Holidays are just not worth the money

[Phonicshaskilledmeoff]

Holidays are just not worth it.

The kids are desparate to go on holiday. I struggle to see the value though. For the 5 of us an abroad holiday is about £3k minimum. I struggle to get over the cost whilst I’m there - £500 a day and I sit wondering whether it was worth it.

The kids are excellent travellers and beautifully behaved when on holiday so it’s nothing to do with them. I just think it’s insanely expensive for what you actually get.

I enjoy it whilst I’m there - how do I stop being a cheap killjoy?!

Well the flights, hotel, transfers, food, spends
seems totally reasonable to me

Individual families choosing to not fly on holiday is not going to do anything to impact global warming.

Me being vegetarian for the past 35 years hasn’t stopped the world getting hotter either.

China alone contributes 30% of the world’s carbon emissions, add in India and the US and you’re up to 50% of the world’s emissions.

If you’re not flying in order to save the planet I assume you’re also not buying anything that arrives in this country on a cargo ship or flight?

Do you put aside a monthly saving over the year ie £375? Or credit card it and pay off..? Hope not too personal an ask but always interested in the different ways people cover the big treats in life :)

We get, if we are lucky, 18 summers with our children before they've fledged and left to live their own lives.

I'd far rather take a trip and immerse them in another culture and enrich their lives than buy another "thing" that will hold their interest for a few months before probably being sent to a charity shop.

See the world through their eyes. Give them experiences and the memories will last a lifetime, for both of you.

Someone of the Facebook thread said tell them how much stuff they could have for the price of the holiday but, while it works for some things (I.e. the stated Easter eggs), you absolutely cannot compare the experiences of being on holiday with a
another dust-gatherimg possession.

We never went on holiday as kids as my mum never liked to go away. I really wish we had.

You can just say you don’t like holidays…

Look. Fly or don't fly. I'm not going to tell anybody what to do. Fill your boots. You're obviously feeling a bit guilty though, because you got very defensive with someone who wasn't even talking to you.

But for fuck's sake just stop using asinine excuses that you think are clever but obviously haven't taken a nanosecond to think through properly.

I’d misunderstood and thought OP was spending £500 a day on top of the £3000 holiday cost. OP clarified this.

thanks though

Correct - our pensions are very large. If anything we should be reducing.

This is more of feeling like I have value for money rather than being able to afford it.

Our flight was cancelled today due to the airport strikes in Italy. Instead of going through the hassle of trying to find different flights/airports, we just extended the holiday by 3 days. I love holidays!

We do a 3 bed cabin. Can be as cheap as chips! We did a cabin for a week in September about 3 years ago for 275. Then flights were about 1k for the 5 of us.
But typically we'd expect to spend about 1k per week for a 3 bed cabin.

I like your style!

How can I get stuck on holidays???

#askingforafriend 🤣🤣✈️✈️💯💯

@BlackRowan They are considerably cheaper.

I feel no guilt whatsoever. Cargo ships create more emissions annually than the entire aviation industry.

Families would have more of an impact on climate change if they stopped using Amazon and only shopped locally buying British made products than by cutting down their flying.

The UK contributes 0.8% of global emissions. Even if the UK met their net zero target, the world will still get hotter whilst China, the US and India refuse to limit their emissions.

What I can’t stand is holier than though people preaching to others about their choices that make no difference at all to climate change.

Have you looked at the direct websites for the country you're visiting, often much cheaper. Eurocamp.fr, Eurocamp.de etc.

Literally nobody's preaching to anyone about flying on this thread love. You just manufactured an argument out of thin air.

By the way, got any sources for your assertion that buying stuff on Amazon is more harmful for the environment than flying?

Whilst planning for your future is sensible it’s also important to enjoy life and have fun. For me holidays are one of the things I work hard to be able to afford as the enjoyment they give to me and my family is huge. Also it good to take a break from work/daily life and relax/focus on spending time together/have fun and experience different things. I believe that this is important for my well being and for my children’s wellbeing/development.

Interesting! Never thought of that!

Hang on… you insinuated by taking kids on holiday a parent is is ignoring the climate crisis those kids will have to live with. If that isn’t preaching I don’t know what is.

On this ocassion I don't apologise for repeating my previous thoughts. I imagine you will have no issue with spending money on luxury holidays when your children leave home. I do apologise if I'm wrong but that's the impression I get knowing others who felt the same regarding actual family holidays. They could easily have afforded to take their children away before they left for uni. It's a choice.

Don’t follow.

But maybe they might feel more value for money when it’s not in the school holidays 🙃

I asked the kids what they’d want to do if I handed them £3k between them today. They were torn between booking a holiday and having a staycation. So it’s not just me!

Is this really cheaper though all in? The Air bnbs seem to cost loads at the lakes and Yorkshire, entry to a castle is a lot etc. we spend 2-2.5k for a family of 4 half board plus a maybe 300 euros spending and it always feels like it would be better value than a uk holiday (plus nice weather is a big plus for us personally) - we do the odd camping trip / off peak centre parcs but they feel not as good value and a lot more work

How many nights for the 1.2k and once you have spending money how much? I don’t spend anything on abroad holidays beyond some lunch and ice creams and a bottle of wine from the local shop. Uk eating out and entrances to activities really adds up so we avoid it except for regular weekend activities

Holidays are what you make them. We have never spent a fortune and have mainly gone to France or stayed in the UK. My adult kids tell me they had the best holidays ever even though some of them cost less than £600 for a family of 4 for a week.
Last year’s family holiday in Pembrokeshire cost £850 for a family of 4 and a dog in a lovely cottage within walking distance to the beach and a shop and 3 pubs within 5 mins walk.

Look it up. Cargo ships (over 80% of the world’s global movement of goods) account for 3% of global emissions, of which Amazon contributes a huge amount. Airline industry accounts for 2.5%.

This thread is about someone debating whether or not to justify the cost of an international holiday. You and another PP are the only ones trying to make this about climate change.

Borrow a tent and book a ferry - won’t cost you anywhere near as much. Or book a cottage in this country, or do cheap flights and an AirBnB. It doesn’t have to be a hotel to be a holiday.