I hate my budget holiday

[ValentinaTheVampire]

We have small children to do things on a budget so we tend to do self catering in the UK to avoid paying for flights and also so we aren't all squashed into a hotel room.

But ugh, it has been so miserable this time (we are away at the moment). The weather where we are staying is pretty miserable. We are staying near family where I grew up as we tried to do holiday and family visit in one and I am honestly just counting down the days. I'm so tired from all the driving about and visiting and trying to keep kids entertained in the rain with none of their usual stuff around to help.

The cottages we've had the past few holidays have been so tired looking and even then they are so expensive.

I have a small but perfectly nice house at home. Kids aren't exactly getting a cultural experience here (although they are loving seeing family).

Dh wants to do another holiday cottage for my 40th birthday which is coming up over other school holidays and I've just told him no fucking way 😂.

I'd rather spend the money on my house or save for a nicer holiday even if we don't get one as often.

I can't tell if holidays have got worse or if I have become a that who just likes staying at home.

@BeaniesOnToast I went past Bowleaze the other week , looked really nice

Yanbu. I like to staycation. I prepare in the lead up to get all laundry done, clean house and bathrooms, bedding etc. Postpone any proper cleaning or chores during my "holiday".

Then I buy in easy tinned food, nice bakery stuff, treats for lunches and go out for some breakfasts/dinners/order takeaways.

Lots of local days out, no chores. I love relaxing at home and spending accommodation and fuel money on days put and saying yes to the kids.

@BrawnWild I know someone that used to do a 3 day Haven every year and rest of the time exactly what you do, some of the time they sent the little one to nursery too and had days out with Hubbie with long lunches etc

Its not a race to the bottom🙄

For about 500 more you would get an all inclusive holiday in Spain. Sun a pool and no cooking. Just do that! So much more relaxed. I tried a budget holiday to France last year and ended up spending more.

Nah. Do what makes you happy. I used to go back home abroad nearly every year for the first years after I moved to the UK (went back 6 times in 9 years). Always exhausting because of the jetlag and the last trip as a family of 4 cost us around £10k and the 4 of us had to sleep in one room ( my brother's) , kids were vomiting from heat exhaustion, had to rent a car because obviously no one was there to take us places. Now I haven't been since 2018 and guess what that was the last time I have seen my family because it's a big hassle and expense for them to come here, so pretty clear to me I won't be stressing myself with that kind of "holiday" anymore.

If you and your family like animals, consider Trusted Housesitters.

You pay an annual fee - which is double figures, not triple figures, or it was a few years ago when I used it. You can then browse all the ‘sits’ available around the world, and stay in someone else’s house looking after their pet/pets, for free. You can filter by country, dates, animals.

I used it for finding sitters for our flat in London - never had any shortage of people happy to come and look after a cat and some chickens in return for free accommodation in London.

Totally agree with others that visiting family isn’t a holiday. A nice break maybe but not relaxing.

I miss pre COVID seemed better, a holiday with small kids in a rainy cottage sounds shit

I remember my Mum telling me that my Dad used to always book self catering holidays to save money. It infuriated her because it just meant that she still had to cook and clean, just in a less convenient place. She ended up refusing to go on holiday at all.

Cruises are amazing. I am a massive cruise convert after thinking I would not like them and then going along with the rest of the family who wanted to do it one year - I love them.

Where is this one you are going on please? Sounds amazing!!! xx

I wanted to add that my kids are teens now and having tried loads of different types of hols over the years (I'm a bit of a holiday junkie) I realised that we need other people around. Private accommodation doesn't work as well as the kids then only have each other and fight! Other kids are actually the only entertainment they need! They make friends (still) wherever we go and that makes the holiday for all of us! x

Holidays with children are NOT holidays at all for parents, unless you stay in a nice hotel. I have spent many holidays in a house w the kids and I always get so fed up doing EVERYTHING and not feeling like its a holiday at all for me, plus like you say not having the comforts at home and for example the kids toys, bikes etc things that entertain them. The two times we stayed in a hotel it was OMG SO SO SO worth it. If you can, just try and save up and dont do the cottage holidays, esp if you do not enjoy them. Instead you can do day trips for the kids like to the beach, or theme parks etc while you save up for a nice hotel holiday.

I’m with you. I want my holiday home to be more interesting than my actual home, else it’s not a holiday. ‘More interesting’ can take many forms. A tiny stone cottage on a moor. A tent. A fancy caravan. But it cannot be an average run of the mill house calling itself a cottage because I’m on holiday in it.

We always did keycamp when ours were younger so 10-20 years ago - after one holiday cottage in Cornwall that had its location going for it but nothing else. Much preferred caravans in France.

Honestly I don’t think you can beat an all inclusive holiday abroad when you have kids, you’ve got everything for kids sun, pools, food drinks, snacks it’s a total no brained. I wouldn’t holiday only weekend type breaks with no kids it’s such a rip off especially considering the weather!!

Oh I do agree with this.

If your hubby wants to do something nice for you, how about a weekend away by yourself or with a friend while he has the kids? Or you 2 go and someone watches the kids?!

Many many moons ago, when I was 8, my grandparents took me to Butlins. Plenty to do for me and my teenaged aunt (who taught me how to dance the shake, yes it was that long ago) but my abiding memory was being sick for about 24 hours. It was put down to me overdoing it in the pool, but when I revisited with my kids, both went down with a sickness bug, which was no surprise to me because when we went swimming they had to evacuate the pool area because of noxious chlorine fumes. Cue return to chalet freezing cold and dripping wet in out cozzies.... then our chalet and all the other facilities were absolutely minging. The adult bars were really sticky floored, the ball pit play area absolutely stank of stale wee - you get the picture. Thank god we were on accommodation only and could afford to eat out, no way would I cook in that kitchen. When we got home the first thing we all did (after slinging the entire contents of the suitcases in the wash, worn or not) was to bathe and shower and scrub ourselves clean. Don't know if they've cleaned their act up, I'd jolly well hope so, but it was an experience I wouldn't want to repeat. And it wasn't cheap either.

I have a lovely home too so if we holiday in the UK, we go somewhere that is either by the sea or in the mountains.

We had a cottage in the Highlands last year and sat on the front step eating venison sausages and watching the Northern Lights. Some people travel to Norway or further to see them. It was fab.

I can't get travel insurance at the moment so we're doing all the best bits of the UK this year and next. So far it's been pretty good, but I put in a lot of planning and book activities in advance.

More difficult with small children though.

For the first time in many many years we have not booked to go away at all over the summer holidays...We live in Cornwall anyway and are not too far from a beach if we want to go and we are retired now, since first becoming grandparents in the late 80's we have gone camping at one of the many sites in Cornwall, normally on the Lizard and always with one duo of grandchildren or now great-grandchildren! Last year we did 2 separate trips, one in Cornwall and the other to Devon.
The West Country has become progressively and unpleasantly busier in the summer, especially since the pandemic, the weather is unpredictable and we have felt sympathy for anyone down here this summer as the whole of July and nearly all of August has been wet, damp, chilly and miserable🙄...the prices for meals out and attractions are now sooooooo expensive we honestly don't know how so many people can afford to do it with children in tow!!
The prices of foreign holidays has now gone up so much during school holidays that it's hard not to feel taken advantage of! 😡Not being lovers of Christmas we would often go to the Canaries over the holiday period but the price has now doubled and even trebled for some places so we will have to think long and hard about whether we ever do it again...For 2 adults and one 14 year old it's difficult to justify spending £3-4,000 on 2 weeks in relative warmth, I can't even say in the hot sun any more because the last time we went to Lanzarote the weather was iffy and very cold in the evenings and at night!!
Things definitely ARE NOT 'what they used to be' but I know I am lucky to live where I do so I am happy to stay home in my garden and husband will do 'beach duty' if and when necessary!!! 😊

It's just crazy how a UK holiday is often more expensive than a European one. Plus there's no guarantee of decent weather. The Mcdonald self catering resort in Spain is cheaper than Centre parcs in the UK.

https://book.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/?adult=3&arrive=2024-05-19&chain=23176&child=1&childages=12&config=SBETEST&currency=GBP&depart=2024-05-26&hotel=2277&level=hotel&linking=SBE%20Link&locale=en-GB&rooms=1&theme=SBETESTT

Completely agree with you- nice holiday cottages are absolutely extortionate in the UK. We only ever holiday abroad with our children (usually Spain/Portugal) but it is so much cheaper, and for my family, far more enjoyable to have guaranteed sunshine. Also, spending every day in the pool or at the beach costs virtually nothing once you are out there and no need for expensive wet weather activities.

UK self catering holidays are stupid fucking expensive. I’ve priced up a week in lanzarote at new year, all inclusive for 5 of us for £2200. The amount of money people spunk on staycations is disgusting for what you actually get. I’ve done haven and butlins, butlins by far the worst - mouldy accommodation, stinking drains, bashed up door frames, it was vile. Fuck that ever again.

Yes go for Eurocamp.