AIBU to wonder how anyone with kids can afford to go on holiday?

[stilltiredinthemorning]

My husband and I both work. We're not huge earners, but both professionals earning above the average wage. We have 2 kids (3 and 6). I know this has probably been raised many times before, but honestly, how to 'normal' people possibly afford to go on holiday??? Just for giggles I just had a look at Centre Parks for either half term or Easter - it's £1800 for 4 days!!!! Even bloody Butlins in Skeggy is over £600 for 3 nights. Cheap package holidays seem to be at least £1000 (but at least feels like your getting a bit extra for your money). Even if we had £1800 sitting about, which we most certainly don't, I really don't think I could bring myself to spend it on 4 nights in a very average log cabin in Suffolk (especially since pretty much everything else costs extra). I'm honestly thinking that we just won't be able to go on holiday again until the kids are finished at school. I mean we could save up the money over a year or so, but the pressure of spending that much would undo all the pleasure of the holiday I think???

We tend to use youth hostels or caravans and spend a few hundred pounds on 5 days for 5 of us.

I save every month for mine, and try to book a year in advance or as soon as bookings open. I pay the deposit then keep saving to pay rest in full when due if I don’t have already. I’m always plotting where to go in advance etc. but I love travelling/holidays so it is a priority. I’ve got a garden that needs some work and stuff to do in the house as well and I wonder how people afford to update gardens/homes. I think it depends on where your interests are and what you are prepared to prioritise.

We were lucky enough to get a week's package break just before the prices went up (with change in PCR rules) this summer. We also managed to snag one of the Sun mid-week breaks for October half term. Otherwise we look at camping/ save up airmiles etc. to afford bigger breaks. It's not easy! Especially once you're confined to the School holidays!

Foreign holidays are really important to us, so we save for them. We generally put away 300/400ppm and then use additional bonuses for spending money.

I have friends who prioritise meals out, clothes shopping and other things - but they prefer to do that than holiday.

Just booked to go away with the DD and her 2 girls age 3 and 6 to Ibiza .... self catering 8 nights 450 each.... thinks that’s ok .... she’s taking them out of school 2 days early to save £575 of the Total cost of the holiday..we will be staying in a nice apartment with a pool, water slides , kids entertainment and close to a nice town ..... any holidays we book in U.K. are Airbnb or camping or hotels ...... stopped doing haven / centre parks when the eldest started school as it’s too expensive in school holidays

Meant to add, I only have 1 kid (not planning another) and she’s only 2 so no limited by school yet. I have family overseas so work full time in order to be able to visit them every few years with short haul holidays in between. I basically have a separate saving pots that I add to every month and do my best to stick to a budget.

We're going to Pembrokeshire for a week at Easter (main purpose is visiting DH's parents). Just under £800 a week for a cottage with pool and spa on site. There is a country park with kids play area right next to the cottages. We've been twice before and my kids love it. In the summer holidays we camp in our own tent or self cater in caravans or apartments. We need at least two bedrooms as DC1 doesn't sleep well (her ASD makes it hard for her to switch off), so hotels are prohibitively expensive.

We've had amazing holidays in the UK, Spain, Morocco, Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium. End of August and May/June half term always cheaper for European holidays. We did 4 nights in a caravan one year with Canvas for about £200 near Paris and did DLP and Paris.

The Sun £9.50 holidays. That's the only way I could take my DC on holiday. We had always had a brilliant time!

We don’t go on holiday every year and I always book Airbnb and find cheap flights separately. It’s good to book as early as possible.
I spend ages looking for a cheap apartment or cottage that has good reviews.
We mostly do self catering with a couple of meals out. Even abroad, we’ll go to the local supermarket and buy stuff there.

1 word: Savings

It seems we have a problem in this country of people not siphoning money every month out of there income to put into a savings account.

Any person should very easily be able to save at least £200 a month specially for entertainment/trips. Your Centre Parcs example would then be possible after only 9 months and that was your expensive option. Obviously the more you earn the more you can save so this should just keep rising as you climb the career ladder

Any person should very easily be able to save at least £200 a month specially for entertainment/trips

This is a very privileged perspective.

Camping!

We got into camping once the kids started school as school holiday prices are ridiculous.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

Any person should very easily be able to save at least £200 a month specially for entertainment/trips

This is a very privileged perspective.

As is the ability to go on holiday. If you aren't in a place to actually save this as a minimum then frankly you should not be thinking about holidays at all. Rather you should be thinking about how to progress in other areas

@WifeGotMeAddicted

1 word: Savings

It seems we have a problem in this country of people not siphoning money every month out of there income to put into a savings account.

Any person should very easily be able to save at least £200 a month specially for entertainment/trips. Your Centre Parcs example would then be possible after only 9 months and that was your expensive option. Obviously the more you earn the more you can save so this should just keep rising as you climb the career ladder

You need to be more creative, not just give up because you can't afford Centre Parts Parcs.

Check Hoseasons and sort by price. I found a lodge in the South Highlands for 4 nights for £260. If we did that, we'd likely take a couple of days making our way up there, stopping at Travelodges and Premier Inns on the way to visit other destinations and the same on the way back, taking a slightly different route.

We will often do city breaks with a night in a cheap hotel. For around £60 we've managed to get a hotel with a pool/spa which is nice too.

Think outside the box!

Look outside of the big holiday companies as you get better deals. We used the sun holidays deal one year when we only had 3 kids and that was okay for the price.
I'd love a holiday but we got a dog instead, she's bloody expensive (up to over £2k a year now insurance has gone up again).

We don’t go to places like Butlins or CentreParks. I think they are way overpriced for what they are and all-inclusive are a waste on us.

I plan everything down to a flexible itinerary. I book months in advance and book an Airbnb with a kitchen. We take the train (I get automatic alerts for train discounts) or fly whichever is cheaper (husband and I get air miles for British Airways when we use our card) and I’ve usually scouted out places and things we can do, most being free or a small fee. We buy food at grocery stores to limit our spending for breakfast and lunches and do a takeaway for dinner.

We can’t afford holidays but as my children are disabled we were gifted a respite holiday by a charity, we booked a caravan for may (term time) which was around £450. We visited all the local beaches and villages, went on long walks and just enjoyed the break away from everyday life, it was really wonderful and it was our first holiday together as a family so I’m still really grateful we got the opportunity to do it

Obviously these have been mentioned but for us a typical holiday is 4 nights in a caravan. We've just booked for Whit week in Norfolk and it's costing £280.

We also like camping or might go in a cottage or apartment - we got a week in central Llandudno for £800ish last August.

You do also need to manage expectations - you mention £800-£1200 a week in a cottage - that's £115-£160 a night, that is what it costs.

What I used to do when my kids were school age was to go away the last week of school in July before they broke up for the summer holidays . They usually break up on a Tuesday or Wednesday so they would only miss 2/3 days of term and coz it's the end of year they usually not doing proper work anyway by then so not missing anything really. It used to work out a lot cheaper . I think somebody else upthread has already mentioned Scotland in august . We did this a few times too . As Scottish schools have already gone back it's classed as term time there so again works our cheaper

We can’t afford to go abroad so haven’t since DC1 was a baby. DC1 is now almost 12 and he’s tried guilt tripping me twice about the fact he’s never been abroad (aside from the trip as a baby ‘which was pointless because he doesn’t remember it’). He said they’ve discussed where they have visited in class a couple of times and he feels embarrassed because the furthest he remembers travelling is London. It honestly hurts my feelings that he’s on his own with this but we just can’t afford it. We’re also both professionals earning above average salary but we have a nice big home with a hefty mortgage. We try our best but camping in the Lakes or a trip to London is about all we can afford.

For 4 days in center parks I could do 10 days in the French riveria with plenty of change. Center parks costs are outrageous.

Try camping?

We are hiring a cottage with a hot tub. Really lovely (not on the beach but half an hour drive away and near a national park) and has a nice private garden. This cost us 1k for a week at the end of June, so we will be taking our eldest out of school as it goes up by 1.5k in the summer holidays. It is cheaper to get fined. I know people are passionate about kids being in school and will debate that it is damaging children, but I think never travelling or experiencing a holiday is also quite bad for a kid too. Until prices become fairer and people less greedy that is the only way to have an affordable holiday.

We have also looked at glamping and even that is ridiculously priced too. I can't wait for restrictions to lift (or there to be less faff travelling) so it becomes cheaper here in the UK again.