I feel like I just took the Christmas decorations down and it is time for the next big spend occassion. Easter is here and my bank balance is groaning in anticipation of the chocolate bashing it is about to recieve.

However, I am a frugal queen, a MoneyMagpie that loves a bargain and refuses to waste money. So I am here to help you have a pretty frugal Easter.

Easter Eggs

First of all is the eggs. As a kid my folks tended to buy me a big bar of chocolate “because the weight was literally double” the egg. So whilst Easter was glorious and chocolatey, it wasn’t as egg focussed as the ones I now see on Instagram.

However, I also seem to remember easter egg chocolate tasting like cooking chocolate (same with advent calander chocolate) and now it is DELICIOUS. It is also really rather well priced.

Now is the time to snap up some last-minute deals on Easter eggs. Asda has a whopping ‘4 for £10’ deal on big eggs, including classic Cadbury’s and Thorntons eggs alongside less traditional ones like Skittles and Fruit Pastilles.

Check out your local Lidl too – their Belgian chocolate offerings look mouth-watering, and you can pick up a classic Cadbury Mini Egg or Freddo Dairy Milk egg for just £1.25.

Personal favourite:

Aldi’s Ruby & Raspberry Geometric Egg.

Aldi’s first Fairtrade ruby and raspberry egg is a geometric hand-decorated delight. Made out of fruity Fairtrade ruby chocolate with dried raspberries, the geometric egg is part of Aldi’s specially selected Easter range – all of which uses Fairtrade cocoa. (RRP: £3.99) from Aldi.

Days out

Something many restaurants have realised in recent years is just how much it costs families to dine out. That’s why there are so many offers for children to eat for cheap or free – and the number of these deals increase during the school holidays, too.

A few examples include Brewers Fayre and Dunelm, and supermarkets such as Asda, Sainsburys, and Morrisons. Take a look around your local area to see which cafes and restaurants run school holiday deals to make the most of a cheap dinner out with the family.

Also don’t forget that 250 of the 400 sites run by English Heritage are free to visit. From remote stone circles to ruined abbeys, and Norman castles to Roman temples, you can explore thousands of years of history for absolutely nothing.

Free Activities

Over the Easter break McDonald’s are launching free football coaching sessions across the UK from 6th April until 14th July – making grassroots football more accessible for kid’s from all socio economic backgrounds.

One of the best free days out you can have as an adult is at a museum. They’re not the dusty stuffy places you remember being dragged around as a child anymore, either – museums are one of the best places to go to learn something new, discover interesting things about your local area, or find free activities to engage you with the local community.

Lunch for under a tenner

Aldi are cutting the price of some of their veggies down to 19p this Easter from 26th – 30th March, it’s easy to see how adding some extra potatoes and veg makes the meal stretch without feeling mean. This is their first year reducing 7 veggies and not just 6 and it includes good old garlic.

Meaning we don’t need to scrimp of flavour. That’s the sort of bargain we like here at MoneyMagpie.

For the meat – try and consider something non-traditional. Chicken is a reliable favourite that can feed a crowd.

Lidl’s Extra Large Chicken is just £4.29, offering plenty of meat for everyone including some for leftovers – even more savings!