How the fuck can people afford to go on holiday?

Both need to work full time or one of you need to earns lots.

@QforCucumber Can I ask where in turkey this was please and did you book through a travel agent

We earn quite a lot.

Two above average but not huge salaries. Since kids we holiday in the UK most years, only go abroad short haul every three years or so. Often self-cater. Budget airline. Before kids we went on one abroad holiday a year, sometimes two. I miss it but we do see a lot of lovely place in the UK and have fun, it's very easy too.

Dh works full time,I'm self employed on 2 days a week and we have 3 kids. We've been abroad twice now with the kids. Previously we hadn't been abroad for 8 years.

I booked Dlp a year in advance, as soon as the flights came out. I had researched before I booked it to make sure I got the best deal. For our holiday this year (flew to Morocco) I booked a hotel with bed and breakfast for £1500 ( 2 bed prestige suite) flights were £700. For 2 adults, 3 kids our holiday came to just over £3k.

Like another poster, we don't have expensive hobbies which helps.

Eurocamp

Also, I see some of the things other people spend money on and they are prioritising that over holidays - getting their nails done, takeaways, daily Starbucks, £100+ trainers, Botox, fillers, facials, beauty treatments , designer clothes, gym membership, expensive handbags, smoking/vaping, clubbing, alcohol…. We don’t spend on any of that so have more money to spend on other things.

2500 for 7 days for 5 people abroad is not unreasonable. That’s 357 per day which divided by 5 is 71. So that’s 71 per day for stay and flight per person (obviously depending on the ages of the kids that would be less). Would it be possible for each of you (ie your DH and you) to save a 100 pounds a month? That would cover it across the year. I can understand if that’s not possible.

This.

If you were working p/t and seasonally the responses would be different. What's stopping your dh working either opposite to you (eg evenings/weekends) or full time and using childcare? Would you be eligible for support from Universal Credit towards childcare?

When my DC were young I worked 3 evenings a week and switched to f/t when the DC started nursery.

Holidays are a priority to us and we don't smoke, drink much or have any expensive hobbies.I save into a separate account every month and book flights and accommodation separately. There was a post on here earlier asking if £3500 was too much to spend on a week AI - that seems eyewateringly expensive to me.

I think it’s hard for many people. We had many years with no holidays. However we were lucky in that my in-laws live in Wales so we could go and stay with them at times.

I’ve just taken partial retirement which meant a lump sum. I’ve used some of it to book. “once on a lifetime” type holiday. Hubby and DS hate plane journeys and this is 14hrs so I’m going on an escorted tour with other lone travellers

Next year I’ll pay for one we can all go on. …but within 2hrs of the UK.

We had exactly the same problem in the 1980s and '90s, towards the end of the latter finances improved. We really could not afford to go on holiday, ever, as a family but we somehow stretched ourselves, and our overdrafts, and did it. It makes me laugh to think of it now. Phew! It was hard. I think it is the same for every generation for people of average or middling income. I used to try and save for holidays but always had to dip in beforehand.

This will not last forever I promise you.

Depending your child’s school year, just take them when it’s not the school holidays!!!! I don’t care what anyone says - holidays are memories and just as important to a child’s development in many ways!!!!! Term time is triple the price!!!!!!

It’s a no brainer if you can’t afford to go otherwise

I spend a lot of time researching holidays, prices etc and have an annual holiday budget which is made from money saved every month. Mix of Turkey AI deals, Eurocamp, UK breaks. We're off to Turkey for a week in October - £2.5k for a week in a 5 star AI for 4 people. Already booked next years holidays too. I book way in advance or last minute for best deals.

I think even in that scenario it's obscene imo, but i dont have 3 active teens admitt we dly@ And I feel you're maybe talking it down a bit if it costs 12k and it's some kind of activity centred thing! But that's the thing isn't it we all have different preferences and if it's worth it for you then why not!

I prefer holidays to kids 😅

We live close to 2 major airports which helps. I spend a long time searching and comparing packages and separate flights/accommodation, I enjoy it. We do more 4/5 nighters than full weeks.

1 child, no childcare and no car payments makes a huge difference to our holiday fund, we can go away every few months.

But I have 3 very active teenagers who would be bored rigid in a villa. We did this when they were young and it was great but not now. I’d end up driving everywhere to find stuff to do. Nowadays we pick hotels and holidays carefully. Usually do Neilson holidays as that’s what they love.

We had 1 child as we knew it would be very tight financially with more.

No holidays until he goes to school (we go to see grandparents who luckily live in lovely places!). When he goes to school, I'll go back work part time and we will allocate money every month to save for a holiday. Probably Eurocamp.

Never been able to take advantage of cheaper term time hols in the pre school years as my husband is a teacher.

That's how we'll eventually afford it.

Often having a 3rd child means you need 2 rooms. My 3 are teens. Even rooms that sleep 5 won’t allow us to stay in them as once kids reach 12, they count as an adult. 😬 So we virtually always need 2 rooms. We find it costs significantly more when you jump from family of four to family of five and even more when they start hitting 12yrs.

We don’t do extravagant hols as our kids are still little and don’t know/care where they are. We live in NL and drive or fly to one or other set of parents (one in FR, one in UK) for every holiday. So the travel costs us but accommodation is free. We only take one other holiday to a different place (a kinderhotel in Germany that we can drive to) as it only costs about £1.2k for a week for all 4 of us, all inclusive. When what your kids enjoy/remember most is the pool and kids club there’s no point going to especially cultural or far flung destinations. We know their grandparents won’t always be here either so this is how holidays are for now. When they are older/will appreciate it more/when their grandparents are possibly no longer with us/when we are no longer dropping €2.1k a month on childcare for the youngest THEN maybe we can consider other destinations (we are planning a trip to the USA for 5 years’ time, for example). Cut your cloth.

I save a lot every month, bonus goes in the pot, parents give me money as a birthday/Christmas gift which goes in the pot.
Plus we only have 1 child and look for free child places.

12k for two weeks in Greece really is obscene! Even if I had that money I simply couldn't spend it when there's an alternative. You could hire a villa for half that if not less.

@Kitkat1523 , that's what lots of people say, but we've yet to have a wall-to-wall rainy camping holiday. Sure, the odd wet afternoon, but then we just chill in the tent, play games, read, make some music, snack, drive to a nearby cafe or indoor attraction -not a problem. Belltents are known for being powder dry, unlike leakier polyester / nylon tents. Super cosy.

I work part time 2 days a week and earn 18k a year.
I was a SAHP for a long time so our mortgage and all bills are based on DH’s salary. So my salary is used for holidays and treat days. We normally do 2wks in summer and a few days away a couple of times a year. We are also a family of 5. We are off to Rhodes on Sat for 2wks in a nice looking but nothing spectacular 4* TUI all inclusive. Cost is 12k. (Kids are teens) It has gone up dramatically in the last 5yrs. Even though we budget for it and thus can afford it, it still makes me feel sick every time I pay it. It’s obscene really!