How parents could make hundreds of pounds for summer holiday treats, without working extra hours

The school holidays bring six weeks of school-free fun for the kids. However, it also brings a financial headache for parents trying to keep them entertained, especially as the final weeks approach and budgets run low.

Despite recent government schemes like the temporary cut to VAT on family-related activities, keeping children occupied over the holidays doesn't come cheap. A single family pass to a top UK theme park like Alton Towers can easily set you back £125-234 (even with the VAT cut taken into account), a mid-range meal out for four can cost upwards of £100, and multiple ice cream treats add up fast.

Working overtime for extra summer cash isn't easy when parents are already using annual leave for childcare. But according to musicMagpie, families could be sitting on hundreds of pounds worth of potential cash in the form of old tech, such as tablets, smartphones, laptops, consoles and smartwatches, that are currently gathering dust in drawers and hiding at the back of wardrobes.

musicMagpie data revealed that an iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB of storage could be worth up to £860, whilst a Samsung in Excellent condition could see owners cash in £660. A pair of headphones could rake in up to £140, while an Apple Watch could fetch up to £365.

Joe Armstrong, money-saving expert and Head of Trading at musicMagpie said, “If parents were to trade in an iPad in Excellent condition, that would mean an instant bonus of up to £840, which could be used for more than 6 family theme park passes at Alton Towers, or 17 family trips to Gulliver's World with change to spare! Alternatively, it could pay for over 54 extra ice creams for the entire family across the summer months.

Thanks to our partnership with Timpson stores nationwide, customers can trade in any iPhones, across the 12-17 ranges, Samsung S23-25 ranges, or networked iPads at a local branch, getting paid in store within minutes.”

How much ‘summer fun’ could you get for your tech?

iPhone 17 Pro Max in Excellent condition 2TB could get you up to £860, which is the equivalent of,

Almost 7x family passes to Alton Towers (6.9)
Enough to pay for over 6x weekly food shops (6.8)
Or 55x rounds of ice cream for the entire family with change to spare (55.8)

A Samsung phone could fetch up to £660, which is the equivalent of,

More than 13x family passes to Gulliver’s World (13.5)
Enough to pay for over 6x family meals out at a mid-market restaurant (6.6)
Or 43x rounds of ice cream for the entire family with change to spare (42.9)

A laptop could be worth up to £1,000, which is the equivalent of,

Almost 8x family passes to Alton Towers (8)
Enough to pay for almost 8x weekly food shops (7.9)
Or 64x rounds of ice cream for the entire family with change to spare (64.9)

An iPad could get you up to £840, which is the equivalent of,

More than 17x family passes to Gulliver’s World (17.1)
Enough to pay for over 8x family meals out at a mid-market restaurant (8.4)
Or 54x rounds of ice cream for the entire family with change to spare (54.5)

A pair of headphones could fetch up to £140, which is the equivalent of,

1x family passes to Alton Towers (1.1)
Enough to pay for more than 1x weekly food shops (1.1)
Or 9x rounds of ice cream for the entire family with change to spare (9.1)

An Apple Watch could be worth up to £365, which is the equivalent of,

More than 7x family passes to Gulliver’s World (7.4)
Enough to pay for over 3x family meals out at a mid-market restaurant (3.7)
Or 23x rounds of ice cream for the entire family with change to spare (23.7)

Figures are based on lowest summer activity price estimate and a family of four, two adults two children and highest tech trade-in values)

Joe Armstrong, money-saving expert and Head of Trading at musicMagpie shares four simple steps to turn old tech clutter into summer holiday fun, in just minutes!

Go tech hunting at home: Hunt the house for old or forgotten tech you could sell. Items like these are often stuffed in drawers, cupboards, loft storage and under the bed.
Get a free, instant valuation: Visit online trade-in sites like musicMagpie to get an instant price. Simply select the make, model and condition of your item and they will tell you how much it’s worth.
Trade in your devices and get paid: The quickest way to get paid is to simply take your phone or iPad to your nearest Timpson store. Here you’ll be able to drop off your devices and get paid in a matter of minutes. This option applies to iPhone 12-17, Samsung Galaxy S23-25 phones, or networked iPads only.

Alternatively, you can pack your tech into any box you like, and send it to musicMagpie for free using Royal Mail. When your items arrive, experts will check them over. Once these checks are complete, the cash is deposited directly into your bank account on the same day.

Spoil the family: Households trading in an iPhone 15 Pro Max could make on average £460 to spend on family days out and essentials. Now that the money is in your bank account, it’s entirely up to you how you spend it.

Joe Armstrong continues, "The summer holidays are a wonderful time for families, but we know how quickly the costs stack up when you're trying to keep kids entertained day after day. Most people don't realise they have hundreds of pounds lying forgotten in a drawer in the form of old phones and gadgets. By recycling that unused tech, parents can get fast, hassle-free cash paid straight into their account, ready to enjoy over the summer break.”