Are you looking for some tips and tricks to save money over Easter? Well you have come to the right place! Easter is a fantastic time of year. The 4 day weekend allows many families to get out of the house and go camping or on a mini holiday. The Sydney Royal Easter Show rolls into town and of course, the Easter Bilby stops by with a swag full of chocolate eggs! The only problem with the Easter Holidays is that it can end up costing the average family a lot of money. So no matter what you have planned for the Easter long weekend, we have some tips to help you save money over Easter!
Clamp Down on the Camping Spend
Does your family like to go camping on the Easter long weekend? We are so lucky we can just pack up the car and get out and enjoy this beautiful country. Camping is so exciting and it is easy to get carried away. Here are a few things to consider when planning your holiday to save money over Easter:
Location, location, location! There are thousands of beautiful camping spots all across Australia, however some are a little more expensive to use than others. Coastal campsites can book out pretty quickly and the popular spots can charge a little more to use per person. Consider heading inland this Easter to find a cheap camping ground. You might also score a quiet spot to avoid the holiday crowds. Do you need to use a barge crossing to get to your destination? Some barges can cost upwards of $50 per crossing so you are already looking at $100 minimum to get there and back. It's best to avoid if you are hoping to save money over Easter.
Pack only the essentials. I have been guilty of packing a kitchen sink to go camping. You can literally buy a camping kitchen complete with a dish wrack and sink. But the reality is, there is nothing I can do in my camping kitchen I can't do with a $4 tub and an old beach towel. Before you set foot in a camping shop, have a think about what is essential to your camping experience, and what would be a convenient novelty.
Don't blow the food budget. When you do the food shop to go camping you usually buy half the grocery store and end up lugging it all back home uneaten. Yes you are shopping for 4, maybe 5 days worth of food, but apart from a few extra choccy eggs, you shouldn't need more food than you usually eat at home. Write a list and stick to it to save money over Easter.
Save on Chocolate Eggs
Did you know there is a chocolate Easter bunny on sale this year for $40,000? It has 2 diamonds for eyes. By comparison your standard eggs don't seem too expensive, but buying enough for the family can add up. For many Australian families, Easter wouldn't be the same without the egg hunt and a basket full of chocolates, so I'm not here to tell you to skip the eggs altogether, but there are some tricks you can play to save money over Easter.
Chocolate is chocolate. As adults we can tell the difference between Lindt and chocolate from the $2 shop. But if it's sugary and wrapped in colourful foil, the chances are your kids will love it. Spoil them with one nice big brand name Easter egg but use a cheaper alternative for all the eggs in the hunt. If you do want to steer away from chocolate eggs this year you can decorate boiled eggs the day before as a fun camping activity and then hide them. The prize for finding all the eggs can be one bigger chocolate egg each.
But who needs chocolate anyway. You can shift the focus onto an Easter present instead of chocolate. My mother-in-law has always given her kids pyjamas at Easter time. When they were younger they were allowed a piece of chocolate after breakfast as a treat but were always really excited to get some new jammy's from the Easter Bilby. This is great way to create your own family tradition as well as save money over Easter.
The Royal Easter Show
Are you heading to the Sydney Royal Easter Show? This day out with the family can end up costing hundreds of dollars. But with a little forward planning you can enjoy the show for less and save money over Easter.
Save on entry. You can buy a family pass online at the Sydney Royal Easter Show website for $114.20, saving you $12.80 straight off the bat. But that's not all! If you are taking the grandparents along, plan to go on Seniors Days (March 21 and April 1) where seniors can get half price tickets. The last day of the show (April 8) is Kids Day where kids admission tickets are just $12. If you were only after a short and sweet visit, you can get in after 5pm for half price.
Save on food. Another way to save money over Easter is to eat a big breakfast before you head to the show. This should fill you all up and stop you from wanting to snack on show food all morning. Then when it gets to lunch you can head to the new Snack Shack and find some bite-sized treats for $3 each.
Save on rides and showbags. The Sydney Royal Easter Show is an agricultural show and has a huge range of fantastic free entertainment. From looking at the prize bulls, the dog show, wood chopping and patting the animals you can stay entertained all day without spending an extra dollar. However if you love the rides, pre-purchasing tickets online before you go can save you up to 20%. There are over 300 different showbags to choose from with 136 of those bags available for $10.
Do you have any more tips to save money over Easter Holidays? Share them in the comments below. Having to scrimp and save to try and get through day-to-day activities can put lots of pressure on you and your family. If you are experiencing financial distress of any kind call Revive Financial on 1800 534 534 and Talk to An Aussie Who Cares. They will be able to give you advice on how to best handle your debts. May you all have a happy (and hopefully inexpensive) Easter!
For more information on budgeting and how it can help get your finances back on track, check out our budgeting page.
