A savvy mum has shared her best travel hacks, saving herself thousands of pounds and keeping the kids entertained so the family can have a stress-free trip.

With the cost of living crisis at an all-time high and the summer holidays fast approaching, many parents will be looking for quick and easy tips on how to make their money last longer.

Hoping to help others, mum influencer, Casey Major-Bunce (@majorbuncehome), who has over 83,000 followers on Instagram, has revealed how she travels with her children, Ayron, 12, Kaiser, 7, and identical twin girls, Matilda and Arabecca, aged 3.

From turning a hot water bottle into a ‘summer bottle’, to why you should bring baby powder to the beach – here are the 32-year-old’s top holiday hacks.

"With the cost of living crisis and the summer holidays coming up, it was important to share these tips online," Casey, who is from Portsmouth, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

"Summer holidays can be super stressful for parents and by week two your stress levels can be at an all-time high.

"Since I was young, and had a disabled mum, my mum was always coming up with these fun ideas and hacks, so I've always been doing them with my own children.

"For me, it’s all about saving time as a mum and you can't buy that."

TRAVELLING WITH SMALL KIDS:

Travelling with kids – whether at home or abroad – can be hectic at the best of times.

Casey has several tips on how to make it a smoother journey.

She said: "Take a pack of plasters and pop them over plug sockets instead of buying expensive plug covers.

"Also, bringing a plastic or disposable table cover with you is always great, you can use it under a baby’s highchair so it's easy to clean if you're somewhere like a villa, or even taking it out to the beach, you can sit on it.

"If you're planning on going to a beach, then taking baby powder is a must in your suitcase.

"You can use talc-free or regular baby powder and it removes sand instantly, like magic.

"You can either place it onto the child's skin and brush the sand away or you can put the baby powder in a sock and rub the sock on the skin and it does the same thing. It's magic!

"If you’re travelling with a baby or a toddler that isn’t potty-trained yet, buy some cheap vacuum-packed bags and pop all your nappies inside them.

“This will save so much space in your suitcase.

"If you're going on a holiday for seven days or less, then why not try a wardrobe cube?

"These are mesh cubes that come in a variety of sizes and they usually have five compartments.

"I love to pack for each day in each cube, but if you're going for longer than five days then separate each compartment with tops, shorts, pyjamas, swimwear, and children's accessories, and then, they just flat pack into your suitcase.

"This saves so much space and when you get to your destination, you can just take it out and pop it straight into the wardrobe — zero unpacking.

"Lastly, take a couple of silicone cupcake holders as they're great for placing under ice lollies to stop the children from getting sticky.

"They're also great for popping over drinks and popping the child straw through the top because they stop all the bugs from getting into their drinks."

FLYING WITH KIDS:

Boarding a flight with a young child can be a daunting prospect, particularly if they aren't a fan of sitting still for a long time.

If travelling abroad with your young ones this summer is causing worry, Casey has some tips to help with those pre-flight jitters.

She said: "If you have a toddler or younger child, let them run around the airport with you.

“Let them explore and tire them out as much as possible in the hope that they might sleep on the plane.

"Always board the plane last, the last thing you want is a screaming toddler when people are still trying to get on the plane.

"To take the stress off, get to your seat at the end so you're ready for take-off and you haven't got much time waiting.

"Remember to take food and snacks and encourage them to eat and drink when taking off and landing as this will help massively with their ears.

"Make a busy box out of a tin lunch box from Flying Tiger.

“They're around £2 each and they're great for holding Lego or the little magnetic blocks to keep the kids busy on the plane.

"Ask flight attendants for a spare child seat belt.

“It may well keep your toddler entertained trying to push the seat belt in and out, even if it keeps them busy for 10 minutes.

"Take a sandwich bag with you and pop your phone in it, then tuck it away nicely into the back of the seat where the tray comes down.

"That way the child can watch something while flying like they've got their own little TV."

SAVE MONEY ABROAD WITH KIDS:

The cost of living crisis hasn't just affected the UK.

The rise in prices can be felt all around the world, which can cause some concerns for parents travelling abroad.

However, the influencer mum knows a few handy tips to pinch the pennies.

Casey said: "This tip is a massive one – before you go to your holiday destination, check if you can drink the water.

"I see so many people walking around on holiday with gallons of shop-bought water and I always think why.

"Places like Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal all [normally] have safe drinking water and many more.

"When we go abroad, we always take the small concentrated juice by Robinsons, or Lidl has one [too].

"If you have one child and they want four juice drinks a day, then over a week you could be spending well over £50 – when you can take a small squeeze bottle for around £1.50.

"If you can fit extra stuff in your luggage, then pop to places like Poundland and Home Bargains and grab yourself some snorkels, inflatables, and even a bucket and spade.

"You can save so much doing this, as the kids will want this stuff and it is so expensive when you're abroad, almost three times the amount.

"Pop to the local bakery and grab some lunch and have a picnic – it's so much cheaper than dining in a restaurant and just as good."

ENDS

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