To wonder how people afford luxury holidays

[dontbesillyhenry]

Not once but several times sometimes yearly? We both work and earn relatively good money but can only afford to stretch to a few days in England. We don't have loads of luxurys either so it really baffles me what are we doing wrong?

A lot of people take advantage of the state using the NHS, sending their children to state schools etc when they really have to money to pay for these expenses themselves. But instead of being socially responsible they use this money on luxuries.

I work a part time job (2 days a week around £700 a month) and I take my 2 DCs on an all inclusive holiday each year. I book in advance, and go to cheaper destinations, Majorca, Alcudia etc. I booked in July this year for next May and I pay off in instalments xxx each month, family buy holiday clothes for birthdays for the kids, after the holiday I book the next and repeat. I only take a small amount of spends with it been all inc for bucket and spades, ice creams out etc.
Have a very small mortgage.
Easily doable if you budget

Dina.

These 'people' pay a lot of taxes and NI. They are just as entitled to use the NHS and state school. What a bizarre thought process you have?! If only low income people used the NHS and state schools they wouldn't bloody exist as there wouldn't be enough tax and NI revenue to put in to it.

For what it's worth. DH and I earn on average 80-85k a year. We don't have a huge mortgage and don't spend money on things we consider frivolous i.e. Meals out, alcohol, cinema etc. We put spare money into travel. We usually spend 6k on our annual holiday and maybe 1k on short trips throughout the year. Nothing goes on credit cards. No inheritance. Etc.

Well in my limited experience they put it on a credit card, they take their kids out of school and go in term time, or their parents/in laws pay for it.

I have a relative who's just put a £10k Florida trip on a credit card. That level of debt for a holiday would scare the crap out of me, but lots of people do it.

It's called, "Keeping up with the Joneses"

Erm, earn more than you? Is it that hard to work out? And no, contrary to what half of MN seems to think, not everyone resorts to loans and credit cards to live a more luxury life than them.

Probably yabu I wonder too. Our neighbour has been to Italy once, Florida twice and is about to go again all in last 11 months. They have 3 kids, rent a house and he earns around 30k, she's a part time childminder.

It's none of my business and I'm genuinely not jealous but I do wonder. However I'm sure people wonder about us and how I can be a sahm and have the house we have etc. It's just luck from a property sale many years ago basically.

DH is a very high earner, but we live a relatively normal life. We bought a nice house but not a huge one so we have paid it off. Our cars are nice and they are new but again they aren't always top of the range. DS has a nice life but isn't spoiled

We , therefore, have a lot of disposable income and e joy spending that on going on holiday

I know a person who has been on 3 lux holidays this year funded by a combination of benefit fraud and cash in hand work. She preaches about how hard pays off on instagram and all her hun followers lap it up. Little do they know ...

And I guess her 'hard work' does pay off but that's only half of it

I've got to say though my unexpected child costs me a good £500 pound a month more than before (via childcare/ loss of earnings) and working for the NHS isn't that lucrative at the mo

We book a year in advance and pay in instalments

Dina - why should I not use the NHS and other state services - I contribute to their funding through having worked since leaving Uni and paying PAYE and NIC. Yes we can afford private services but also use those provided to everyone. That is how it works in this country!

I guess it's just earning more money. I earn a lot and work very long hours, often constant hours (always have to be available on phone/email). We have a modest house in the north, low cost of living in terms of shopping/clothes/luxuries and mortgage, but holidays are so important to me and I really do see it as my reward. Probably spend around 30K a year on 3 good holidays. X

A lot of people take advantage of the state using the NHS, sending their children to state schools etc when they really have to money to pay for these expenses themselves. But instead of being socially responsible they use this money on luxuries.

Actually, one of the reasons why DH and I can no longer go on fancy holidays is because we pay for school fees, £50 a month each for DC's Bupa and DC's braces. Perhaps if I said f@ck it and sent them to a state school and used the NHS more then we too could go on flashy holidays.

We must seem to go away on lovely holidays a fair bit but are pretty careful with money the rest of the time.

I get my hair done every 3 months and do my own nails, eat out regularly but generally have a main course and drink at £15 ish rather than the full 3 courses and wine at £40 plus, don't smoke, spend sensibly in the supermarket etc. I buy good quality clothes vastly reduced in the sales.

It's all about priorities.

I go on expensive holidays because little things make me more happy then them.

I had comments from two colleagues saying that they could never afford it. The reality is that they could if they didn't fritter so much of their money on everyday pointless things. They are the type of person to go to Costa every day if not twice, to buy their lunch at Waitrose, to go and buy expensive make up every couple of months, regularly come back from lunch breaks with items of clothing -and many justifications as to why they really really needed it! -, bottles of wine, decorating items for the house, stuff for the kitchen (which they admit they then put in the cupboard and never used). They also seem to go out almost every week-ends to dinner/bars/shows.

It's amazing how over £500 a month can be wasted this way. That's £6,000 a year, and enough for the holidays I go on, but that they claim they can't afford!

I just don't understand these posts.

What is so difficult to comprehend about life that actually OP, other people earn more than you, have cheaper cost of living, priorities different things or take on debt?

Do people lack such basic imagination?

Slbreaking news: other people's lives different to my own

I think a lot of people don't realise how much some people earn. People think £80k is a good salary, it's great but it's not big bucks. I know many people who earn many hundred k a year and some many million. There is a massive gap between rich and poor and neither half knows how the other half lives, or can imagine it.

Op if you mean how can people that you percieve as similar earnings to you afford it?

As obviously there are mega rich people who can.

My anecdotal evidence. Average earner , single Mum.
To the outside world I probably look like I have spent a lot on holidays but I haven't.

For the past three years we have had a European city break with my dd and my boyfriend and I have a holiday together.

We live with my parents so rent is low. I bleach my own hair, I never cut my hair ( oh trimmed the ends at Christmas). I take lunch to work. Myself and my dd don't actually eat a lot and we share with my parents who don't either. I also have no childcare costs as my parents are great.

This in contrast to my boss who earns 3 times me. He has wrap a round care costs x3. Drinks naice wine every few nights. He brings in daily m and s grapes. He says his shopping bill is £200 a week. He had a day off the other week. His wife bought him the lady bird book " sick note" I think that was £6.99 for a quick laugh.
He can afford holidays though I am sure but my point is as a lot have said on this thread it is in some cases where people choose to spend their money.

For my Euro city break. I book budget airlines early. Usually go mon- fri. This summer we got £300 for three return to Denmark. The hotel was more expensive but I like nice hotels but we could have gone cheaper. The whole holiday for three cost me about 1k.

Then when my dd goes away with her Dad we are going on a three stop 9 days across the USA. I book things individually. I think one USA domestic flight cost £40. I got Norweign airline tickets for £350. The whole trip cost me £1.5k . Oh paid the same. So 3k for both.

So I have spent 2.5k on holidays ( obviously plus spends) but it looks a lot more. Now I know some people don't even have 2k but I am lucky due to no childcare costs and I have some maintenance from my ex. I could afford it if I had a mortgage too as I save that every month.
So for an earner like me. I guess its housing costs, childcare and extras. That simple I suppose.

The political/psychological issue of buy in to the welfare state is the fascinating one. As a school fee payer from age 4 and indeed unviersity fees payer... I have saved the state a small fortune and would love a voucher or discount or letter of thanks but it won't be coming any time soon. I have obviously saved over tax payers a lot of money over the years. The buy in used to be you got free university education (even if you had paid school fees for years) and that you got something back eg chld benefit. I did feel the stripping from me the single mother of child benefit for the 5 children because I work full time felt like the end of that compact -t hat deal or understanding - that I paid in and I got out. It was a relatively small thing the child benefit but it was tipping point.

(I don't use the NHS or private healthcare as I don't get sick - well GP twice in 15 years if you count that so that doesn't come in to it and yes I have the protection of the army and I can bask in the happy glow of knowing we give cash hand outs every month as aid to many people in Pakistan and the like)

A lot of people take advantage of the state using the NHS, sending their children to state schools etc when they really have to money to pay for these expenses themselves. But instead of being socially responsible they use this money on luxuries.

But surely the absolutely point of the welfare state is that it's meant to be universal, not just for the poor? And in countries where free education/healthcare is only available for the poor it tends to lose status, carry stigma, and ends up being poor quality.

Not to derail thread but I think that was the point of withdrawing child benefits for the better paid, Lucy. Tories would love it if people were less willing to feel like the welfare state should exist as a concept or that we all benefitted.

We are high earners spent our summer holiday camping. I'm constantly baffled by how people afford such nice holidays but I guess it's priorities as people say.