Every parent knows that even a free day out can end up costing a fortune. It's normally down to one treat that always gets us, especially in the summer months: ice cream and ice lollies.
Whether it's the tinkle of the ice cream van coming down the street, the lure of the corner shop on the way into town or the kiosk at the park, a round of iced treats can easily set you back a tenner. But mum-of-four Casey Major Bunce has come up with a brilliant solution.
You'd think it's not possible to take ice lollies from home out for the day, right? Wrong! Casey says that if you put your empty flask into the freezer for an hour before you set off, then add your cheap supermarket ice lollies at the last minute, they will stay ice cold for hours. She reckons that swapping this one treat saves her around £30 a week.
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"I like to use the Mini Twister lollies and I think the most I’ve left them for is eight hours and they’ve stayed completely frozen!" said Casey, who shares her mum tips on Instagram and TikTok as Major Mum Hacks. "They’re perfect, not just for days out, but for the school run too."
We chatted to Casey on the Brummie Mummies Podcast where she shared more than 20 amazing hacks to try this summer:
She added: "I know what it's like when the ice cream man comes along and, before you know it, you’ve spent a fortune. This saves loads of money and my kids love it because I can get their favourite lollies. My kids love Mini Twisters.
"My flask is a normal size one and fits four Mini Twisters perfectly. You can easily spend a tenner if you go to the ice cream man and, if you end up going three times a week, that’s £30 a week. That’s so much money and it’s money you don’t really need to spend. So it helps to save money.
"I don’t even just restrict it to the summer. I take the flask out in the winter too for school pick ups. If you stop going to the shop and buying sweets after school, it can save you hundreds.”
There are lots of episodes on money saving on the Brummie Mummies Podcast - check out our guide to summer money saving tips with Money Mum, how to live life for less, our guide to store cupboard essentials and how to get the kids to help save money.
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