Bargain hunters get must-have item ‘to make picnics magical’ for £10

With the days getting longer and the weather getting better, many of us are heading into the great outdoors this long weekend. But while they say the best things in life are free, anyone who’s been stung for the price of snacks while out a bank holiday walk knows that actually prices can soon mount up.

A shopping expert who found the cost of snacks and drinks getting out of hand on family adventures has flagged a brand new deal perfect for budget conscious parents this summer. Writing in The Mirror, mum-of-two Narin Flanders explained how the price of days out had spiralled in recent times, leaving her looking for ways to save money.

“As a family, we love heading to the woods or the beach with bikes, scooters or a frisbee in tow – or we did until the first time it cost us the best part of £30 for drinks and snacks when we stopped for a rest,” she said.

“The food wasn’t anything fancy, a sandwich and soft drink each for four of us, but after a few weekends we realised that every time we stopped the costs were adding up. Suddenly our cheap and cheerful days out were anything but.”

But a birthday gift of a VonChef picnic rucksack that she describes as one of her favourite birthday presents, in her words, has ‘transformed’ her family’s days out, making every snack feel like a special occasion. As well as a waterproof picnic blanket, insulated wine cooler pocket and a section to keep the food in, the rucksack comes with enough cutlery, plates, napkins and plastic glasses for four people alongside fancy extras like a chopping board, bottle opener and even tiny salt and pepper shakers.

She said: “While in films an iconic picnic comes in a wicker hamper, in real life we all know carrying that kind of thing around is nowhere near as romantic as it looks. My backpack is hands free even when wrangling children and fits plenty for everyone to eat, all kept cool in even the hottest of weather.

“We’ve used the rucksack for years now, from school sports days to concerts in the park and everything in between and it’s become a much-loved family tradition that’s still in great condition. I joke it makes everything that comes out of it feel a bit magical – suddenly even a sandwich and a bag of crisps feels a bit more fancy.”

Narin’s rucksack is currently £39.99 on Amazon but, thanks to a deals website, shoppers keen on bagging a bargain can get something virtually identical for a fraction of the price.

Argos has reduced this Habitat picnic rucksack which includes plastic plates, glasses and forks as well as an insulated section for food and a water resistant picnic rug on the side from £35 to £26 in their recent bank holiday sale. But customers signing up to discount site TopCashback can get the rucksack for less than £10 by stacking deals as part of a new member offer.

Shoppers who sign up to TopCashback as new members can get £15 off purchases at Argos this weekend. What’s more, new Argos customers can get 10% cashback on top with their first order through the site, which would take the final price of the rucksack down to £8.83, while existing Argos customers will get 1.5% extra cashback, working out at £10.68.

To get the discounted product through TopCashback , shoppers need to sign up here and then search for Argos, click ‘Get Cashback Now’ and then make their purchase. The cashback and bonus will land in shoppers’ TopCashback accounts within seven days of the purchase.

Argos and Amazon aren’t the only retailers to have reduced the price of picnic rucksacks ahead of the summer. Mountain Warehouse has a khaki version reduced to £29.99 which shoppers have praised for its quality and the ‘excellent range of necessities,’ with one reviewer commenting: “Excellent for when children are small. Going to enjoy more picnics in the fresh air rather than eating in cafes.”

Meanwhile, if you want to cater for more than four, you can pick up this smaller two-person picnic set to use alongside it, reduced to £7.99 in the Mountain Warehouse sale.

Shoppers buying from Mountain Warehouse this weekend can get an additional 20% off with the code MAY20 which takes the price down even further.