Would you get a loan for an amazing holiday?

[Florally]

Just that really.

A friend of mine is getting a loan to do her ‘bucket list trip’ and go on safari and to South Africa and it sounds incredible.

My DH would never let us do that, save instead of borrow as a mantra.

But, I think if it were just my decision, I would. If you can afford the repayments without impacting anything instead of saving for years… I don’t see the harm.

Would you? (And as a bonus, where would it be? 🤩)

Nope, not a chance

No way

Absolutely not

no

No. Imagine doing that and then you lose your job or find our your whole roof needs replaced and you can't afford the repayments or borrow anything else. Stupid.

Yes, I would. I am quite partial to spending money I don’t have though!!

Yes

I did and have no regrets.

But for medical reasons it was better for me to go sooner rather than later. I’m not sure I would have made the decision otherwise.

Yes absolutely.

Nope. Save and go when you can afford it.

No. I would get a loan for something that was necessary - new car if old one was knackered and I needed one to get to work. Necessary house repairs etc. Definitely not a holiday.

We used to put holidays on a credit card and clear the card with his bonus each year so there was the risk he wouldn’t get a bonus.

No way. Why not save the money then go when you can actually afford it?

I’ve put many holidays on credit cards in order to spread the payments out - I don’t think that this is uncommon. A loan specifically for a holiday is absolutely bonkers though

No, unless as with a pp there was some looming medical reason it could never happen again.

No. I’ve just posted about my car loan and how much I hate it. I’d hate to be paying off a holiday that I’d already been on but I wouldn’t judge you. Just bear in mind you might regret it if you run into some financial bad luck, or have to say no to something else, or lose out on your dream house or something because you already spent the money. I’d start saving and looking for a good deal.

Sadly it’s not for me, my DH would never in a million years let us do this. I’m just jealous because I’d love to go on a similar trip!

Then how will save for the next one? I hate being in debt and apart from a mortgage almost never have been. I never buy on credit.

I do cheaper things whilst saving up for a big thing. Two years of saving to go to Greece, but have been on various little trips in between and we have been saving for 4 years to go to Vietnam (now in 2 years). I also have a pot for a year backpacking trip in 10 years time (£50 a month). I must have saved £1000s by not ever paying interest and gaining Interest on lots of it.

Go with friends! Sod a boring DH.

I don't even like booking holidays more then a few months on advance, never mind getting a loan. Life is too unpredictable these days.

Firstly, South Africa is a bloody amazing country. I’m fortunate enough to have had two holidays there, and both were wonderful experiences. I could not recommend it more highly. BUT we didn’t get into debt to do it. We saved up for it.

Debt is sometimes unavoidable. If you need to buy a safe, reliable car to get to work, or if your heating boiler blows up on Boxing Day (yes, really!), or if your washing machine dies, or if you have to buy a ticket for the next flight to wherever in the world for a family emergency, and you haven’t got the ready cash, that’s what credit cards, loans, HP etc are for.

Getting into debt to buy an exotic holiday, however, is bonkers. Save up. You will value it even more and when you get back and the euphoria wears off you won’t have to worry about how you’re going to pay for it.

Yes I would. I once put a trip to Iceland on a credit card and just went. We have lost a lot of people over the last few years and life really is too short. I would go to Canada and roadtrip through the rocky mountains. Or I would fly to Singapore and onto Borneo to see orangutans in their natural habitat. Kids need to be a lot older for those types of holidays though!

Getting into debt for a holiday is crazy. Imagine getting home, the holiday is long over, and youvare still going without in order to pay for it. No thanks!

I also think it creates too much pressure for the holiday to be "perfect" and it gets really stressful when stuff goes wrong or isn't what you hoped for.

If you can afford the repayments you can afford to save.

No I would never do this. My friend was recently diagnosed with a serious illness and has now dropped to half pay. He had a good chunk of savings, but before his diagnosis he spent the majority of it on some long overdue home renovations, obviously not knowing what was around the corner.

But if I did… probably Argentina or the Galapagos.