To ask how you actually afford to go abroad

[lavenderpekins]

Aibu to feel fed up? Not going away again.. nearly everyone I know is going on a family holiday to the med this summer holiday.

Sort of lighthearted I know we're very lucky to live in this country, able to buy good/nhs/school.. I'll get over it too..

We have fun Fridays! And we live in an amazing place so get to do a lot in the holidays, and national trust, local theatre, local festivals so similarly do get to a lot even if we don't go abroad :)

I have gone away for the first 2 weeks of the summer holidays for the last few years. I am a single parent so I go with my Mum and DD. We get a free child space then split the cost.

I don't have a social life really, I own my car and I have no debt. I do have to save throughout the year and I work overtime as well.

Hubby works away all week so I have had no option than to give up work to accommodate the needs of my family.

Hubby earns £23,000 a year. We holiday abroad every other year. We save hard. We do not buy designer clothes. Our clothes come from supermarkets mainly. We do not eat economy, neither do we dine a la carte. Our shopping bill for a family of 5 - (6) when hubby is home on weekends - is approx. £60 per week.

Our children are allowed to go on trips that their schoolfriends are attending. But they very rarely ask for money outside of school, except for various classes and clubs they are involved in. They are all now teenagers and earn their own pocket money via weekend jobs.

I think anything is possible as long as you budget carefully. We have never owned a credit card and wouldn't wish to.

We have a dedicated saving account for hols and I top up if I can with joint account if money left over.

I also shop around and book early We tend to do it ourself rather than
Use travel agents.

Also tend to go abroad in may or Easter and stay in uk in six weeks as I have red hot heat.

This helps a lot with the cost.

My OH and I earn a good salary each. We do not have children, although I pay probably pay in the region of £700 approx a month for my horse.
We have one big holiday a year rather than lots of little breaks

Home exchange

To be fair I started doing this when the money was an issue; I'm very fortunate that it now isn't, but I still do it because of the wonderful experience it gives

Completely hooked ...

We go abroad every other year. Pay around £2k for four of us for a week.

Holiday cottages tend to be much cheaper abroad than in the UK. In Cornwall you're looking at between 800 and 1500 pounds for a week in high season for a 2/3 bedroom. But in France or Spain it's more like 500. So, we might take the ferry to Brittany, with our own car, 450 for cottage for the week, 400 for ferry, the food shop for the week is same if not cheaper in French supermarkets than here, and we don't eat out or go to expensive attractions. It's under 1500 all in, and we really enjoy the change of scene and showing the kids something different. We afford it by very rarely eating out or going to the pub, and most clothes come from charity shops.

It was cheaper for us to get a caravan in france including ferry than it was for uk. Under £500 for a week in August.

We tend to have 3 holidays overseas per year and couple of city breaks/weekends away. We can afford it for no other reason than because we earn six figures. Travel is very important to me, I take my children all over the world, in terms of experienc nothing comes close. Holidays in the U.K. are a false economy, my sister recently rented a static caravan in Cornwall, it rained everyday and they ended up spending £700 eating out and days out, combined with the cost of renting they spent more than we did on a break to Dubai in may!

We spent about 700 in total in Cornwall for a week. It depends what you do! We had an amazing time :)

We have a joint income of 48k before tax (I'm part-time DH full-time). We live in North Wales, so not an expensive area. Our annual holiday budget is with all expenses £1800 for a family of 4. This goes on one week in a cottage and two short breaks with friends/family. All UK. We could stretch to one foreign holiday if we dropped short breaks. Three of us need passports (mines expired and children never had one). Although one off this is added expense.

We just can't afford it right now, so same boat as you OP. We're extremely fortunate to live in Cornwall on the coast though, so if we're home we can still do easy, cheap beach days. We last went away 5 years ago to the south of france - think that was £1000 for 6 of us inc flights - we stayed in a mobile home thing on a site with a swimming pool etc. Kids loved it! That was funded through inheritance I think.

I so want a holiday abroad, my kids are always asking and I'm always saying no but we make nice memories here anyhow.

I find it much cheaper to go abroad than to holiday in the country. You can get a week in Spain for £500 all inclusive for a couple term time.

I would prefer to spend a couple of thousand going away in the UK tbh. I find it more relaxing with young children. We dtay in a naice hotel or sposh holiday cottage. We then take the children i dividually on short breaks throughtout the year. We have a high income so don't save as such and pay as and when. Main holidayis never more than £2000 tho

I totally agree its far cheaper abroad than the UK, also as much as I love Cornwall I remember one miserable week it rained every day in May, we all had stinking colds. I remember sitting - hunched under some steps by the key in Padstow working with soggy tissue trying to wipe my nose. My dd was blue on the beach.

But to top it all off, one day we tried to eat in several cosy pubs only to be swiftly rebuffed " no there is no family room, or - there's the family room ( an open reception ) or the best one, we actually booked dinner for 7pm turned up - to be told the bar man had made a mistake, they don't open their family room ( a shit hole shoved at the back with no atmosphere) and they couldnt allow us to eat.

My DD is well behaved 6 year old ! I thought then, fuck it.

I must admit some of my worst holidays have been to Cornwall. I don't think it is that child friendly.

We drive old bangers. Own house outright so no mortgage.
Stay abroad in a cheap flat and have about 6-8 weeks abroad split over three holidays.
No kids!

@WomblingThree Thank you!

Re going away for a week, I often find 4 nights is a good NO too if abroad with short flight and also on our year of austerity - one night away was fine, but we were blessed with good weather and didnt go far...

Our 2 week Scottish tour in the grey, cold and rain would easily have paid for two weeks abroad.

We go on 2/3 holidays a year because if we didn't I would wonder why I have the stress I do at work!

Good earnings, no debts equals lots of disposable income. Only 1 child too. I still search out the best deals though. You can still get a week away in school holidays for 3 for less than £850 which I think is pretty good.

I feel the same OP! I'm a single Mum with 2 teenagers. Paying for the three of us to go abroad in school holidays is completely beyond me. I try and live positive and think about all the people who are much worse of than me, but it is hard when I've got friends and colleagues who are on their third holiday of the year!

I console myself that I won't have to deal with any airport delays/ long flights/ holiday tummy/ sunburn!

We have 4/5 overseas trips a year, mostly 3/4/5 days in duration, but sometimes longer. Whilst DC are young we're keeping it to Europe as the flights can be challenging, but DH & I travelled extensively pre-DC & I truly believe it has helped shaped me as a person, made me more tolerant, thankful to be able to call the UK our home etc.

We have 2 DC's & it makes me happy seeing the world through their eyes, giving them different experiences & exposure to new places, different languages, cultures etc. I know we are very fortunate to be able to do this, but neither of us are very high earners - we have a low mortgage, very little debt, DH drives a 23 year old vehicle, we don't drink smoke & to be frank, we prioritise travel because it's my passion. I could go on. It really annoys me when people question how we can afford it & assume it's on credit.

On the flip side we live in a half renovated house because we spend most of our time and money going on holidays. I also shop for food bargains, buy clothes in the sales & don't own much stuff because clutter muddles my brain. Horses for courses.

Nobody worried about their carbon footprint then.

We book cheap flights and find a rental property or basic hotel. Occassionally we've had bargain luxury hotels too. Sometimes we go basic rental property others the property becomes the holiday focus.

For example for Oct half term Ryan air have just (TODAY) relesed 250,000 sale seats that go to end Oct. We could fly out to Milan from Liverpool for £9 back next day for £8.66. Dad drives us to airport, carry on rucksacks or similar then find travel lodge equivalent. Mini break for 5 to Italy with a few basic food and travel expenses under £250.

We went to Geneva and Chamonix last Oct half term. We've also been to Prague, Venice, Berlin at Easter (that was £6 one way for the DC our cheapest flight yet), Coppenhagen, Iceland. All in school holidays never paying more than £40 each to fly. Sometimes we pay for extra baggage seats we also pay seat reservation fees (typically about £4) because DS1 is Autistic.

Our holidays aren't conventional week in the sun but we've had some fab ones and get abroad without breaking the bank.