A mum has gone viral after sharing her “genius” hack for saving money on family days out.
Casey Major-Bunce, 33, has found a simple way of keeping food fresh while on the go and avoiding paying steep prices while out and about.
In a tip she dubs the “best free mum hack you’re ever going to find”, she shared how she uses a thermos bottle to keep food hot or cold for the whole day – including ice lollies and hot dogs.
In one clip, which garnered 13,000 likes on Instagram, she fills the thermos with hot water before adding frankfurter sausages – which she uses to make warm hot dogs while out for the day with her children.
Another video shows her using the same thermos to keep ice lollies cold all day, storing it first in the freezer for an hour before adding the lollies – which she claims don’t melt even six hours after leaving the home.
Casey – who is mum to Ayron, 12, Kaiser, seven, and identical twins Arabecca and Matilda, three – says the tip has proved invaluable.
“Hacks have always been part of my everyday life; as a busy mum, I am always looking for ways to save time and money and keep my children happy,” the mum, who boasts 217,000 followers on Instagram ( ), told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“The vacuum insulation will keep the ice lolly frozen for hours as long as it’s placed in the freezer for one hour before empty with the lid off.
“It means the kids can enjoy their favourite frozen treats whenever they like, and it costs much less than buying them at a cafe in the park or on a day out.
“You can also use the flask for hotdogs so the kids can have a hot lunch.”
She says her children love the hotdog hack in particular, adding: “It saves money and time queueing up they stay nice and hot for six hours+.
“Pop your condiment in a travel bottle and your good to go.
“Just a normal size flask holds up to seven hotdog sausages – just add boiling water and drain just before you eat.”
She says the ice lollies even manage to stay cold and frozen for six hours, with four mini Twisters fitting into the thermos.
The tips have gone down well with her audience online, with users flocking to the comments to share their take on it.
One person said: “I’ve started doing this on school run for mine and my friends kid. Saves us £2 each for one stop at the shop on the way home.”
“That’s smart,” another user agreed.
Someone else commented: “Thank you for this. Never thought of this one! We do the hot water and hotdogs one. This is brilliant!”
“That flask is like Mary Poppins bag!” another user added.
“This is actually genius when you got to a theme park etc the hotdogs are like £4.50 each or more,” another fan said.
