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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

£3k - new kitchen or holiday?

163 replies

Buttery81 · 22/08/2019 12:01

DH and I have squirrelled away about £3k over the course of the last 12 months and were discussing last night how we want to spend it.

DH is really keen to book a fabulous holiday - we haven't been on a "proper" trip away for about four years (bar the odd weekend here and there in the UK).

However, I'd really like to put it towards a new kitchen. Our current kitchen is perfectly functional, but rather dated and tired-looking and hence a bit scruffy in places. I anticipate it will take us another three or four years to save enough money to buy a brand new one.

DH says it's been a long hard year - which is true - and we deserve a "proper" break. But I would honestly prefer to stay home and save for my dream kitchen.

We did get the bathroom done last year, which we both agreed needed replacing as it was in a worse state than the kitchen.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Youngandfree · 22/08/2019 12:02

Kitchen!!

MyCatHatesEverybody · 22/08/2019 12:03

Can you compromise and spend half on a holiday?

Original poster
Buttery81 · 22/08/2019 12:04

Can you compromise and spend half on a holiday?

DH is keen to book a really fabulous one as it's been such a long time since we did that!

OP posts:
MardyMavis · 22/08/2019 12:04

Holiday...3k isn't getting you an amazing kitchen anyway and hol doesn't
need to cost 3k so build on the left over and get a kitchen in the future.

EmpressJewel · 22/08/2019 12:05

Holiday.

Or a compromise with having a cheaper holiday and then having a kitchen refresh (new cupboard fronts and a new worktop).

JoJoSM2 · 22/08/2019 12:05

A holiday will lost a week or two but a brand new kitchen will feel nice for much longer.

Maybe compromise on a holiday for 1 week for less, using 1-1.5k and save the rest for the kitchen? Also, you really don’t need 10k+ to do a kitchen if you shop around and do s bit yourselves.

Original poster
Buttery81 · 22/08/2019 12:06

and do a bit yourselves.

Doing some of it ourselves is probably not an option sadly, as we're both dreadful at DIY and work really long hours.

OP posts:
AmIThough · 22/08/2019 12:07

I think you should go on holiday!

BarbaraofSeville · 22/08/2019 12:07

You don't need £3k for a holiday, you could probably do it for less than half that if it's just you and DH and are flexible about where you go choose some cheaper options while you are there, such as if you go B&B in an apart hotel, you could get away with only one meal out each day and do easy food and nibbles from the supermarket instead.

Then just keep saving for the kitchen and look at options to get that at a good price too. Ikea really is excellent for the money and you can get interest free credit, which means you don't need all the money straight away, you just need to be sure you can afford the repayments.

moreismore · 22/08/2019 12:07

I’d compromise and spend £2k on a holiday, meaning you can re-save for the kitchen more quickly.

OneKeyAtATime · 22/08/2019 12:09

How hard is it for you to save? if it is hard, then I'd say use the money towards a new kitchen. A holiday is just for a week or two, a kitchen for much longer. If not hard, then go for a holiday and get a new kitchen in the next couple of years.

Original poster
Buttery81 · 22/08/2019 12:11

you can get interest free credit, which means you don't need all the money straight away, you just need to be sure you can afford the repayments.

Perhaps I'm being silly, but I'm quite cautious with money and am really loathe to get into any kind of debt (even the interest free variety!) I think I'd rather save up the full amount needed so we definitely have the money. Maybe I should consider the repayment option though!

OP posts:
IAskTooManyQuestions · 22/08/2019 12:11

You wont get a kitchen for 3k, you'll have to do a lot more squirrelling. Mine was 16K and that was in a sale, and NHS discount. And it isn't top end either.

aleC4 · 22/08/2019 12:12

Holiday every time for me, especially as my kids are getting older and won't want to come away with me forever.
Holidays are what memories are made of. I would hate my kids to look back and say 'we never went on holiday but we had a lovely kitchen....'

Original poster
Buttery81 · 22/08/2019 12:12

Onekey, I'd say we're able to save around £3k a year...

OP posts:
hsegfiugseskufh · 22/08/2019 12:13

toomanyquestions

our kitchen was 2.2k from wren recently, BUT that didn't include appliances, or fitting and our kitchen is quite small.

But it can be done!

OP I think id spend half on a hol and put the rest towards a kitchen

crustycrab · 22/08/2019 12:13

Interest free credit doesn't cost any more than buying it outright!

Go on holiday, you're a long time dead

Original poster
Buttery81 · 22/08/2019 12:15

Interest free credit doesn't cost any more than buying it outright!

Yeah, I just worry that if one or both of us were to lose our jobs we wouldn't be able to make the repayments.

Go on holiday, you're a long time dead

Haha that's what DH says!

OP posts:
ThrowThoseCurtainsWide · 22/08/2019 12:17

Spend £1.5k on a holiday and save the rest towards the new kitchen? Then by this time next year you've got £4.5k saved for a kitchen which might make interest free repayments affordable?

Meangirls36 · 22/08/2019 12:19

Kitchen and go to a caravan park in Cornwall it's lovely this time of year. St Ives is amazing

Sarahlou63 · 22/08/2019 12:24

You could have a good holiday for £1500 once the schools are back and spend £1500 on new cabinet doors and worktops, assuming you're happy with the current layout of the kitchen.

BarbaraofSeville · 22/08/2019 12:25

I'm not really sure how much our kitchen cost as it was part of an extension, but it is massive and there are about 18 units, a big island with stupidly expensive extractor and 2 self cleaning ovens. I think it was probably about £8k including fitting and flooring etc.

The £16k kitchen example probably has much more high end worktops, flooring etc. We have laminate worktops, I would have liked composite and it wasn't that expensive at Ikea, but we were over budget on the whole build so there had to be some compromises and 4 years later, it's still all like new, so it's not like the quality is poor.

If you can save £3k per year, it sounds like you're going to have to manage your expectations a little in both holidays and kitchens because if you're going for the very high end for both, it's going to take years of saving to get the kitchen, with no holidays during that time.

If that was the money I had available, I would be looking at spending £1-1.5k pa on holidays - you could easily have a nice week/10 days in the sun each year - southern Europe/Canaries in September/October would be my choice, plus maybe even a cheapy city break earlier in the year, plus I'd put some by for the kitchen and start looking and planning and seeing what offers are available, such as interest free credit and sales.

Gobbolinocat · 22/08/2019 12:25

I agree with both, why does a holiday need 3k thrown at it? That's v high end.

You could still get extremely lovely holiday for half that by booking stuff yourself.

MediocrePenguin · 22/08/2019 12:27

You only live once - Holiday!

Constantlurker · 22/08/2019 12:31

Unless your kitchen is very small, £3k will barely scratch the surface if you want something really nice (when you factor in labour costs). You would replacing something that's functional for something that's functional. What type of holiday would it be? £3k on a sit on your bum beach holiday is silly as you can do it for less, £3k to travel around the USA for 3 weeks in a Mustang or go to Asia etc, totally worth it!

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