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.

Sorry if mentioned but could you sell some stuff on Vinted? A concerted effort on there could really add to the holiday fund.

And, if the kids are old enough, I’ve had great experiences doing free walking tours in European cities. Google “free walking tour Lisbon”

Definitely go! The best part about going on holiday for me is pretending I live there so supermarket shops and strolling around neighbourhoods are all part of it. The metro in Lisbon is really easy to use, will take you all over the city and connects to the airport so you won’t need taxis. Spend the time between now and when you do researching and you’ll have a great time. Chat GPT will help. The first thing I’d do would be to prompt it to find a list of affordable city break blogs and YouTube videos and go from there.

The best thing when I was in Lisbon was the vintage tram rides - one section felt like a roller coaster - plus access to beaches via the train, and we took picnics. Neither was expensive. I think you could do a good budget self-catering holiday with (lots of) planning. Moneysavingexpert has a guide to cheap travel insurance.

I think this just illustrates how divorced from reality some are about how people on a low income live.

We're always penny pinching. It comes as second nature to us poor folks you know. So it's not really much of a shock to be doing it on holiday, because we do it all the fucking time. It's either that or no holidays, and I'm definitely team holidays.

It also explains the colossal (to me) sums I see quoted for "spends" on some holiday threads here. It makes me feel a bit queasy tbh, seeing how much money some people waste on so little.

I'm really glad my kids are growing up learning the importance of money and how to budget- and that you can have all kinds of adventures on a shoestring.

The metro in Lisbon is great value and also get the Bolt app on your phone, cheaper than Uber.

Nant90

The thread is full of people talking about their own thoughts and travel experiences without reading what the OP said.

This is what she said in her OP and keeps repeating in her subsequent posts:

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.

Some of you think it'll be great to go to Lisbon when she doesn't have any money to spend on food and fun.

I don't understand why anyone thinks it's fun to have holiday in Lisbon, which is an expensive city, when the OP doesn't have the money to enjoy some of the city reasonable price restaurants or go to outings like Estoril to have wonderful sardines.

She doesn't have the money to have a good, relaxing holiday without thinking how much she's spending. It's better to delay the flight, save and have a great holiday next year with her family without money stresses.

OP. You’ll regret not going if you’ve got accommodation and flights sorted. This is where chatgbt is your friend. It will give you budget, show you public transport rather than cars etc if you feed it all the right bits.

I popped what I knew into it and it suggested these low cost or free activities. Unlimited public transport is €6.60pd. Go to the supermarket rather than ice cream shops etc.

Tram 28 ride (included in pass)
São Jorge Castle
Parque das Nações (free parks)
Cable car
Museum in Cascais

Download GPSmycity and get free parking walking tours (a favourite of our kids!)

Its a city there will be lowly parks and other low cost things to do they might just take a bit more research.

Good luck!

It will be great OP
my kids fondest memories of holidays in Europe are picnics of cheese and baguette by a lake etc
get a credit card and put supermarket shops on that so you have some money left for ice creams etc

I would agree with you, @Alondra , it's not a fun holiday if it's bare bones.
I know people say that going round the supermarket is fun, buying cheap food is fun, plus and again and again about the cheap supermarket ice cream. It's going to be a struggle if you have no spontaneity. Think about it.

You don't need to understand how or why other people can have a perfectly enjoyable trip without including city restaurants or sardines. These are kids remember. For them the excitement is going on a plane, landing in a new country and using different currency, language and transport. Eating icecream in a new park. It won't occur to them that those restaurants or sardines exist. Their mum obviously will lay out a plan for free or cheap days out on a self catering basis and they won't know any different

Portugal is cheap enough. Buy food in supermarkets. It is a change of scenery and walks are free.

Sorry if that sounded snappy, you were only trying to help. Plus it's not a bad suggestion.

Food budget is whatever you would have spent at home anyway. If basics are cheaper, as some on here have indicated, that leaves a little for treats like ice-cream at the end of the week. If you really cannot commit to saving regularly cancel the trip.

I've never used Vinted; genuine question, can you generate a lot of money through it?

I think this just illustrates how divorced from reality some are about how people on a low income live.

I think the quote you posted really illustrates how utterly thoughtless stupid some people can be in posting on a thread but not bothering to read the op or subsequent op posts! @crackofdoom

Don’t apologise, ignore that poster. most people don’t have time to read full threads so your post saying that was the first I saw. Good advice should be repeated

I do hope you go! It sounds odd but the biggest treat for my kids when we go abroad is shopping in supermarkets. They just love choosing food that's different (especially the strange flavoured crisps!) So you don't need to eat out at expensive restaurants to have a good time. Part of the fun of going abroad is just how different the everyday things are. I think trips out, with a bit of planning, can be free or cheap. Parks, cathedrals, sightseeing walks etc.

If you're the disciplined type could you consider getting an interest free credit card and allowing use of that up to £50 or £100, or whatever is manageable? Obviously make sure you pay it off as soon as you can. I think it's perfectly possible to plan a foreign trip on a low budget. It's much better than not going at all!

I don't agree, Kids have a short memory span and the excitement of a flight wears off quickly when the holiday can't give them the outings and fun they expect to get.

Lisbon is not a city with a beach, and the OP won't be able to afford a hotel with swimming pool. The kids will be bored if the OP can't provide fun because she's watching how much she's spending each day.

Seriously, some of you are talking crap and not helping the OP.

I have replied to her further, see above.

Food budget is whatever you would have spent at home anyway. If basics are cheaper, as some on here have indicated, that leaves a little for treats like ice-cream at the end of the week. If you really cannot commit to saving regularly cancel the trip.

So you're expecting OP and her family to buy all their food and drinks from supermarkets? Maybe the occasional visit to a cheap cafe?

..kids have a short memory span depends upon the ages

Plus, I'm going to agree with pp that the novelty of a different supermarket wears off quickly with children.

Op you’re sorted flights and passports… you’re half way there!

but please please don’t scrimp on travel insurance. Don’t view it as a nice to have.

Using a strikethrough your comment and indirectly calling me stupid just makes you look childish and passive aggressive @Queeneel

Noted

STUPID