The eight biggest summer rip-offs!

Make sure you enjoy the summer to the max and avoid these eight rip-offs!

I love the summer time (particularly when the sun shines). Unfortunately, in this country, it never seems to last long enough.

So if you’re hoping to get out and about and enjoy the good weather while it lasts, make sure you don’t get caught out by these summer rip-offs.

Expensive theme parks

If you’re planning to take the kids to a theme park this summer, watch out! Tickets to theme parks such as Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park can be extremely expensive, and if you’re paying for three children as well as yourself, you’ll soon find yourself out of pocket.

However, there’s absolutely no need to pay full price. It’s often worth booking online rather than paying at the entrance gate as this is likely to work out cheaper. For example, if you book Alton Towers tickets on its website, you can save 20%.

Alternatively, you can save even more money by keeping an eye out for 2 for 1 vouchers and similar offers. Right now, you can pick up a voucher code for 2 for 1 entry to Chessington World of Adventures here. This is valid until 31 August.

Good websites to check out for theme park voucher codes include HotUKDeals, vouchercodes.co.uk and myvouchercodes.co.uk. So keep your eyes peeled!

Eating out

Similarly, buying food while you’re out and about can work out to be very pricey and a complete rip-off. A lunch for four at a theme park or a museum can easily zap around £40 out of your bank account. So try to bring packed lunches with you so you can feed everyone on the cheap!

Alternatively, if you do fancy treating everyone to a meal out, make sure you keep an eye out for restaurant vouchers. A really easy way to do this is to check out the comprehensive list of the latest restaurant vouchers and offers on our weekly Frugal Food blog.

Right now, for example, Bella Italia is offering 2 for 1 on main courses if you register here. And at ASK, you can use this voucher to enjoy a main course for £1 when you buy another main course. (Don’t forget to check the terms and conditions of the vouchers carefully.)

Parking problems

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s paying to park the car - especially when you’re being charged a couple of quid an hour. Whether you’re taking a trip to the beach, or you’re off jet-setting and want to leave your car at the airport, you’re bound to get whacked with hefty charges.

To avoid this, it’s well worth checking to see whether the beach or town you are visiting offers a park-and-ride service as this can work out to be far cheaper.

And if you’re travelling to the airport, consider taking the train or bus instead. Or if you must drive, have a hunt around for private parking facilities near the airport - these can vary from huge car parks to savvy house owners with unused private parking facilities. See whether your family or friends have any recommendations.

It’s also worth checking out websites such as Purple Parking, parking4less and aph.com which help you to search for the best priced parking spaces near the airport.

Bottles of water

Another of my pet hates is paying for bottles of water! And let’s face it, on a hot day we all need to quench our thirst (particularly when stuck travelling on the hot and sticky tube!). But why pay around £1 each time?

A far better way is to simply refill a bottle you already have with tap water (none of that fancy stuff) and carry it around with you. Yes it’s a pain to lug around a heavy bottle of water, but sadly we won’t be seeing conveniently collapsible, refillable water bottles on our shop shelves any time soon, after this little invention got a severe bashing on Dragon’s Den recently.

But at least your efforts will save you money in the long run!

Suncream

If you’re anything like me, the minute the sun comes out is the minute your fair skin turns bright red. And that of course means, it’s time to slap on the suncream. Yet suncream is another summer item that, to me, seems to be a complete rip-off! I don’t want to pay £13 for one bottle of suncream just because of the brand name!

So if you want to keep the costs down, head to the supermarket where prices are generally far cheaper.

For example, at Boots, you can pick up a bottle of Garnier Ambre Solaire Light & Silky SPF 15 sun lotion for £12.99. Yet, at ASDA, you can pick up the same bottle for just £5! This still works out to be cheaper even when you take Boots’ current 2 for 1 deal into account.

What’s more, you can save even more money by switching to supermarket own brand versions. For example, ASDA’s own Essential Care 15 SPF Lotion costs just £2.97 - or two bottles for £5.

Mobile charges

If you’re off on holiday, try to avoid using your mobile phone abroad. If you do, you’re likely to be hit hard by sky-high fees!

Although there is now a cap on how much mobile providers can charge their customers for using their phones in the EU, you should still be careful when you use your mobile overseas - particularly if you’re travelling outside the EU.

The best way to avoid these fees is to simply not use your phone, or if you have to, only use it for texting rather than calling. However, if you do need to use your phone abroad on a regular basis, make sure you read Slash your mobile phone costs on holiday for some top tips.

Train fares

Train fares are often ridiculously expensive - particularly if you’re buying your ticket on the day of travel. So if you’re hoping to get out and about over the summer, try to plan ahead and book your tickets as early as possible to save yourself some cash. Book online using websites such as the East Coast website which doesn’t charge a booking fee - unlike The TrainLine.com, which does.

It’s also worth seeing whether two single tickets will work out cheaper than a return, and whether ‘splitting’ your ticket into separate journeys will also save you money. You can find out more about this in Six ways to cut the cost of your train fare.

Recent question on this topic

• mudpie asks:

  Last minute booking or book early?

  • 
    MikeGG1 answered "If you want specific dates over a popular period then advance booking is advisable. If you can..."
  • 
    SoftwareBear answered "for xmas I'd say book now ... or fly xmas day if you wait ... the cost will be astounding in..."
  • Read more answers

Passport costs

If you’re hoping to have a holiday abroad this summer, make sure you check when your passport expires. Most places require you to have at least six months left on your passport in order to enter the country. And unfortunately, if you need a new passport, it’s going to set you back a hefty £77.50 - ouch. Child passports cost £49.

What’s more, if you’ve recently got married and changed your name, you’ll have to pay out another £77.50 to get your passport changed (hence why mine is staying in my maiden name for a little while longer!).

Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid these fees. But it may be worth paying out an extra £8 for the check and send service offered by the Post Office. This will help to ensure you have filled out your form correctly and that your photos comply with exact specifications. This should prevent your form from being returned to you – particularly handy if you’re in a hurry!

Finally, bear in mind that if you were born on or before 2 September 1929, you’re eligible for a free standard 32-page 10-year passport.

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