Children

Halloween can be a pricey time – and often much of what you buy ends up in the bin, charity shop bag or loft. Not very MoneySaving! But if you still want to have fun on a budget, there are lots of things you can do and make that cost nothing at all. The only rule here is no shopping – you have to use what's already in the house.

With February half term upon us, we've rounded up 21 tips to keep the wee ones entertained without a hefty price tag. Whether you're staying indoors or wrapping up to spend time outside, we've activities to make time fly – from glamping in the front room to having a virtual tiger come to tea in your kitchen.

There's nothing like the approach of Easter to get a craftperson's fingers twitching. We asked the MSE Forum to share their MoneySaving DIY Easter inspo, and we were rewarded with pictures of homemade decorations, Creme egg 'warmers', pastel-coloured cakes and more.

Many schools are off from the end of this week for half-term, and if things seem a little strange, it's not just because Halloween falls next week too. Even if you're not comfortable going out and about during half-term, there's still plenty of fun to be had at home for Halloween.

In January, I became a dad, and while pocket money's probably a way off (our nine-month-old baby isn't pestering us yet), it's something I've already thought about. How much would I pay, and what could my kid do to earn it?