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?!

But for the 'just take a cottage in the country and do self catering' brigade - remember that it depends where you live! I actually LIVE in an isolated cottage in beautiful countryside with lovely walks everywhere and I don't want to go somewhere else and do exactly the same only when I don't know where the plates and spare sheets are!

Mine are a dream whilst on holiday. Such easy travellers.

The problem is all mine with value for money thoughts screaming at me.

So what’s your issue? Your children think a holiday is worth the cost. You don’t. Either suck it up, see it as one of the things we do for children, go on holiday and try to enjoy it, or alternatively sit at home telling your children you’ve saved a whopping £500 a day.

😊 you can do ittt 🤣

YABU because a "holiday" is whatever you make it, in so many different countries doing so many different things. If you overspend on something a bit "meh" for you, that sounds a bit of a waste.

Now if you can't afford holidays, that's fine, Saying that you have a limited budget of x, and you can only afford a couples of days out or even a cheap staycation in the country, nothing wrong with that.

But holidays ARE absolutely worth it. Life's too short to be stuck at home, you just need to pick the one that match your interests the best.

I'd be on holiday at least 6 months a year if the kids didn't have to go to school 😂

Or stay at home and give them £500 a day for a week and say what shall we do with this today?

I wonder if they’d still want to put it on a tui holiday? Might be an interesting experiment!

I think some people have got so used to being fleeced by organisations that they can no longer see that this does happen in relation to travel and holidays.

Fuel of course can be dependant on global issues. But most airlines ( not all) make their money from transporting freight rather than people.

Well lucky you. We don’t all live in idyllic touristy surroundings.

I just have this overwhelming feeling that we’re not going to have this time for long, mine are 16 and 13 soon, I could potentially only have 2 more summers with my eldest and our family as a whole (as it goes I have no doubt he will be wanting to holiday with us well into adulthood 🤣 but it’s still different).

We’ve booked an extra, short uk mini break this October and I’m stretching our budget for next year, we would be much more wise to have more savings behind us, but life is short, family life is even shorter. I don’t want to be sat there on piles of money and regret in my 50s and 60s.

is it just the "holidays" you have a problem with, or the cost of anything in general?

Genuine question, because kids are bloody expensive 😂 and when you add up everything, is it just not staying home that you dislike or spending money? No sarcasm at all.

Which is exactly why I said that advising people to take a cottage in the country IF THEY ALREADY LIVE THERE is pointless.

People go on holiday for a change of scenery not just to enjoy the pleasure of the countryside so a blanket advice to 'just get a self catering cottage in the UK to save money' isn't always going to work.

Looking at your first thread, I just thought you’d not found the sort of holiday you enjoy - there’s something for everyone.

However it seems that you do enjoy your holiday. You seem to have guilt over the cost. As long as you’ve cleared those debts now and have savings to avoid future debt, then start budgeting. Have an emergency pot, a holiday pot and a days out pot, as well as a bills/food/monthly costs pot.

We never flew on summer holidays with children. Always drove - France, Italy Spain, Germany and surrounding places - staying in a mix of hotels, farms, apartments and so on. Often with swimming pools, lakes, streams and occasionally the sea. Plus the opportunity to go walking. Definitely a "change" rather than a "rest", but everyone has happy memories of them. We would've felt that a fortnight in one place by a beach or pool wasn't really a holiday - you can sit and read in the garden at home!

Similar here - live on the edge of the Yorkshire dales.

With £500 a day, we could hire a cleaner and not do housework all week. Go on day trips every day. Eat out every day and let them buy a bunch of stuff. Essentially have a ‘yes’ week with the kids.

We used to do this and maintained the bills pots and the Xmas pot.

We used to add £500 a month to the holiday pot but put it towards debt instead. I think we should reinstate.

That is a holiday that's a proper staycation.

value for money is hardwired into me. I don’t think it’s the spend itself but whether that was the best use for it.

The bills are all accounted for already. We have some savings.

I do struggle with spending generally.

we have spent a year getting out of debt which may have something to do with it. Although it wasn’t emergency debt or anything - I just wanted a new kitchen.

Perhaps I need to build my savings more before I can let loose. Only £8k atm which is only about 2/3 months expenses for us with a large mortgage.

but its not just about money though. its a break its a week away from the drudgery of evey day life. your kids are happy they are having fun. your relaxed ( hopefully) as you not thinking about the 20 millions things that have to be done. you can sleep in..sit out drinking a glass of wine or coffee or whatever you drink eating lays crips. you come home rested mood better and ready to face life again. look at your kids on the plane home ask them did they enjoy it and see what you see and they answer.
to me all of that is worth it above money
agree you need to set up your saving pot again. I book with an online platform that you can pay a small deposit and then every month on pay day I pay a small bit off it so we'll before we go its all paid for. then pay same amount into a pocket and that's spending money. then I always have something to look forward too. life is too short
edit to add I sell on vinted too all that money goes towards my holiday

I couldn't believe that some holiday cottages for 2 people in the UK were nearly £2K for a week.
We could have a week's half board abroad for that amount.

You’ve definitely made the right choice in clearing the debt. We were in a similar position with debt a few years back. I’m not sure what level my savings need to be before I can relax on the spending. Although I do still holiday, it’s just intentional and I make it good value. I saw your response of style of trip to where to live, it’s very true. As we are so close to the beach, we don’t tend to always include beaches on holiday. More city breaks as we live more rural. Maybe it’s time to try something a little different though to help break the cycle

You don’t have to go abroad to make amazing memories. We have never gone mad money wise when it comes to holidays.

I think I have a spending problem!

I don’t need it to be the cheapest but I do need it to be value for money.

I think whilst I enjoy the type of holiday the kids want when I’m there, I do feel like a cash cow on an AI holiday. It’s not where I’d choose to put my cash particularly

How would you be paying for a £3k holiday then? Out of your salary that month or savings?

Because if you only have £8k in savings then could that be why you’re not keen on spending £3k?

I wouldn’t be comfortable spending £3k outright if I only had £8k in savings either.

How old are your kids OP?

You say they enjoy the holidays, and you do too when you’re there. No doubt you all have happy memories of family holidays. In the blink of an eye those family holidays will be over. Your kids will be grown up, with their own lives/friends/partners, and summer holidays together will be a distant memory.

You should make the most of it now. It’s worth every penny, because when the time has gone, it’s well and truly gone.

Yes, but you seem to struggle with theory of mind. It’s ’worth It’ for the other people on the holiday, your children! Unless you require every single form of expenditure your children require to be ‘worth it’ for you, surely this is just one more item on the list of ‘stuff I wouldn’t be spending money on if I were childfree’?