Booked flights for a holiday but now can't afford it. WWYD?

[Cheeseer]

I booked some flights to a European country 6m ago for the summer. Was planning to take the kids to their first ever holiday abroad. They have never been and really want to go. The only holidays we get are in the UK for a week per year if we can afford it. The kids do love them but they yearn to go abroad.

I thought if I booked the flights early, I could put aside some money each month to save up in time for the summer.

However, each month something comes up and I haven't put anything away. If I start from now, I would have enough to cover accomodation which I haven't booked but nothing left for food, fun, travel etc.

I know Ive messed up but things are so expensive and prices are going up month to month and I just can't seem to have any money left over at the end of the month.

Should I plan to go to the hol and see what happens, can't do excursions or anything, very basic food or should I just leave it and lose the flight money and never plan a holiday unless I have the funds for it.

Also, check out all inclusive, it can be cheaper than self catering if you eat out at all, and if there is pool and or beach nearby that will probably keep the kids happy..

I would go. I’d self cater completely and stay by the beach so that entertainment is free. You can get ice creams for the freezer at the supermarket.

also see if there’s anything you can sell that you no longer need for a bit of emergency spending money although I’d also bring a credit card, just in case.

for the airport/flying - bring an empty reusable water bottle and refill at the airport after security and bring packed lunches for travel. Plan to not buy anything at the airport - it is so expensive.

Lisbon is cheaper than the UK for groceries so you might as well go.

Go for it OP, I know it’s easy to say from the outside but you deserve some fun and special travel experiences and sunshine just as much as someone with more £££. It sounds like a real one-off for you and the kids, not a regular thing. You sound very sensible and careful with money or you wouldn’t be considering cancelling it this far in advance. I’m sure you will be fine.

As well as planning to self cater from a budget supermarket and making a plan for meals so you’re not hungry when out and about - can you give the kids their own spending money in a wee purse? (Get a few euros each from the post office, before you go?) You can say it’s for treats like ice creams, so they’ll look carefully at the prices themselves, and you won’t be tempted to pop rounds of expensive treats on a credit card to pay for when you get home…

I think they’d love the novelty of that and when they ask for stuff you can say ‘is that what you’d like to spend your euros on?’ Rather than just ‘no.’

Agree re not getting food at the airport if at all possible. You can bring some packed lunch through in your hand luggage.

Info on trains to the beach
aloneandabroad.com/2024/05/11/lisbon-beach-guide/

Admittedly, I haven't done much research so no clue if there are indeed,.lots of free stuff to do and how cheap/ expensive it is.

Get on with researching then

This is from Chat GPT. Install it and ask for ideas suited to what you like to do then google its suggestions. Most cities there are loads of free things you can do as well as many expensive ones.

Here’s a list of free (or nearly free) activities that are either walkable or easily reached by public transport:

In Lisbon

1. Explore Belém • Visit the Monument to the Discoveries, Belém Tower (Torre de Belém), and the Jerónimos Monastery grounds (the cloisters have a fee, but walking around outside is free). • There are parks and riverside paths perfect for a picnic or a scooter ride.
2. Wander through Alfama • The narrow, winding streets are full of character. Kids often enjoy the “maze” feel. • Stop at free viewpoints like Miradouro de Santa Luzia or Miradouro das Portas do Sol.
3. Ride the Elevador da Bica (Free to watch, small fare to ride) • Funiculars are fun to spot and ride. If budget allows, it’s a short fun ride; otherwise, it’s fun to just see them chug up and down the steep streets.
4. Walk along the Tagus River (Cais do Sodré to Praça do Comércio) • Great for scooting, walking, or sitting by the water watching boats go by.
5. Visit LX Factory (Sundays especially) • A creative space with street art, bookshops (like Ler Devagar), and open-air markets. It’s great for wandering, and there’s often free entertainment on weekends.
6. Pavilhão do Conhecimento (Science Pavilion) • Often has free entry days or outdoor installations kids can interact with. Check the current schedule.
7. Jardim da Estrela • Beautiful gardens with a playground and plenty of space to run around. Right near the Basilica da Estrela.
8. Museu de Lisboa – Palácio Pimenta (free on Sundays before 2pm) • Tells the history of Lisbon and is in a nice park.
9. Parque Eduardo VII • Huge open space with nice views over the city. Includes a greenhouse (Estufa Fria—free on Sundays and for kids under 6).
10. Watch the sunset at Miradouros • Miradouro da Senhora do Monte or São Pedro de Alcântara—panoramic views, often live music, and good vibes.

Day Trips on a Budget (via train or metro)

1. Sintra (free to wander, some sights are paid) • Just over 30 mins by train. The historic centre, gardens like Vila Sassetti, and scenic walks are free. Bring snacks to avoid pricey cafés.
2. Costa da Caparica • A long beach reached by bus or ferry+bus combo. Lots of space, great for a free beach day.
3. Parque das Nações • Visit the waterfront promenade, gardens, and see the Vasco da Gama bridge. The Oceanário has an entrance fee, but just being in the area is fun.
4. Cascais • Free train ride with a Lisboa Viva card under certain conditions (kids under 4 are free, and older kids might get discounts). Free beaches, a rocky cove called Boca do Inferno, and a big open park called Marechal Carmona.

a Lisboa Viva Viagem card (€0.50) is super helpful—fares are cheaper with it, and you can load daily or weekly travel passes for unlimited travel.

I wouldn’t let the children down. Go - put the spends on a credit card and set up standing order when you’re back it’s a one off holiday

https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/lisbon-tour/free-Lisbon-things-to-do-activities.html
Have a look at this OP. Lisbon is a lovely city and public transport is much cheaper than in the UK.

Many Portuguese restaurants do takeaway quite cheaply and portions can often be huge so it can actually be cheaper than cooking for yourself. If you're going to do this then find little local restaurants .

The important thing is to research. You can do it and you can also make it a bit of an adventure.

Even going to a supermarket in a foreign country is a different trip. Seeing different foods and making it a fun thing to do a cheap shop with local food.

Turn the self catering to all together food preparation and cooking fun times with packed lunches.

Beaches obviously free.

You can do one of those scavenger hunts that take you on a self guided walk round the city while solving clues. You buy one online and do it together. I think you can get one in Lisbon for under a tenner.

Go! Enjoy!

There's a lonely plant guidebook called Europe on a shoestring. You could try and borrow that from your library and it'll give lots of tips of cheap days out, cheap food etc

If you are planning beach day take cheap beach toys from home to keep costs down- I always seem to forget and the kids always want a couple of buckets, spades, trucks etc to play in the sand with. They can be expensive from the beachside shops.

Lisbon has lots that is free and some things that are reasonably priced, although much less than a few years ago, having suffered a lot (from the locals' perspective!) from Airbnb and digital no ads driving prices up.
As others have said, one of the main attractions is walking round the old streets (or getting trams around) which is inexpensive. Traditional restaurants can be very good value, but mainly the ones outside the main tourist areas. If you want cheaper accommodation but still with easy access I would book self catering somewhere along the train line from Cais do Sodré (in Lisbon) to Cascais. For instance Algés, Cruz Quebrada, Oeiras. These places are not touristy so will have much cheaper restaurants etc, but you can hop on a train and get to either the city (east) or the beaches (West) in a matter of minutes.
If you'll be taking picnics to save money, the Gulbenkian gardens are a lovely cool haven in the centre of the city.
A pp mentioned the oceanarium - it's amazing but to be honest very expensive if you're on a budget. The Pavilhão de Conhecimento (Knowledge Pavilion, ie science museum) is next door to the Oceanarium, much cheaper (€35 for a family of 5) and a really good day out for kids and adults alike.

I'm really glad you're going OP. It is worth it and LIsbon is one of the few capital cities in Europe you can do on a budget.

Can't see if anyone has mentioned it but please go to the tram museum - it was only a few euros to get in when we went a few years ago and it is the best museum I've ever been to . My kids are now cynical teens but they still talk fondly about the time they were allowed to drive a Lisbon tram.

This is one of the very few occasions where I would borrow a small amount of money to tide me over on holiday. Interest free loan or credit card. Whatever you do, please make sure you take out travel insurance, that's a non negotiable.

Admittedly, I haven't done much research so no clue if there are indeed,.lots of free stuff to do and how cheap/ expensive it is

A 5 minute google makes it clear there's a lot, so with some of the excellent suggestions PPs have added it should be do-able if you focus hard on not spending on really unnecessary things

Do go - plenty of tips here! Kids are usually quite happy with a few beach days. You could travel in the style of Eastern Europeans during Communism and take food with you - although things like pasta and a tomato sauce are pretty cheap out there. I’m not sure I see the need for excursions, when I was a child we just used to do the beach, look round some churches and go to the local market, which was fine by us.

Why are you even talking about taxis, coffee out and ice cream for 5 people if you really don’t have any money and need to do this holiday on a budget? Very odd.

You can easily go, but you do need to plan everything, reasearch and pick where you are staying so that you don’t need taxis. By the beach for example. You need to be capable of doing this, and I am not so sure the way you are talking tbh.

Still, have you paid for insurance?

Haven’t been to Lisbon for a few years but I remember food being quite cheap and also getting the train to Sintra and that not being expensive at all. If you can do self catering to keep your food budget down I say go for it!

You need to change your mindset on how you will spend such as no taxis, no excursions, not buying snacks.

All pps have made suggestions to keep things cheap. Make a daily itinerary and stick to it with packed lunches.

On the last day if you have a little bit of money you can maybe spend it in a cafe or on treats.

Another one saying go. Try and get a cheap apartment there. You can cook cheap meals then and it won't cost you any more than back home. Make sandwhiches to take for lunch. Lisbon is definately doable on a budget. Me and a friend have plans to go to a much more expensive European capital thisbyear and are still planning to manage on a smallish budget. Doing research is the key.

You don't need to spend money on taxis. The buses and tram system is great and very cheap. Lots of corner shops to buy ice creams.

Portuguese are among the lowest waged in western Europe so most things have to be reasonably affordable. They also have higher standards of accommodation IME so your money goes much further than it would in France/Spain.

Maybe check to see if there is an Airbnb for cheaper then what you provisionally booked.

It’s good you’re doing self-catering as you can eat so cheaply that way! Eggs, milk, cereal, bread, butter, cheese, sauce, sandwich supplies, pasta/rice. And cheap plonk!

What about changing it up? There is a eurocamp near by so reasonable accommodation and then activities that are included like beach and swimming. Then do a couple of trips into Lisbon to see the sights?

You should definitely go, just stick to public transport and free activities!