To regret spending too much money.

[Asvan]

Hi everyone

So before anyone says it I realise I am very fortunate to be in this position. Me and huby both earn an average income and one of our priorities when it comes to spending is 1 holiday abroad a year. We are generally very frugal in terms of spending and I always manage to find good deals on holidays. We have 3 kids and in the past the max we have spent on a week away is £3k.

We havent been anywhere since covid and with the kids being off and me an huby both having annual leave I have booked a surprise last minute holiday for the family which has cost me £5k. I told the kids and huby today and they were all so excited and to be honest I am looking forward to it too. However in the back of my mind I cant believe I have spent this much money. AIBU?

Honestly, I think it’s a lot.

My enjoyment on holiday is directly linked to how much I pay. We’ve paid £2k for 2 weeks in the summer hols, to Turkey. It’s SC so assuming we’ll spend £2k on top but I would say that’s a pretty good deal.

We don’t do AI now the DC are older so inevitably cheaper but I would never spend £5k for a week in Europe (ish), but that’s just me.

I should add that this is with a tour operator, baggage, priority security and private transfers. It’s a 2 bed apartment so not all in one room. Now the DC are older sharing one room is a big fat no-no.

1k per week per person is normal for us. If you can afford it why feel guilty

I can totally understand your point of view. I just suppose it depends on what you prioritise on holiday. For me I like to go to nice luxurious resorts with lots of activities for the kids and all inclusive. In previous years I have always managed to achieve this by booking things like flights early etc so I have always got a good deal but with the way things are at the moment planning in advance just wasnt possible. I could have gone for a cheaper hotel but I wouldn't have felt like I'm on holiday. Unfortunately in the past I've had a very bad experience when I booked a budget resort so from then onwards I knew what i wanted from a holiday.

As you can afford it that’s fine.

The last family holiday overseas we had was late 2019 and for 3 of us we spent double that.

You earned it so enjoy it.

I am really frugal, too, and came from a humble background where we hardly had any holidays - so I get you! We spent about £5K on a lovely holiday (four of us) in 2017 but, since then, have tried to go cheaper. This year we’ve booked Ibiza - bed n breakfast - £2,600 so I am really chuffed with that

Go and have a great holiday.
If you can afford it you won't miss the amount it cost, and having quality family time is more important.
Demand will be huge this year so not surprising costs are going up to reflect general cost inflation on top of demand.

Have a great time x

Holidays have gone up in price hugely.

If you can afford it and everyone is excited then you don't need any regret.

But I agree it always feels a bit weird dropping a bigger amount than normal on a holiday.

If holidays abroad are your priority then it’s money well spent. As a family we love U.K. holidays like camping, holiday parks, beach and city trips etc which don’t cost a lot of money but that is what we enjoy. It’s done now so enjoy it!

It's spent now.

What does worrying about the money add to your life?

What if you just went and enjoyed the holiday? What would be the worst that could happen?

Save by not going anywhere next year. I haven't been abroad for years. It's no big deal.

You are being unreasonable for coming on here and stealth boasting about your expensive holidays!

Op is not stealth boasting. That's ridiculous 🙄

I did a 3 week holiday recently, business class flights and all inclusive for €5k and that was just for me, so I don't think your spending was excessive - although possibly not great value for money for 1 week.
I would only see your outlay as excessive if you had borrowed the money or put it on cards that would take you months to repay.

If it makes you feel better I just spend 3k on a holiday for myself.

Before anyone jumps down my throat, I've spent 4 years trying to convince myself it's okay to spend the money on a holiday.

Enjoy your holiday OP.

*spent

Trust me, you can’t take it with you

Enjoy your break with your family 👍👍👍👍

You say that you didn't go away during the covid lockdowns, so doesn't that mean you saved in those years?

Can you see it as 2 or 3 years worth of holiday spending rather than as £5k for just one week?

Aah enjoy it!😀.would your 80 year old self day go and have fun whilst your children are all at home and you can make some happy relaxed memories...or would she say save the money for a rainy day?stop worrying,start anticipating😀

5k is nothing for a holiday for a family of 5. I’d expect to pay that and me and the kids usually holiday in the UK.

It may never have been 4k. That price might have been to lure you in then they get a cookie on your computer that tells them you're interested and reinstate the real price when you come to book. happens all the time with flights, holidays, train fares etc.

IMO, never fret about how much something cost, if you can afford it at the time, just focus on how much you will enjoy it.

You can justify it by saying you went nowhere last year so saved 3k, allowing this year's holiday to be a bit more special.

Sounds fine. Shame you didn't get it for £4K. Enjoy.

You haven't gone anywhere since covid. Divide 5k by all the years you missed holidays, and it looks very cheap 😂Just enjoy it.

I like nice accommodation and always have at least 2 bedrooms (sharing a room on holiday is no fun for any of us!).

I liked AI when the DC were younger but latterly found the regime off-putting and the DC didn’t use a lot of the activities and would rather spend the day in the pool/beach so for us, we didn’t want to pay extra for bells and whistles we didn’t need.

We like smaller complexes now - this year is a group of 20 apartments and that’s luxurious to me. I’ve fought for one too many sun bed in my time.

If you can afford it, just enjoy it!

Thanks everyone. I am all packed and ready to go! Now I'm worrying about the mad queues at Manchester Airport lol.