Holidays are just not worth the money

Getting away for a holiday makes everything else worthwhile.
I want to relax and be warm, eat nice food and explore a different culture.

Very much easier and cheaper now that the children are grown though so you have my sympathy on the cost.

You don’t have to spend 500 a day!

Maybe you're not choosing the right type of holiday for yourself.

I prioritise holidays over most things
From DC being 5+ I was a lone parent and funds were tight I used to save my expenses from work into a separate account to fund them
We would normally do a U.K. caravan break around one of the half terms and a week abroad in the summer, cheap cottages, villas or euro camp - northern France, Holland etc all easy to drive to
As teens we did a mixture of city break and beach holiday further afield but always self catering and as cheap as possible -
I know some people don’t like self catering but I never cook properly on holiday - mixture of cheap eats out, takeaway, oven or ready meals
In turkey we hired a stunning villa with pizza oven, bbq etc on the terrace and just cooked round the pool every day
These days I can afford more and DC are grown up but I still prefer lots of economical holidays rather than an expensive AI or cruise type holiday

We've had years when we haven't gone away and I've really struggled. The kids love it, the pools, the buffet, the family time.
We are a family of 4 and 3.5k seems to be standard for a week AI. I'm a teacher so always more expensive.
We do little trips away mid year so family in Ireland and my parents who live by the sea. Did a city break to London this year.
As along as we can afford it we will make it a priority. We live simply to be able to afford holidays e.g. one car and rarely eat out.

We have so many happy memories of Eurocamp holidays all over Europe. So well organised.

I agree, if OP really does mean that spending £500 a day is what the £3K in total is (effectively) for.

AI is actually easier to manage budget wise. But I appreciate it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I never did AI until we had kids (well we had one amazing holiday in Mauritius but that was it).
but I find with young kids it’s very easy, especially if they become picky about food. Free ice cream and snacks, all that!

£3k for 5 people? Jeezo, that's some bargain! It's the opposite of expensive. 😯

this.

@msmolli I refuse to pay money on rent a cottage in the UK. The weather is not guaranteed and I don’t want to eat ding dinners every night.

Eurocamps are great value, and in lovely places so you can travel around. I’ve been on really expensive holidays with kids and super cheap ones and they don’t particularly have a preference! They just like to be away, preferable with water nearby at some point, and preferably with friends or family.
We never do package though - or all inclusive - so can manage our budgets accordingly.

My parents used to save like crazy to take me and my brother abroad every two years (we had free rail travel because my dad worked for BR, which helped). I remember the first time I saw real, proper mountains (Switzerland) when I was 10, beaches in Belgium when I was 8, Austrian lakes...

I'm now in my sixties and my parents are long gone but the memories that remain are priceless. I was undiagnosed ADHD and must have been a nightmare to take away, but I am now so glad that they made the effort to do what can't have been a great deal of fun for them!

Enjoy! Dordogne is lovely

The Airbnb we've booked for this summer sleeps 6 (family of 5 here) and costs £600. In the Dordogne and right on the river so easy swimming. Fuel for the drive down and ferry or tunnel adds a bit but not much. Then other spends are entirely up to you. Food shopping can be supermarket or can be posher or meals out. Ice creams can be supermarket ones in the freezer or a nice ice cream place.

This is a really a more expensive Airbnb because older teens of different sexes so we need 3 separate bedrooms for us, the girl and then the boys sharing. When they were kids we could get places with a double for us and then a bunk room and have the kids all in together. We did a fair few holidays on campsites in the static tents which have rooms like that.

Again when the kids were little and we had less money we would do one "big" paid thing per holiday and the rest free stuff so free museums, playgrounds, river or beach etc. Food could make the holiday special, at home we ate a heck of a lot of lentils to stretch meals so we would treat ourselves to chops or some nice seafood.

For us it is the switching off, the time together when our lives are so busy. All 5 of us volunteer somewhere, kids have hobbies, oldest works full time and often late shifts so we never see him. Meals when we are all in the house at the same time have become rare even though e all lives together. So I am really looking forward to gathering them all together for a little while.

You’re going on the wrong holidays if you aren’t enjoying it.

I’d agree that a pool holiday isn’t worth the money. But then, I’ve never liked them anyway so of course I’d think that!

We did an 8 day trip to a European theme park and capital city for about the same price we’d spend on a week’s all inclusive (probably less). That holiday was amazing and worth every penny!

YANBU. When you add it all up it can easily be £500 a day for not much, especially if you are unlucky with the weather.
One year we did a staycation, and used £2k for a week of brilliant activities instead of a holiday. We had such an amazing time - DCs talk about that week more than any holiday we’ve ever been on.

My idea of bad holiday. Super expensive cottage with likely cold weather AND ready made meals! And some awful pub grub. Do you know how expensive these holidays have become?

Usually for these money you can get a holiday abroad with better weather, nicer food and warm pool or sea

Where are you going for £3k for 5 people!!!!

For me holidays are something I prioritise it’s important for me and DS so I make it happen.

could be a couple of nights in a caravan or two weeks on a cruise it’s still worth it to get away!

Love this! My eldest is 18 and loves to still travel with us. We’re on an adventure to Malaysia and Vietnam this summer. We still holiday once a year with my parents, mid 70s. Great to have 3 generations together. As long as they still want to come with us they will always be welcome.