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They used to be the stuff sit-coms were made of (unless I’m the only one who actually remembers “Hi-de-Hi”), but the make-do-and-mend approach associated with family holiday parks is not only part of their charm but actually, in terms of some of the investment that has gone into UK tourism, a bit of an injustice. However, family holiday parks are never going to shed their value for money image and for some, this is the exact marketing strategy they are going for, so let’s look at how to find yourself an economical getaway at a family holiday park....

• Believe it or not, some holiday parks will honour your supermarket loyalty vouchers as payment towards your holiday park break! As of November 2010, Park holidays have re-launched their scheme for 2011 but be warned - where previously they have accepted the whole of the value of the holiday in Tesco vouchers, this has now stopped and the booking clerks tell us that you will be expected to pay at least 25% of the holiday in cash or by card. Disappointingly, both the Park Holidays and the Tesco Clubcard websites still currently state that payment in full can be made by vouchers so obviously some clarification is needed! However, even if full payment by vouchers is truly no longer the case, you could still get a week long family holiday for under £150, depending on when and where you go.

• Buying a newspaper at the right time of year can save you a packet towards a short break holiday. Even if you’re not normally a Sun reader, it’s a sacrifice worth making to buy the paper for week, collect a full set of vouchers and then book yourself a break for approximately £9.50 a head for three or four nights. You need to be a little flexible in terms of dates and places, but if you can accommodate this, you could end up in a luxury family holiday park, for a minimal payout!

• Camping: it isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but kids do love it and many family holiday parks welcome customers who bring their own caravans or tents, for a fraction of the price of their own on-site accommodation. The joy of this is that you get the use of the park’s facilities just the same as if you were paying full-whack! If you are canny, the camping side can also cost you less than you think – borrow or share camping equipment with others and use it on a rotation basis throughout the holiday season, to ensure that you all get value for money from it!

So, a few ways to achieve a bit of rest and relaxation at a family holiday park, for a fraction of the full-price cost!