Money Saving Amy: Happy returns to the zoo with voucher deal

This month marks the start of spring and with it the urge to have a good clear out and clean up.

If it is time for a spring clean in your house then I have got a list of apps you need to make money from your clear out.

But firstly this week, let’s talk about local day out offers that might give you some ideas for things to do for the second week of the Easter holidays as well as for the weeks and months to come.

Local day out offers

Dudley Zoo is offering a free return ticket for every full paying guest who visits until April 7.

The free return voucher is valid until July 31.

It is a brilliant chance to enjoy two days out for the price of one, so a pay out now will save you money in the future.

An adult ticket is £20, meaning with this offer it’s only £10 per visit, and a child would only work out to be £7.25 per visit, and don’t forget that under threes go free.

Also, did you know that Dudley Zoo do annual passes?

These are definitely worth a look if you love wandering around the historic attraction.

For only £39.95 for an adult and £28.95 for kids, these passes pay for themselves in just two visits, which is an amazing price for annual passes if you can afford the initial cost.

The area around Dudley Zoo is fast becoming a centre for family days out, and will soon be served by the Midland Metro too.

The zoo is within walking distance of the Black Country Museum, where you can purchase a day pass and get a whole year’s access for free!

There are lots of new things to see at the Black Country Museum with new recently built houses and a midwife centre – you can take in the Victorian era and then transport yourselves into more recent history with its new village development.

There’s also a brilliant and affordable toddler activity at the Dudley Canal and Caverns. On Wednesdays at 10am you can take your little ones on a boat trip for just £2 per passenger. It’s a 20 minute boat ride with songs and stories, with the unique wonder of the limestone caverns. And afterwards you can head to the Gongoozler cafe for puzzles and colouring.

All this could be coupled up with a film or some ten-pin bowling at Castlegate Business Park, which is just across the road from the Black Country Museum. It has many restaurants there too if your budget allows.

Meanwhile, the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton will be offering a free Easter crafting session on Wednesday from 10-12pm and 2-4pm. While you’re there, don’t forget to grab a free Gregg’s hot drink via the O2 or Octopus energy app (or both!) and if you’re signed up to the Claire’s C.Club loyalty rewards, check your account for a free £5 ‘anytime reward’ spend.

The Wolverhampton Art Gallery is also a free place to visit and could complete your free day out. And, not far from the city centre, Bantock Park also has a free museum that is worth a visit, especially as it has one of the city’s best playgrounds in the park as well as a decent cafe.

Time for a spring clean

One way to pay for a treat in the holidays is to have a good clear out at home.

It has never been easier to sell on things that you may no longer have use for. If you’re having a sort out ready for spring, and would like to make a bit of extra from your unwanted items, you can list them on popular apps like Vinted and Facebook market place.

There’s also the ‘Ziffit’ app, where you can scan your unwanted books, games, DVDs and CDs and they will quote a price for them. To complete a trade with Ziffit, you’ll have to trade 10 items or items to the value of £5. This is a brilliant way to clear those items that may be a little trickier to sell on other platforms.

Another similar app is called ‘we buy books’ where you can sell your old books, and if you use code “APP10” you can get 10 per cent extra on your first app offer.

Vinted is a very popular app to buy and sell clothes on, and it’s very easy and straight forward to use, plus if you’re a seller, you keep 100 per cent of your profit, and the best part is that Vinted handles the postage for you, simply select the parcel size (there’s clear and quick guidance in the selection section) and Vinted does the rest. You can even choose to print labels in store which means you don’t have to use your own paper and printer ink.

I hope these money saving and money making tips are helpful. You can find out more information on my Instagram page, which can be found at _moneysavingamy.