We listed 10 topics and within each one, we’ve added lots of ideas to help you save money or enjoy something in York for free! From fun days out to childcare funding and cheap family meals to offers and discounts in York, we hope there is something that will help you save you and your family some money.
Contents:
You can the links below to jump to a topic
1. Free things to do & family days out in York
2. Free or cheap groups for under 4’s
3. Second-hand shopping in York
4. Money-saving tips for school uniform
5. Childcare funding information
6. Grocery shopping tips & tricks
7. Tasty & cheap cooking ideas
8. Local offers & discounts in York
Everyone knows a family day out can be expensive, but there are lots of brilliant free things to do as a family right here on our doorstep in York. We’ve got lots of ideas for you in our Free Things to do in York Guide, along with some Mumbler tips as to how to make the trip out a bit different and more fun even if it is something you’ve done before. Save money as a family in York with a free day out!
⭐️ Free things to do in York City Centre: From walking York City Walls to visiting the Railway Museum, we’ve got York for free covered in our free things to do in York guide here.
⭐️ Family walks in York: Why not enjoy a family walk together? We have over 50 walks listed here and lots of other walking ideas here.
⭐️ Parks & play areas: Discover a new park or play area, we’ve listed over 25 parks & play areas in York here so you can visit somewhere different.
⭐️ Treasure hunts & trails: Complete a treasure hunt or trail in York. There are lots of trails that are free and we’ve listed them all here.
⭐️ Annual passes & memberships: A good way to save money is to buy an annual pass or membership for a visitor attraction in York. Quite a few attractions in York offer yearly memberships as part of their entrance price. Find out details of all the annual passes and memberships for visitor attractions in and around York here.
⭐️ Free stuff happening in York including school holidays: You can find loads of information about all the FREE things to do in York on Mumbler in one place here! Plus, every school holiday we update a round-up of all the things going on in York that are very cheap or free too!
There are lots of free playgroups and meet-ups for parents and carers of newborns and up to pre-school age. They are often free and on a drop-in basis so no need to worry if you are running late!
👶 Playgroups in York: We’ve got loads of playgroups listed in York by day of the week here, a lot of which are free. Playgroups are a great opportunity to meet other parents and for your child to enjoy playing with others. There are often lots of toys, crafts and stories or singing at the end of the sessions.
👶 Under 5s storytimes: York Explore Libraries hold weekly free story or rhyme sessions which are a great way to meet other parents and children. Singing songs and listening to stories is a great way to develop a love of reading. The sessions last 30 minutes and are on a drop-in basis. Find details of your local storytime here.
👶 Mumbler Morning Mingle: Once a month on a Friday morning at Hungate Reading Cafe in York from 9.30am – 11am we host our FREE Mumbler Morning Mingle. No booking is required and it is for newborns through to pre-schoolers. Find out more information and all the dates for our Mumblerhood Meet Ups here.
👨👧👦 Dads & kids meet up from Yorkie Dads: Yorkey Dads Sunday breakfast club is back! Coffee, sausage & bacon sandwiches and cereal for kids! Starting Saturday 23 Oct, drop in between 9-11am. Donations are welcome on the day, but those that can’t afford it can still attend and enjoy a drink & some food care off Yorkie Dads! Pay it forward also welcome which will go towards anyone wanting to attend that is struggling financially. No age limit on children! Find out more here.
There are loads of charity shops in York where you can grab a bargain whilst doing your bit for charity. Or if you are looking for some bargain children’s clothing or toys pop along to one of our Mumbler Nearly New Sales.
🛍 Clothing & shoes: Red Cross – Walmgate, Cancer Research – Coney Street, Sue Ryder – Goodramgate, The Mind Shop – Goodramgate, Age UK – Fossgate, Bishopthorpe Road & Burton Stone Road, St Leonards Hospice – Acomb, Fulford, Colliergate, Fossgate, Haxby, Easingwold & Scarcroft Road, Oxfam – Goodramgate, Martin House Children’s Hospice – Acomb, RSPCA Charity Shop – Goodramgate
🛍 Books: Oxfam Bookshop – Lower Petergate & Micklegate or borrow books for free from your local Explore library.
🛍 Furniture: York Community Furniture Store – James Street, St Leonards Hospice – Acomb
🛍 Children’s clothes & toys: Our Mumbler Nearly New Sales are a great place to see items before you buy – from clothes, toys and books to nursery items. Nearly New Sales are held at the Poppleton Centre, York, £1 entry on the door. A full list of dates can be found here. If you want to make some extra money and sell some things your family no longer needs you can book a table a the Sale (£12 for a 5ft table).
Growbaby York provides good quality, new and second-hand, baby clothes, from birth to under 5s, completely free of charge, to anyone who needs it. No referral is needed, families can simply come along to our weekly pop-up shop and choose clothes for their children. The pop-up shop is open on Thursday mornings during term time, between 10am and 12pm. Growbaby York is located in Vineyard Church, Fawcett Street, YO10 4AH
There is a Saturday Sharehouse on the first Saturday of each month at Scarcroft School. Children’s clothes, games, toys etc are all free to take. Find out more here.
🛍 Everything else: Take the opportunity to grab some bargains or make some extra cash by selling your unwanted items at a Car Boot Sale in York. York Car Boot – York Racecourse & Wigginton Car Boot are two of the biggest and most regular.
The Recycle Project offer a lending library (charges apply) for garden tools, DIY tools, toys, sporting equipment and much more! Find out more about the Recycle Project on their website here or on their Facebook page. They also sell many pre-loved items – you can browse their store here. They are located in Unit 7, Yorvale Business Park, Hazel Court, York, YO10 3DR
🧸 Toys for FREE: York Explore isn’t just a library for books! They also have a toy library that is completely FREE!
Just reserve the toy that you want and it will be delivered to the library you choose, usually within a few days. Toys are FREE to borrow. You can browse the catalogue of toys here.
Back to school is always an expensive time of year, especially if your child is starting primary or high school. We’ve got some tips to help you save money and get some second-hand bargains.
👕 Check the York Mumbler Facebook Group: Look out for people selling school uniform in the York Mumbler Facebook Group on a Saturday or Sunday, or if there is something specific you need, ask if anyone is selling it. In the summer holidays there are often events selling or giving away second-hand uniforms – we always share this information as soon as we can!
👕 Shop early for high street discounts: Often supermarkets and high street shops run discounts of 20% off school uniform, but these can start early (July) and sell out of key items quickly!
👕 Don’t overbuy school uniform: Yes, it seems like there is A LOT of uniform to buy, especially if your child is starting primary or high school. Check out our guide as to what uniform you should buy and how much of it if your child is starting primary school here.
👕 Assistance with school uniform costs: Vouchers for school uniform are available for secondary school-aged children at the start of the school year only. Pupils starting years 7 to 10 who are entitled to receive free school meals at non-academy schools will be issued vouchers. For Academy schools, contact your child’s school in May of each year and ask what assistance is available. Find out more on the York Council website here.
👕 The Clothing Bank: The Clothing Bank can provide free clothes to those that need them – find out more information here.
York Family Information Service supports families to find Ofsted registered childcare in York and outline the different ways to reduce the financial cost of childcare, find out more information here. Funded childcare for under 4s must be with an approved childcare provider and stops when your child starts in reception or reaches compulsory school age.
🧒 Childcare Calculator: Check what help you can get with childcare here. You cannot get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as claiming Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers.
🧒 Funding childcare for 2-year-olds: You may be eligible for funded childcare for your 2 year old, depending on your circumstances. Find out here and see the funding application form for the York area here.
🧒 Funding childcare for 3 & 4-year-olds: All children aged 3 and 4 are eligible for up to 15 hours funded childcare across the week during term time and some 3 and 4 year olds are eligible to receive up to 30 hours funded childcare during term time. Find out more information here.
🧒 Apply for tax-free childcare if you child is 11 or under: You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year). If you get Tax-Free Childcare, you’ll need to set up an online childcare account for your child up to the age of 11.
For every £8 you pay into this account, the government will pay in £2 to use to pay your provider. You can get Tax-Free Childcare at the same time as 30 hours free childcare if you’re eligible for both. You can use it to pay for approved childcare, for example childminders, nurseries and after school clubs/play schemes.
🧒 Additional costs of meals or additional services whilst in childcare: Government funding is intended to deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of free, high quality, flexible childcare. It is not intended to cover the costs of meals, other consumables, additional hours or additional services. Providers can charge for meals and snacks as part of a free entitlement place and also consumables like nappies or sun cream or services such as trips. These charges must be voluntary and providers are responsible for setting their own policies for those unable or unwilling to pay. Local authorities ensure that providers are mindful of the impact of additional charges on the most disadvantaged parents.
There are lots of ways you can save money on your grocery shopping. Of course, the shopping section on Money Saving Expert is full of great tips and tricks, so we’ve highlighted some of those below. We also got some useful tips that have been shared time and time again in the York Mumbler Facebook Group.
🛒 Use new customer offers: Take advantage of first-time/new customer shopper deals. The details of these offers are updated on Money Saving Expert here.
🛒 Swap branded items: Try swapping your branded items for supermarket’s own brand or value ranges – you might love them more and save money. According to Money Saving Expert switching down the brand chain could save up to 30% of your food bill!
🛒 Compare prices: Check the prices of your most expensive items on Trolly.co.uk which compares prices at the major supermarkets You can also see the biggest bargains of the day!
🛒 Find surplus food: Use the Olio app to search for surplus food in your area. This could be food nearing its sell-by date in a local store, spare home-grown fruit or vegetables and also non-food household items are listed. You can also add your own items and the details of when and where it is available for pick-up.
🛒 Use loyalty schemes: Get discounts, collect and use your loyalty points – Tesco Clubcard, Sainsbury’s Nectar card and Lidl Plus app.
🛒 Write a meal plan: Yes this is a bit of a chore in itself, but planning your weekly meals will save you time, effort and money in the long run. Check out our Guide to Meal Planning for more help and advice.
With the cost of food and everyday items increasing, here are some tips and tasty cooking ideas to make your family meal times cost a little less.
🍝 Cook meals from tinned and frozen ingredients: We’ve found 20 family-friendly recipes you can make from tinned and frozen ingredients. Check out the recipes here.
🍝 Find cheap and easy recipes online: BBC Good Food has lots of family meal ideas that are cheap and easy to cook. Get affordable meal inspiration here.
🍝 Follow tips for cooking on a budget: The Association of UK Dietitians has some great tips here including:
🍝 Use up ingredients you already have: If you need some ideas and inspiration then simply add what ingredients you have to supercook.com and it will suggest recipes you can make!
🍝 Cheap family meal recipe ideas: On BBC Good Food there are some great cheap & easy family recipe ideas!
There are lots of offers and discounts to save you money as a family in York. Below we’ve listed some of the best places to look for offers.
💷 Offers and discounts – York Mumbler: Did you know we have loads of offers and discounts listed on our website? From children’s classes & groups to local shops, check out all our offers here.
💷 York Card: As a York resident, you can buy a York card for £6 per adult (children are free), as part of your library card which gives you discounts (generally 20%) at a range of attractions in York including Barley Hall, City Cruises, DiG, Jorvik Viking Centre, York Chocolate Story, York Minster (free) and York Sport. York Cards are valid for 12 months. Find out more information here.
💷 Offers and discounts – Visit York: Visit York has an offers and discount section here.
💷 Offers and discounts – York Mix: York Mix has an offers and discount section here.
If you need support or advice we have a full range of Supports and Services available in York listed here. We have also listed lots of useful links and resources at the end of this article.
ℹ️ Mental Health Services & Support: Listed here
ℹ️ Support Groups & Services: Listed here
ℹ️ York Mumbler Facebook Chat Group: Remember you can ask any parenting-related questions in the York Mumbler Facebook Chat Group – York Mumbler is a SUPPORTIVE and FRIENDLY place.
Below are some useful links and resources to help families.
We’ve set up a Pinterest Board with some great budgeting tips & tricks – check it out here
Help with Energy Costs – York Council
How to apply for free school meals – York Council
Learn how to spot the warning signs of loan sharks – Stop Loan Sharks
York Family Information Service
York Financial Assistance Scheme
See what cost of living support you could be eligible for – Help for Households
💜 If you found this post useful and it will help you save money as a family in York, please share it with a friend who might find it helpful too 💜
Disclaimer: All information is correct at the time of publication (September 2022). Please check the websites linked for up-to-date information as support and guidance can be updated frequently. The information shown above does not constitute financial advice – you should always complete your own research and ensure your choices are right for your specific circumstances.
