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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Am I unreasonable to feel hurt about football trip over family holiday?

64 replies

ThisOpenLimeLion · 17/04/2026 08:19

Just after honest opinions / thoughts on the below situation please.
i have wanted to book a family holiday (with our 2 year old ) towards the end of the year for a few months now however my husband ( who is always the sensible one ) has said that we want to spend some money on house renovations / improvements this year so let’s hold off. Although initially I was disappointed I understood this and agreed. Anyway fast forward 2 months and there is the potential that his football team he supports may make it into a European final abroad and he expressed that he would like to go ! I was very upset when he mentioned this and felt like how can he spend money on this and not prioritise a family holiday. His argument was that the two are not comparable - a family holiday likely to be more expensive so how can I compare. He also said that we have a couple of short trips booked already, one with extended family and a weekend just the two of us but as I pointed out nothing just the three of us. I can completely understand that it may be a once in a lifetime opportunity for him however I can’t help but feel sad that he’s happy to think about booking a football trip but not commit now to a holiday with his wife and child. In my opinion he should either do both or not at all. Am I wrong/ 😑 overeating? I don’t want to cause a huge argument about it but want my husband to understand how I feel about the situation.

OP posts:
PopcornKitten · 17/04/2026 17:43

What about putting the home improvements on hold and booking his football trip and your family break?

Pryceosh1987 · 18/04/2026 00:19

Hard choices are hard choices, if he could he should do both. Family time is important, but football trips are hard to miss, for him anyway, i am more of a basketball man myself.

MrThorpeHazell · 18/04/2026 10:30

If the team is Crystal Palace, let him go.
If it's anyone else, LTB.
HTH.

Powerups · 18/04/2026 14:16

What about a compromise? I went with husband to a European final last year and we stayed in Croatia for 6 days with one of those days driving to the game. We had a fabulous time and both got to do what we like!

Velvetandleather · 18/04/2026 14:22

I understand you’re annoyed as you want to go on holiday but I’m with him, and you do have a couple of trips booked.

do you share all money is that it, like why does he get to decide the joint finances, and how it’s spent. Surely his boys trip comes from his own disposable income?

use your disposable earnings and book a trip to go with your female friends then you can do a family holiday next year.

LlynTegid · 18/04/2026 14:24

MrThorpeHazell · 18/04/2026 10:30

If the team is Crystal Palace, let him go.
If it's anyone else, LTB.
HTH.

If the team is Arsenal, this is an academic question.

CandyEnclosingInvisible · 18/04/2026 14:30

Yanbu on the money front. If you couldn't afford a family holiday then he can't afford a football trip. If money is available then divide the budget in half and he can have half for his trip and you have half for something nice while he looks after the toddler (perhaps you could book into a spa hotel with 1-3 friends?). If there isn't enough money for you to have the same money for just you, then he can't afford to go.

tbh we didn't attempt any family holidays until our little one was 3.5 - mostly as we couldn't afford it but I don't think a 2yo likes holidays very much they prefer familiarity, and the intensity of packing lots of fun things into a single week is too overwhelming.

Velvetandleather · 18/04/2026 14:37

CandyEnclosingInvisible · 18/04/2026 14:30

Yanbu on the money front. If you couldn't afford a family holiday then he can't afford a football trip. If money is available then divide the budget in half and he can have half for his trip and you have half for something nice while he looks after the toddler (perhaps you could book into a spa hotel with 1-3 friends?). If there isn't enough money for you to have the same money for just you, then he can't afford to go.

tbh we didn't attempt any family holidays until our little one was 3.5 - mostly as we couldn't afford it but I don't think a 2yo likes holidays very much they prefer familiarity, and the intensity of packing lots of fun things into a single week is too overwhelming.

Yeah I’m not sure that grabby attitude for getting your hands on money is a positive in a marriage

Morepositivemum · 18/04/2026 14:40

I don’t think it’s the same as him and friends deciding to go somewhere for a big piss up, when you said what it was I thought ‘wow that’s cool’ and I don’t even like football!!!

Allseeingallknowing · 18/04/2026 14:42

TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 17/04/2026 12:22

The football match will be on the telly so he can watch it on there, instead of wasting money and time going abroad.

Best solution, but not the most popular one! So glad I’m not married to a football fanatic.
OP overeating is understandable , but not a solution! 😄

HawkersWest · 18/04/2026 14:49

YABU, we moved heaven and earth to get my DH to a world series baseball game (his team won). Once in a lifetime opportunity, plenty of time for family getaways.

DrCoconut · 18/04/2026 14:53

Obviously you and DC will get the same amount of money to spend on a trip somewhere since affordability is suddenly not a problem, right?

CandyEnclosingInvisible · 18/04/2026 14:58

Velvetandleather · 18/04/2026 14:37

Yeah I’m not sure that grabby attitude for getting your hands on money is a positive in a marriage

It's ambiguous whether you are referring to him wanting to spend all the spare money on just him instead of on house projects as previously agreed as "grabby" or whether you mean having the dignity and self respect to expect equality of opportunity for fun relaxing childfree times as "grabby"

Allseeingallknowing · 18/04/2026 15:04

asdbaybeeee · 17/04/2026 14:33

So option 1-

He goes away, the same amount is put away for either a family holiday or for you to do something with out him

option 2 -
you all go and make it a family trip and he goes to the match (4 hours) while you are there

The sad thing is he views a family holiday as less than a football trip

This

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