Self-catering holiday: an oxymoron

[RumAndReisling]

Whose idea was the self-catering holiday?

I am ‘fortunate’ to have access to a holiday cottage. We go every year.

But… there are no restaurants. So I have to produce three meals a day - more, as I have young children. Snacks.

If I don’t produce the meals, no one else will. Sandwiches for every meal.

Sometimes I go on strike and will refuse.
But then… I’ll go to make a piece of toast and DH will appear ‘oh I’d love a sandwich too’.

The entire holiday then revolves around planning, shopping, food preparation and washing up. Or I’m pissed off because I’m hungry but if I try to feed myself I’ll end up
having to produce food for others. Every morning starts with having to tidy the house and kitchen - normally a weekend-only activity.

The most irritating part of this is that I work full time - so normally I am at most responsible for one meal a day.

I cannot be the only person who feels this way. I want to eat three meals a day in restaurants and pay someone else to wash up.

Mycatatemyhomeworks, agree. Also no children in the mix which must make a huge difference. We sort our own breakfast, picnic for lunch or something from local bakers, or fish and chips if by the sea.

Evenings are a mix of prepared stuff brought from home or we've called through Costco on the way and bought a curry and lasagne or some such, eating out (usually once) or finding something local to cook - fond memories of lobster and langoustine straight off the boat in Lochinver).

Finding food for supper on self catering holidays in Italy or France is one of the best bits of the holiday.

And yes, get your lazy ass husband to sort out some better quality meals

Sorry but this is martyr behaviour. I can't believe there's no supermarket selling ready meals? A fridge to put them in? Fruit and veg for snacks?

Tell DH to sort the menu for the week and he can do the shopping for it too.

@ChimChimeny Its a family property so location isn’t something I can change.

While I concede my DH is pretty useless at catering, the issue is having to do any food organisation at all.

As @PuttingDownRoots says, self-catering seems to be ‘same shit different place’. Even if DH produced half of the meals, I’d still be having to wash up multiple times a day - which isn't the greatest of ways to spend my infrequent leisure time.

Its not for you, don't go again. Holidays with young children anywhere are hard work in my experience but you might find something that suits you better.

To me, the best holiday would be breakfast included, with a variety of restaurants and cafes nearby for lunches and dinners. No cooking. Ever. Why can't you book something different next time? Change is possible.

@Mumdiva99 i honestly read your post and thought “local crabs” referred to an STI.

Presume it's a freebie or at least very cheap? If it isn't, go elsewhere. If it is, use the money you're saving on options to make life easier. Lots of ready meals, frozen pizza etc. And your DH needs to wash up every time, as he does none of the food planning mental load.

@LookingForFreeDoughnuts The reason we come here is that DH loves it, and it’s their holiday too so… sometimes we have to do what he wants (of course).

I just personally find the volume of ‘domestic chores’ involved in a self-catering holidays rather takes away from the enjoyment of it.

No one has to prepare every meal these days.
Go to a m and s on route buy a load of prepped food and a bag of ice if it's some distance away to keep things cool.
Or get deliveroo/ just eat orders in if you can.

Why do you have to wash up? Does DH have a disability which means he can't? What about DC, they can do it too?

No wonder you don't enjoy these "holidays"

But it sounds like more than sometimes? Is this the only holiday destination you have booked for the year? If you have others planned that aren't self catering, then I suppose it's a fair enough give and take IF your husband does 50% of the work. That's the only acceptable scenario. If you are only going to this family owned house, every year, and you're the skivvy, that needs to change.

I know loads of people love self-catering, but it’s not for me. It’s like doing what you do at home, but with worse equipment.

I’m off on a cruise in a couple of weeks (not everyone’s cup of tea), I have 8 restaurants to choose from on board, and a list of lovely places to eat at every port (should I wish to). I work hard, and this is my 2 weeks downtime, where I don’t have to think about “what’s for tea”

Yanbu it's not a holiday

there must be somewhere you can buy food within a 30-60 minute drive. A pub, fish and chips to eat in the car? It might not be the best, but it will do. go on a day trip, eat your main meal at lunch, have his precious sandwiches for tea.

And absolutely don't go there again. I love cooking, but holidays are my week off too. We eat out every day, and the fridge is filled with buffet stuff people can help themselves. Minimal washing up. It's not always the most nutritious diet but you won't get scurvy eating shite for a week.

For me a self catering holiday means bringing a load of breakfast items and everyone helps themselves. Having some lunch items in for the days we have lunch there, again everyone can make themselves a sandwich or heat up some soup etc. Otherwise we buy lunch out if we're out doing activities, or sometimes bring a picnic.

Dinners are mostly out, sometimes at the holiday house to keep costs down, but I'm certainly not spending time meal planning and food prepping. Pizzas, hot dogs, ready made lasagne etc is perfectly acceptable.

It sounds like the issue is the location of the holiday house if you can't even drive to a restaurant! Are there no activities etc nearby? What do you actually do on your holiday?

I have only been on self catering holidays since having kids. I just buy pre-made stuff, or get bbq meat and my dh cooks. I am very much over it too.

😅🤣😅😂

That's a very different type of holiday!!!

Self catering only works when you do next to no cooking and cleaning, and what you do do, is shared equally with the other adults in the accommodation.

I will not go anywhere where there is not a dishwasher and access to restaurants/at minimum a decent pub. I only plan 4 evening meals (this is to keep costs down, if I had more money I'd eat out every night) and a typical menu consists of;

Breakfast - Croissants, cereal
Lunch - cheese or ham cob crisps
Dinners - jacket spuds and beans, pizza, ready made (bought from aldi, just need to microwave) pulled pork rolls and salad, jarred pesto pasta.

It sounds like you may be making life difficult for yourself meal-wise?

And if husband wants to make sandwiches for every meal - fuckin let him!

If you don’t want to be cooking then don’t do self catering, not being harsh but it’s that simple.

I on the other hand love self catering holidays. Chance to try local foods, time to be able to cook unlike weekdays at home. I do always make sure a place have a dishwasher though. For us the cooking and food is part of the holiday, it’s not a big chore.

@Pawpatrolsucks even if you make it as easy as possible - ready meals and so
on - you still have to wash up the plates and glasses, sort out the recycling, think about the left overs.

Think about how much bread is left, did someone finish the ham? And so on…

This is why I'm very anti sc holiday. Won't be a holiday for me

I prefer self catering as I don’t have to be up within certain hours to go for breakfast or get dressed first thing if I don’t feel like it. Also we can eat whenever. That said, being able to order take out is a must.

You really need to find another holiday OP. This place in this location clearly doesn't work for you.

Just buy picky bits that can just be put on a plate - quiches, cold meats, olives and feta cheese, salady bits, cheeses, pork pies…..