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Original poster

How much to budget for holiday?

32 replies

autienotnaughty · 27/07/2022 03:07

Hi we are going to Spain for a week , planning to do card and euros but wanting a budget . Two adults, one 4 year old and one 15 year old. Self catering, planning to do breakfast and lunch at apartment then eat out in evening. What would you budget per day for food/drink?

OP posts:
CatSeany · 27/07/2022 03:46

At least £100 per day and maybe a little more if you'll need to spend money on activities and/or transport.

CeeceeBloomingdale · 27/07/2022 04:56

We would budget £1000 per week for that board basis and other spending. We haven't been to Spain since Covid so imagine the prices are higher now though. It also depends on where you are going, e. g. Balearics seem most expensive, Canaries are great value, Marbella is more expensive than Benidorm etc etc

honkeytonkwoman38 · 27/07/2022 05:03

That really depends on how you live. Do you plan to laze by the pool all day and drink squash from the apartment then pizza and desserts and alcohol for you in eve? If so even that could be £150 per day by the time you've bought food in for breakfast and lunch. Factor in days where you want to see something then that pushes the spend up.

GoodVibesHere · 27/07/2022 05:50

Around £100 per day will cover it. This could include:

  • breakfast(cereal, juice, fruit, bread & cheese/jam)
  • lunch of baguette & cheese/meats in the apartment
  • evening meal out

Plus bottled water & lemonades, ice creams/lollies for the freezer.

Then you should also budget for any additional

GoodVibesHere · 27/07/2022 05:52

Posted too soon! Budget for any additional day trips you may want to do so the cost of entry to a waterpark or zoo or whatever.

Bilboard · 27/07/2022 07:00

Prices have gone up everywhere, i would say to budget at least £150 per day, or if you can £1500 a week. It's a holiday after all, we are saving and scraping the rest of the year, this is your family time, you might want to go on excursions/days out, get a couple of tops whilst there or buy some treats for the children.

Didicat · 27/07/2022 07:38

Crikey I think I am going to be in for a rude awakening when we go to France next week….

We self cater, but we generally have lunch out and dinner at “home”. Food costs will vary largely on how close you are to a supermarket or fresh market or if you’re buying from the on-site shop…

going to following this with great interest!

tanstaafl · 27/07/2022 07:58

assuming you’re going to be shopping at a Lidl/Aldi/Carrefour/mercadona you could reasonably work out your costs for breakfast and lunch based on UK prices.

evening meal, budget £80 for food , which leads me to … booze.

how much and of what ( beer , wine, spirits ) you will be drinking is an unknown for us.

does 15yr drink only Coke or Pepsi?
if that’s not bought in the big 2ltr (heavy) bottles, that’ll be more expensive that it needs to be.

one thing OP, would you mind returning to your thread after the holiday to tell us what you did spend ?

AbreathofFrenchair · 27/07/2022 08:09

autienotnaughty · 27/07/2022 03:07

Hi we are going to Spain for a week , planning to do card and euros but wanting a budget . Two adults, one 4 year old and one 15 year old. Self catering, planning to do breakfast and lunch at apartment then eat out in evening. What would you budget per day for food/drink?

We take around £2,000 for 10 nights and that's 2 adults and a 15 year old.

2020 we went to Tenerife for 7 nights and spent £1,000 on food and drink (including duty free on way home)

Last year we took £1500 for 10 nights and next year we have got £750 saved so far for spends.

We dont scrimp on spends as we like to enjoy the holiday without having to stick to €100 a day and panicking if we dont. We have days out, beach days but always have breakfast at the apartment. Sometimes lunch too if we have an afternoon snooze when the temps get over 40!

Toyingyu · 27/07/2022 08:21

We were shocked how much prices had increased from having a break in going abroad from 2019 to this year. We went self catering in a villa. Two adults two kids Inc one teen. We spent 150 euros on stocking the fridge up when we arrived then probably another 50 euro in top up shops for 8 nights. Then it was 110 euros a night for a meal out with a couple of drinks. We had breakfast and lunch in the villa every day and even a couple of evening meals too. Maybe one glass of wine on an afternoon. It ended up being a total spend of 1600 quid for 8 nights including a few ubers and one boat trip. Kids liked the arcades on a night but that was only 5 or 6 euros a night.

Toyingyu · 27/07/2022 08:24

Sorry should have said that was only with local wine and beer. I had one cocktail the whole holiday which cost 14 euros so it put me off ordering another one. I think what bumps it up abroad is that you have to pay for water with your meal. In the UK the restaurant would happily give you filtered water for free. We paid 6 or 7 euros for a bottle of water and we can easily drink 3 bottles with a meal between four of us.

Hollahere · 27/07/2022 08:25

I wouldn't take less than £4k tbh

Edgeog · 27/07/2022 08:27

dont forget the €32 a day for 3 sunbeds and 2 parasols! I say this because sometimes people forget and yes expensive but I always factor it in as my lilo laying days are over! Also €10 a day for tips. I'm here at the moment and dinners for 3 adults with an alcoholic drink each is averaging €60. A vodka orange is €8. A jug of mojito or Long Island is €15. Glass of wine €3.90 but it's a (very) small one. Beer is €4 I think (estrella)

All other prices from shop for your self catering bits will be the same or more expensive. Even lays (crisps) are €2!!!!! For a 750ml coke is €2.40. Water cheap at .70 per litre. Hope this helps! I'm in Ibiza.

Edgeog · 27/07/2022 08:34

*average meal €80 not €60

rookiemere · 27/07/2022 08:44

Depends whereabouts in Spain tbh. If it's a tourist spot there will hopefully be a number of cheaper restaurants and if it's not so much you might be better eating out at lunchtime and having the menu of the day with the locals.

Ponoka7 · 27/07/2022 08:51

Have you looked on the TripAdvisor forum for your destination? Someone will have asked about spending money and the prices of food/drink. There's usually tips about the cheapest supermarket. €150/200 for the initial food shop sounds about right. Price up what trips you want to do and if one of you will do the Quad bikes etc with the teen. Then look up the local restaurants etc that you will probably go to, most menus are online now, with prices. Some people would be fine with £500 per person, others would need more.

gobbynorthernbird · 27/07/2022 08:55

I know this isn't what was asked, but I'd mostly be doing lunch out and evening meal at the accommodation.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 27/07/2022 09:00

Hollahere · 27/07/2022 08:25

I wouldn't take less than £4k tbh

Assume you're joking.

They're going for 1 week and self catering, presumably the plan for breakfast is cereal or pastries not caviar and lobster tails.

I'd say £1000 would give you enough for good living and some activities as well as covering groceries and meals out.

Fatballs · 27/07/2022 09:08

In the UK the restaurant would happily give you filtered water for free.

They don’t have to be happy about it, if they have an alcohol licence they have to by law.

Slowgrowingelm · 27/07/2022 09:13

Don’t the restaurants do tap water anymore? (Spain)

rookiemere · 27/07/2022 09:16

Also depends how much luggage you have.

It's a bit frowned upon here sometimes, but if you've got hold luggage I'd bring along cereal and any other dry items for the week that you know you'll use. So for us thats ground coffee ( can't seem to get the stuff we like in Spain or the Canaries) wraps, peanut butter and a few other things. I do this not just to save money, but also means we have food I know DS will eat ( not so much of an issue now he's 16).

bellsbuss · 27/07/2022 09:18

I think you will struggle with that budget, €150-€170 is more realistic

Original poster
autienotnaughty · 27/07/2022 09:21

Thanks for the replies. Should have said it's Costa del sol so definitely the cheaper area! Was thinking around £1000 - £1500 for week. I want to try and take cereals tins etc but will see how luggage goes! Will mostly be doing pool/kids entertainment but will do a couple of trips. I will definitely come back and tell you but we don't go for 3 weeks.

OP posts:
Fatballs · 27/07/2022 09:25

Unless you are driving there I wouldn’t bother with taking cereals and tins. The difference in price won’t be that great.

AbreathofFrenchair · 27/07/2022 19:23

autienotnaughty · 27/07/2022 09:21

Thanks for the replies. Should have said it's Costa del sol so definitely the cheaper area! Was thinking around £1000 - £1500 for week. I want to try and take cereals tins etc but will see how luggage goes! Will mostly be doing pool/kids entertainment but will do a couple of trips. I will definitely come back and tell you but we don't go for 3 weeks.

Which part of Costa del Sol? Not all areas are cheap, Marbella can be quite pricey for example.

And I really wouldn't bother taken cereal and tins if your flying, the price different isnt that huge.

Have you checked the difference in price for b&g half board, full board and all inclusive?

When we went to Benidorm, self catering was £550 for 10 nights, flights were £1450 plus food money at £1500 which made a spend of over £3,000 whereas the all inclusive package with flights was £1500. And we spent £600 on top