• The UK Parents & Cost of Living Report reveals a quarter of UK parents cannot afford activities to occupy their children over the coming summer holidays (23 per cent)
• Two in five parents worry about summer holidays because of the increased cost of having kids at home to entertain (39 per cent)
• Two in five parents have to ensure they save enough before schools break up just to afford keeping the kids busy (39 per cent)  

Schools across the nation are set to break up for summer over the next month and findings from VoucherCodes.co.uk’s UK Parents & Cost of Living Report* reveal while the kids may be excited, the parents are more anxious. The report discovered an overwhelming 86 per cent of UK parents find activities undertaken over the summer holiday to keep the kids busy expensive and a quarter of British parents simply unable to afford it (23 per cent). 
 
These excursions include the following which parents are planning this summer for their children:**

• Day trips to attractions e.g. zoo, tourist sights - 69%
• Eating out at restaurants - 47%
• Cinema trips - 46%
• Visiting theme parks - 34%
• Theatre trips - 12%

While only a quarter of parents are able to afford these activities despite finding it expensive (25 per cent), two in five are forced to save up especially before the long break in order to entertain their offspring (39 per cent). 

 
VoucherCodes.co.uk’s UK Parents & Cost of Living Report also exposed parents’ sleepless nights as two in five worry about the summer holiday approaching due to the increased cost of keeping the kids occupied (39 per cent) as a quarter also state their children expect lots of fun activities without realising the price tag (23 per cent). When asked if they use online discounts or voucher codes to cut these costs, one in five admitted they do not (19 per cent). 
 
Duncan Jennings, co-founder of VoucherCodes.co.uk comments: “The summer holidays are fantastic for parents to spend quality time with their children; however, fun excursions or just eating out all cost money and parents pockets are not getting any deeper. They are stuck in a situation where they are already struggling to manage their outgoings and worry as they watch the price of arranging fun activities with their kids stacking up. However, there are ways to dial back on the expense and still guarantee your kids have a memorable and eventful summer. 
 
“The fifth of parents who have not yet switched on to online voucher codes (19 per cent) are missing out on an amazing opportunity to slash prices without sacrificing quality – and this is not a measure that will only help in summer, but can benefit long term with balancing their budgets. Right now for example, households planning the most popular excursions in a week with their children could save almost £1202 if they took advantage of offers currently on our site. 
 
“Making a habit of going online to check for voucher codes is a quick, easy and effective way of making the purchases you want and keeping it affordable. It is more important than ever for parents to ensure they are using all the money-saving measures available and treat themselves as well as their kids with the rewards.”  
 
Notes to editors:
*Research of 2000 UK parents aged over 18yrs was carried out by One Poll between 1st to 6th June
**Based on a household of 2 adults and 2 children visiting 1 attractions, having one cinema trip, 1 theatre trip, 1 restaurant visit and one visit to a theme park in a week, the saving of using the following codes available on VoucherCodes.co.uk is £118.66:
Day Trips
Colchester Zoo: Without Voucher = £63.64. With voucher (17.5% off entry) = £52.50
Theme Park
Thorpe Park: Without voucher = £160.88. With Voucher (2for1) = £86.84
Bowling
Bowlplex: Based on family of 4 playing 3 games – without voucher = £44. With voucher (2for1) = £24
Meal at a restaurant
GBK, 4 cheapest burgers £6.70 each, 4 fries £3.25 each, 4 soft drinks £1.75 each = £46.80. With voucher (Burger, small fries & soft drink for £9.95) = £39.80
Theatre
4 cheapest tickets to The Lion King (matinee) = £216. With voucher (3% off) = £209.52