How can people afford 2 week summer holidays?

[NobilityScooter]

Pre COVID we went on holiday in the UK because we couldn't afford to go abroad. £1.5-2k accomodation then £1k spending money. = £2.5-3k holiday (2 adults + 2 children).

The costs crept up each year until COVID then the UK shot up in price. We changed locations to holiday somewhere cheaper still in the UK. Then the accomodation was poorer standard too for the price but it's what we could afford. I looked at what the same place would cost the next year when we got back (not that we wanted to book it but to see a cost comparison). And it was over £1k more expensive!

So we looked at cheap all inclusive abroad. And got something for the same price as the UK post COVID but abroad. Fabulous holiday. Wanted to book it the next year over £1k more expensive! We're lucky to be gifted £1.5k that year so went back to the same place and had a great time but the DC were getting a bit old for it so needed to find somewhere new.

Everything is so expensive! Looking at last year's holiday place is £2k more expensive! So it's gone up £3k in 2 years!

So my question is how does anyone afford to go on holiday in school holidays? (2 DC at school and education jobs mean we can only go in school holidays). This is £3k - to £7.5k in 8 years. How is anyone supposed to afford that? I see lots of people on holiday and places are selling out so people must be paying those prices. Our mortgage has doubled (£650 to £1250) and our gas and electricity has tripled (£88 to £270) plus our food bills have rocketed post COVID. Where is the spare money for a holiday?

we booked summer 2024 last summer , it was expensive but not overly expensive. This holiday has now gone up by 1000's but I have found booking well in advance can make it cheaper, plus longer to pay of!

We have to unfortunately go in school holidays as I work in a school and cannot get the time of to go out of term time :(

But i have found looking around at different companies also makes a different, we booked all inclusive 2 weeks through easy jet, the same holiday through tui (who usually use easyjet planes ) was a lot more

But i agree, prices have gone up SO much

I love, love that you do this!!!

I’ve done this several times, as we own a lovely boutique property on a fantastic Caribbean island known for scuba diving.

Montreal and NYC are just a couple of the places Ive been to via swap. We’ve had fantastic times and made lifelong friends in the process! The place in Montreal was gorgeous, as was the place in NYC; massive two bedroom with marble floors in Cobble Hill; cannot beat that!

If you have a lovely flat or home in a desirable place, you can swap with others who have similar.

We’ve got a reasonable disposable income and prioritise holidays and trips. I put money out of the joint account into savings throughout the year and use that for our holidays. Costs really have rocketed these last few years you are right. I budget 2x as much for hols now than I did 5 years ago. If I had to economise I’d look at Easter, May or October holidays as being cheaper than the school summer holiday.

I always look on Airbnb or Booking.com then contact the owners directly usually 40% cheaper paying direct.

Use a Global money account to transfer the funds.

Using a middleman gives more security but costs.

I thought holidays in uk more expensive than abroad, if you go self catering and book cheap flights two weeks is relatively cheaper than one.
Obvs got to do a lot of research to find reasonable low cost countries

I do three weeks in France for about 3k for 5 of us. Tesco vouchers for tunnel, £500 for fuel, alternate between camping, gite or air b&b.

I get an annual bonus that pays for it usually. But we also book far in advance and pay an amount off each month, then use my bonus to pay the balance just before we go.
Our mortgage hasn't change (fixed for a lengthy time).

There's some brilliant 'only on MN' answers to my question.

Be less poor
Earn more money
Have one DC
Have a holiday home in another country
Have relatives in another country
Don't work in education so you can take the DC term time
Educate your DC privately and go out of state school holiday time

😂

However there are also some useful and practical ones so thank you.

It definitely doesn't have to be AI. Our UK holidays were always SC e.g. Sykes, Cottages, Air BnB. But those prices got crazy! We did Wales for 5 days for £300 and had a lovely time. Just cannot find anything 'summer holiday-y' in the summer holidays that is affordable. I can't camp. It's just not a holiday for me. And yes I've tried. I do like static caravans though and did one during COVID. We can't drive abroad or we'd end up killing each other which I appreciate limits holiday choices. But divorce or a murder lawyer would be more expensive.

I'd like to do a house swap as we live somewhere near to a tourist area. DH isn't keen but if it's that or no holiday beggars can't be choosers!

Well we don't go all inclusive for a start. Cheap flights and self catering in a nice apartment.

Most cottages in the UK are £1k per week in summer in Cornwall. But there are some bargains if you don’t mind not being on a bus route/near a railway station.

Your questions was 'how does anyone afford to go on holiday?' so people told you how they afford it....

Stop automatically thinking AI- it really doesn't always offer great value unless you all are non stop scoffers or drink a lot

Look at Eurocamp , gites, airbnb , straight B&b hotel options. Greece can be cheaper than Spain for accommodation with similar flight prices

Don't automatically look at places with zillions of water slides etc- they uplift those prices as they know 'some' families will pay a lot extra for that kind of thing on tap.

The big saver of course is not school holidays but if it 'has' to be school holidays Easter and May and October holidays tend to be more affordable but at the risk of more variable weather.

Snap. Decent income, paid off mortgage no car loans , takeaway once in a blue moon . If a mortgage was £1k a month as lots are on here (ours never was) then you’ve got £12 k to spend on holidays if you are so inclined.

You asked how people could afford it and they answered you! If your question was how can I afford it then that’s different! You are assuming that „people“ equates to a certain financial situation, people like me you mean.

We are driving to France and doing 2 weeks at a eurocamp (in a mobile home) for a fraction of that cosy OP. They have great facilities, so worth a look! It'd probably be more expensive to stay in the UK!

Well if you want better answers perhaps phrase the question better?

ie
"We, a family of X, a looking for a 2 week summer holiday for a total budget of £"

You just asked how people can afford it!

To be fair, you didn't ask for advice on how you could do it more cheaply.

I tend to start by seeing where I can get a cheap flight during the time we want to go, and then see if I can find somewhere interesting to stay. This year we're flying into Munich and staying by a lake in the Tyrol, self-catering. Entertaiment is going to be walking, scenery and boats (have teenagers who like that kind of thing). And everyone can share the cooking, yay for kids getting older!

This is mumsnet so any questions involving money will get mental replies generally....

We can't afford a two week holiday, you are right that prices are crazy. We have booked 5 nights in a caravan in Norfolk. Its a big site with two pools, bar and restaurant etc. It was about £700 in their January sale

So my question is how does anyone afford to go on holiday in school holidays

Lots of potential reasons, including:

• They have more money than you
• They spend less on other things than you
• They choose cheaper holidays than you

But yeah, it's certainly expensive and I can see why you're gobsmacked at those prices.

I don't have kids, but my jaw often drops when I see the difference in prices between a term time trip and a school holidays trip. Thinking about my friends who have a similar income to me, while they do have holidays with their kids during the school holidays, they mostly go for a week, and aren't going all-inclusive. A lot of them go for things like a camping holiday on a family-friendly campsite in France, or they go self-catering (whether in the UK or abroad) in a cottage or an apartment somewhere. Or they don't go away in summer at all and have a week somewhere like the Canaries in the autumn half term instead.

One of my friends had a massive trip to Florida last year with her husband and four kids, but her parents went too and I'm pretty sure her parents were the ones who paid for it!

Well, your question was literally 'How can people afford 2 week summer holidays?' not 'Please tell me where I can get the kind of holiday I want that's within my budget'. I think if you'd asked 'Has anyone managed to get a holiday under X amount for a family of X people during the summer holidays?' people probably wouldn't have been telling you to be less poor.*

*Although, on the other hand, this is Mumsnet, so maybe they still would

In fairness OP, questions about how do people afford such and such come up at least monthly on here. To the extent that it's almost a cliche now.

The answer to that question is always between one and three of they have more money than you do, more money than you'd assumed and they're spending less on it than you think.

And a thread as broad as this could be asking for budgeting tips, cheapo options or discussion on how much disposable income people have in the COL crisis and what factors relate to that.

We didn't go every year, we booked cheap locations in France and drove, we went to more unusual locations and drove. There's definitely cheaper holidays out there but you won't find them as packages generally.

For an economical but abroad trip I recommend Normandy for instance, lots to see and short drive

we have a glampingsite. We didnt put our prices up during covid, as our marketing company felt it was against their ethos to fleece a captive market and that it wouldnt build loyalty. same the following year - it was kind of offset by guests bringing some of their own thingsthat would prove impossible for us to provide, and the units being a bit scant as we removed things liked shared blankets/excess soft furnishings etc.
2022 we did noticed the drop off of UK holidays, people making the most of being allowed abroad, and many had holidays that had been postponed. Our turnover was down about 1/4 on pre covid.
2023 had our costs increase - we are off grid, but still have fridges, washing machines, and gas. prices held at 2022 rates. People anxious about cost of living. those with money went abroad again, and takings down Id say, another 25% on previous year. We do a pop up campsite in August, and even that was empty, with our prices down to the 2019 rate.
This year are rates are the same again as 2022. So still just about 4% higher than 2019.
We are really praying for a better home season. Decent weather. Praying that people have some kind of hope for an election year. Costs have gone up again.
Not all holiday places have increased their prices

Costs are just absolutely ridiculous now, we have made our future bookings through a lady we know, you should try her, again the prices are not the cheapest thing in the world but for the service she gives it is worth it.

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@NettleTea I think that's the problem- most of those who are doing fine went abroad and certainly last year as it was such a shit summer weather wise, problem is as well it was shit in the spring too- Those who are struggling won't even tend to book cheaper options in uk if it's shitty weather. Really hope you have a better season this year x