Many people prioritise/ live for holidays above all else

[Elizo]

Recently went on a wonderful/ expensive group holiday with DC having saved up/ extended mortgage. We aren’t wealthy/ don’t go abroad often but from the chat with others think holidays are huge priority and what they really look forward to all year above all else. Saving/ working hard all year for ski-ing/ trips to US etc - clearly that sort of travel out of reach for most of us. Loved our holiday and wondering if we are odd ones out in this!

Saving up yes. But there’s no way I’d incur debt for a holiday. We would rather spend money on holidays and experiences than new things but everyone is different

We definitely spend too much money on holidays but I was just saying to my husband this weekend that I want a break from it. I don’t mean no holiday but something much more scaled back next year to prevent so much of our spare cash going on holidays, holiday insurance, holiday clothes and spending money. Thousands every year.

Also have to say I’d never extend my mortgage for a holiday. I’m happy to use credit cards though.

Lots of people do lots of people don’t.
I’d rather do day trips and come home to my own bed.

Love my holidays but no way would i be extending any mortgage or putting it on a card if i couldn't pay it straight off

Yes, some of us are travel tragics. I just booked a trip to Japan. I haven't even had the leave approved yet!!

But, we never over extend ourselves or borrow for travel. We live frugally all year to pay for holidays.

Tbh I envy people who just enjoy hitting the road in their caravan or going to the beach every year. It's be soooo much easier/cheaper!!

I can't say I massively prioritise holidays. I save as a general rule and I always have money stashed away which would allow me to go on a holiday but I don't spend much time planning. Most years I don't even spend my entire AL entitlement.

You extended your mortgage for a holiday? 😳

I bloody love a holiday, so I do prioritise that in my budget, but it’s not the only thing that I enjoy outside of work. I spend less on holidays so I can go to the theatre often. I also spend a lot of time volunteering at a sports club and I like that as much as a holiday.

After savings we use our disposable income for holidays.

We love travelling and seeing the world.

It is an interesting question OP, although I'm not sure whether your stance is that you prioritise holidays or not? Think I got confused by your post as saving hard for a holiday / extending mortgage implies that holidays are a big priority for you, but the rest of your post suggests that maybe they are not.... That notwithstanding it is your choice, and maybe that's the point- that everyone is different so some people will prioritise holidays, and others won't.

My current feeling is that I don't wish to prioritise holidays to the extent that my non-holiday time is negatively impacted. I would prefer to live within my means, and do a job that I enjoy but which pays less, than a job I hate but which allows me to save for wonderful holidays.

I am in the process of divorcing. Money will be tight in my future. The divorce was not my choice and I was initially devastated, but a year on I am feeling unexpected joy, freedom and peace compared to married life. My 'ordinary' days seem to offer more potential for simple happiness and I feel the need for holidays less than I did in the past (which is fortunate TBH as money is tight).

I heard a saying recently that sums up my current attitude- "Live a life that you don't need a holiday from".

Do people understand that global warming is a thing? How in good conscience can people be jetting off?

You changed your mortgage so you could go on holiday?!?! Wow I have never heard of that! But I suppose I don’t often ask people how they finance their holidays. Hmm.

I don’t prioritise holidays above all else personally. I make sure my everyday life is fun. We’ve been on many holidays with the kids and it’s nice but definitely more driven by DH and I always love coming home 😄

We haven't been on a holiday for years. I'd sooner spend the money on improving our house, which we live in all the time, than several thousand on a week away.
We have four housecats which makes it difficult- we need a cat sitter
and one of my children is autistic, so I can see us wanting to come home after a couple of days due to meltdowns. Even days out with him are exhausting, so a week in a strange place would be hell.

I have met many people who do prioritise holidays and don't do things like many nights out or expensive hobbies to ensure they can afford it.

It wouldn't enter my head to extend the term of my mortgage to take a holiday.

Save up during the year.
Live frugally and cut back on expensive concert tickets/expensive restaurants/expensive electronics...
Go for one week instead of two.
Do an all inclusive instead of self catering or eating out

are all ways to have a cheaper holiday......

There used to be a meme that went "Make yourself a life you don't need to take a holiday from".
I used to be very taken with that. And used it as something of an excuse to not take enough time for myself.
Nowadays I understand that something can be very fulfilling and yet, also tiring and emotionally straining.
I'm much more into holidays now.

No, I think we probably spend less on holidays than a lot of other people with our income do.

That always seems so sad to me. Slog away all year to have two fleeting weeks in July. Or even if they have two holidays a year, that's still 48 weeks when they aren't enjoying themselves.

I preferred when younger to spend more on buying a house somewhere beautiful so I can enjoy life all year round. I've been on fewer overseas holidays but I have a house and garden with birdsong and wildlife all the time. I can eat breakfast outside 5 months of the year.

But, I suppose I did an international job, so being abroad wasn't as 'desirable' for me. I was on and off flights most weeks.

I've just booked a trip to Japan. Did overtime for a year to pay for it. (Yes I am knackered!). After that I won't go on any big trips for a couple of years at least. Maybe the odd long weekend in Europe, nothing major. I'm fine with that.

I definitely wouldn't get into any kind of debt for a holiday. It would take the shine off, knowing it needed to be paid for afterwards.

DH and I have 6-figure salaries, but we have a modest house, don't spend money on fancy cars, no luxury watches/bags/jewellery etc. We do spend that money on travelling.
But no I would not extend the mortgage for that. Would travel cheaper, if finances would be tighter.

I love travelling and prioritize it over other things - stuff, going out a lot etc. I would never go in to debt for a trip though and would adapt what we did accordingly. I am conscious of carbon footprint and done a lot of travel by train in recent years. I prefer it to flying anyway.

We prioritise in the sense that the bulk of our disposable income after bills and regular savings go on holidays, but I would never contemplate getting into debt or amending my mortgage to enable them. We also tend to do multiple shorter breaks throughout the year (yes, involving flights for anyone clutching their pearls about the environmental impact of international travel), rather than one blowout fortnight in the summer.

Like many others on this thread, they are our biggest expenditure once all essentials are covered and there are other regular luxuries we don't indulge in so we can go away often (such as eating out). But we would also never be going into debt for them. If not affordable upfront, we do not go

Extending your mortgage for a holiday is genuinely crazy. If you can afford amazing holidays with sustainable sacrifices that's absolutely fine.

We have holidays within our general budget, so the DC have mostly experienced Eurocamp holidays, or breaks in the UK.

Earlier this year we were treated to a fantastic all inclusive holiday in a top resort by my father, which of course we all really enjoyed (Me the most I think!)

The dc are teens & tweens so it opened up a discussion: One holiday like this a year, but no extra curricular stuff like dance, singing or music lessons etc No trips to the theatre or weekends in The Lake District. We talked about how we have a budget and we can choose what our priorities are.

Needless to say I'm sat in a Safari Tent in a Eurocamp site writing this right now! 😂