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 don’t prioritise holidays so we go for a week in the UK wherever is cheapest. Job done.

How can we afford it? Travel is a financial priority for us, we presumably have a higher income than you as saving £7.5k is not an issue for us, our mortgage is only around £1k because we saw what was happening with interest rates so fixed in October 2022, and our energy bills are still less than yours were originally.

The obvious answer is people earn enough to afford them. We do not though, we only go on holidays where accommodation is free (i.e. staying with relatives) or then its just a few nights in a cabin by a lake so it only costs a few hundred. There's no way we could afford to spent thousands on a holiday.

Holiday prices have gone crazy and DH and I are on good salaries.

We tend to alternate so one year we do two holidays but in the UK and the next year we just do one holiday but go abroad.

We often go at a different time of year and not in the summer holidays. E.g at Easter and the October half term. Holidays in the UK we tend to do a caravan holiday or rent a bigger house with other family members which brings the cost down. Both of these options are much cheaper outside of the school summer holidays. We normally budget £1k for a week including spending money and it's totally doable in the UK.

The years we go abroad we book it ages in advance and we only go for a week, never two weeks. We then pay it off bit by bit. This year we're doing a 7 night Mediterranean cruise and actually going in the Summer hols for once. It's cost us £3k for a family of 4 and we'll probably take another £1k for extra spending but actually, as food is included you could technically not spend any more than the cost of the holiday (although I'd feel bad not spending in-country when off the ship.)

We aim to budget £3k per year for holidays and refuse to take DDs in term time as we don't want them missing school. This actually tends to work out as £2k one year for two UK breaks and £4k the next for a holiday abroad.

Its not always about people earning more than you, its what they do with that money.
You say your mortgage doubled they may have fixed their mortgage before the hike, they may spend less on electricity, gas or weekly shop. Being a bit savvy can save a lot sometimes.

Some people maybe cant afford it, so it goes on a card they pay off interest free monthly.

But easier said than done, but try not to look around you or compare yourself. Just do what you can do and don't worry how others are doing it.

They either earn more, pay it off over instalment's for a year, or rack up credit card debt.

I understand how you feel over price hikes we priced Butlins up for mid May and it was £180, then priced it for half term 10 days later and was £950!
we can’t afford that, but also can’t afford to go term time cos we need to take our holidays during school holidays as we can’t afford to pay the extra preschool / nursery costs anymore. (& we can’t just add in the odd week it has to be all or nothing) Luckily we have a beach 20 mins from us so it’s day trips for us this year.

maybe rethink how you holiday - if your all inclusive go self catering or b&b
see if you can maybe change the airport your fly from to a bigger one (eg if use Bristol can you travel to Heathrow instead) that can help.

also remember one of your children was classified as a child precovid, now cos they are over 12 a lot of places classify them as adult prices (think airlines!)

hope you find a holiday you can enjoy xx

I'm a single parent to one so have generally over the years gone with parents or friend so costs have been shared. However we booked a week in the Peak District for just over £500 for a 3 bedroom cottage in August which is cheaper than your maximum 2k. We also go for a week instead of two. Always use the kitchen for food and look for cheap/free things to do such as day walks, soft play, museums, walking around town, picnics, national trust properties, gardens, with the occasional splurge. I use Tesco club card vouchers for local attractions and this has got us into theme parks, Eden project, gardens etc. I save them up throughout the year. Definitely don't have £500 spending money for the week

You forgot:
LTB and
Home educate so you can holiday whenever you want 🤣

@NobilityScooter lots of the suggestions are very good - def look at late May in Greece , or even late August - European school holidays are different, so last week in August prices can come down sometimes or look at October half term somewhere like canaries or southern Spain- we've been to Marbella in October and had it 27 degrees- very nice indeed. Start looking at 8 to 10 days and putting it together yourself. Skip the AI - and budget 1k for flights, 1.3k for villa or apartment accommodation and 1.5k for spending money and eat out 1 meal a day- mix it up- sometimes lunch, sometimes evenings and don't let the kids pester!! That way you still can have a great holiday for just under £4K - keep wine and beer and soft drinks in your fridge- ice lollies etc - I've been AI twice and unless you eat and drink vast amounts and aren't that fussy about quality I think they are rip offs- unless you can afford very, very high end

Like lots of people, we prioritise holidays and usually end up going abroad once or twice a year, always in the school holidays or a day or two before they break up. We are 2 adults and 2 DC and I won’t go for less than 2 weeks - the packing and faffing is too much for a week.

This year we are doing a Greek island for 2 weeks in the middle of the summer holidays with a 2 bed apartment, flights, transfers and baggage for £2.4k (we had a free child place).

We really don’t like AI so prefer SC anyway (though we have done AI when the kids were younger to make life easier) and I suspect we’ll spend £1.5-2k on food, drink, some trips. The island is not known for being expensive to eat out.

I should say that we follow the deals - in my experience, you get destinations that seem to have lots of free child places one year and nothing the next, so we go where there are some.

Last year we spent about the same in a different country, a bit less even, as we went to the resort previously and found a small complex to rent apartments. The year prior to that we paid £2k for two weeks. So we never spend a silly amount.

DH and I also try and squeeze a week away together in too…the packing is far more straightforward 😃

I also like to prioritise holidays and a few years ago we'd have amazing holidays. Been to many far flung places and now with costs so high and teen dcs who are classed as adults for travel, we can't afford the same kind of holidays at all.

When mine were little I used to stay with friends or family dotted around the country so we had a base (single parent with four children, low paying job).

Now mine are older I’ve gone alone on some long haul trips but stayed with friends so the highest cost has been flights then everything else shared but I couldn’t afford to take my children too. The cost went on 0% credit cards.

This year I am looking to take my youngest abroad as now she is the only one I need to pay for. She is desperate to experience a flight and go somewhere new. Even with just her though it will cost more than my long haul trip alone to friends. It will also have to go on a credit card if we go. She is in Y10 now so I can’t take her out in term time over next two years.

I budget, and put some aside each month for holidays. That lets me have a two week holiday abroad, and a few weekends a year. Paying a smaller amount every month does make it easier, I think, but of course you have to have the money in the first place. Getting a budget going has been revolutionary for me - https://www.ynab.com/

How old are your kids? Look at Jet2 and Tui and use the ‘free kids places’ filter If they are the right age for it.

We don’t go in the holidays because kids are both under 5, still costs £2.5k for 10 nights just for us adults as the kids are free (one under 2 and other gets free place). Summer holiday prices are a joke

You could also look at going later on in the year maybe October half term? Still lots of hot countries to go to that time of year x

In laws living abroad, drive and camp along the way.

We simply don’t go In school holidays. (2 adults, 2 kids) we go abroad end of April and then abroad again in July before the holidays start 😀

God the sneering “people earn more than you” comments are grim.

Oh wow, thanks for the heads up! We’ve been using them at least 1-2 times a year for over a decade and never had an issue. I wonder if they were sold?

We used to do Tesco clubcard vouchers for the Chunnel and stay in Gites. France is really easy to drive in, the motorways are all three lanes and rarely busy, unless you go in their fortnightly holiday time.

We earn good money and go at half term or Easter instead of the summer holidays.

We tend to do two Jet2 holidays a year or one of those and a cruise, and then DH and I go away without our daughter while she goes away with her grandparents in the U.K.

Prices have gone up, and I don’t think they’ll ever come down. Shop around, try different places/countries, look at other school holidays than just the summer break, go for 2 single weeks instead of a fortnight.

alternatively as other have said, arrange it all yourself; flights or Eurostar plus a hire car plus air b&b or booking.com property.

I have a low income and last year we holidayed in UK in attempt to save money - what a mistake!! Eurocamp , villa hire etc SO much cheaper - and other than initial ferry, Eurostar or flight costs , once there food entertainment etc all significantly less expensive. Additionally if you are near a beach or beauty spot the weather is more likely to favour picnics and days in nature rather than desperately diving into cafes or tourist attractions to stay warm and dry!!

We bought a touring caravan for 1.5k it's around 400 for 2 weeks on an electric pitch

I’m quietly putting money aside each week in a high earning account just to cover our living expenses for next Christmas.

we are self employed and our clients didn’t pay us for work completed in December, so we were short of funds (having paid our people out of the buffer fund). We got down to a very small amount without even thinking about going away.

We go to France May half term and it's about 1.2k for ferry and a static caravan/mobile home type accommodation. UK hols don't seem the cheap option.
I don't know many that now go for 2 weeks.

We’ve never taken the chn abroad yet. We always do uk cottages and never pay more than 700. Not everyone’s cup of tea but they suit us.
i couldn’t bring myself to spend 6k on a holiday even if I had it. It’s a short amount of time. I’d rather put it towards a kitchen or a car!!