How much do you spend each year on holidays?

[peachjuice]

We're pricing up for next year, haven't been since 2015 as we "can't afford" it, yet our household income is ok - about £90k gross. There never seems to be spare money though.

Curious to know how much other people spend on their holidays each year as a proportion of their income.

I assume the OP uses daycare or dog walkers most days which is pricey (daycare is around £20-£25 per day in my area). Also when you factor in insurance, food, worming/flea treatments, training and boarding the cost can mount up.

About 2.5k on a household income of 54k. An easter holiday in Scotland and 2 seperate weeks in the UK on caravan holidays in the six weeks.

I don’t know many people with a family income of more than 80k I don’t think

I don’t know many people with an income below this. Not being facetious, but two adults working and earning £40k each cant be that unusual, surely? I know very few SAHP and friends are mainly in professional roles.

Anyway, to answer the question. Our household income is just under £200k. Spend maybe £5k on holidays each year. They’re not a big priority for us.

£2-3k? But then I've been on mat leave twice 2016-2019. Income around £70k. Hopefully will do more as the kids do more!

Thinking about how much we spend - one month's net income. That has been pretty constant, when our income was bigger it was still one month's net income.

This year we've had a couple of expensive holidays, each costing more than we'd usually spend on one but well worth it. Relative to our take home income of just over £5k a month, we spent about 20% this year, but usually no more than 10%. We love holidays, don't spend on handbags or dogs, cars are 4-5 yrs old, bought second hand.

I don't know why people are surprised that there are women on here who earn a lot - it's obvious from the level of a lot of the discussions that there are many, many educated women who are working in really good jobs. There was a thread asking about jobs that earn more than £100K and tons of women were contributing (from their own experience.)

@JustHereForThePooStories depends on your social circle really. Mine consists of people in low paid jobs, none of us went to uni, we're all working class. I don't have any friends who are married and only 2 of us have children and we're both single parents. I honestly don't know anyone who has a household income of over £50k.

None of us struggle though, we live in a cheap area.

I'm in Ireland and there is myself, husband and 3yr old son. Since he's been born it's been €2000 to 2500 on family holiday to France with my family. A weekend in Ireland for about €600-700. And a 2-3 trips to UK to visit my husband's family at about €600 a trip. So in total €4000 on average. Prior to having my son we possibly spent €6-7000 + per year on trips. Household income is around €120k per year. But high enough living expenses on Ireland

Justhere: “I don’t know many people with an income below this. Not being facetious, but two adults working and earning £40k each cant be that unusual, surely? I know very few SAHP and friends are mainly in professional roles.”

I guess it depends on the sector you work in, your age and your family background. DH comes from a family background with average earnings I suppose and my wider family are too. Most are public sector where wages tend to be lower anyway. No jaw-dropping bonuses in the NHS!

We know a wide mix of people, our friends aren’t just from one income bracket and I find it odd that there are people out there who claim not to know any lower-earning people.

I spent about £4K on a two week holiday to Borneo for a family of 5 this summer. We had a beach villa with private pool. It was probably my favourite holiday ever.

House hold income is around £65k, but we live in an area of the country where house prices are reasonable and I work flexibly to avoid childcare costs. We don't have any car finance etc.

I also have a tent and we do a few camping trips throughout the year.

I'm a LP on about £20k, and I prioritise holidays too .

I had a wild and crazy and pretty atypical August- went to Italy and Croatia on my own for a week for the eye watering sum of £500, and THEN took the kids camping in France for 10 days for £750 (of which by far the greatest part was the cost of the ferry. We don't live in the South East).

Thing is, when I read about all these people spending thousands and thousands on holidays, the first thing that comes to mind isn't jealousy. It's more puzzlement that so few people have an eye for a bargain. Which is fine- if they want to pay over the odds, that's up to them. As long as everybody realises that you don't have to pay that much to enjoy a decent holiday.

We spent about 3.5k this year including spending money. That was for 2 holidays abroad in the summer for 6 people.
Last year we went away for one week in the UK and spent a total of £500.
We have a household income of approximately 90k but high outgoings.

Also the average income in the U.K. is what, around 25k? Surely that tells you that if 2 members of a couple are both earning 40k each then they’re doing a lot better financially than most of the population? Maybe you just don’t realise how well off you are compared to the average person in the UK?

I always wander through Kensington and marvel at all the champagne bottles in the recycling outside all the houses. Probably just normal drinking to them. Visit elsewhere in the U.K. and the recycling will be full of Aldi Rioja and Special Brew cans. It’s all relative, but I do think that if you’ve grown up in wealth your horizons aren’t very broad and you don’t realise that for most people how you grew up is not the norm.

I've not been on holiday since 2014 😂😩

We budget £500 pa for holidays. We're lucky at the moment as can holiday in termtime. We'll have to increase the budget once DD starts school. That covers the cost of renting a flat or cottage somewhere in the UK plus eating out a few times.

We've been holidaying like this for the last nine years and have had some wonderful times away. Costs have definitely risen though - we used to spend £300-500 in total on accommodation, meals, travel, now it tends to be £500 just on accommodation.

Household income approx £75k but high childcare, commuting and mortgage costs

@CurlyhairedAssassin Why are you wandering around Kensington, looking in the recycling bins?

Family of 4.

Flights and accommodation usually about £600 for a week abroad at summer. Total is usually about 1k, by the time you've added all the little bits up (dog kennels, airport parking, spending etc).

Another few hundred on a couple of weeks in the UK in caravans. Usually a week at easter and another at summer.

Total max budget for the year is £2k, but we don't spend that.

Stubbornstains: I know what you’re saying about bargains and that is great for people who do have a tight budget. But most people with a household income of over 100k will want to go for luxury. They don’t want a 4 star AI in Benidorm. Or a economy flight to Asia where they’ll stay in a beach hut and save money by only eating street food compared to a luxury room fancy international hotel with amazing cocktails and food.

I’m not saying that one of those is a better experience than the other. Just that for some people, a luxury holiday is what makes it more enjoyable. And if they have the money they’ll spend it to get that..

I know someone who spent £10k on a week in the Caribbean during school hols this year. They flew business class because they had the money and wanted to try it. I had access to the same amount of money but there’s no way i would have made that choice. My money is safely invested for retirement and we stick to “average” foreign holidays.

I agree it’s mind-blowing when you think what people spend on one week of their whole life, though. I guess it’s like weddings. You are either prepared to spend the money to get what you want or if you’re not into fancy weddings you’ll spend far less.

Hollow Talk! I have relatives there. The recycling seems to be put out in boxes on Gloucester Road. No wheelie bins in sight. The whole area is an eye opener when you spend a lot of time there as an outsider.

We have a decent household income (dh earns 3x what I do), but childcare is 1k a month, mortgage similar, try and overpay..lots of professional fees etc.

My eldest has started school, so now looking at school holiday prices. Also, just started paying for flights for my youngest. So this year probably £8k for two hols abroad (one was for a big birthday). Plus some shorter breaks. It's a lot, my friends comment. So I feel much better reading this. We have old cars and a non fancy house. Holidays are a priority

Jesus Christ my mind is boggling at the number of posters casually stating they have an income of £75k and more, is this real?!! My tongues gone really dry because my mouths been hanging open for the last 5 minutes.
£600 for a week in a cottage in a beautiful part of Scotland for us

PinkGin: yes they’re real. They just don’t think you and me are.

@stubbornstains

How do you know that people aren’t finding bargains when they spend thousands?

Two weeks in five star Maldives including flights for £3k - that would a tremendous bargain but still “thousands”