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 The summer holidays might seem like a far cry from the wet winter weather we’ve been experiencing recently, but despite this, it’s never too early to start planning for your family’s summer getaway!

*NB this is a guest post by icount

Recent research has revealed that the cost of summer holidays is on the rise, and these prices are set to continue to rise in the coming years. This makes it more difficult for the average family to afford the summer holidays they have grown used to in the past.

You can also check out this great post on Holiday Savings You Can Make Today by our friends at Mum’s Savvy Savings.

No matter whether you’re opting for a staycation, or you want to take your family on an exotic getaway, it helps to have an extra helping hand to make the most of your money and get your budget to stretch that little bit further. That’s where prepaid Mastercard®  providers icount come in! They’ve put together the infographic below with exclusive tips on how to make the most of your summer family holiday on a budget.

But wait, the savings don’t stop there! If you’re embarking on an overseas holiday this summer, you’ll need to be savvy about your spending to make sure you don’t blow your budget. Here are some extra tips to help you spend less whilst you’re away:

Don’t use your mobile phone data

Fortunately, you can now use your data plan within Europe for no extra charge, so this can help you to cut costs if you’re embarking on a European getaway. However, if you’re planning to travel further afield you’ll need to limit your data usage, if not avoid it completely to steer clear of sky-high roaming charges.

You can do this by:

• Turning off your data roaming, or get in touch with your phone service provider to bar roaming abroad completely.
• Downloading maps via Google Maps to use GPS without using your data.
• Using local Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Turning off your voicemail.

Book car hire early on

Booking your car hire on arrival at your holiday destination can cost you significantly more than if you were to book in advance.

Booking in advance gives you the opportunity to compare offers from different providers and find the best deal. Whereas, once you get to your holiday destination, your options are likely to be limited.

Travel websites such as Travel Supermarket, Kayak and Skyscanner all allow you to compare car hire offers, so make the most of these sites before you embark on your holiday.

Pay in euros (or the local currency) when paying by card

According to Money Saving Expert, Martin Lewis, it’s always cheaper to pay in the local currency when using credit or debit cards abroad.

This is because your bank will do the currency conversion, rather than the local bank, therefore you can get a better conversion rate.

Limit your spending with the icount prepaid Mastercard®

If you want to make the most of your money, it’s best to ditch the credit cards in favour of a prepaid Mastercard® that will help you to limit your spending.

With the icount card, you only spend what you load onto the card, therefore you can’t go into your overdraft or overspend. You can load your whole holiday budget onto the card or simply load a daily budget. Whichever option you choose, this is a great way of making sure you’re not going to spend over you holiday budget