Queen’s DIAMOND JUBILEE and the LONG WEEKEND celebrations

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The most awaited event in recent history, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations have kick started. The late May bank holiday being shifted to Monday (4 June) followed by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Bank holiday on Tuesday (5 June) means we have a long weekend to celebrate.

So, how are we Britons planning to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee?

While the Government has said they have not allocated any budget for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the royal family is taking care of the celebration expenses, initial research show that we in the UK will be spending a whopping £823 million for our expenses during the long weekend. This is after we spent an estimated £480 million during the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton last April.

A survey by Moneysupermarket.com found that 40 per cent of men and 44 per cent of women plan to spend around £40 each on purchases to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. And 21 per cent of our spend is predicted to go towards food, 17 per cent towards drinks, 8 per cent towards souvenirs and 7 percent towards decorations.

The survey also points out that 25 per cent of Brits will be enjoying the celebrations on TV, 8 per cent of us will be hosting a party with friends, six per cent of us will attend street parties, 4 per cent of us will toast for the Queen at the pub and 3 per cent will be travelling to London to celebrate or see the procession.

So, it looks as if this long weekend will be full of activity - and spending, as the government plans to organise several events such as street parties, processions etc. to commemorate the celebrations. And perhaps a few of us planning to attend the procession or take part in the royal themed parties will be looking for smart outfits for the occasion. Or, if we plan to host a party we would look for a lavish spread of food and drinks. And many of us will be spending time with our good old friends or family.  So, all being well, this will be a long weekend to cherish.

All this fun inevitably means spending money. As we gear up for the celebrations, we need to be cautious in spending our money as there may well be price increases at some places who are cashing in on the celebrations. So, get on the Internet and invest some time in some online comparisons to help make that crucial buying decision. Offers are discounts are out there, but they sometimes take some tracking down. But it’s time well-spent if it helps us have a check over our spending.

Speaking of money, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is issuing a special commemorative £10 note to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. How I wish we could get a few of these notes to help with the spending this weekend! Enjoy your Jubilee celebrations!