Top 10 ideas to make family holidays affordable

Swap your house with a family who wants to come and stay where you live. You don't necessarily have to live in a touristy area – although you will probably get more offers if you do – as many people use house swaps to visit friends and relatives. Signing up to a home swap site costs around £30 for a year although browsing is usually free – and then the world is your oyster.

You don't have to fly regularly to collect air miles, there are many other ways to collect, including using a Tesco Clubcard, filling up at a Shell petrol station, or even recycling your mobile phone. You can also collect by signing up to certain credit card, but make sure you pay off your balance at the end of the month to avoid interest charges.

Many budget airlines regularly hold sales when you can buy flights for as little as £1. Sign up for email newsletters with operators such as Ryanair and easyJet to make sure you don't miss the sales. Make sure you read the small print though – sometimes the advertised charges include taxes and other charges such as booking fees but often they don't.

All over the world many rent out rooms to families at very reasonable rates. Google 'convent stays' or 'monastery stays' along with your preferred destination, or try the Good Night and God Bless range of books. Check that you choose a family-orientated one rather than one more suited to quiet contemplation.

This is a plastic card which works like a credit card, but you charge it with money before you go in the same way you would a prepay phone. It allows you to avoid large administration charges for using your card or withdrawing money abroad. It's also a good way to avoid paying booking fees with the budget airlines. Try www.mytravelcash.com or www.ezpayltd.co.uk.

If you're taking a holiday in the UK, look out for vouchers on cereal boxes and similar for cheap entrance to attractions – or from supermarket loyalty cards. You can also find great offers for everything from pizzas to theme park tickets at sites such as www.vouchercodes.co.uk. And one to think about for next year - in Spring The Sun runs a 'Family holidays for £15' offer for summer holidays at holiday parks– look out for similar offers in other papers too.

Many colleges and universities offer accommodation while the students are away, including flats which are suitable for families. You could also consider hostels – but some are much more suitable for families than others. Look for one with family rooms and check it has the facilities you need before booking on a site like www.hostelbookers.com.

www.lastminute.com offer secret hotels where it gives the location and facilities of the hotel, without actually giving the name – often at rock-bottom prices. If you cut and paste the hotel description into Google, it's usually pretty easy to have a good guess at which hotel you're booking.

Whether it's for booking car hire, buying insurance, exchanging currency or for finding the cheapest available flights do your research online before you buy. www.moneysupermarket.com is a good starting point, and then cross-check reviews on www.tripadvisor.co.uk.

Have you ever explored your local area like a tourist would? Wherever you live, there are bound to be museums, parks or other attractions which are well worth a visit or even a revisit. Get the chores done in advance, take some time off work and designate a few days as "holiday time" to get out and enjoy your area. If you're stuck for ideas, try your local tourist office or have a look at www.visitbritain.com.