'I took four kids to The Trafford Centre for chicken and chips and it cost me £64'

With the school holidays upon us, many families will be looking for places to eat that won't break the bank.

While we can all take a picnic to keep costs down, there are times when it's not possible, or you find yourself out for longer than you planned. Or sometimes you might just plan a treat to escape that butty making and washing up for once.

As The Trafford Centre is particularly popular with families at this time of year, especially with the arrival of its Summer Daze event, I decided to try out one of its eateries - Slim Chickens. Planning to keep it simple for the four kids I had in tow, I opted for chicken, chips and a shake for each of us.

Read more: Things to do with the kids in and around Manchester this summer

What I wasn't quite prepared for was the price - a shocking £64. That's with three chicken tenders costing £4.80 each, fries costing £3 each and a shake £5 each.

Slim Chickens has been keen to point out that had I ordered a meal for each person, rather than individual items, I could have upgraded from a soft drink to a shake and saved £2 per person, as well as getting some Texas toast that comes with the meals.

But I didn't see this option on screen at the kiosk I ordered from and a £10 saving is not a huge amount when the overall bill would have still come in at £54. Plus, it would be helpful if any offers like this were added automatically at the checkout.

Any busy parent knows how difficult it can be making multiple orders and you don't always know what are the best offers to take advantage of. The place does offer kids' meals where you get two tenders, Texas toast, fries, carrots, cucumber and a carton drink for £5, but these are only for those aged 10 and under.

The children with me were 11