With the continuing squeeze on household finances, family entertainment is suffering. Holidays are being cut back, leading to more time spent at home. Yet the cost of in-house entertainment is also on the rise with price rises put out by cable and satellite. So what can you do to keep the family and yourself entertained via the box, without having to resort to extremes?

Netflix

If you have an internet-connected TV, or the ability to hook a computer or compatible games console up to your TV, you could instead of buying DVD’s and blu-ray discs at £5-35 a go that you’ll only watch once, instead stream down your broadband on-demand for a flat fee just £5.99 a month. Sign up via QuidCo and get £7 cashback, too!

LoveFilm

If your broadband isn’t up to the challenge of streaming realtime video, or the items you routinely watch are not available via Netflix: don’t despair just yet. The older, more established competitor of Netflix, while also offering streaming, allows you to order physical DVDs and blu-rays as well as games all through the post.

There are numerous packages to choose from and starting at just £4.89 a month the price is comparable to Netflix and still cheaper than buying a single title in the shop!

Got Cable or Sky? Haggle!

If you are out of your minimum contract period with either provider, it is time to give them a call to talk down your package costs. Do you watch every package you subscribe to? If not, knock it off. If you’re contemplating giving it up altogether then give them a ring and see if they are prepared to offer you a deal to keep you as a customer.

See my 6 Steps to 21st Century Haggling to help you win the battle!

Switch to Freeview or Freesat

If you decide to get rid of Sky or Virgin completely, there is nothing to fear. You are no longer limited to 4 (or 5, depending on your location) channels of rather dubious quality. Freeview now has over 50 channels and 4 of those are in HD, and completely free to watch. All you need is a suitable receiver if one isn’t already built into your TV.

If you go away from Sky, keep your equipment. You will still receive the ‘free to air’ channels. You won’t be able to use the Sky+ features on them though.

Get into Reading

If money is really tight then you could do worse than get rid of your ‘idiot box’ as my step-dad calls it, and delve into your dusty book collection instead. Those of us in the 21st century may have a book reader (did I ever tell you I love my Kindle?), and can download books anywhere, anytime, for a fraction of the cost of buying in print.

Of course if you don’t have one already, going out and buying one isn’t the cheapest option, initially. Consider re-reading your dusty library first!

Every Friday I publish “Frugal Friday!“, an open-ended series with some of the simple and best ways to really save you money both now and in the future.

So, winter is over and it’s time to start thinking about holidays. Whether it’s a camping trip to Bangor, hiking in the Pyrenees or sitting on a beach in Tunisia, the sad unavoidable fact is – holidays cost money. With the cost of living and financial uncertainty still high and getting higher, the time to start saving is now.

Here are 10 smart tips to make this year’s holiday affordable, whatever your budget.

1. Hunt around for deals to cut costs

Many holiday companies are offering great deals on package holidays and even including extras such as free car hire or  ‘kids travel free’ deals. If you’ve earned enough miles in a frequent flyer programme, use them for air travel instead of paying for your flights to make the overall cost of the holiday less.

2. Don’t be afraid to haggle the price

You can also – despite what we may culturally be accustomed to - haggle with your tour operator to get a better deal, or get them to throw in free upgrades such as a dedicated taxi from the airport to your hotel rather than a group taxi. Click the link to see my 6 tips for getting your own way when haggling.

3. Consider what it is you actually want

If money is tight this year, consider changing the type of holiday you go on. If you usually stay in a hotel, why not try self-catering? If a villa is your usual ‘home-from-home’, try a caravan or chalet instead. Camping is fun and usually the cheapest option. Holidays in the UK outside of mainstream accommodation are often cheaper than travelling over the channel or flying to far-off destinations, particularly in the school holidays. If all you want is to relax, it doesn’t really matter if it is Los Angeles or Littlehampton.

4. Make a plan and set a savings target

Once you’ve decided on your holiday, create a budget so you know how much you need to save. Find out what it will cost for travel, accommodation, meals, car hire, petrol, activities and spending money. Add those costs up to get a savings target and then add another 2% for contingencies.

5. Open another bank account

Keep your holiday funds totally separate from your normal money environment and savings. This way, you will be less tempted to dip into them for general spending or emergencies (that’s what you emergency fund is for).  Try to pick an account that has no fees and earns interest. Make sure it is one that will let you take out your cash when you need it without too much hassle – an account managed online would be a good choice.

6. Make it happen automatically

Put funds into your holiday savings account on a regular basis, so you’re on track to hit your target. Set up a direct debit or standing order depending on the account type so you don’t even have to think about it.

7. Make use of unexpected cash

If the rest of your saving goals are on target but the holiday fund takes lowest precedence due to the financial climate, consider increasing your holiday savings by putting any extra cash into your holiday account. Tax refunds, work bonuses, car boot sale proceeds, money generated from online auctions – every little bit helps!

8. Don’t put it on credit

While I’d advocate paying for your holiday on a credit card to take advantage of the Section 75 Protection it affords, make sure to pay it off in full when the bill comes in by using the money put aside already in your holiday savings account. If your family holiday costs £3,000 then paying credit card interest on it at 14% or considerably worse will quickly make the holiday a misery when you come back as worse case scenario you’ll still be paying it off when next year comes around!

9. Beware of excess baggage charges

Be careful what you buy on holiday as you will probably end up having to pay an excess baggage charge to take it back with you. Most airlines only offer 20kgs free for economy class passengers at most, which quickly disappears with just normal luggage. Start throwing in nic-nacs, bottles of olive oil and other heavy items and those kilograms will soon be draining the last of your holiday cash.

10. Take requests, don’t impulse buy

We’ve all been there. “Look at this! Isn’t that beautiful? I bet Aunt Betty would love it”. Multiply that by 10 relatives and 15 friends and you’ve filled another suitcase with souvenirs that only 3 of them will actually appreciate. By all means take requests for items to be brought back but don’t impulse buy things that nobody really wants. You’ll waste spending money, and probably fall foul of the excess baggage charges, too.

Got a tip? Share yours in the comments!

If you’re (un)lucky enough to live in the South East of England, you’re no doubt aware of the drought problem we face this year. Some water companies have even said the situation is worse than it was in 1976, when the most severe drought of recent times hit the UK resulting in water supplies up and down the country being switched off.

Who is Affected Now

The introduction of hosepipe bans follows the third-warmest and fifth driest March since records began in 1910.

(c) 2012 British Broadcasting Corporation

Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, parts of Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, and west Norfolk have been in drought since last summer. Much of south-east England, including London, is also affected and parts of North, South and East Yorkshire have become the latest to be declared as officially in drought by the Environment Agency.

(c) 2012 British Broadcasting Corporation

Will You Be Affected

The Environment Agency has launched an interactive drought threat map covering the entire country. Some areas are already in drought, but others merely at high, medium or low risk. To get information tailored to your specific area, pop your postcode in below and hit ‘Go’.

Post Code or Town:

Regardless of the current water position of your area we all need to do our bit. There is no national grid for water, like there is for gas and electricity. So despite the South East being in a high drought condition, and the far reaches of Scotland being deluged in water, there is no way to balance out the two.

Regardless of the water levels of your area right now, there are steps you can take to minimise your use, or make your usage more wise. In doing so, if you’re metered, you receive the added benefit of lowering your costs as well. Win/win.

12 Tips to Save Water

1. Put a Brick or Sand-Filled Coke bottle/HippoBag In Your Toilet Cistern
2. Get a water butt for watering plants and lawns
3. Repair drip drip dripping taps
4. Take showers instead of baths
5. Don’t let the water run when brushing teeth
6. Fill a small bowl to wash vegetables in rather than under a tap
7. Only use the washing machine and dishwasher when you have a full load
8. Store tap water in the fridge rather than running the tap to make it go cold
9. Don’t let the tap run when washing up by hand
10. Water plants when the sun goes down (minimise evaporation)
11. Replace your shower head with a water-efficient model
12. Shorten your usual shower by a minute or two