Holiday Spends

[McSteamyorMcdreamy]

Off to North Devon in August for 7 days.

Accommodation already paid for. Saving is now beginning in earnest for spending money. DH is of the opinion that he doesn't want to be constantly worrying about what we are spending/missing out on things so has set a target of £2000. He believes that that will allow us to do a big meal first and last night, shop for the week, petrol there and back, activities every day, and a couple of beers in the clubhouse of an evening.

I think this is an extortionate amount of money and what with MOT, service, birthdays, service charges coming up before we go we will literally be scraping for the next 5 months, for a week away with being thoroughly miserable to boot. What with the £850 caravan that would be nearly £3000 for a week in Devon!!!

We are going away with friends who are significantly better off than us, and I think he's just trying to keep up with the Jones's. He on the other hand thinks I'm being naïve as to what things will cost for 2 adults and 2 DC.

AIBU does it REALLY cost that much?!!

2000 seems a bit nuts especially if you’re doing a food shop and not doing activities like going to see the Grand Canyon in a helicopter or something but I think there’s a middle ground between you both! I see his point in a way and like that you’re planning for just generally having a fab time. (I didn’t help, did I?😅)

What sort of activities are planned? If it’s e.g. pony trekking, boat trips, theme park entry etc then you could conceivably spend several hundred pounds over the course of the week if you’re doing “something” every day. The last time I bought a Mr Whippy at the seaside it was an astonishing £4.50. A meal for four in a half decent pub will probably cost you £100+ including a couple of drinks. Prices have really shot up over the past couple of years.

That said, I can rival Marie Antoinette for spending but even I would struggle to spend £2K during a week in Devon. I think you could easily budget half that and still have a great week without counting the pennies either beforehand or on holiday.

We spend that in 2 weeks in Florida eating out most days! We'd prob spend a couple of hundred max but we'd eat in pubs and take packed lunches, maybe a bit more of we went to zoo/aquarium type place

Yeah we don't spend that much but depends on activities and food habits.
You need to agree a budget or expectation with your friends before you go.
The accommodation sounds like a bargain tbh.

We would normally eat out at least once per day, but some days that will be fancier than others.
Activities tend not to be that extortionate and we would only do a couple of full day expensive activities.
We wouldn't do a big shop necessarily as we don't always come back for lunch/dinner and it would just go to waste so we buy essentials then top up as needed.

I have to say I agree with your husband, I’d rather save and then be able to just enjoy my holiday never having to worry about what I’m spending or if I can afford x and y.

Costs do add up quickly and depending on where in North Devon you go it can be really expensive actually. We went last year and one of the days we went to this farm/play thing for 2 adults and 2 children it was £90 just for entry, then it’s £15 to buy the bags of feed for the animals, then lunch when we were there as it was all day for the 4 of us with water/juice was the best part of £50, and that was one of the cheaper days out we did! On the evening we went to the clubhouse as they had a mini disco thing on for the kids, a pint of pepsi there was nearly £4 nevermind a pint of actual beer! Then there’s the light up toys kids want, the candyfloss etc.

For all of our holidays we tend to take about £1000 per adult per week, sometimes it’s not all spent and it’s a nice treat to bring some back with us but we prefer to do it that way rather than be on holiday and worrying about every meal, drink or activity.

Thankyou both. Based on what we want to do and looking at admission prices it's looking at about £400.

Our shop will just be covered by our normal weekly food budget (perhaps a little more for a couple of bottles of red in the evening for the week).

Even with 1k and taking out £200 for dinners that would still leave £400 for odds and ends during the days and a couple of beers in the evening. ,🤷

I would feel really uncomfortable spending that much! I would map out a more detailed budget plus a holiday plan (nothing that might have to be stuck to rigidly but an idea of what we could do), e.g. £100 each time for 3 meals out, £x for whatever activities we had researched and decided we would like to do and then maybe some contingency for little treats. We spend £2.5k on all holidays for the year so it seems like a lot to me - I don't include a supermarket shop in that though as we would need to get that even if at home

Lunch £30 per day (sandwich or bakery sausage roll plus drinks)
Evening meal (pub or take away) plus drinks £130 per day
Theme park £80
Kayak hire £40
Parking and incidentals £100
I could have a really good week for £1300

I would not be going to bloody Haven and spending 3k for a week 🤣.

As for the farm charging £15 for you to feed its own animals, what a fucking rip off. Mind you, if people are daft enough to pay it

I'm the same as MaryamLouise! Break down the budget into - food (breakfast, lunch & dinner each day)
entrance fees (research & plan visits, which is actually as much fun as the holiday😆)
If you have an envelope system for everything it's easy to keep on track!
Also Devon is delish- don't forget a walk on the moors to see standing stones, paddling in streams and a teddy bear pic-nic in the woods. You will be able to find many a ' Guide to Devon'
in a charity shop! If you can't keep up with the Jones's leave them in the woods.......

I've just been away with friends to AONB/Touristy area and have been very surprised by the increase in cost of eating/drinking in cafes/restaurants.

£4 for a cappuccino. Cheapest was £3.85
£70 for brunch for 4 people (ordinary cafe but good food)
£92 for Italian pasta dishes with wine no starters and no desserts (4 people)

Just to give you some idea. I also live in the SE and wouldn't be paying these prices on my high street.

We're going abroad for 0 days this summer. It's all inclusive but we'll have about 2k saved. However, I don't anticipate spending it all so if we have any left it's a bonus.
I'd save the £2k and have a lovely time. You'll likely have money left over which will be lovely to have when you get home

That should say 10 days!

All inclusive we wouldn't spend anywhere near that!
Most recent AI we paid for one activity session and the only other money spent was the airport.

I think £3k on a caravan holiday in Devon is poor value for money, especially when money is tight so you'll have a struggle to save the money for it.

It can be a lovely holiday, and you can do it for less without spoiling the enjoyment, unless you're one of those people who thinks you have to spend money for something to be fun.

I'd look into whether it is worth getting National Trust membership, which will gain you free entry to some attractions, as well as free parking at beaches. That could pay for itself in the week, but you'd be able to use it for a year, for all sorts of cheap trips.

I'd plan on mostly eating in the caravan and picnics, packed lunches, but nice, easy food, barbecues etc and food that is a bit of a treat, but will still be way cheaper than eating out, which really adds up and you might have to book well in advance to get in places anyway. Perhaps research a couple of places that are decent value for a lunch and dinner out.

Then I'd do a couple of paid activities (again research how to do this cheaply - 2 for 1 vouchers or similar) but mostly do free things. Make sure you take good wet weather gear so rain doesn't stop walks, beach trips etc but also plan in things like games nights to keep you entertained for free if you don't want to go out and about every evening.

But don't fall into the trap of going along with people who are much better off who are able to eat out all week and find you've spent thousands on not very much.

@Mumof2teens79 I don't anticipate we will either but it's Dubai so we will spend on activities and meals out

Holidays in the UK are too expensive. Shockingly so.

Aim to save the £2k but spend as little as possible?

Tbh op when I’ve totted up how much we spend it’s usually in the region of £1500 per week all in. This includes eating out once sometimes twice a day, the odd entry into attractions, supermarket trips for breakfast stuff, snacks and alcohol, drinks out etc. so he’s not far off. And buying the kids the odd bit of tat of course 😂
Thats for U.K. and abroad if we’re self catering. Cornwall last summer a round of ice creams was close to £20!

It depends what you're planning to do once you're there. We typically do a mix of paid entrance places and free places. We eat out every day and again in a mix of places so some cheaper than others. You can get a good meal for not exuberant prices too in North Devon. Apparently the pig on the hill is opening again soon and that has a play bit for kids and the food was excellent.
I pay no attention to how much I'm spending usually and think nothing of just stopping for a nice cocktail or cream tea, buying things or paying parking etc and there's no way we've spent £2k. Granted we don't have kids but we drive out a bit so spend more on petrol and I'm quite partial to expensive whisky when I'm out so I'm sure it balances somewhere. I reckon half that would be sufficient. Kids will surely want some beach days too where you can take a bit of a picnic?

It depends what you’re planning to do. If it’s lovely weather and your walking, playing on the beach and taking in the scenery you won’t spend as much as if your taking surf lessons a couple of time ama d eating in nice restaurants. You’ll also spend more if it’s raining.

Theres no point being miserable and broke for the next 5 months to pay for it.

It sounds like a shocking amount but it might be fairly realistic especially if you have kids as well?

In 2020 we (2 adults, 2 kids) did a staycation where we did activities 6 out of 7 days. Local river cruise. Red Kangaroo, Marwell zoo, a National Trust place (free but used a lot of petrol), Go Ape and Paultons Park. We also ate out three evenings. Just the activities (some of which only too a couple of hours) and the meals out cost over £1000. That us not including petrol, packed lunches or the other "normal" meals and drinks we had at home.

It might be worth costing things out and seeing if £2k is about right or too much. If its too much then you don't need to save as much. It seems miserable to scrimp and save for so long and then splurge it all if you don't need to. My guess is £1500 might be about right unless you're doing a paid for activity every morning and afternoon.

Thankyou all for your help :) lots of food for thought. I'm going to tell him we will aim for £1300-£1500 at least then I won't have to join Only Fans to pay for the MOT!!

Well surely if it's him that wants a spendy holiday while you're suggesting sticking to a more affordable budget, then it would be him on Only Fans to earn the extra money, not you

£70 ppn per day ish. Sounds about right if you don't want to be constantly budgeting. Lunch out in a cafe could set you back £40ish, if not more.

If you can't afford then you cut your loth and eat at the accomodation or take a picnic when you go out.

Holidaying in the UK is expensive. Particularly if the weather is shit and you need to pay to occupy the kids. We did two weeks in 2020 in a caravan and it rained the entire time pretty much. It was expensive. We've spent less on two weeks AI in Ibiza.