Difficult. With 3 young children to keep entertained it’s hard. Been struggling with my mental health too which does make me feel like not wanting to do anything. Hard for me to get out as I don’t drive and with having twins it’s very difficult on public transport.

This half term seemed harder than previous school holidays. My MOT was due and I had to pay out over £100 so this meant we couldn't do much, we did go to the Wildlife Park one day as I got a 40% off Voucher. I used Zilch to pay for this which is an app I use which lets me spread the payments, it works quite well for me.

I work from home and in the holidays I have childcare for 1 day, the other 2 days are difficult as I can’t afford the childcare so my children are home with me, we do get out for a walk on my lunch break.

The shopping bill wasn’t so bad as I didn’t need to buy packed lunch things so my shopping was lower.

All in all it wasn’t too bad but it wouldn’t have been nice not to have to worry about money and to have done more with the children.

Been worrying about money this week, feeding kids over the weekend as half term wiped me out. Waiting for a payment to come through but they're always late and I was stressed today as wanted to go shopping tomorrow.

Then I get email with vouchers from Changing Realities and I could breathe again. I can get food this weekend.

I laugh now when I look back and remember I used to use these vouchers for takeaways, now they subsidise my grocery shop. The world's gone crazy.

The local council have stopped food vouchers for kids on school meals so it was more of a pinch this half term. The kids spent a lot of time at home this week as the weather was bad and we can't afford to take them anywhere. Just about recovered from the constant mess they made 😆

This is the first half term that we haven't received a voucher from school, which was continued during the pandemic. Children are at home and then obviously spending will be more. We have to provide food to children by cutting down all other recreation like outings, eating out or buying clothes etc. WORRIED.

Felt really bad pressure to make things happen this half term. Needed to make it fun and full of memories but with that comes a cost!

I used to take my boys to Jolleys and Pets at Home to look at the animals for a cheap day out. Still doing it with my 17 year old lol. Here's some of the parrots we got to see during half term. Such beautiful birds and only approximately 15 weeks old. The small one on my 17 year old's shoulder is called a Caique or Monkey Parrot, the larger are African Greys. It's my 17 year old's dream to have an African Grey parrot, but at £2500 for the parrot alone they are a pipedream. And they can live for approx 80 years...

Half term has been much of a muchness for us. Tedious, banal and plain boring. Nothing to look forward to. No money to go and do anything apart from the local shops when we needed things and then because of the cost of living increases it doesn't buy much - you can't do a "full shop" like you could in "the good old days". Housework- never ending as I struggle to keep on top of it all, dog walking when I've felt able to and because psychologically I've not been feeling my best (not that I ever do) so actually leaving the house has been feeling very difficult for me lately so I tend to withdraw from the world. However, we did manage a trip to a pet shop in Lancashire that my 17 year old wanted to visit to see some parrots he was interested in, which was a lovely change. But overall, same as the Summer Holidays - no day trips with my 17 year old like we use to do, although thanks to some free tickets my 17 year old had won, he managed a rare trip to Alton Towers with his friends and oldest brother. I didn't go. Because of my spinal issues I can't go on the roller coasters any more. Gutted - I love rollercoasters. But these days the only roller coaster I go on is this life. I'm hanging on as best I can but even some days I feel so hollow and empty, I think "What's the point?". So that is definitely a changing reality for me - the interminable pressure on my mental health. Despite taking medication, despite knowing what I need to do re self care and to reframe my thinking, because life is no better and the Pandemic ongoing - which people keep forgetting about, it's like reliving Groundhog Day, every day. I need some Bill Murray sass to break out, but both spirit and flesh are unable, not unwilling.

It’s only half term here in Northern Ireland this week so only feeling it now. The weather is awful, we're getting hit with a storm at the moment so the lights are on most of the day. I’ve had to give in and put the heat on. I’ve hoked out the fluffy winter jammies to try and keep a bit warmer. I think the guilt of not being able to afford to take the kids on days out is even worse during the holidays. Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Our half term is only starting here in Northern Ireland, and we have just seen the demise of our devolved executive. Not only are we sitting with no clarity in terms of when we will receive the energy financial support but now, we face uncertainty politically. We are led to believe that those on prepayment meter have to buy energy to get the added support, why? Those on direct debits and bills don't have to pay anything to get their support! Yet again, the poorest have to pay for the privilege of support.

It's cold and the weather is wet, the evenings are much darker, and we can't avoid the lights being switched on. My child is off, and I just can't afford to do anything with her, thankfully she is getting away to her dads for a few days. We do still get the food allowance when school is closed which helps a little.

I am so cross with it all and as much as I try not to lose hope and remain engaged in politics I feel dismayed by it all. People are struggling, losing hope and we are just being thrown to the wolves.

My daughter had an awful half term. She's been truly bored. She's had two days in college supported by the school which has given a 20 pound voucher, which is absolutely brilliant. Basically, cause I'm on a low income, it's just supporting us until I get paid on the 25th. It's been a bit of a struggle, but I'm glad for her to go back to school on Monday.

I have had no choice but to work. My 'zero hour' job means I am not paid unless I am at work. We are not employees and do not have the luxury of pay during holiday or breaks. Our holiday entitlement is added onto our (already low) pay.

I am lucky enough to have family to take care of my children. Without them I could not afford the up front childcare fees. I’ve swapped one set of circumstances for another. I’m definitely better off working. Treading water. Admittedly no longer sinking as such. 'Be grateful' I tell myself…