£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?

Holiday - you need it.
Not kitchen - you just want that (and 3k won’t go far).
Life’s too short not to have fun when you need to.

I'd do the holiday. A friend died last week, and at the funeral his children talked lots about the great times they'd had on holiday with their mum and dad. No one at the funeral said 'But you know, his kitchen wasn't very nice.'

I'm a bit morbid at the moment though.

Holiday.

Kitchen

Holiday, life is too short.

I would go on holiday for £1000ish which will get you an amazing holiday!

£500 per person will not get you an amazing holiday. It will get you a holiday, but it will be a very budget week away.

Holiday.

You work really long hours.
Before you have saved for your kitchen you might a) get a massive pay rise, bonus or lottery win b) get made redundant, and then either not need to save or not be able to save enough to get it anyway.

I don’t see the point of spending loads on a holiday when you can have a really great holiday for less, though. What does he mean by ‘really good ‘?

I would always opt for a holiday!

You could always just replace the unit doors if the carcases are still functional. Then paint the walls and perhaps change the ceiling lights. You can do a mini make over and still go on holiday.

You could easily get a week in the Caribbean for £2,000 then £1k on the kitchen.

Holiday 100%

I’ve never understood what a “dream” kitchen looks like, it’s cupboards to store food!!

We chose a kitchen over a holiday last year and can honestly say we are very pleased with the choice we made. We did it for around £4.5K with all the whistles and bells by getting all the units/tiles/peripherals eg,extractor, white goods etc and project managing it ourselves.

There's no right or wrong, but we preferred to get the kitchen done and we still had a week in Malta which was lovely. And it definitely didn't cost us £3K!

Errrr daisy if you had a week in Malta I think you did actually have a holiday AND a kitchen.

I’ve never understood what a “dream” kitchen looks like, it’s cupboards to store food!!

Put that way, if everything you eat is from packets, or takeaways, then yes you could have a microwave in the corridor - but there are lots of people who enjoy cooking from scratch esp if you have kids.

And today's induction hobs are very Eco friendly, the rings only take seconds to heat up.

Sorry to hear of your loss drsausage. We never know what's around the corner so the choice of tired husband & wife or tired kitchen is a no-brainer for me.

Enjoy planning your kitchen options with your DH in foreign climes over something chilled OP.

Who are these people that can go on fabulous holidays for £3k? We thought ours was cheap(er) this year and it's £5.5k!!!

I would spend it in the kitchen OP

Sorry to hear of your loss drsausage. We never know what's around the corner so the choice of tired husband & wife or tired kitchen is a no-brainer for me.

Thank you - it was totally unexpected, and a huge loss, and it really made me think about life and what matters.

Do you have DC and if so how old? The only reason I ask is that we had a similar dilemma a few years ago. We inherited some money and had to decide between a new kitchen and new carpets and a fab holiday. We spent it on a holiday and had the most amazing 2 weeks with our teenagers and made memories that will last forever. We wanted to do that before they got too big to want to come with us.

If it's just the 2 of you then I'd say the kitchen because you spend a lot of time at home and a lovely place to live that makes you happy lasts far longer than 2 weeks away.

We chose a kitchen over a holiday last year

No you didn’t, you had both. A week in Malta is a holiday.

LOL @daisychain01 what world are you on

Hi everyone,

Quick update - thanks to your input I’ve decided to go for the lovely holiday! I just broke the news to DH and he’s super excited and really looking forward to it. The expression on his face has already made it worth it!

The swanky kitchen can wait another year

Ooh exciting. I did vote kitchen but only because it’s not me, I definitely would have gone for the holiday.

Where you thinking of?

Holiday! No question.

We have had the same kitchen for 28 years. Periodically I think we ought to replace it, then I work out how much it would cost and think of another part of the world I could see instead.

Last year I repainted the units and put down a new floor. It looks great. It works. Job done.

Ha! Missed your update. You've made the right decision!

Hurray! I'd do the holiday no question. There are many things that DH and I disagree on but holidays thank goodness is not one. Much of our spare money goes on them 🏝

Right choice, OP. The pp who said kitchens are just cupboards to keep food in was spot on.

OP, The nice thing is that you're doing what makes you and your DH happy. But don't whatever you do post "making memories" on social media or you're banned

Yes sorry the Malta trip was technically in the next year but within the same elapsed year if we're getting really really precise about it. Forgot people like to be absolutely accurate about these matter!