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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how you actually afford to go abroad

598 replies

lavenderpekins · 11/07/2017 23:48

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..

OP posts:
Buttons2121 · 13/07/2017 13:01

A mixture of prioritizing/saving and then being savvy when it comes to booking a holiday. Monthly income of for DH and I is around £3,500. From this, at least £1000 goes straight into savings account which we use for holidays or big spend items (or emergencies). Rest is bills and 'play money'. We prioritize our holidays (we take about 3/4 a year) - we don't really go out to pubs/clubs and spend a lot, we don't smoke or have expensive hobbies, so we have very low monthly outgoings in general. They way I look at it, a night out (dinner, drinks, taxi etc.) on a Saturday for the both of us, if we did it every weekend, would equate to about £400 a month....that's a 3 night break in Europe if you look for a good deal. You also have to be savvy and do your research - EU flights can cost as little as £50 return if you can be flexible with dates/times (I went to Stuttgart in March and my return flights were £48.80 with easyjet) - try all the different travel websites. too! Yes it can be time consuming, but you'll end up getting a better deal, and also sometimes hotels will match or improve deals you get through comparison website is you get in touch with them directly.

PNGirl · 13/07/2017 13:03

The main way we avoid it being expensive is to never use a travel agent/package company (so will book a "holiday" flight and hotel package through Easyjet or Eurostar as the hotels are usually cheap, but never Thomson for example), never go in summer, and keep them short. We're more likely to do a 3 night trip in May and October than a week in August and will probably do the same with kids.

Our last trip to Florida with Virgin was in November 2015 and was £650 each for a week. This obviously isn't an option with kids, as evidenced by the parks being empty!

Autofillcontact · 13/07/2017 13:06

I don't know why you thought you'd be rolling in it at £25k to be honest. I earn 3 times that and I'm not. I couldn't even pay the mortgage and nursery fees on £25k. You've got to be realistic

WhitePhantom · 13/07/2017 13:16

Another one here who does home exchange. It's brilliant. I love it!

You get a fully set-up house with the all the useful little things like condiments, loo roll, washing up stuff, kids' toys, games, etc. - unlike other self-catering where the house is completely empty.

And the family that you're swapping with give you all the local info on where to go / eat / etc. And contact details for neigbours you can call on if you need to.

And your house isn't sitting empty for the duration so it's great from a security point of view too. And they look after your plants (and maybe your pets), pick up the post and put it somewhere safe for you. The list goes on.

And the only cost is getting there and whatever you do while you're there. Eat in or eat out, whichever you want; go to free places or expensive places; same as at home really!

Did I mention that I love home exchange?!! Grin

BrieOnAnOatcake · 13/07/2017 13:20

Oh I love the "only 2.5 grand" ( I've never spent that on holidays!).

And the thought that those lower class people over there spend all their money on booze and fags!!! Oh mumsnet is funny sometimes ....

BrieOnAnOatcake · 13/07/2017 13:21

it's obviously a choice between the two - nice holidays vs booze and fags. Of course!

Dear Lord.

grandOlejukeofYork · 13/07/2017 13:24

Nobody actually said that. Why do people get all bothered by things no-one said?

BadLad · 13/07/2017 13:25

We kidnap the local children and go on holiday with the ransom money. I thought most people did that.

Autofillcontact · 13/07/2017 13:30

Wombling did post quite an odd list though claiming that if a couple both stopped smoking 20 a day, buying scratch card and lottery tickets and going to the pub, they could easily afford a holiday.

What I'm wondering is how many people out there complain bitterly about being unable to afford a holiday WHILST smoking 20 a day, buying daily scratchcards and weekly lottery tickets. Because i reckon that might be, oh about 2 people out of the 67 million in the country.

So as a result it just sounds snobby, unrealistic and overly dramatic.

BrieOnAnOatcake · 13/07/2017 13:34

yep!

grandOlejukeofYork · 13/07/2017 13:35

They are just examples of the ephemera people spend their money on. I can assure that there are a lot more than 2 people in the country that waste their money on all kinds of crap (which is entirely their own prerogative) and then complain they can't afford things like holidays!

KERALA1 · 13/07/2017 13:36

Whitephantom yes home exchange rocks Grin

Do you find people always ask whether anything has gone wrong with your swaps in quite a ghoulish way?!

Autofillcontact · 13/07/2017 13:41

Funny to have such examples though isnt it? Choosing stereotypical things the poor and feckless do.

She could just have easily said "music lessons £200 a term, family pub lunch once a month £100, bi annual trip to the theatre £200. Quit all that and you can EASILY afford a holiday, you irresponsible fuckers"

But funny, that's not what she chose to use as an example

EssentialHummus · 13/07/2017 13:44

white I'm fascinated by this! How far in advance do you tend to book a swap, and is it feasible to be picky about particular cities/locations? I've just been on a home swap website and London seems to be in demand, now wondering about trying it out.

revolution909 · 13/07/2017 13:54

Yup, indeed it's all about priorities. I think I would be depressed if I knew I couldn't get my yearly holiday abroad. I've had one every year since I was little and it's something I've always cherished so I try to give the same to my DD. I'm fortunate though and I understand that's the case. I know that if I didn't have my own "income" my DH would like to use the money in other ways. but then again, our holidays tend to be a bit OTT, we did LA/Disneyland for close to 5k :/

Henrythehoover · 13/07/2017 13:54

Hmm looking at the prices everyone is calling cheap I may not be taking the kids away for a while. I earn 12000pa so spare cash is pretty tight. I haven't been abroad in 10yrs things seem a lot more pricey then they used to be.

Oh and before anyone says it no I don't drink, smoke or do the lottery. My car was £800 and my tv's a hand me down

CryingShame · 13/07/2017 14:00

We live in an area where schools finish for the summer earlier than the rest of the UK so everyone goes on holiday in that first holiday week, prices are much cheaper than the week after when everyone else is off.

We also book 12 - 18 months in advance and pay it off monthly. We can only afford to go for a week though, and we've done abroad (within the EU) and caravan in the UK in the past 3 holidays so we can't afford to go abroad every year. DS won't be going to Florida any time soon because of how stupidly expensive longhaul locations are.

LadyinCement · 13/07/2017 14:12

KERALA1 Wine clink of solidarity!

Autofillcontact · 13/07/2017 14:22

On the back of this I've looked at Brittany Ferries ferry + GITE site and they're not booking past Nov 17? I also know our Thomson sun holidays don't start booking until Jan. How is everyone booking so far in advance?

WomblingThree · 13/07/2017 14:36

Jesus Autofillcontact that's because those things are way beyond my understanding. I am fucking poor! How many more times do I have to say it?

My post was to people who were arguing with Notknownatthisaddress saying that it wasn't realistic. It's got fuck all to do with me thinking less of the "poor and feckless". And sorry, I didn't know that only the poor did these things. Is there not a single middle class person on the whole of MN who smokes or goes to the pub or plays the lottery? And you say I'm fucking stereotyping people.

Plenty of people who have a far greater income than me say they can't afford holidays. Maybe they should give up bloody smoking too - oh sorry I forgot. Naice (boak) people don't smoke do they.

WomblingThree · 13/07/2017 14:39

And Autofillcontact as you've just said you earn £75000 a year, I'm sure the poor and feckless (like me) can do without your patronising fake concern thanks.

Autofillcontact · 13/07/2017 15:02

Fair enough Womble. My income level has nothing to do with my ability to challenge potentially snobby comment though, thankfully.

grandOlejukeofYork · 13/07/2017 15:05

Funny to have such examples though isnt it? Choosing stereotypical things the poor and feckless do

Well, since the poster who said it is poor, I imagine she is posting examples of what people she knows have said or do, rather than the type of people you know (on a pretty good income) do?
Nice of you to be so rude about her circles though.

Autofillcontact · 13/07/2017 15:06

I'm not being rude. That was irony.

JustSaying99 · 13/07/2017 15:08

Just for info (not trying to start anything, but this seems to keep cropping up on this thread about smoking and low income)

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/drugusealcoholandsmoking/datasets/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain

Statistical evidence shows that a higher % of smokers are low income earners. In 2016, 19% of those earning £9,999 or less smoked, compared to just 10.7% of those earning £40,000 plus. The data shows, as the wage increases, the % of smokers decreases.