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Original poster

Can you guys afford to away aboard on holiday this year?

120 replies

SouthMan28 · 03/05/2022 21:36

As due to the cost of living crisis, me and my partner cannot afford to go this year!

Can any of you afford to go?

OP posts:
EvenLess07 · 04/05/2022 09:38

We could afford it but I doubt we'll go 😥DF terminally ill and I'm just too worried to book anything in case he takes a turn for the worse while we're away. Am hoping to get in a few UK short breaks over the year instead.

SomewhereEast · 04/05/2022 09:41

Yes but mostly because we saved a bit over the lockdowns (nowhere to go!). We're not actually spending much more than we would for a week in the UK though, especially as we're travelling to a northern European country where the local children are all back in school by the last week in August so we won't be paying peak prices.

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 04/05/2022 09:49

No. We need passports for both kids and probably one of us will need a new one before we can go away next year. At least we have the excuse that we can't take the new born away - makes it feel less that we just can't afford it.
We don't have a UK one booked this year either as prices are high. We might try to find a late deal in the UK at the end of this year and one for next summer.

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Soffit · 04/05/2022 09:52

My main issue is that I will not bow down to stupid covid mandates and even where the rules are more relaxed, I would probably not feel completely relaxed about being so far away from home with covid (I have had it a few times and I really appreciated being in my own house). It is really crap to have it and miss out on paid activities and be paying for an overpriced hotel when you would no longer even want to be there. I have no idea what annual insurance cover is coming up at these days - it has got to be much higher though!

Bichette · 04/05/2022 09:56

We are going to France for 2 weeks in August but are lucky to have friends and family over there who can accommodate us. So just the transport to pay.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 04/05/2022 09:59

Yes. We have cheap housing costs due to living in a very small and not massively desirable house. However we're holidaying in the UK as my 11yo is unvaccinated. She had covid right before vaccine eligibility and we can be certain she'll be fully vaxxed by the end of summer. I cannot be arsed with the additional faff and stress of testing and working out what we can and can't do in our destination, so we'll stay in the UK for one more year and hope next year is easier.

That being said, I am shocked at the increased price of UK holiday accommodation. The last couple of years we've paid £1600pw for admittedly very lovely cottages right in peak holiday season, but I'm sure 5 years ago the similarly lovely properties were £900-1000.

runnerswimmer · 04/05/2022 10:12

Cant afford it this year as we have had a couple of large unexepcted bills. Basically every penny in our budget is allocated for (i.e increased bills), DH hasnt had a bonus this year which has made things extra tight. PIL will loan us their camp gear so hopefully will have enough to go camping near the coast in the summer.

Our kids are only young so they will be happy with a bucket and spade type holiday. Its not the end of the world not going abroad, as much as we woud like too, having cheap a break in the UK is still nice, and I dont mind camping.

EllieQ · 04/05/2022 10:44

Yes. It will be the first family holiday abroad for DD (who is 7) - couldn’t afford any holidays (UK or abroad) during the nursery years, and had a UK self-catering holiday in 2019.

We have splashed out on a week at a resort (half-board) in Portugal and I’m looking forward to a week of sunshine. It cost £3k, which is only affordable as we haven’t been on holiday for the past two years. Plus DH got a better job after being made redundant during the pandemic, so the increased cost of living is manageable for us at the moment. It still feels extravagant, and I won’t believe it’s going ahead until we’re on the plane!

emmathedilemma · 04/05/2022 10:50

Yes but I'm not constrained to school holidays and my foreign holidays (flights, meals, accommodation & activities) is costing less than most self catering accommodation in the UK costs per night! I was going to have a week in Scotland in May but there's no way I'm paying £100+ a night for a "glamping" shed!

Therealjudgejudy · 04/05/2022 11:06

Definitely. A week in Portugal in September with my partner.

Possibly a city break in June aswell, just need to decide where🙂

I live for my holidays

bibliomania · 04/05/2022 11:46

Long-haul at the end of July/Aug, all going well, although as pp said, I'll believe it when we're on the plane! I put down a deposit last July and have been saving towards it. I do feel a few qualms about spending the money, but I think it's probably going to be the one big holiday I do with dd, who is now a teen, so I hope it will be worth it.

Springandsummerarecoming · 04/05/2022 13:43

Whitewolf2 · 04/05/2022 07:37

We’re going away to Greece in a few weeks, but it’s a 2020 hol so have only had to pay for a few extras. Similar to pp won’t believe we’re actually going until the plane takes off! Will be dcs first time on plane. Am relieved Greece have dropped the covid requirements for entry as was worried about the testing for dcs.

Have they? Are there no covid requirements at all?

Tsuni · 04/05/2022 13:45

Been on a UK holiday this year and we're going away on 2 other UK holidays this year.
I suppose we could have afforded to go abroad.

Tsuni · 04/05/2022 13:59

CheeseBoard2022 · 04/05/2022 07:50

No haven't been out of the country since 2008! I'm sure you'll be okay not going away, plenty of nice hoildays in the U.K. for peanuts. Smile

Where do you go that costs peanuts? Accommodation is expensive so is entry to castles, museums and theme parks. Hiring kayaks is expensive too.

Do you go camping and only do free things like hillwalking?

DameHelena · 04/05/2022 14:03

Well, going abroad is by no means automatically more expensive than going on holiday in the UK.
But anyway, yes, DP and I are going to Croatia. I put a portion of all income into a holiday fund so I know we'll be able to have holidays. We're both freelance and work can get pretty all-engulfing and stressful, so we prioritise holidays.
Cheap easyJet flights and a pretty reasonable Airbnb. It's not that cheap to eat out there, but not ruinous, especially as we're happy to go for street food/hole-in-the-wall places and stroll along the waterfront eating. And we'll buy some food to cook in the flat, and buy picnic stuff from markets etc.

TedOnTheBed · 04/05/2022 14:06

Yes we are, it was booked and paid for in January. Fingers crossed our passports are back in time we don’t go until August so should be fine but with people in the papers saying they applied in January and still don’t have them back is making me very nervous .

Cloud16 · 04/05/2022 14:07

Maybe. I've booked hotel (which is refundable) and I'm waiting for flight prices to fall.

At the moment, Ryanair want £300 for a return flight to Barcelona. If they don't drop, I'll cancel my hotel.

I think the cost of flights and hotels have skyrocketed due to the pandemic/brexit/war.

CoastalWave · 04/05/2022 14:08

I can't afford 4 passports - never mind a holiday!

Blueberrycreampie · 04/05/2022 14:17

I can easily afford to go abroad this year but like many other years I will probably be unable to owing to care issues for a very elderly relative, butI would love to be able to travel.

NeedAHoliday2021 · 04/05/2022 14:18

Went to the canaries at Easter with dh and dc, going back to the canaries in 2 weeks with friends and have a weekend in Paris booked in July with dh. We would have another week away as a family in August but kitchen quotes are coming in high so that’s going to take priority.

Travel is a priority for us so we drive old cars and save for holidays.

ILoveAnOwl · 04/05/2022 14:19

Yes. Because my parents are paying. If it was me financing it there would not be a chance!

SpringLobelia · 04/05/2022 14:21

Yes this year we can. However this is mainly because I have been faithfully putting money away in a dedicated holiday savings account since October 2019 and have not yet had the chance to spend it. So far we are cutting back on everything else but the holiday savings is meant to be untouched.

That said, we are still wary of going abroad and will wait probably until the last minute (and when the Dcs have been double vaxxed) to make the decision.

Fingers crossed.

motogirl · 04/05/2022 14:22

Yes but the pandemic was excellent for business and we are at a stage where we don't need to worry ... everyone's situation is different. I suspect there's things I don't spend money on that others d

Essexexile · 04/05/2022 14:23

Had a week away abroad over Easter and have another week abroad in September. We’re in a fortunate position, dc grown up, no mortgage to pay and fairly low living costs.

roarfeckingroarr · 04/05/2022 14:23

Just back from Cyprus. Desperate to book another week somewhere for June and I'll probably take the toddler away on my own for 5 days or so after the summer holidays. I prioritise travel.