Often the cheapest holidays are the ones you book at the last minute. You may not know where you’ll end up, but isn’t that half the fun? This is a brief guide to last minute holidays.

There are several places you can find a cheap last-minute holiday. The most popular of these used to be travel agent windows and Teletext, but now the best deals can often be found on the internet when you book directly with the provider.

Allocation on Arrival is perhaps the most common type of late deal. With a typical AOA holiday you would fly to a particular airport, be greeted by a travel rep, and hop on a transfer bus to be taken to your accommodation. There is a certain element of luck involved with this type of holiday in regards to the type of hotel or resort you are sent to, but usually you can specify certain criteria. Most travel agents will guarantee the board basis at least; if you require self catering but you don’t mind where, this can be arranged. This type of holiday isn’t always suitable for those with young children as facilities may not be guaranteed, but for working couples or older families it can be ideal as a way to go on holiday at short notice.

Worries about money are putting off significant numbers of Britons from taking their initial steps on to the property ladder, new research shows.

In a study carried out by Abbey Mortgages, it was revealed that 1.1 million consumers - about 67 per cent of all first-time buyers - are delaying making such a purchase for at least 12 months. These people were revealed to currently have a total of 31 billion pounds in deposits.

It was revealed that at present house price growth stands at 1.1 per cent, while the typical high interest savings account has an interest rate of 6.5 per cent. By opting to invest the average deposit of 28,000 pounds, it was stated that over the course of 12 months Britons could generate an additional 1,820 pounds in interest. Consequently the financial services firm pointed out, by investing this money into competitive savings that prospective homeowners will be able to increase the amount of money they can place on their downpayment for a property.

And in having a larger deposit to put down on a home, consumers may find that they are able to manage mortgage costs and various property-related expenses with greater ease. In turn, this may mean that they are able to meet other monetary demands such as loans, repayments on plastic cards and household bills more effectively.

There’s nothing quite like a holiday in a tent or caravan. You don’t have to worry about room service, check-in times or hiding things away from nosey maids; you’re self-contained, free to eat when and where you like, and aren’t (usually) bothered by fellow guests stomping past your room at all hours.

Breaks in a caravan or tent are usually cheaper than a stay in a hotel, especially if you go regularly. Over time you can build up a collection of campfire cookware, picnic items, camping stove or barbecue, sleeping bags and various other things which come in useful on a camping trip.

The actual shelter is of course the most important thing. If you choose a tent, it’s always best to buy for more persons than you need; i.e. if there are just two of you, buy a 4-man model and so on. This will ensure you have adequate space within the tent - if you are too cramped your breath could cause condensation on the inside and make your belongings damp. Look for a tent which has an inner layer and an outer layer; the double layers provide insulation and protection in case of rain. A higher hydrostatic head (around 2000mm) is recommended as it will provide greater waterproofing.