Would you spend this?

[insiderrelly]

Won't bore you with the backstory but the last 3 years have been tight financially. I saved to buy a house on my own and had not a penny to spare, bought the house, spent every spare penny buying furniture for it and then sorting a car for work... normal life stuff!

I've only recently managed to start saving again and have built up a small amount of savings.

A friend wants to go on the trip of a lifetime this summer (booked with her other half who has since broken up with her...). it is somewhere I want to go but feel a bit reckless that it would leave me with 1,000 left. I am single also so no complication with spending in terms of a significant other. Although I can save a few hundred a month, I am aware it isn't a huge amount should a boiler break etc!

would you go? is it reckless or have I got an over the top view of spending after taking so long to save for the house? do people go on holiday with only 1,000 left to their name?!

PS Old age comes around quicker than you think!!!

Completely agree.

Go for it! You can continue saving after your wonderful holiday.

Have we convinced you?

Go.

It’s too good an opportunity to miss and it’s under £3k, so it’s not a lot to re-save at the rate you can save.

Have fun.

Go! I’ve never had more than 1k in savings. I earn enough to get by and nothing more, the idea of a holiday that costs over 1k is totally beyond my comprehension so if I were in a position where I could have that holiday AND a ‘spare’ 1k in the bank I wouldn’t hesitate to do it!

You can always make more money but you only have one youth! Go and enjoy your amazing trip!

Well, looks like I'm swimming against the tide with my advice. I would go by the old adage of "If in doubt say no".

Are you really going to do something just because lots of people on here say so? Having £1k left in savings won't support you for long if you lost your job, especially as you have a car loan. UC/ESA is probably not going to cover that.

I commend your attitude to finances and what's to say you wouldn't get another chance to visit this place in the future, maybe with a future partner?

Also, have you ever been away with this friend before? Even close relationships can suffer strain by being in close proximity virtually 24/7 on holiday.

You've saved up for all those years and probably sacrificed plenty, go on your holiday! Plus I think it's much better to save up for one big luxury thing like this rather than fritter away that money on small luxuries (not saying that you would). I think you should treat yourself for all the work you've put in to get yourself where you are now. Enjoy it!

Get boiler cover and go.

I left a marriage with tons of debt about 20 years ago - paid everything off and now have lots and lots of savings.
A friend of mine who is a financial advisor sat me down and asked me what I was saving for - the only answer I could come up with was 'to look at it and know that I was secure'
I have started to go on holidays now but I had lots of years where I let life pass me by because I was too scared to spend.
Go for it - you will get your savings back

Some mixed views! I agree 1k savings isn’t a lot but not sure I anything I could save would keep me going for long anyway. I would always need a job. It’s hard to know when to spend though sometimes!

I'm with the 'go' crowd. You're very hard working and sensible and this is something you should reward yourself with. Initially I only skimmed it and thought you hadn't bought the house yet but you've got that. If the worst happened and you lost your job you could perhaps get a lodger if you have the space, rent it out and move in with parents short term until you got another job if a job didn't turn up straight away. There are options. Perhaps sell the car, you'd take a loss but if it free'd up a few thousand it's needs must.

Just for perspective as someone else said not everyone even has those savings. I'm in my 50s and didn't for years. I rent for years, put my DC through private school and for about 20 years lived on the edge financially with perhaps a couple of hundred left every month. I never failed to take a decent holiday though as I thought for my kids it was making memories. I skimped on other stuff - no car, no clothes for me beyond the minimum etc. You'll build up your savings again. Go and have fun. I want to know where it is now