How do you afford holidays?

[User46472874637]

Before you all come at me, please hear me out. I totally get how people are struggling to eat etc at the minute and impending winter is scary with energy costs! Totally get it.

I know we all have different budgets and income etc. we have a take home household income of around £35, 000. This includes my partners earnings of £32,000 before tax and others such as DLA for my son, child benefit, me carers and maintenance of his dad. We also get a small amount of tax credits.

many of my friends go on regular holidays when they don't earn anymore than us but how?!

we haven't had a holiday in 8 years. I would love nothing more than going away but it's not achievable financially even more so in current times. It's from paying for the actual holiday, spending money, fuel food and sorting kennels for our dog - or we could take her. We don't even have in date passports to go abroad. We've had a tough few years with lots of stuff going on in our personal life which I won't go into and I'd just like to escape the daily grind!

we don't go out, smoke or drink.

house is mortgaged and cheaper than rent in my area. But we've had to spend out quite a lot on house repairs. Don't have any luxuries.

I know I'm sounding pretty selfish round now complaining I don't get a holiday but where do we go wrong??

before anyone asks, we don't have sky or Netflix or whatever. No expensive phone contracts. We are in very little debt.

we don't eat out apart from an occasional McDonald's.

our utility bills are quite high which doesn't help.

I know we are likely in a better situation than most but I have a friend over the road, her partner and 3 kids, neither work (I'm not judging, just stating facts) and they go away at least twice a year! I just don't how people are affording it!

our food bills seems to be increasing week on week too! We are going over drawn month to month. There is nothing spare.

we are fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the country - on the coast which helps somewhat! But my kids had never had a holiday. My mums made me feel guilty saying all kids should go on holiday... my son has been on one in the U.K. as a toddler and my daughter hasn't had any!

Mil has been on 4 holidays this year. Maybe I am just a bit green eyed 😓

I'm not sure it is the food or the dog.

They have around £2900 coming in each month, say £1k for food and mortgage, another £500 for utilities, council tax etc, leaves £1400.

Even if car payments, other insurances, the cost of the dog, petrol, parking, DC clothes etc takes them down to £500 pm, that's still a chunk left to spend, and put £100 aside to allow a couple of trips away each year. Youth Hostel room, house swap, Butlins, Center Parcs out of season, caravan etc.

I too think I've read this before. I can't remember if there was a resolution. Partner spending on crap?

OP can you get second hand clothes for DC? Are the house repairs done now?
Can you work a bit when DP at home in the evenings or weekends? If you're waiting for DLA for DD, that might make things easier?

He buys 3 ready meals a week. They are 3 for £7 in Tesco. He gets hungry on a 12 hour shift and leaves before I cook dinner else he could take something with him.. I keep telling him to make something in advance but 🤷‍♀️

Yup, answer for everything 🤷🏽‍♀️

The reason people are able to afford a holiday on varying budgets is because they prioritise them.

I think you have answered your own question in that you don't know what you are spending your £2916 a month on (apart from £150 on food per week and £90 a month on water)

Sit down and write it all out.

Get a starling or monzo account. These have saving pots in.

Not posted before and partner doesn't spend on crap so must be someone else. He literally goes to work and spends the rest of his time home and never goes shopping himself or spends anything on himself other than good to take to work. He doesn't work near any shop or food places either so he can never be tempted to buy extra food or coffees whilst he's there, which is good! 😅

Would you consider moving? It sounds like your house eats up alot of your money and living in the sticks means extra fuel/additional car.

As a family we have found it hard to budget for holidays too although our earnings are more than yours... when the children were much younger then we'd go away at Whitsun for a 5 day break in a caravan rather than 7 days. I think at the time Tesco vouchers could be applied to one of the caravan chains. Tesco vouchers can be used for a few holidays eg. hotels/cottages. This can be quite affordable as you pay a deposit and then save up and pay the balance nearer the time - a self catering holiday needn't be too pricey as you have to do a weekly shop anyway.
As to the £3000+ Med blow out - nah never done that. Only time we went somewhere amazing was when DH inherited some money and we went to Thailand. (You asked about how people manage it).

I wish I never posted this. A moment of guilt about my kids never having a holiday, feeling sorry for myself and feeling bad. My oldest is 12 so not that young and all his friends get holidays. I wasn't even talking about going abroad, I would be very happy with a holiday in the U.K. i only went abroad once as a child to Disneyland, I have fonder memories or my holidays to haven and butlins but with the cost of them in the holidays, it seems impossible to even holiday in the U.K! I posted this and it's gone seriously off topic! I'll be off shortly...

People save up
Or use their credit cards (probably WAY more often than you would think)
Or get into debt some other way
Or pay by instalment
Or have relatives pay
Or sell stuff
Or stay with relatives
Or stay in friends' holiday homes

I just do cheap holidays. I research carefully and book very early usually. I go places where cheap airlines fly, and take minimum luggage. I used to use airbnb all the time when it was reliable. Now I look up local rental sites or check Booking.com.

Been busy this year and booked last minute, ending up paying way more than I usually would.

When we were broke and DC were small we went on several very low cost holidays by staying with family (who happen to live in resorts) or by staying in simple accommodation at Park Resorts and self catering. Can be done very cheaply while still feeling like a family break.

E.g. Park Resorts Caravan sleeping 6, dog friendly, for 4 nights at Easter next year 2023 is less than £150 in total! Look for a similar place near you so the cost of petrol isn't too much. Bring your own food and drink. They are usually in gorgeous areas with beaches or lakes or woodland around. And there are free indoor swimming pools, entertainment (quizzes, karaoke etc - a bit Butlins but still good fun.) A four night break feels like a proper holiday if you arrive early and leave late. As you'd be paying for food anyway, wherever you are, the only extra cost is the caravan (£150) and petrol.

OP, if you post on the Moneysaving expert forum with a breakdown of all your expenses (once your DH is home), they will be able to give you advice.

Sorry - meant to add a link to the dog friendly options here

It's about priorities. We put away about £350 a month which gives us our two weeks away. Husband's bonus also allows us a week away in winter. A lot of my friends who can't afford holidays easily spend more than this on clothes, make-up and 'stuff.'

Things will change as our bills are expected to rise by about £200. We're so lucky to have our holiday fund to fall back on.

We have some amazing memories though.

we are on a very low income, my 2 dc eldest now a teen have never been abroad but we do manage a UK break for a week each year. we shop around and usual manage to get a caravan or holiday cottage for around £400 for a week. The sun newspaper holidays used to be fantastic and so cheap we'd manage a couple of short breaks a year with them but unfortunately now we can never get the school holiday dates we need. But they're a great option if the dates are OK for you. we've just been on a last minute cottage holiday in Yorkshire as prices was massively reduced due to nobody booking for that week reduced from £899 to £450 for a week. keep your eye out for last minute reductions like that. Children don't need fancy foreign holidays that cost thousands.

How has it gone off topic?

Unless there's something significant that you've not mentioned, then the numbers and 'no money at all free for any holiday at all' don't seem to add up.

It's very common for people to spend £1-200 pm or more on not very much that they don't really notice or enjoy. People are trying to help you identify whether this could apply to you because if it does, it will be fairly easy to stop or reduce that spend, and save enough money for at least a nice week away each year.

would not be impossible sadly. We couldn't afford to move anywhere else. Housing crisis in the southwest is scary, locals being priced out! We are living in a slightly less desirable area as it is rather than our hometowns which will be at least double the price or more! We don't have a high budget. We were fortunate to have the money at the time to put down on for a deposit on a house costing £150,000 10 years ago but things have seriously shifted in the housing market. We'd likely get £250.000 for this house now but we'd get nothing else do they price here!

it's just all the little everything adding up. Something needs fixing or replacing, boiler goes wrong, double glazing damaged and letting moisture in, not the best house in the world but it was cheap at the time! Wasn't obvious at the time of purchase how much or long it would take to maintain it!

See, there’s another reason why you can’t. Get organised, if you can’t cook dinner earlier, then he takes his portion from last night, it’s not difficult

Are sun holidays still a thing? I thought they had stopped? I will look into it Ty! I'd be very happy with holiday in the U.K. didn't specify in my op but never been fussed on going abroad 😊

I would start with recording everything that you spend over a month, down to the last penny, that should hopefully highlight any areas you can cut out/ down on.
Theres a really good forum on Martin Lewis website full of tips and budgeting planners.
I would hope that you could get away to a Haven/Parkdean type holiday

@User46472874637 yes they are still going as I still get the emails letting me know when they are about to start the tokens etc. but I no longer bother as it's so hard to get school holiday dates as everyone wants those dates. you can try though we've had some fantastic short breaks with them to haven and parkdean very cheap.

Also keep your eye out for cheap early bird booking prices on parkdean or haven sites directly. if you book way in advance they usually do good early bird deals. and parkdean tend to be cheaper than Haven overall and can get dog friendly caravans. we took our dog last year.

If it seems like your food bills are high, it might be worth examining this more closely. Do you meal plan or get two evenings'-worth of dinner out of one meal? These things have really helped us cut costs and waste, e.g. 500g mince = 2 nights' dinners for 3-4 people + maybe put some aside for lunch.

And I agree with what others have said too - note down every single expenditure right after you make the transaction. See where your money is really going.

Thank you!

Thank you. What's it like taking a dog? I am concerned the kids will want to go swimming and if you can't leave the dog in accommodation?? We need 2 adults to take them both swimming! Not fussed on entertainment so much!

I am trying so hard to spend less with no luck. It's getting higher and higher. Up until a few months ago I was spending £80-90 a week but with everything going up and the school holidays it's going up and up every week! Or doesn't help DS won't usually eat the same as what I cook myself, Dp and Dd.

https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/England/SouthWest/Devon/sttgilesonnheath/east-panson-farm/?arrive=2023-02-12&child_ages=11,12&nights=5&type=6&type=7&#csdetail

Here you go. 5 nights february half term, take the dog. First night take a lasagne or whatever made at home, bbq and kitchen at the accommodation (winter BBQs with hot chocolate are fun unless raining). Save your McDonald's treats for Jan and Feb and use them whilst away, you must have a fair few Tesco Clubcard vouchers too so use them for a meal out. Ask for cinema vouchers for Christmas gifts for a rainy day activity. Plenty of free attractions around.

Budget £60 per day plus vouchers, cost £700 plus petrol.