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..

Is that term time? The eurocamps in summer holidays seem double that.

Abroad to me doesn't mean a cruise or Disney (not our thing at all). Our best holiday (we have three sons) was Amsterdam for 10 days- got Eurostar and Thalyss there and rented a family home. Loads to do and everything on the doorstep. We are going to Bruges this year.

We alternate mainland Europe with Ireland (NOT cheap) and our holidays cost about £1k per week. We try not to fly and as we don't own a car, are always on the look out for carless holidays.

Holidays are definitely a priority for us.

I have never been in debt. Got laughed at for driving old bangers whilst saving for a decent car whilst friends were out getting brand new ones on finance.

Spend summer over uni break grafting in a warehouse saving a couple of thousand hence no student debts.

Made saving for a house a priority after uni, bought house, had lodgers overpaid mortgage loads so now it's really cheap.

Don't wear designer clothes, never have or bought them for the kids.

Shop around for insurance etc.

Go to cinema on Orange weds/Meerkat nights etc.

Just don't buy crap or tat.

I hardly decorate house, my sofas were £30 each.

All about priorities

Is that term time? The eurocamps in summer holidays seem double that

Not everyone has the same terms.

I save my family allowance. It gives us just under £1000 (increased to £1500ish after dc2) per year. Some goes on a holiday, some on Christmas and some on the kids birthdays. Not just in terms of presents - we pay for the child's birthday party or special day out. Use it for food and days out at Christmas etc. For us, they are things we just do not want to have to scrimp on. Our holiday is a UK holiday this year as dd2 is only just 6 months. The holiday cost £550. Last year when we went to Kos, we had to find an extra £900 after the family allowance contribution. We saved £50 per month each to pay it off. We booked all inclusive which worked out cheaper in the long run.

Hubs and I have not had a holiday for 6 years. I haven't flown in 30 years. My kids (18 and 15) have never flown in their lives.

Previous to 6 years ago, we only went to Cornwall on camping trips.

We have friends who live on the Greek island of Crete. This year, we are finally going out there. It's taken a whole year to save up the flight money, passport money, accommodation money, spending money, costs for cat sitter and hotel costs for the bearded dragon, and I don't know if we will ever get to go again but I was sick of others talking about their foreign holidays.

So now it's our turn.

We have done several home exchanges through this agency. They've all been great. Very cheap way to have a holiday. You can approach people who live where you want to visit. Or you can sit back and wait to see who approaches you

www.homelink.org.uk/HomeLink_home_exchange_home_index.html

Credit cards baby! (Just the one!)

I was made redundant back in March and received a sizeable payout. This is the only way we can afford our fuckit holiday (fuckit as I still dont have another job but we need to get away) to Spain in October. We have been saving for the past couple of years for our holiday to Florida next year but thats going to be once in a lifetime holiday for our DS.

Not had a holiday for 6 years. It's all well and good talking about "priorities", but some people in this country go without food so their kids can eat, don't have a car and can't afford sanitary protection. Some kids don't eat. If you can make travelling abroad a "priority", lucky you.

We've just had our first holiday in 7 yrs. £150 for a Groupon to use with Eurocamp for 7 nights from a very wide selection of their France campsites. Stayed in a self catering caravan by the most beautiful lake in the Jura. The kids had the time of their lives.

Granted, it wasn't a luxurious caravan, and we by no means experienced luxury in any sense of the word. But we had the BEST time! We were all sad to leave. 4 yr old DS cried on the morning we had to set off for home.

Had it not been for this amazing Groupon bargain we would never have been able to afford it. God knows when we'll get the chance again, as we still had to save hard over 6 months for the spending money.

But I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more Groupon Getaway deals.

Priorites-my priority after everything is paid for is using it to create memories for my son. People say it about my having holidays. I have a friend who made digs at me to others within earshot implying i was better off as a single mum than she was with a husband working (she doesnt) and another friend who equally goes on about poverty and my spending on going to see itng and iggle piggle with photos etc a couple of years ago as a memory for my sons gotcha/family day and the fact we have gone to Disneyland Paris a couple (3 so far) of times. I did point out that unlike them we have a tv that takes ages to get a picture not the latest high tech, I don't have internet or sky tv and i haven't been out in over two years plus I don't do little things like weekly nights out cinema and gym membership and I don't smoke or drink I just choose to create memories for my son who is an only child. Oh and i spent 20 years working hard and learning to budget before having a child.
The other thing i do is out of season holidays and tbh we live in Kent so a trip to Disneyland Inc travel, food and spending money actually cost less than going back up north to visit family and is a lot less hassle and more enjoyable!
Although the cost of school holiday-holidays is curbing it a little bit nowadays

I love threads like this- I'm a bit of a nerd around personal finances etc. and find it fascinating.

We're both high earners, manageable mortgage, no dependents, no debt, plenty of savings, pension, shares, investments etc. so, when we do go away, it's just paid out of our income.

Holidays just aren't a priority at the moment but, what I'd love is just some time off work! Have had a total of two days of annual leave so far this year and won't be able to take any more until October. I'd just love a week to relax somewhere. Doesn't have to be exotic or elaborate. Even a week of mooching around my own city would be lovely!

We've just had our first holiday in 7 yrs. £150 for a Groupon to use with Eurocamp for 7 nights from a very wide selection of their France campsites.

What a bargain! With Eurocamp you know the standard of the campsite will be very high. I have lots of very happy childhood memories of Eurocamping.

Haven't been for a couple of years due to illness. DH got a good bonus this year, so we have just booked 10 days away next June and I am so excited.

Blueink if you want to take a swipe then at least have the spine to write your answer to me!

Without turning this into a political discussion I don't agree. We live in a welfare state that guarantees a certain level of income.

Went to Spain in June. Booked the flights when they came out last year. Hotel was £50-ish night all inclusive so we didnt spend much. It's £1 deposit and you pay the rest a week before you go, so time to save. Baby was free obviously. Cost us about £650 inc spending money and airport for the week - cost us mearly that in the UK last year. There are good deals out there esp if you book early.

I hate the way everyone assumes if you can't afford a holiday your blowing your cash on fans booze and scratchcards.
A lot of people have no spare cash after they pay bills and buy essentials I just about keep my head above water each month and have very little if anything to save each month.
I feel bad that I can't give my dd a holiday each year when everyone else seems to be jetting of to florida but I do believe there are lots of parents single and married who probably struggle just to get the the basics each month.

Bloody hell, there are some real bargains on here

I was browsing for next summer and prices have really jumped

We CAMPED for years and years, sometimes abroad mostly in England. Always took sandwiches when we went out for the day and always bottles of water from home. We went to the seaside (not far away) parks, museums, free events, picnics with other families with our own organised games for the children. Children don't need holidays abroad, they can do all that when they are older. And you can when they have grown up. We've had such wonderful weather this year as well!

flofferton to be fair we could only book out of season with the Groupon voucher, so a lot of the usual campsite activities like archery, treetop adventures, fishing etc weren't open. But for the bargain price of £150 we still had an awesome time and it gave us the opportunity to trial Eurocamp before saving more to book any more holidays with them again in peak season. (This was our first Eurocamp holiday)

However, we've just received the new Eurocamp brochure for next year, and in peak season we'd be looking at least quadruple the amount we paid with the Groupon voucher for the most basic accommodation... ie: a tent, not even a caravan!

And as 4 yr old DS starts primary school in September we no longer have the option to holiday during term time, so we can't take advantage of off-peak season rates any more. Gutted.

But Im so glad to have experienced this holiday though. It created some wonderful memories.

When the children were young we didn't go abroad.
As they got older, our income increased (two of us in employment rather than just one plus promotion) and only then did we start going on holidays abroad some years. Now they are older still, things are even easier.
It will happen OP, just might take a few years.

Simple - DH earns a big salary, which covers all household expenses. Everything I earn - around £10k a year - is holiday money.

Also all the big operators let you pay a small initial deposit then chip away at the balance.

When it was just me & DH each eith a full time wage we did 2 - 3 holidays a year, one year we did 5 (including a couple of long weekend city breaks)!

Now with less income between us than 1 of used to earn & 2 kids we do caravans/cheap holiday home's in the UK.
Usually Oct half term or Easter as they tend to be cheapest half terms to travel.

The kids love caravans and think it's an adventure.
Thought about camping but the tent then other supplies needed feels a big outlay so sticking to the caravans - plus I don't have to cross a field to pee in the night lol!

No one has said that everyone who can't afford to go on holiday is a feckless waster who spends all their money on beer and fags.

A poster back about 30 pages said that people who were whinging to her were spending their money on fags and scratch cards. I was agreeing with her, and showing how much it would save them if they weren't doing this.

Anyone of any "class" who can afford to smoke 20 a day can afford holiday. That's not judgement, that's maths.