Mum reveals how she saves £600 whilst on holiday thanks to a sneaky £12 lunch hack

The Sun

2 days ago

A SAVVY couple have claimed they saved £600 on their holiday thanks to a £12 lunch hack.
Mum-of-two Nicola Lewis, 50, tries to get the most she possibly can for her money when on holiday.
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And one of her most budget-friendly tips is to book a half-board holiday, so you can make a packed lunch during breakfast to take out with you.
The professional organiser from Essex, said she and husband, Graham Lewis, 50, will always make a sandwich and grab a piece of fruit to take away from their breakfast buffet and eat later in the day.
And thanks to a set of £12 collapsible food containers from Amazon, she can slip them into her bag.
Nicola believes that the handy trick has saved her and her husband £600 on their recent week-long trip to Cyprus, as they didn't need to go and splash out on a meal at lunch time - which would usually set them back around £85 a day.
Nicola said: "I do check with the hotel that it's allowed beforehand - and I've never been told no.
"Looking at the reduction of waste, those buffets are always overstocked - and you've paid for it if it was available at breakfast.
"Some people have five plates of food at breakfast - but we're not big eaters so we can't have that much there and then.
"Holidays are so expensive now already, and spending extra on a lunchtime meal is a big expense."
She added how as a child, her parents would always make her pack a picnic from the breakfast offering where they were staying.
Now, as a mum of two children aged 21 and 17 - she has kept the habit.
Typically, Nicola will opt for a bread roll filled with meats or cheeses with some salad.
She will then also grab a piece of fruit and fit it into her collapsible boxes.
Depending on what they are doing that day, the couple will then either take the lunchbox out with them or pop it in the hotel fridge to return to at lunchtime.
She said: "If we had gone out for a meal at lunch, I reckon we would have spent £85 per meal - for 7 days - it really adds up."
Of course, this works out to around £42 each for lunch, which is certainly a rather pricey spend.
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However, Nicola added that the pair work hard to be able to afford a holiday, so when they are away they try and budget the best they can.
She shared: "I bought a pack of collapsible food containers from Amazon for £12 and I slip them into my bag as I go down for breakfast.
"The same with taking a reusable water bottle down to fill up too, since you often have to pay for water abroad.
"You can wash them in your hotel room sink so they're ready for the next day - it's a clever idea to save money."
Another woman has shared how she saved £1000 on a package holiday by booking everything herself.
Plus, 20 last minute money saving holiday tips from dodging airport drop-off fees to free lounge access.
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