Hurrah, it’s holiday season! If you’ve decided on a staycation there are ways to keep your costs down. The number one tip is to choose self-catering accommodation. Bringing supplies and cooking your own food can keep your holiday costs down.

Seasoned holidaymakers are probably already doing this, but for the newbies here are some basics plus tips on how we all can save:

• As always, the key is to plan ahead. Though this seem time- consuming and exhausting at the outset, in the long run, it is planning ahead that will save us the most money.

• Write a menu: keep it simple and keep cooking to a minimum -– after all this is a holiday!

• Find the closest supermarket to your accommodation that will deliver or where you can pick up groceries. Or you may be able to book an internet delivery to your holiday home.

• Where you know you’ll only use a small amount of something (e.g. coffee, tea bags, sugar, salt, pepper, herbs and spices) take as much as you need decanted into small food bags.

• Bring a cool bag and freezer blocks to transport fridge items which will be impossible to buy in the countryside like kosher cheese and cold meats. The bag will also be useful to keep foods cool during days out.

• Toasters can’t really be made kosher so bring one. As well as the obvious, they are fantastic for toasting bread straight from the freezer for packed lunches (stops your sandwiches going soggy) and to crisp up Tival veggie schnitzels.

• Bring one major piece of electrical cooking kit: we take our multi-stack steamer. We cook new potatoes at the bottom, salmon in the centre and broccoli in the top tray. Other great ideas could be a George Foreman grill or portable BBQ.

• Find out what the cooking facilities are and how they can be made kosher — ask your local rabbi for advice.

• Base your meals around the microwave: microwaves are easy to clean and make kosher, and are great for whipping up easy meals. Take with a microwave rice maker, omelette maker, microwave-safe dish, and mugs for mug cake!

The JC, Mesila UK, Jewish Futures and GIFT have partnered to bring you tips and tricks on how to look after your wallets and our planet.

This article was first published in the JC on August 4 2022