To book a holiday even though we're in debt?

[HalalPork]

We haven't been away at all this year or last year. The year before our lovely ILs took us away for the week (not abroad).

We've had a really tough time over the past couple of years, illness, job loss, general stresses. We've never done a foreign beach type holiday.

From a quick browse it looks as though we could book a villa with a pool for next year for a couple of grand. This amounts to four months roughly of credit card repayments at the current rate we're clearing it (all 0%).

Would this be mental? I'd like to give the kids the experience before they're too old to want to come with us (teenagers already).

We're not on the bones of our arse, Dh earns good money and all the bills etc are paid before we look at repayments, and we do still have some fun money, we're not sacrificing ourselves at the altar of debt.

Would it be madness at this point to stick another £2k or so on the credit card?

This is how you got into debt in the first place. Just no.

OP with that attitude, you will never, ever be free of debt. Ever. There will always be one more thing to add onto the card. And there will always be someone with more debt. Doesn't mean it's right.

I think really OP you are probably going to book this holiday no matter how many people here tell you it's crazy. You obviously want some sort of validation, but at the end of the day, you're the one who is going to have to pay for it, so really if people are not telling you what you want to hear, then so what?

I don't want to have to share a room with the kids in a hotel.

I don't want to stay in a gritty apartment with a shared pool, I did those holidays in my pre DC days.

And this is why you're in debt... Because you want to live a lifestyle that is beyond what you can afford and you have no self-control or self-restraint.

This holiday is a perfect example of that.

And assuming that your parents will bail you out if it all goes tits up is just awful.

Bloody hell OP. There are more important things in life than a beach holiday. I never went abroad with my parents and it hasn't scarred me for life or anything. Don't do it!

I probably won't book it. I was just having a daydream this morning looking at holiday sites and thought, what the hell, we only live once.

I'm not quite at the point of booking it with talking to Dh first though, so don't worry.

*without!

I'm not assuming our parents will bail us out, I was just answering the question of what we would do if Dh lost his job. They've already offered to help and we've refused.

Christ. I'm 42 and didn't go abroad until a few years ago. I was 13 when my family took our first ever holiday to the Isle of Wight.

I'm not scarred. A roof over yours heads is far more important than a holiday abroad. If you feel you need to get away for your mental health, and that you would come back refreshed and healthy, then I would say have a holiday. It just needs to be far cheaper.

Going a bit against the consensus, but if you feel the debt is manageable then why not? I am not a fan of debt, but if you and dh discuss it, and are in agreement that the finances are under control and you would all enjoy the holiday then go for it. If you are putting an additional £250 pm against the debt (from mortgage savings), and perhaps you could save a bit more of your fun money as well and do a few economies around the grocery shopping, by next summer you would have paid the £2k. Debt is only a problem if you can't afford to pay it off, and are borrowing more to make payments, racking up interest etc.

Totally understandable to want the kids not to miss out, and to do this before they are grown - but there's a balance - if you invest so much (and will no doubt worry about it) on a holiday, it is bound to be a disappointment - you can do far cheaper breaks which will still be great fun and create great memories - short breaks through Eurotunnel, or camping trips via ferry. That way you get the memories, but not the anxiety (which won't be to your children's benefit) - as others have said, stacking up the debt even more can't be a sensible long term decision, but you sound like you need a holiday too!

I think YABU but I don't agree with debt except for mortgage as very rare you have the cash to buy your own home.

It depends if you can cope with always being in debt, I can't stand it so would continue to do without a holiday tbh.

Book the holiday, OP. You only live once and a lot on here will be in debt to a financial institution in one form or another.

As someone said earlier, the memories will last a lifetime, long after you've paid off your debt.

Oh, and I don't care about debt, so am coming from that viewpoint.

I'll look at some cheaper options. Tbh I thought that was pretty cheap (was a thompsons deal in the canaries).

We spent nearly £2k on our last cottage holiday, and nearly that on a centre parcs midweek a few years ago.

I would never book a holiday of any kind if I had debt. You want this and that too! Not a cheap getaway, which your DC will remember just as much.
This is about you don't pretend it's for them.
How about pay off the debts then save for a lovely holiday? You will then be abe to tell your dc what you did giving them a finance lesson and a nice holiday with memories and hopefully they won't make the mistakes that you have. I suspect you won't wait though because that's boring and why you are in debt in the first place. You know YABU.

I'd put the cash you'd spend on the holiday into paying off the debt and keep on paying off extra whenever I could. Then when it's done, save the money you were using every month for the debt and have a totally guilt-free holiday to celebrate the end of your debts.
i would also then destroy the cards and close the accounts.

15k debt and you want add more.

NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

If your children were behaving this irresponsibly what would you say.

Your problem isn't under control if you're this chilled about bunging another 2 grand on your debts for a holiday. You're being very blinkered.

Fine wines and nice shoes - how your kids must have enjoyed those.

If you or dh lost your job tomorrow it would strangle you
I admit that I haven't read the entire thread but this comment is so true as the OP is assuming that her financial situation will not decline while she is still paying off the debt.

£2k for a villa and flights for five people? That's a great deal! Seriously. I would snap it up if its looks nice.

I do get why people are flaming you OP. You do seem to have a very cavalier attitude to money and the lost year of blowing lots of money you didn't have. Wow! Just wow. But okay, you've put measures in place to prevent that happening again and you are paying your debts.

An alternative that most MNers would probably find acceptable - pay down the debts faster with the extra money saved on your mortgage and THEN book a holiday. Preferably you can afford without getting into lots of additional debt!

15k isn't that much debt (if it's serviceable, obviously). We're all a job loss/housing market dip away from a financial crisis. Keep an eye on tomorrow but live for today.

Book the holiday!

£2k for three of you!? That's bonkers.

I presume you're happy to take DS out of education for a week or so in which case you should be able to get somewhere far cheaper. It doesn't have to be 5* luxury to be a decent holiday.