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Original poster

Going away (almost) every school holiday?

107 replies

Reddingmilk · 05/08/2024 12:53

We went abroad at Easter so we aren’t going away this month. Lots of school Mums being surprised that we aren’t going away again.

I am surprised people can afford to go on holiday so much as well as have enough annual leave for it?!

Quite a few families from school have been away at Easter, May, then they’re having a UK break this summer as well as going abroad. Then they’ll be off somewhere again in October. Baffles me.

In between this, they have lots of days out at the weekend.

I’m not just talking about foreign holidays, even the UK isn’t cheap and then using up annual leave too.

Am I doing something wrong? We are cautious with money and need to plan annual leave carefully so have some spare in case of illness etc. It seems to be unusual these days to spend time at home or just doing low key stuff locally.

OP posts:
Shibr · 05/08/2024 13:14

We have four holidays planned this year (Feb, June, September, November). I haven’t had an issue with booking annual leave. I don’t have to use leave for illness and neither does my husband. I didn’t realise some jobs did that.

In terms of expenditure, it can’t be a surprise that people have different incomes and spend differing amounts on holidays?

KimKardashiansLostEarring · 05/08/2024 13:10

28 days annual leave is pretty common.

5 days annual leave at Easter - could be a 9+ day holiday using the weekends.

5 days in summer - same, 9 day hol if you want (I prefer leaving an acclimatisation buffer so you’re not going straight from holiday to work!)

Same in October half term.

Same at Christmas.

That’s only 20 days leave used - 5 days 4 times a year.

As for affordability…. Savings, visiting family, earning lots…. Someone just posted that they extended their mortgage to afford a holiday, don’t recommend that one!!

redskydarknight · 05/08/2024 13:10

You seem to be an unusually affluent school. Nobody at my DC's school would be surprised that we weren't going away in the summer, having been away at Easter. Probably because there are plenty of families that won't go away at all.

Catza · 05/08/2024 13:07

Most people will have 28 days of leave which is plenty to be able to go away several times a year. I have 36 days and find surplus to requirement. I have sick pay and don't need to save holidays for an illness. Mind you, I've only used 4 sick days in the last three years.

MojoMoon · 05/08/2024 13:06

Some people are richer than others?

Some will be paying a mortgage while others aren't so your cost of living may be very different even if incomes are similar?

Some people go to stay with family abroad so zero accommodation costs and maybe they can work remotely so grandparents do childcare while parents work? Would be cheaper than staying at home and paying for holiday camps.

Why would you expect all families at a school to be doing the same thing? The only thing you have in common is that you have kids of a similar age - there may be vast differences financially between families at a school.

madnessitellyou · 05/08/2024 13:02

You aren't doing it wrong, you're doing it differently. And that's okay!

goodkidsmaadhouse · 05/08/2024 13:02

We do usually go away every holiday but not overseas. Maybe overseas once a year. Otherwise visiting friends or family in the UK. I don’t know anyone who goes overseas every holiday but the only people in my friends group who go properly away every holiday (not necessarily abroad but away to rented accommodation somewhere) are the families with two high earners and it makes sense that they could afford it.