MANY parents know that taking your family on holiday can be expensive, but that hasn’t stopped one determined mum saving up for Butlin’s.
Single mum Jess Pallett shared how she is on a mission to take her kids away for a break at the large holiday park – but only has £20 so far despite flogging old junk.
On her @jessfamilyandhome account she shared: “Right, TikTok, I’ve decided to have a bit of a change of plan this summer holiday.
“Some of you who have followed my page for quite a while will know that my original plan was to do the garden and then get a tent and camp out in the garden with the kids.
“But the other day I realised my kids have actually never been to a beach.”
Jess shared how she has her heart set on Butlin‘s in Minehead and explained: “I’ve done a bit of research, and that seems to be the best one, but the cheapest date is literally the first week of the summer holidays, which is about four or five weeks away.
“So I’m not really giving myself much time to sort this all out, but I’m gonna make it happen.” I’m gonna turn this house upside down, inside out, and find things to sell to try and come up with the money to pay for the holiday.
“I’ve got about four weeks to pull this off. I love a challenge, so let’s see if I can make it to Butlin‘s.”
She added that not only does she have to pay for the holiday, but she’s also keen to buy clothes due to the kids having a growth spurt and having limited things to wear.
However, Jess said she was motivated to rake in the holiday fund as they are opening a new attraction the week she planned to go, and her kids would love it.
Progress seemed to be slow five days later, the single mum revealed.
In a follow-up video, she shared: “Day 5 of saving for Butlin‘s, and today I’ve been sorting through the whole of the conservatory, trying to find things to sell.
“I’ve managed to find a TV stand and some gym leotards.
“I’m gonna advertise on Vinted later. I did have a bit of a setback yesterday when an unexpected bill came out, and my Butlin’s fund was at £74 and it’s now down to £20.
“But I’m determined to make this money and get us to Butlin’s, so I’m gonna keep going.”
Jess didn’t specify how long she is planning to take her kids away for, but the Minehead Butlin’s costs from £433 to £1,352 for a three-night stay in the last week of July, depending on the different accommodation.
This rises to £626 to £2,053 for a seven night stay for that same week.
Many people were quick to support Jess in her mission, with one saying: “I hope you manage to get them to the beach.”
Another added: “We go every year with the kids and we absolutely love it.”
A third suggested she set up a GoFundMe page for the trip, but Jess said she was keen to pay for it herself.
This follows one mum asking strangers online to help pay for her family’s summer holiday this year without giving cash.
Zoe was looking to make £600 in total to pay for the holiday using the TikTok creator fund, so filmed a minute-long video of her cleaning her kitchen.
According to TikTok: “The funds that each creator can earn are worked out by a combination of factors – including the number of views and the authenticity of those views, the level of engagement on the content, as well as making sure content is in line with our Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.”
Mum Catherine Lofthouse has been visiting the Butlin’s parks for 40 years – here’s her verdict:
“When I was little, my family would head to Butlin’s every July for a week by the sea, and I even worked at the Minehead resort as a lifeguard in my teens.
“One thing that’s always set Butlin’s apart from its rivals are the photo opportunities that you have during your break, including Teletubbies and TV star Stephen Mulhern.
“There’s also lots of sports and activities to choose from, like football, archery, crafts and soft play.
“One of the things I miss from holidays gone by are the monorails that ran at Skegness and Minehead from the 1960s for forty years.
“I think Butlin’s lost its way a bit in the 2000s when it seemed to become a mecca for stag and hen dos, but in the last decade, there’s been a bit of a turnaround in terms of rebranding and investment.
“I would say that anyone who hasn’t been for a while or who has written Butlin’s off as not for them might be wise to give it another go.”
Butlin’s has revealed three exciting new attractions opening this year – with one at each park.
The biggest new opening will be at Butlin’s Minehead, with a new £2.5million Skypark playground.
Similar to the one already open at Skegness, the attraction will have six zones as well as the UK’s longest swingline, measuring 137ft.
Seesaws, trampolines and light up slides will also be part of the new park, hoping to open in time for summer.
Butlin’s Bognor Regis is to open its £15million, two-floor indoor activity centre by autumn.
Playxperience will have a range of games including escape rooms, mini golf, VR gaming and immersive experiences.
Laser tag, batting cages, digital darts, shuffleboard and video games will also be inside the gaming areas.
Older guests will be able to make the most of interactive bar games in the evening.
Butlin’s is a chain of large seaside resorts and was founded by Billy Butlin in a bid to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families.
The first Butlin’s holiday camp was opened in 1936 in Skegness, and there are now two other parks, in Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Minehead in Somerset.
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