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?

I wouldn't have wanted my parents to get into further debt for a holiday when I was a teenager.

£15k on interest free cards? Sign me up!

That isn't hard. All my cards offer me 0% (which isn't 0% as there is a 2-3% handling fee). If i took them all it would be many times that.

I would do it. Also look at what you could sell and how you could save. £2000 is not wildly extravagant.

Maybe you could all agree not to do Christmas gifts this year or to scale back. Or to have beans on toast once a week (only an example) to cut back on food. It is £40 a week that you need to generate.

Ahh sod it, one of you could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It sounds like you think you can afford it. I can't do hotels either, I'd rather stay at home, get a nice villa with a pool, cook some meals at home. Go make memories while you can!

That isn't hard. All my cards offer me 0% (which isn't 0% as there is a 2-3% handling fee). If i took them all it would be many times that

I'm best off not knowing this!

Why not keep paying off your debts and separately save up until you can afford the holiday you want? Not as much instant gratification but honestly it would be a lot less stress long-term.

actually a home swap is a great idea. We do it regularly and it just costs the price of the flights.

2k for 5 people may not seem like much but you'll need money for food, drink, fuel, airport parking/transfers, car hire, clothes, insurance, suncream, passports- it all adds up.

I'm not saying don't have a holiday, but I would find a cheaper one as the initial holiday cost is often only the beginning.

Op, aren't you feeling terrible about the debt you've already racked up through poor management? I'd be paying off the fancy shoes etc first. Now is probably not the time for self indulgence!

If it would only take you 4 months to pay it off the card then it will only take you 4 months to save it by economising elsewhere. It's not like you're dipping into your own money in a savings account, just because you have access to that £2k doesn't mean it's actually yours.

YABU and irresponsible.

I'm old fashioned - it would be foolish to put a holiday on credit, especially when you're already in debt. It's a shame that your children have not had a foreign beach holiday but it's neither sad nor tragic.

Getting further into debt to pay for something transient like a holiday is something I'd never advise. If this holiday remains a dream than that's just the way it is and not worth hankering after if you can't afford it. You must be sensible. Suppose your husband lost his job and the payments couldn't be made? Then you'd really be in Shit Street. Be sensible.

Have a look here: www.colonsay.org.uk/Accommodation Some of the best holidays we've ever spent have been on Colonsay. Fasgadh for example sleeps 6-8 has bikes, body board, golf clubs aga hardwood floors etc and amazing sea views and at its most expensive is £850 per week. Beaches on Colonsay are superb too.

I can see how you are justifying it, but i think I'd worry too much about the debt to be able to add more to it. But as you say, plenty of other people do do it and 4 months isn't that much on top of 2/3 years.

Can you tighten your belt for the next few months and get the debt down quicker?

We have a rule that holidays are never on credit, we book with a small deposit, and pay it off monthly through travel republic, thomson or similar. We have booked next years already, got a discount for booking in advance and it's 200 a month for 7 months after the deposit. If we can't pay, we lose the money and holiday but there is no debt.

I remember you OP, and my gut says this thread (and similar) is a bit of self-flagellation. Everyone will come on and tell you how irresponsible you are and were, and make jibes about the wine and shoes. But you are/were very unwell. Compulsive spending is a symptom of that. And if I remember rightly, your husband wasn't the most helpful in the past, indulging/encouraging your spending by turning a blind eye and enjoying the luxuries. So I'm not sure whether he would be the best person to run this past.

Could you discuss the idea with aomeone else, someone neutral? Parents, counsellor, IFA? Because from my memories of your finances you do have a good income so it isn't as ridiculous as some may think, but I'm worried if might be more of a slip.

Sorry if this is out of line.

We have a rule that holidays are never on credit, our old-fashioned money motto is if you're still paying for something when it's done/gone then something's gone wrong somewhere.

You shouldn't do it, but I'm guessing you are going to do it anyway....

I remember you too and you're posting a lot at the moment under different names. I agree you're posting as self flagellation and maybe it's time to consider speaking with someone to try and nip this in the bud now? I wouldn't post on MN at the moment as people don't know the back story

The problem with holidays is that although the anticipation is fabulous, the week goes so quickly once you're there and once you get home after a few weeks it feels as if you've never been away once you're back to the routine and daily grind. Is another 2K of debt really worth it in the long term? Its easy to convince yourself 'just once more on the card' but there will always be something you want. Have a holiday but make it a cheap one your kids will love it either way, expensive doesn't mean it will always make a better holiday anyway.

Penny's dropped here too

What a bunch of Puritans on this thread. We've just had a (relatively) expensive week away with our kids before the oldest leaves for Uni this Sept. (He wants accommodation money for the next three years too, of course.)

We could easily have not gone away. We can only kind of afford it if we juggle around some loans etc, but we'd have missed out on an amazing week that we will never have again.

Life is a risk. And short.

Well I'm not sure who you are from previous threads, so based on the original OP, I would say YANBU, if the difference is only that the debt will extend for a further four months.

But then, I come from a family where people tend to die young. My dDad died at 58. I'm glad he had the good sense to go on the holidays he did while he was well enough and didn't sit at home sweating the small stuff.

It's a damn sight more pleasant if you don't have the baillifs round though. And an impoverished old age isn't much fun either.

no! go camping as cheaply as possible!

If that was the option, I'd rather not go at all! Camping is not a holiday, it's a slog and not luxury by any stretch of imagination when you have to trudge across a field to use the loo. Just YUK. I also don't think all debt is bad. Zero % cards can be great when used carefully and not allowed to spiral.

I can see where the OP is coming from - she wants a PROPER holiday with her kids before they're too old. I have 3 kids too and everyone in one room isn't fun. However there is a balance to be struck between maxxing out the cards and camping.

OP, could you attempt to live as frugally as possible for the next 6 months - cut Christmas gifts to a minimum, meal plan, no new clothes etc - in order to throw as much money as you can at the credit cards, reduce the balance a bit and then see what you feel you can afford?

I think part of the point here is that OP has some MH issues, and encouraging more debt because 'life is too short' is folly at best IMHO.