To be surprised by the number of holidays?

[brondary]

I have been really surprised by the number of holidays some people on MN go on. I would not have the money or the annual leave to go on that many.
Last Summer people were commenting saying how since the first lockdown in March, they had already had to cancel three holidays. Various people talking about how they normally go on five or six holidays a year and are really missing them.
I must mix in different circles as I did not realise any except the super-rich went on this many holidays.

In 2019, January it was the only month that I didn't travel
Some home country
Some European
One long haul
Work FT shifts
I could not have afforded so much travel when I was younger !
Some really good deals to be found out of season
It was a big birthday year & so a bit more effort to create many great memories
It was worth spending, rather than savings in the bank !

Some people have other priorities or responsibilities for their time & finances

I only get four weeks a year (I work part time) and DH gets 25 +. Our joint income is approx 100K. We have two children. We can afford one cheap holiday abroad (Europe) for a couple of weeks. We visit family at the other end of the country a few times a year and our kids call refer to them as 'holidays'. I don't. YANBU.

A friend of mine travels four times a year, usually to Europe but every second year she goes on a 'big' holiday e.g. US,. She earns approx 50K. She brings her teenage daughter with her. If you didn't know her, you'd wonder how on earth she can do it. She never buys clothes or makeup, she cuts her own hair and in the depths of winter, she doesn't turn on the heating in her house. She doesn't buy birthday or Christmas gifts.

I'd forego a holiday or two and live in some sort of comfort personally.

2-4 depending on how far away we're going. Usually a main holiday of a week-10 days and then a couple of shorter 5 day breaks too. We usually work round bank holidays. There were a couple of brilliant years where Easter was close to the May bank holiday so you got more holiday for less annual leave. Pre kids we'd go away for three weeks for our main holiday.

We don't do package deals or go to resorts, we fly easy jet or Ryan air and now we've got kids usually book an apartment through air BnB. Hotel wise we usually stay in premier inns or similar in the UK, though DH and I do try and have a night away for our anniversary and stay somewhere fancy with bathrobes though.

@pinkmagnolias g=how can you earn that and only afford 1 cheap holiday a year? Are you paying for private school?

Pre COVID I'd have over 10 holidays every year.
Two "big holidays" where we would go abroad not to see family but for fun. The others were Friday - Wednesday, I worked shifts and my role allowed me to pick my own hours so I'd work early Friday and fly out in the evening, then fly home early Wednesday and straight to work.

The long weekends were very cheap holidays, often seeing family and friends.

We normally have a minimum of 3 holidays, typically 4 nights in the UK in May half term, 14 nights abroad in July and 7 nights in the UK in October. Sometimes we have extra weekends away too.

I get 7 or 8 weeks leave (I work shifts including bank holidays so BH days can be used in lieu). I also work part time compressed hours so have 5 days off a week.

brondary No private school and one 14 year old car. Mortgage 1500 a month. No loans, no credit cards either.

I usually have three holidays. One in the Feb half term or Easter break and one in May or October half term - these are self catering U.K. holidays. Then on in the summer which again is self catering but in France. We sometimes have the odd weekend as well now that the DCs are adult.

As far as leave goes I work in a school so have most of the school holidays; DH is a senior civil servant with lots of years service so gets 38 days but bank holidays are included in that figure.

We go on holiday October and May half terms for a week plus two weeks in the summer. Not expensive holidays abroad , around 2 to 2.5 thousand a week. Also 2 or 3 long weekends a year usually just premier inn city breaks.
Dh has six weeks annual leave.
I think that’s fairly standard.

Not expensive - 2k a week. X 4 weeks 🤣. OP you couldn't have asked for better posters to illustrate your point!

Not expensive holidays abroad , around 2 to 2.5 thousand a week

Thats 5K for two weeks holiday.
To me that is expensive.
We (two adults and two children) spend approx 1200 on flights (mostly less) and 2000 on accommodation for two weeks somewhere cheap. A hire car is another few hundred per week. Eating out - either lunch or dinner - not both - every day.

We probably spend 5K too but we are really aware of the costs and how quickly they add up.

I'm baffled as to how people can do that two or three times a year.

Usually we’d have a main holiday of 1 or 2 weeks, usually abroad but this year we’re going to Cornwall. Then an annual camping trip plus something like centre parcs for a few nights. We make the most of going over bank holiday weekends and over the Christmas break. I might book a few weekends in a caravan (no days off work, go straight from work Friday night and back Sunday night) but wouldn’t call all those ‘holidays’ as they’re so short.

@SwimBaby

My DH and I budget 20k a year for holidays, he’d be happy to spend more.

People who only earn £20k a year aren't just not budgeting. Theydon't have the funds.

This whole thread speaks of the Sam Vimes theory of economic injustice.

I have 48 days holiday a year. 31 basic, 12 flexi days and I have the option (which I take) to buy a further 5. We have quite a few holidays. We're lucky that we have a good income and live in an area where housing is cheap. Purposely haven't maxed on our mortgage so we can have holidays. We tend to have one long haul 'big' holiday, a few weekends abroad and lots of caravan trips!

Holidays are our what we save for and enjoy. My DH and I run our own businesses so can work from wherever we want to. DC starts school in Sept though, so we'll then be restrained to school holidays which will suck!'

We count a weekend away sleeping on someone’s air bed as a holiday. If we book a day off work, it’s a holiday!

@SwimBaby

On a normal year I go on a European city break in Feb, normally Monday to Friday. A May holiday, maybe a juicing retreat or a long haul week, a two week July holiday, often a cruise and stay. Then I’ll have a UK mini break in September, somewhere like Dorset and a long haul holiday in November.

wtaf is a juicing retreat?

MmeLaraque I had years of saving up for a Sun newspaper £9.50 holiday or having no holiday. I remember thinking how do people afford to drive to France in their big flashy cars with a few DC in the back.

@TheMotherlode

I don’t understand it at all OP. Our household income is over 100k and we don’t even manage a holiday every year. No idea how people are affording 3 or 4.

@themotherlode same here...glad I'm not alone.

This thread has in typical MN style turned into yet another competitive holiday thread.

@MyDcAreMarvel

We go on holiday October and May half terms for a week plus two weeks in the summer. Not expensive holidays abroad , around 2 to 2.5 thousand a week. Also 2 or 3 long weekends a year usually just premier inn city breaks. Dh has six weeks annual leave. I think that’s fairly standard.

lols. I mean DH and I earn around £120k pa and there is no way we could afford that. How much do you people earn? Plus I have 25 days a year holiday, so nowhere near enough to cover it

You (used to...) find cheap package deals for a few hundred pounds.
It was cheaper to go on any of these than booking a staycation somewhere in the uk.

People can easily prioritise holidays on a more average income, especially going out of season and paying the fine when they had to take kids out.

Pre-Covid I would do 9-10 breaks a year

However, only 2 of those would be 1-2 weeks with whole family. Lots of weekend breaks with different friends, as a couple, smaller family groups etc. Just a way to spend quality time together

Have saved loads in past year but looking forward to booking more soon

@SwimBaby

My DH and I budget 20k a year for holidays, he’d be happy to spend more.

@Swimbaby hope you appreciate how lucky you are. Some people don't even earn that amount a year.

Not me. I've had 2 trips abroad and 3 UK city breaks since 2001! If budget would allow, I'd go abroad once every second year but probably not more often. As much as I enjoy being on holiday, I also find the process stressful and prefer to relax closer to home.

I am not sure what's so surprising, most people I know take at least a couple of holidays a year - so more luxurious than others.

Personally I consider holidays as basic, so they are included in my budget.

Other people spend a fortune on cars, on treats, on beauty treatments, on designer goods, on evening out with mates. So what.