you access to new places, with access to a kitchen and insider knowledge of where to go for fun trips out.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to make smart financial choices as you divorce, make sure you review my blog and six-minute podcast regularly. The blog is searchable, so whether it\u2019s tips on managing finances or your high conflict relationship, you\u2019ll readily find the information you need.<\/p>\n And the podcast comes in easily digestible six-minute blocks – just like how a solicitor bills their time. But this is free!<\/p>\n And for more personalised support, just book in a free 30 minute initial chat<\/a> and see how I can help.<\/p>\n Emma Heptonstall,<\/b><\/a><\/span>\u00a0the Divorce Alchemist is the author of the Amazon best-selling book\u00a0How to be a Lady Who Leaves, the Ultimate Guide to Getting Divorce Ready<\/b><\/span><\/a>. A former lawyer, Emma is a family mediator and founder of Get Divorce Ready the online self-study and group programmes. Emma has been featured on BBC Radio, The Telegraph, the iPaper and in Marie Claire Magazine. Emma is also the host of\u00a0\u00a0The Six Minute Divorce Podcast<\/b><\/span><\/a>. To find out more visit\u00a0www.emmaheptonstall.com<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The cost of living crisis is hitting all of us. And if you\u2019re going through divorce your financial and emotional burden is heavier than usual. But that doesn\u2019t mean your holidays have to be a write-off.\u00a0 Holidays, when money is tight, can still happen. Here we explore how you can make your purse-strings stretch further […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"The cost of living crisis is hitting all of us. And if you\u2019re going through divorce your financial and emotional burden is heavier than usual. But that doesn\u2019t mean your holidays have to be a write-off.\u00a0 Holidays, when money is tight, can still happen. Here we explore how you can make your purse-strings stretch further when times are hard. Here are 7 ways to plan for the holidays when you\u2019re feeling the pinch in divorce.<\/em>\r\n Emma Heptonstall,<\/b><\/a><\/span>\u00a0the Divorce Alchemist is the author of the Amazon best-selling book\u00a0How to be a Lady Who Leaves, the Ultimate Guide to Getting Divorce Ready<\/b><\/span><\/a>. A former lawyer, Emma is a family mediator and founder of Get Divorce Ready the online self-study and group programmes. Emma has been featured on BBC Radio, The Telegraph, the iPaper and in Marie Claire Magazine. Emma is also the host of\u00a0\u00a0The Six Minute Divorce Podcast<\/b><\/span><\/a>. To find out more visit\u00a0www.emmaheptonstall.com<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59,12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-divorce-finances","category-divorce-support","category-i-want-to-leave-my-husband"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/Blog-Image-Templates-for-WordPress-3.jpg?fit=1000%2C516&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6aDhr-4FE","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.emmaheptonstall.com\/divorce-coaching\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/span>1. Explore your values<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/span>2. Plan your holiday early<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>3. Check out free local resources<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>4. Enlist friends and family<\/span><\/h2>\n
Childcare swaps so you get some time to yourself, or to work
Day trips together: a bus or train trip can be a great adventure, and feel much more manageable with another adult around
Days at home: you may have worn out your \u2018fun things to do at home\u2019 muscle through the various lockdowns, but Granny might have new tricks up her sleeve. And if your children have friends over, hopefully you can leave them to it (and deal with the mess later)!
Sleepovers at each other\u2019s houses so the children can zone out in front of a film while you catch up over wine.<\/p>\n<\/span>5. Choose less popular destinations<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>6. Get creative<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n
<\/span>7. Consider home swaps<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Want free divorce guidance?<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>About Emma<\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Explore your values<\/h2>\r\nYou might not be expecting me to talk about values on a blog about money-saving. But our values are the key to our sense of purpose and meaning. For children too, although they might not use those words!\r\n\r\nValues are principles that can guide how we live. And we can explore them for all aspects of our life, including holidays. For example, values that might be related to holidays include:\r\n
\r\n \t
2. Plan your holiday early<\/h2>\r\nIf you want to take a holiday, and have the finances to do so, think about it now. Quite often the best deals are found in advance. Train tickets are released three months in advance, so now is a good time to look for August. Planning early means you can seek out the more affordable accommodation, especially if you have fixed dates to stick with. It also means you can book tickets for local attractions: in these covid-aware times many places with free entry are still operating an advance ticketing system.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, if you can be flexible with dates, you may be able to pick up a last minute holiday bargain - though you might have to be flexible with where as well as when! Holidays, when money is tight can happen if you're open and ready.\r\n
3. Check out free local resources<\/h2>\r\nIf you\u2019ve got children you\u2019re probably a dab hand at identifying the free events, workshops and activities on offer in your local area. Check websites or notice boards in your libraries and parks for news of holiday events coming up. Many businesses or council initiatives have \u2018kids eat free\u2019 food offers during the school holiday period - Google to see what\u2019s available for you, and make the most of local parenting groups to get up to date information. Holidays, when money is tight can happen on your doorstep.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re going away, you can do the same thing. Why not see what the local library is like in your holiday destination? And check out the parks. Just because it\u2019s free doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s boring. Sometimes the best holiday days are unstructured, especially with children. You can explore the local area at your own pace, with a picnic in tow, rather than feel frazzled as you \u2018make the most\u2019 of an attraction you\u2019ve paid over the odds for.\r\n
4. Enlist friends and family<\/h2>\r\nThe cost of living crisis is affecting most of us, to different degrees. It\u2019s likely that friends and family are having to cut back and get creative too. They can be a great mutual help in making summer holidays fun and affordable. Next week\u2019s blog is all about what to consider when going on holiday with your wider family, but you can also think about:\r\nChildcare swaps so you get some time to yourself, or to work\r\nDay trips together: a bus or train trip can be a great adventure, and feel much more manageable with another adult around\r\nDays at home: you may have worn out your \u2018fun things to do at home\u2019 muscle through the various lockdowns, but Granny might have new tricks up her sleeve. And if your children have friends over, hopefully you can leave them to it (and deal with the mess later)!\r\nSleepovers at each other\u2019s houses so the children can zone out in front of a film while you catch up over wine.\r\n\r\nHolidays, when money is tight can be just as fun for all the family as those trips to more expensive destinations. Remember, children remember how experiences make them feel over what they did. Den building with friends or setting up an icecream stall can be just as thrilling as the fairground!\r\n
5. Choose less popular destinations<\/h2>\r\nSummer 2021 was a scramble for UK holiday destinations, with limited overseas options. That\u2019s likely to be true again, even as covid restrictions lift, with people cutting back on the cost of travel.\r\n\r\nSo if you are looking to get away from home, how can you find somewhere with availability? And that won\u2019t be heaving with tourists or cost the earth?\r\n\r\nThe answer is to stay away from well-known destinations. Whether it's the coast you\u2019re after, or city breaks, the UK is filled with overlooked places, which tend to be cheaper as well as less crowded. You can read about ten less touristy UK holiday destinations here<\/a>. Holidays, when money is tight can open your eyes to options and destinations you'd never have considered and this could be your greatest adventure yet.\r\n
6. Get creative<\/h2>\r\nThe thought of organising more garden\/lounge sleepovers might make you shudder in memory of spring 2020\u2019s long lockdown. But those days stand you in good stead for now - and this summer you have the benefit of being able to meet up with other people too.\r\n\r\nHere are a few, low-cost, low effort activities you and friends could organise to entertain the small ones:\r\n
\r\n \t
7. Consider home swaps<\/h2>\r\nWith accommodation one of the biggest barriers to getting away, home swaps can be an affordable solution. They do need planning well in advance though, and preparing your home for another family is a big commitment. There are a number of official home swap membership sites such as Love Home Swap<\/a> which help you manage your swap for a membership fee.\r\n\r\nIf you have family or friends in another part of the UK, would staying or swapping with them be a more informal option? It gives you access to new places, with access to a kitchen and insider knowledge of where to go for fun trips out.\r\n
Want free divorce guidance?<\/h2>\r\nIf you\u2019re looking to make smart financial choices as you divorce, make sure you review my blog and six-minute podcast regularly. The blog is searchable, so whether it\u2019s tips on managing finances or your high conflict relationship, you\u2019ll readily find the information you need.\r\n\r\nAnd the podcast comes in easily digestible six-minute blocks - just like how a solicitor bills their time. But this is free!\r\n\r\nAnd for more personalised support, just book in a free 30 minute initial chat<\/a> and see how I can help.\r\n
About Emma<\/h2>\r\n