£3k - new kitchen or holiday?

[Buttery81]

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?

For holidays, a lot depends on expectations. 3k wouldn’t be high end for me but for some it is. I’d rather not go away than do something cheap (which is why we tend to have blow out holidays every 3-4 years rather than annually). Similarly, it depends what your expectations are re kitchens. Do you want a refresh or a full on high spec job. If the latter, you’ll need to save for a long time.

For me, I’d probably put some of the money towards the kitchen, do a short weekend break instead of a holiday and and use some to build up emergency savings if you don’t already have them.

As the kitchen is functional I'd go for the holiday. Make the most of life and treat yourselves!

Maybe spend £2k on a nice holiday and use £1k to start your kitchen savings off?

I was going to say have the kitchen as 3k wouldn't be enough for two people to have a proper luxury holiday. Me going away by myself costs 3k

Reading the posts though, if a holiday for two is doable with 1.5k do half on that and half on the kitchen

The £16k kitchen example probably has much more high end worktops, flooring etc.

Oh not it doesn't! And it doesn't have built in appliances either, or funky lights

I'd fablon the kitchen and go on holiday. You won't be reminiscing about your kitchen on your deathbed, will you.

Holiday because you said your kitchen is fully functional and you got the bathroom done!!! Whichever you do, enjoy

I’d go with the kitchen and then have a weekend away in a nice UK hotel

I'd spend half of it on a nice holiday. Live!

Kitchen!

Do you have any other savings OP?
If not I wouldnt be doing either but just put it away for a rainy day.
Can you refresh the tired kutchen and look for a bargain holiday ?

Interest free credit is really worth looking into. A 10k kitchen from wren would needs 1k deposit, then £150 a month repayments. As you save approx £250 a month, you can repay out of this and save the rest.

You can get a lovely holiday without scrimping for 2k

@IAskTooManyQuestions 16k and it doesn’t include all of those thing!! Not high spec! You were robbed...utterly robbed sorry! Unless your kitchen is flipping HUGE with an insane amount of units!!I have a high spec kitchen with a walk in larder, appliances and karndean flooring etc that cost 11k.

Oh not it doesn't! And it doesn't have built in appliances either, or funky lights

Then I think you’ve been fleeced! We’ve had three quotes recently for our large-ish kitchen, not completely top end but above mid range, great quality flooring, new lighting etc and none are above £8k.

I'd go on a cruise.

Holiday but not £3k

How many other savings do you have? If you don’t have the equivalent of at least 3 months of savings... then do neither and keep saving!

Travel. Always travel in our house anyway. We do the house as we go, we are going to live here forever now so we have plenty of time to fart about with it. Travel because you'll always remember that time, it's good for your relationship and life is short.

@SoyDora good lord I’m not the only to say she was overcharged!! 😬

Go on holiday, you're a long time dead

^This was my first thought - but I'm over 60 so thoughts of death are looming larger than the joy of a new kitchen

I'd take the holiday probably, agree with whoever said you're a longtime dead

Kitchen - long term pleasure

I hate holidays though!

I suppose with the holiday, it depends on what you want. If all you want is a proper break, to spend quality time together and relax/read/swim in the sun then a nice holiday really doesn't have to cost anywhere near £3k for a couple outside the school holidays.

We normally pay under £1k for a week's flights, transfer and accomodation in a mid range hotel and sometimes quite a bit less than that if we get lucky with the flights and an apartment. Then you've a few hundred on top for meals and drinks out and maybe a couple of excursions.

£3k won't go far towards a new kitchen. You can also have a wonderful holiday for much less!

Could you compromise and spend half on a holiday and stick the rest in the pot for next year?

Holiday. My kitchen is getting older but it works.

If you're flexible about holiday dates then book last minute off season and save thousands

Then save up again and get an Ikea kitchen - no point spending loads on a kitchen you'll want to update in 5-10 years time

Holiday definitely. Where does your DH want to go?