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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To pay for holiday on a credit card if I can’t afford it ?

144 replies

Pinkpantslady · 20/02/2022 09:15

Husband and I have not been on holiday since we we met four years ago .

We saved to get married , buy a house . We now have a little baby and my maternity leave finishes In June . I am a teacher . As a teacher I am only able to go on holiday during school holidays which costs a fortune.

If we go on holiday before I return to work ( In term time ) - I can’t belive that we can go on - a decent , all inclusive for about 650pp .

The issue is that we only have £500 in our holiday fund . But £650 x2 = 1,300 to go on a holiday. So do I pay the rest (£800) on the credit card ?

I don’t ever use my credit card and have always believed - if you can’t pay cash you can’t afford it .

But there is a part of me that feels life is too short . Life has been hard for all lately . We haven’t been away In 4 years - no honey moon . This is our chance to get away whilst prices are lower .
If we don’t go away before I return to work , the same holiday would cost us about £2,500 and we could never afford that.

We would pay off the £800 as £100 a month for 8 months .

What do you think?

AIBU to pay for the £800 on a cc?

Side note - I have looked into butlins , centreParks , Hoseasons and I can’t belive how expensive staycations are . Even a little break or a few days trips are so expensive. I’d
Rather just use that towards one amazing holiday!

OP posts:
balalake · 20/02/2022 10:48

I would not, and look at a shorter stay somewhere. Could you get three or four nights in a hotel somewhere?

Credit cards in my opinion are for things such as the boiler or freezer packing up and needing replacement.

thebigpurpleone · 20/02/2022 10:50

Yep absolutely!

IWentAwayIStayedAway · 20/02/2022 10:52

Whats the back story. Youre a teacher, you're an educated graduate and you need to ask strangers about putting 800 on a credit card?

deadlanguage · 20/02/2022 10:55

I’d always use a credit card to book a holiday regardless for the extra protection. If you can get a 0% card then definitely go for it. If you’d be paying interest I’d be more wary. You’re still on maternity leave - what if when you go back you decide you want to give up work or reduce your hours?

FizzyBiscuits · 20/02/2022 10:56

I was going to say no. Then I read you're a teacher. Absolutely yes. It's shockingly shit the prices teachers have to pay to go away even in the UK. If you're ever stuck and don't know when term time is, just look at centre parcs website!!

AlwaysLatte · 20/02/2022 10:58

I wouldn't but I never use credit. It's just money down the drain. Save instead so you can get the financial benefit of paying on the credit card but can instantly transfer the balance to pay it off.

Dimondsareforever · 20/02/2022 11:00

I would op. As a teacher you don’t get the opportunity often to go away in term time when prices are cheaper.

RedskyThisNight · 20/02/2022 11:00

Have you worked out the actual total cost of the holiday? It will be more than just the AI price. Also, you've just had a baby. For most people, when their children are small is when they have the least available disposable income. Are you sure you can afford the repayments and also have savings to cope with the "stuff" that comes up (washing machine breaks, home repairs etc)?

ImInStealthMode · 20/02/2022 11:05

I would usually no, but I think in these circumstances you should go for it. It's not £1000s upon £1000s and you have a plan to pay it back.

We're planning to put our Honeymoon balance on a credit card and pay it back for the 3 months after the wedding (just continuing to pay the same amount a month we're paying now into our wedding fund).

FudgeSundae · 20/02/2022 11:07

If it’s in June can you book now but aim to pay off £400 before you go? Also have you factored in the cost of the baby (insurance, plane etc)?

HTH1 · 20/02/2022 11:09

I say do it. You’ll regret it if you don’t and can consider it your belated honeymoon.

HTH1 · 20/02/2022 11:11

@IWentAwayIStayedAway

Whats the back story. Youre a teacher, you're an educated graduate and you need to ask strangers about putting 800 on a credit card?
A lot of us are educated professionals but that doesn’t mean we don’t value others’ opinions or want to talk things through.
Anniegetyourgun76 · 20/02/2022 11:14

If you're sure you can pay it off and doing it will save you money in the long run do it, am pretty sure this is what credit cards are for xx

SeenYourArse · 20/02/2022 11:17

Absolutely do it! But also shop around for holiday deals, you dont need to pay £1300 for a decent holiday for 2 and a baby, we went the end of September to Greece last year in a 4 star all inclusive water park hotel on the beach with 3 restaurants etc and paid £1500 all in for a family of 4! That was 2 adults and 2 kids aged 2 and 5 AND that was the most expensive room option we upgraded to a 2 bedroom family suite. With Jet2 holidays.

caringcarer · 20/02/2022 11:22

I would not be able to enjoy the holiday if I knew I had gone into debt to have it. With cost of living skyrocketing I would wait and see what I can afford in practice once back at work. I have just read personal allowance is not going up this year so Sunak taking more money in tax from you, NIC going up, fuel going up. I would rather save up first but if you are certain you can repay money on card and additional interest I hope you have no a lovely time.

perenniallymessy · 20/02/2022 11:23

We've only borrowed for a holiday once (on a 0% card) and I have no regrets about it, even though I hated making the repayments for ages after!

We went to Florida as our DC's school had an unexpected extra long half term, we'd not long moved home so had used all our savings but we figured we wouldn't get the opportunity to go again at a time when it wouldn't be too stinking hot or too busy at the parks. We had the most amazing time and DS2 still remembers it, even though he was only 4 1/2.

We knew we'd be able to afford the repayments and because it was interest free we just made a reasonable monthly payment and then put it onto another 0% card when the interest free period ran out, which meant that we were able to save as well.

We have always had credit cards and paid them off in full, so this was the first time we'd really borrowed other than the mortgage. But it was worth it.

liveforsummer · 20/02/2022 11:23

I would, I'd sacrifice a lot for a holiday especially in your circumstances too. I also work in a school and holidays are pretty much out the question for us now (single parent, TA salary). Make the most of it while you can.

LinManuelMirandaIsAGenius · 20/02/2022 11:25

Not quite the same situation, but we went to Disneyland Paris 2.5 years ago. The DC had been asking to go for a few years and we’d been putting off as it wasn’t mine and DH’s type of holiday and we couldn’t afford it. But the DC really wanted to go and they were at good ages for it (12 and 6 then).

We took out a 0% credit card with 2 years interest free for 2.5K. It was a bit of a risk, but we were confident we could pay it off in that time.

We went and had an amazing time. Our DC absolutely loved it. Six months later, the world goes into lockdown due to coronavirus. We are so, SO glad that we went on that holiday when we did. The memory of it kept us going through everything that happened after.

We are usually very sensible with money and haven’t done anything like that before, but it was the right decision for us at the time. The credit card is now paid off and hasn’t been used for anything else. We have another that we use day to day, that’s paid in full monthly.

This is a long-winded way of saying that in your shoes I would definitely go for it…!

BarbaraofSeville · 20/02/2022 11:36

For all those people saying the OP should save up, have you missed the point that she is a teacher and this is her last chance for a term time holiday before she's tied to school holidays where the price will be at least double?

She's not talking about a huge sum and it's very likely that they can put it on a 0% card (OP have a look at www.moneysavingexpert.com/eligibility/credit-cards/search/ if you haven't already) so it won't cost more than the amount borrowed and will cost significantly less than if they wait until they've saved up.

ddshocker · 20/02/2022 11:41

@BarbaraofSeville I can see your king but to be honest I don't think @Pinkpantslady has given enough financial information to be honest. I am saying no basing it purely on information given and assuming there are no other savings. Also assuming that @Pinkpantslady will have childcare bills when she returns to work. It's just not sensible, if it were me I would save until I do have enough money to go at a peak time.

RedskyThisNight · 20/02/2022 11:43

Are you planning to take the baby with you (or leave them with someone else)?

You should bear in mind that, unless your baby is very amenable, the holiday might not be the amazing, relaxing affair you are anticipating.

BirdOnTheWire · 20/02/2022 11:43

I wouldn't.
You can't afford it. To go into debt for a holiday is madness.

Chely · 20/02/2022 11:44

I would never get in to debt for a holiday.

liveforsummer · 20/02/2022 11:47

That makes no sense to me to save for something 3 times the cost when you can reverse save and get it for 1/3. Especially if it's a zero or low interest card. With a teachers plus husband's salary I assume they can afford the repayments. Op wouldn't consider it in sure if they couldn't

Oblomov22 · 20/02/2022 11:48

Yes. You should pay for a holiday on a credit card anyway.
We bought a holiday last week : a weeks all inclusive in Majorca at Easter for the 4 of us, £1k. Bargain.