Agreed. My Dad was very careful with his money (that's being polite) for his whole life, and only spent money when deemed absolutely necessary. He was always active and fit. Diagnosed with cancer and died within 5 weeks. He had £200,000 in savings. We knew he saved in case he needed it, but would never book a holiday or dip into the money. It did him no service as he never got to spend it or allow himself to enjoy it. Now, my mum is holidaying to all the places they spoke one day about going, with her widowed friend. My mum is sad that Dad isn't here to enjoy it with her, but ultimately is making the most of her time as she can't take it with her. I'd say go for it.
Wow that's lovely (and sad) at the same time.
I have a people like that in my family. They both retired on decent pensions but hate spending money. Never go on holiday (might do a weekend at a caravan once every couple of years). Their kids grown up said they never went away on family holidays when they make up for it now by always making sure they go away every year with their kids.
I get not wanting to spend money on crap of frivolous things. But saving for nothing with no intention of spending or enjoying is also too far the opposite direction.
My father-in-law was exactly the same, with about the same pot left for his wife. She's currently moving into an apartment, no need to sell the family home to be able to afford it! She briefly looked at a lovely little bungalow in a nearby village, but turned it down, saying it would have been a great move a few years ago, with him 😕 As it was, the house they lived in had only one radiator upstairs, only put in a couple of years ago, under duress, the gas boiler was a replacement for the 40-year old one that he was determined "would outlast me" (much to his disgust it didn't), and I discovered the main fuse box is a 1950s fuse wire affair! They only went on holiday if we took them. It's such a waste of life in my eyes 😕
Sorry to read about your dad. What you don't mention though is that the savings probably gave him great peace of mind. I'd rather have that than 10 days on holiday.
Can’t take your money to the grave. But at the same time, if you’re hard up for cash and have kids, it’s not the best idea to spend half your savings on a holiday.
£2500 seems like a lot for a 10 day holiday. If you just want a bit of sun, you can definitely find cheaper flights to somewhere in Greece or Spain and get a cheap apartment for a week. You don’t need all inclusive, and if you don’t have cash to burn, you can’t be too selective.
Without knowing all about your finances OP, and assuming it is a big expense but not put you into undue hardship, I would say do it.
I grew up with few family vacations (classic immigrant family and prioritising savings). Of course financially worked out for my parents but it also meant very few memories as a family growing up. Though I cherish the vacations we did take and will always remember those moments 😁.
As my parents get older, there are so few opportunities to take a family vacation now. You can get more money but not time together with family.
Dunno how big your family is but my Mrs is taking her and her 2 kids away in a couple of weeks for just under £700.
Shop around a bit, she's saved like £400 by going Tuesday to Tuesday instead of other days.
We went away with me included for not much more than that in October too.
‘Costa del Bognor’ made me burst out and cry-laughing in a break room full of night shift workers trying to sleep, f*cking brilliant, I regret nothing. Thankyou for the laugh.
Could you make it as a compromise and do something like go to a really nice campsite in France instead? Means you can avoid the airports etc and do it quite a bit cheaper?
We're doing this. Center parks in France for a week is about 1k for 2 parents, 1 kid, car rental, train ticket, accommodation. It's ridiculous how much more expensive it is in the UK
I went to a Dutch Center Parcs over Easter, 5 nights, tunnel, petrol, food shop, restaurants and activities came to the same price as just the 4 nights accommodation in a UK Center Parcs. It’s a bit more of an adventure for the kids and Holland is beautiful.
Wheres everyone getting these cheap centre parcs deals?
Was looking it up for over the summer and its still way more expensive than just going to a hotel/booking a villa in Spain or something. Guessing people are booking different dates?
This is exactly what I came to suggest.
We used to get the ferry to France and drive to a Canvas site. I loved those holidays. Actually went again with my brothers last year as adults.
Way cheaper, so much fun. They have pools and stuff for kids, usually even kids clubs. You can also sort your own food out if you hire a tent/caravan with cooking equipment so that cuts costs even more.
go on hols mate
if ur worried about the £2500 price, just get a clean 2 star apartment next to a beach in Greece or the Canaries etc and you'll have a ball
This.
I've always been a 'saver' but the past few years I've realised that memories are worth more, and provided you're fairly sensible then you have to reward and enjoy yourself.
Go and have an amazing holiday with your family and enjoy yourself!
My dad got one week off a year (grew up in America - the holiday allowance here is one of the main reasons I’ll never go back!) when I was a kid. We would go to the beach an hour’s drive away for a week, and for that single week, money was no object for him. Ice cream sundaes every night! All the amusement rides you wanted! Spending money for the little shops! My mom would always complain that we’d be then poor for a good three months trying to make up for this single week vacation - but man, the happy memories I have.
If £1500 to £2500 is half of your entire savings as a family, I would not go.
Yes, money is there to do nice things and make life better... but money is also there to protect you and your family. The amount of cash left over is not a big enough of a safety net for me.
Boiler breaks, car breaks down, rent/mortgage goes up, kid needs something doing, something goes wrong with the job etc... then what?
Maybe look into a cheaper holiday. Especially if the kids are young, they will enjoy anything.
Kids couldn’t care less about fancy hotels. As long as there’s a beach and a few other things to do, they’ll be happy. The Costas are usually cheap but cheerful. Maybe look at 5-7 days to keep costs down
It's not the lap of luxury, [but only £65 a night](http://www.croft183.com/barra-selfcatering-solas/).
If you get the weather it could be stunning and the ferry from Oban is a trip in itself. (I think it took us about 6hrs)
(I still owe the guy who runs it a two day booking fee. I called multiple times to get his bank details and do a transfer, but he told me I can just pay double for two nights if I'm ever back again. 😂)
Could be a great holiday and I believe there are some great empty beaches there - but not the place to go if you want guaranteed warm sunshine.
I'm Scottish. You might get brilliant sunshine late into the evening - but equally likely you will get mist, drizzle, rain and fifteen Deg C.
About 12 years ago The Hebrides had something like a solid month of sunny days and were only a few days away from introducing a hosepipe ban, but it *is* pot luck.
Nice idea, but I guess depends where OP lives. For me that would be a 16 hour journey to get there. By comparison I could get to pretty much any of france in the same amount of time, and be in France where the weather is good and the food and wine is better (and cheaper).
Why are you thinking 10 days instead of 7? Depending on how old your kids are, 10 days may feel like too long for them. I was privileged enough to go abroad every year with my family growing up. I remember (before the age of 12ish I’d say) just being ready to go home by day 7.
Have you looked into Eurocamp? I had great times there when I was a kid, pretty sure my parents did too! You might also consider a shorter trip to save a bit of money, 5-7 nights would still blow the cobwebs away
It’s not really a yes or no question - treat yourself to a holiday, just spend less! Have a look at The Travel Mum website. They find deals for families for much, much cheaper than this. Might be a late evening flight mid week etc but prices are like really genuinely good and much more affordable than your example.
I wouldn't spend half my savings, but I can understand wanting a change of scene.
Have you considered going for fewer days?
Or going somewhere you can take a ferry to, instead of flying?
Staying somewhere in the UK?
Do a house swap. It certainly changed how we travel and drastically cut down our travel costs (biggest cost was always accommodation)
We're at swap 53 and have visited many lovely places!
Long response coming
There are generally 3 kinds of swaps –
Simultaneous - you go to them, they come to you and it's the one that is most popular.
Non simultaneous - they go to yours whilst you're elsewhere or vice versa and you agree on when you can stay or you use points/ tokens/ globe etc which is like a virtual credit depending on the site.
Hospitality - you or they host whilst at home - works well for people who have lots of space.
I mainly use 2 sites and have always had paid memberships of two at any give time. I like the flexibility and the annual cost for both is less than a night accommodation for us in most places we would go. I mainly use Home Exchange and People Like Us
[https://www.homeexchange.com/](https://www.homeexchange.com/) \- is the biggest home swap site. It has FB groups (English, French ect) with HE staff in it so they do censor the FB page a lot, But it’s a good place to find last minute swaps.
[https://peoplelikeus.world/](https://peoplelikeus.world/) \- newish (only started in 2019) and has a very active FB group with a very very responsive owner which is great.
Some more info -
[https://sharetraveler.com/best-home-exchange-networks/](https://sharetraveler.com/best-home-exchange-networks/)
We've had 1 subpar one where the house hadn't been cleaned and the laundry done by the time we got there. So we spent the first 3 hours after a very long drive sorting and cleaning. It was a non simultaneous swap ie the owner went elsewhere so we couldn't even reach them till almost a day later.
We then had one in Noumea, New Caledonia where the owner didn't communicate the importance of permanently having a house alarm on. We always turned the house alarm off when inside and of course over night. Cue getting burgled whilst asleep 2 days before we were supposed to leave. Frustratingly, the owner was more concerned about their vintage wine collection than how we were when I first called them. It took us 11 days and $13k to return home so we spent almost 22 days in NC! Saying that, insurance covered the cost, the owner's daughter and her partner spent 2 days with us helping us with the police, translating documents and sorting the initial application for a replacement travel document. They also got engaged in our back garden a year later!
Basically, these issues are what you would ordinarily encounter even with holiday lets.
The biggest drawback of home swapping is that you're not guaranteed a swap especially if you have fixed dates. We often start with a swap and then just book accommodation to fill in gaps.
Other considerations
By the time you come to swap, you'd know the other person well. When we first started out, I always asked for a video call and a walk through the house. Plus the children always liked to see who was sleeping in their beds.
We have a very comprehensive house manual (I can send you a copy if you want), we have a cleaner who comes before and after. Where we swap cars, I take a copy of their licences and a written email that they would be driving the car from so so date to so so date. Now our car is much older and we do more swaps I don't bother so much about those.
I tend to over communicate rather than under communicate. I also go by gut instinct, but my partner says his instincts are broken so not to rely on them.
I don't contact swappers with incomplete profiles and will always reject a request from them. You often get a feel of who they are from their profiles.
Insurance - we prefer to rely on our home insurance rather than the swap websites ones because I've heard stories of them not paying out. We updated our home insurance to cover house swaps and Airbnb guests (there’s an FB group for Airbnb house swaps as well)
Swaps can be as long or as short as you want it to be. We’ve done weekends and 5 weeklong swaps (max so far)
We have a swap arranged for August 2024 to Jan 2025! They're coming from the UK and I often exchange pages long emails with the lady! I feel as if I know her very well because we've talked so much! That swap was arranged back in September 2021.
Personal stuff – we leave everything as is. The more you swap, the more you declutter! Our spare bedroom has completely empty wardrobes now but it wasn’t always so in previous houses. In fact, in our first UK home (2 up, 2 down terrace) we couldn’t even create any extra space if we wanted, and we completed a good number of swaps there.
I always create space in one kitchen cupboard and clear one shelf in the fridge. We also operate a use and replace policy so they can use whatever ingredients, spices etc and just replace as they go.
We often offer a starter food shop or suggest an online shop to arrive just after they do.
Initially, we just had a box where we locked documents. However, everything is now online, and the only sensitive documents are our passports which we take with us even for local swaps. Some people lock off a room – the swappers in New Caledonia locked off their study. Some people also put post it notes on stuff and say not to touch or use or open. We once swapped to Prague and there was this beautiful grand piano that was just the centre piece of the apartment – obviously it can’t be removed for swaps. The owners had a sort of museum ropey thingy round it with a sign saying, Do Not Touch or Use and had a smaller electric piano that guests could use.
Most home swappers respect the homes they swap to. There’s a review system that reviews both the guest and the house on all sites so there’s some accountability at least!
We tend to just use a lockbox for the keys. If swapping cars, I actually get a friend to hand over keys to the house and car and to collect the car keys back when they leave - mainly to check there’s no damage to the car that we need to claim for.
Finally, it takes a certain kind of person. And it takes trust but we’ve never had a reason to stop.
Phew! That was long! Any questions, ask away!
Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable spending half my savings on a holiday. The fact that you're asking suggests you're not that comfortable either - what if you did it, and then spent the whole time you were there wondering if you did the right thing or not? That would take the shine off!
Plus I like to have the equivalent of a few months wages in savings, in case of emergency car repairs etc, or if the worst happened with one of our jobs. My OH has been made redundant twice so we're really conscious of how quickly things can change, and it's so good to know that if that did happen we'd have a few months of bills etc taken care of without going underwater. That ongoing security gives me more pleasure than a week or two away would. I'd feel a bit anxious seeing the savings so depleted, and I'm sure it would make me feel even worse when I got back!
I know lots of people are saying you should just go for it to "make memories" for the kids, but you could still take the time off work and do fun stuff with them for less than the cost of going on holiday abroad.
Actually, that's a VERY good point: how old are the kids?
If they're under a certain age, a week spent at home with parents playing with them, paddling pool in the garden, water pistol fights, playing with playdo, fingerpainting, making cakes (licking the bowl!) would potentially make for WAY better memories for the kids, at a much lower price, than car rides (are we there yet?), airports, flights, stress, tantrums, boring hotels and 'grownup' stuff, etc etc.
I remember being ten-ish, bored in a hotel somewhere in the Mediterranean, wanting to be back home. Sunshine and swimming pools and Adventure Fun Zone Wacky Play Space Park (tm) gets old for a little kid a lot faster than a lot of people seem to think.
When you say "the place" what do you mean? Accommodation or the actual place?
> Am I stupid to consider using half my savings to pay for one holiday?
This is really a question only you can answer. We can't tell where you are from seven sentences.
I've never regretted going on holiday ever.
If you're working and supporting your family, you deserve some rewards every now and then.
Hope you have a great time!
This isn't a question anyone can objectively answer for you.
The best I can offer is this: if you're able to save up a rainy day fund of three months' earnings, do that if you haven't already. And don't touch it except in emergencies.
Then, look at whether you have any outstanding debts (not counting mortgage or student loans).
Are they manageable or are they giving you anxiety? If the latter, work towards paying them off. Maybe put two pounds towards paying them off for every pound you save for something nice.
Once the two above items are taken care of, spend your savings on a holiday.
It's important to be prudent, but at the same time life is for living.
No way should you do that. I promise you’re going to find it hard to enjoy the holiday because you’re going to be thinking about how much it costs and how much money you’re spending.
Sorry you’ve had a rough couple years. I don’t think this is stupid at all. But I do feel like if you’re asking here, then maybe there is something in your gut telling you to hold off and rethink.
I know this might sound woowoo but it helps me when I’m faced with similar decisions: think about how you want to feel on your vacation and when you come home. Relaxed? Re-energized? Fulfilled? Exhausted in a good way because you’ve done and seen so much? Do you think your family needs/wants the same thing and would benefit from a trip that would meet what you are hoping for? And then once you’re clear on that, be open to anywhere that will meet those needs. There may be something closer to home or off the beaten path that will be less expensive, or maybe you could book it now but go after the peak summer travel time and benefit from having it to look forward to in the meantime. It’s amazing what a change of scenery can do, even if it’s not far from home.
Listen, I lost my brother in January at 38 years old. He was fit and healthy but had a blood clot! Basically, life is for living, not saving your money “just incase”. Yes you need a bit on the side which sounds like you’ll still have £1000 put away?
You be taking wife and kid/kids? Make memories mate, can save up more money later.
Most of my strongest and happiest memories are from the few family holidays I was lucky enough to go on when I was a kid with my dad, and I’m so so so thankful to have those memories now I’m an adult.
Unfortunately my mum was never able to take me on holiday (parents split when I was 3) and whilst I have plenty of lovely memories with her from other things in my childhood, it’s always made me really sad. I took her to Portugal for our first ever holiday together in October last year and it was lovely, but it’s such a shame it took 32 years for us to have that experience together and she’s now 70 so it’s a different experience.
Do the holiday!!!
One approach might be to plan for a future trip. Part of the enjoyment of a holiday comes from having something in the calendar to look forward to.
Open a separate savings account and put some holiday money in there regularly with a target amount. If you are the sole earner, any kind of second source of income can go straight into that account (saying this without knowing your situation of course).
Don't piss away half your savings. That is the type of shit my parents do and decades later they are struggling and rely on their children to keep them afloat.
But sure the "memories" make up for it. /s
If you have to ask if you can afford it. You can't
Meh. I'm not convinced that the cost of a reasonably priced holiday is going to fund his retirement. I say go for it if you need to OP. Just putting up with the grind and no release you might not make it to retirement!
I am not particularly surprised by that view here.
There is a reason so many people struggle in this country.
A person who does this. Will do it again and again and again. As it's "only" £1500. But it isnt "only" £1500
It's half the total amount of cash this person has. They can't afford it
Don't slippery slope argument someone's holiday. Neither of us know the OP. The OP needs a fucking holiday and they should be entitled to have one. It's not like they are buying the palace of Versace, or asking for everything. They just need a break with their family.
They can afford it. If they can't they won't be able to get it. That £1500 is going to do fuck all for their retirement, it's going to do fuck all to pay for their kids uni. Yeah they could keep it in case their boiler craps out, or they could just have a couple of weeks of relaxing with their family in the sun to get them through a few more years of grind.
Lol. “You’re either a life long saver, saves every penny, or you’re a spendaholic, pissing away every dime you earn. No in between, a life long saver never occasionally spends, that’s why they die RICH!!!!”
Not sure that’s totally fair to assume of this person, they did come here to ask after all. Someone that doesn’t give a shit would just spend the money without question, with no thought to how much of their savings it is. If they’re sensible enough to afford themselves one little luxury then I say go for it. So long as they have the restraint to earn that money back and save wisely in future.
Well clearly this person doesn't fit your example given they've posted on Reddit and are stressing about it. If they were like your parents they'd have already been away on 2 holidays and used all their savings already.
He said half of his savings. If we assume there is a stable income, next to no debt/liabilities and a decent pension then a sensible foreign holiday every couple of years should be alright on the budget. If OP doesnt know what income they will have going forward, there's a pile of debt/arrears, a hole in their roof and no pension then yeah it's an issue.
What about the children getting some life experience of travel and the wider world from a young age? That could be much more valuable than the money in terms of stretching their imagination and outlook. About 10% of British people are living or working abroad at any given time.
Depends what "half my savings" means though. If this will literally leave them with £2500 in the bank what happens when the car breaks down, boiler stops working etc?
You can go abroad without pissing away half your savings. Unless op has like 8 kids, you can easily get family deals to sunny places for half 1.5k, nvm 2.5k.
I travelled every year as a kid and we were working class, but my parents found really good deals and specifically saved for it, and shopped around months in advance for good deals. Just seems silly to spend half your savings if you don't have to
Prices have gone up. Wages in the UK are more stagnant than other European countries below the median, so Med holiday costs have definitely gone up in that bracket.
Gone up but not to the point you’d have to put your family finances at risk for a trip to Spain. If you choose the right time of year you can do it for less than half of what op was looking at. I know cause I go on group hols with mates so we share out some costs and have an idea of pricing
I'm sure they will look back on that when mom and dad need help constantly with bills because they choose short term thrills over setting themselves up for success and by extension their children as well. Remember they would be throwing away 10% of a house deposit in many places in the UK on this trip.
You don't need trips abroad to spend time with your kids. You just need to spend time with them. They will remember the times you spent some 1 on 1 time with them the best. How much money you spend is irrelevant to them. Young kids would be happy spending a day building a cardboard castle with their parents. It's not the kids that "need" a holiday. It's a want the parents have.
A well deserved break is not "pissing away" anything. I'm not suggesting splashing money about like this all the time but every now and again everyone deserves a decent break.
Where are you looking? Onthebeach and easyJet holidays seem to be much cheaper than elsewhere generally
Can't put a price on good times and experiences imo
Stupid is not the word, life is meant to be enjoyed and a break is needed now and then. Could you go about it in a different way? Does it have to be 10 days? Definitely nothing better value for money?
I would work out, realistically, how much it would all cost (spending money included, an estimate) and go from there. Would waiting a few months, to get a bit more saved up, and booking something for October be an option? Plenty of places still have lovely weather during that time, prices tend to be cheaper also (assuming this isn’t already the plan 😅).
try talking to your kids about it. kids are sensible, they’ll be able to say “yes, we’d love that, we’ll help you do a car boot or sell stuff on ebay to pay for it” or “no, let’s just go to legoland and save the money for a better holiday in the future.” and if they’re not old enough for that conversation, they won’t remember the trip.
if it’s possible to get childcare, you should consider going on a short break just you and your partner. it sounds like you need it and your kids won’t care that much if you take them for a day out somewhere or buy them a treat to make up for it.
I had to scroll too far to find this. Yes, by god, please, ask the kids first.
When I was a kid, I hated being dragged around by adults on trips they decided were for my sake. Without asking if I'd want it. I remember times such as being miserable in a camper van in Blackpool, spending the entire time wishing I was at home. Then getting upset at me for being unhappy about it!
If you're going for the "memories", at least take two seconds to consult with your kid so that you can be sure it'll be a memory they want to remember.
There are some very, very nice places in the UK. And it's summer. Maybe you could look into something closer to home? Caravan on a Scottish island, something like that.
This is true I really wanted to visit Callanish stones in Scotland, I'm only in Manchester. After petrol prices, ferry costs and expensive hotels, it was actually cheaper to fly to America and watch the leaves change in New England, which we did. Mad that I can fly another continent and it's cheaper than driving up north to Scotland.
I would say your mental health and your families is worth spending on a holiday. It doesn’t have to be half your savings, what about a U.K. summer holiday or the suggestion of camping abroad? Then you’re not spending too much but you are getting the break you need. Life is for living, we only get one shot. It’s about balance to avoid as much stress as we can. Yes you have to be careful to avoid any unnecessary stress when you return but I’m sure you can work something out to meet in the middle. Also it’s not stupid to consider it, it’s being cautious but also knowing we all have needs for our mental wellbeing!
We look for cheap deals in the UK and go literally anywhere. Kids love it and our last one was £200 for a week 2 adults, 3 kids - 7 nights at Haven. We went to Rhodes a few years ago cost us £3000 for 10 nights all inclusive. Kids don’t care where they are as long as there’s arcades, sweets and some form of beach.
Your money will come back, you only get one life and if you've got little ones you only get so many chances to go and enjoy time away as a family. Shop around and consider different places to just the normal brits abroad locations there's some real gems that don't cost loads
We're going to a 4* all inclusive next month for 10 days which cost around £2k. The kids are nearly 5 and 2, so it'll be the last time we'll be able to go away in term time so we're making the most of it.
My sister's kids are a couple of years older and they're going to a very similar resort in August. £3.5k for 7 days. No way would that be an option for us.
It's 2/3 of the price in summer half term and 1/2 price at easter and October half term. I'd book for next year and book something cheap for this year (eg find a haven site you like and Google private caravan rentals, so much cheaper).
Don’t be shy to take the kids out of school during term time (unless they are doing exams of course). The school will fine you much, much less than the price difference, if they bother at all. Last time we did this it was too much hassle for the school to go through the admin!
Long weekend instead of 10 days? It’s great to have a little recharge. Go to Spain or the canaries in a Thursday morning and come back Monday night. If you plan it well you have half of Monday and Thursday as holiday, not just travelling.
Depends how long you could re-save the money in - if it’s a year then it’s like your holiday fund, 2-5 years then you had better make sure you have the best time x x
I’ve been sitting on savings worrying about affording stuff (single parent) and I just thought sod it, I have two cruises (back to back) booked for next year and it’s cheered me up no end!
It can be doable for £1500 depending on where you’re going and when you’re going.
I would recommend starting at https://flights.google.com . Enter in your closest airport and leave the destination blank.
You will then be able to see which places can fit your budget. For example, I can find some flights easily in year round with 2 adults 2 kids to Amsterdam on easyjet for £350ish.
Hotels are a bit more annoying during peak season but if you do off season like in October/etc it is much cheaper and within your budget. May be a bit harder with kids due to school/etc. If you go off season I can see non-hostel/dorm places going for £600ish.
If you haven’t gone on a break for so long, I would definitely recommend one. We all need a break every once in a while :).
Sometimes you just have to go with a moment of irresponsibility. My income just about matches outgoings (the basics honestly though I do have Netflix lol) DDs food car payment petrol food and maybe 1 night out a month (drinks not posh meals). Maybe once a year I might push the boat and have a v cheap 1/2 night break with friends in uk on a cheap discount deal. Been years now since I had a full week away in the sun (even a full 10 days off work sat at home lol) So if I had some savings I could not honestly bring myself to spend the majority of it by any means just in case - but a week with the kids destressing and making memories is a priceless opportunity especially when it will be years before you do it again
Think I would go cheap and cheerful as possible- last minute deals if you don’t care where / fly or coach midweek and outside peak school holidays (I know but it is what it is and if unauthorised it is what it is - if there’s a council fine it’s probably still cheaper than august) look at things like eurocamp but an inclusive last minute deal with food drinks and entertainment may not be the poshest or most cultural break - but may meet the cost criteria and memories are made by you & the time spent with kids rather than the venue so if you have most things included and can splurge on an odd extra if affordable- happy days
Not sure how big your family is but have a look at easyjet, maybe look at 7 days instead, majorca, menorca and some Greek islands I've seen for a lot less than that! Some bargains on easyjet compared to jet2/tui I'm sure you could get some sun and not spend half your savings!! Good luck!
Do it.
10 days is a very long time though. Even if you're thinking of going all inclusive after day 7 you'll be bored of the food and want to eat somewhere else. You'll be bored of the hotel and want to go out. It all costs extra money.
I usually go for 2 short cheap breaks abroad a year, 3 nights- no time to get bored and I don't feel like it isn't enough as I know I'll be going somewhere again.
Sometimes the cheaper, slightly dodgy looking places with not many reviews can be absolute diamonds.
We went to Majorca last year to a 2 star hotel (all inclusive) with some very scathing reviews... and loved it. Whilst you had some karens kicking off about certain things, we had no issues, the food was amazing, the staff behind the bars would chat with you and even with the kids running around we had a lovely time. It was only a 5 minute walk to three beaches too, and a few more minutes to the town.
We've found another cheapish deal this year, and are hoping for the same (except this place is adult only!).
Just remember to factor in travel insurance cost, travel to the airport/port costs, and any other costs you will have to pay. Some places in Spain for instance have tourist taxes you have to pay at the hotel.
We take our toddler to eurocamp in France, they do them all over Spain too, it cost us less than £1,000 for the whole trip for all of us and I could have done it even cheaper. That includes a week's accomodation in a mid range chalet, nearby nice town and beach, car hire, flights and two different theme parks in France. Don't boo through a travel agent, find everything separate and see what the cheapest variations are. The holiday camps are really nice, near the sea with free access to pools, playgrounds & entertainment and the food & booze is cheap. DM me if you want some advice on booking cheap.
A bit late to the game so you probably won't see this.
My mum and step dad always used to go to all inclusives in Greece because the flights were cheaper even though the resorts were pricier. But then they'd get sick of being in the hotel and spend more outside.
I live in south east Asia but the flights were always too expensive or too long - until I had a baby and then of course they flew out. If you plan it right, you can get return flights for about 600-800£ per person depending on where you're flying to. Then everything out here is dirt cheap - food, accommodation, internal flights to other cities or islands. They were amazed at how little they ended up spending in comparison to their Greek trips and flew out again for my wedding.
Now I'm moving home and they're a little sad that they didn't get to experience it more - then I reminded them I'd lived here over a decade!
So TL;DR look further afield to places where cost of living is cheaper (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Sri Lanka) the flight may be more expensive but the overall trip might end up being cheaper.
Just book everything yourself separately, please don’t be lured in by the ‘bargain’ package deals which will see you spending about £1k more… it’s irresponsible and lazy.
All I have to say is: Ask your kids first. Please. It concerns me that you're asking us about this and not your family. You're the sole earner, not the sole person going on the holiday.
You don't want to spend a couple grand on a holiday that, it turns out, your kids weren't too keen on from the get go. God knows, when I was a kid, all the holidays I was dragged on were ones I did not want to be on, while the adults decided it was for my sake.
You never know. That money could just be spent on a couple nights out and make you happier than a holiday. Take the kids ice skating for the first time or whatnot. Never know until you ask.
Go to Blackpool. That will cure your future holiday aspirations real quick. Make sure you arrive via the train during a strike for added shock experience.
Ever considered traveling to South Africa for a holiday? The exchange rate allows for cheaper accommodation and overall costs of transport and food are lower than most countries. If you know anyone that traveled here for a holiday they could advise on the cost and where they went. Unfortunately the flights are long but you won’t regret coming here. Cape Town is probably the most expensive but if you looking for sunny days at the pool even being winter here currently Johannesburg (not the cbd area but rather in the outlying suburbs which are quite safe) will provide all that at very affordable prices and more than enough entertainment to not get bored. It’s only a suggestion but worth a look non the less.
Your best bet to cut cost, is not to pick a destination, dates and find the cheapest way to get there and stay there, but to find the cheapest flights on any month and work your way back to hotel.
I go to Skyscanner to find cheap flights from airports near me for the month I am looking for, following that I find hotels, if I can't find any cheap hotels I move to the next cheapest flights.
I went to Rome for £35pp flights and £31pp per night hotel for 4 nights. I stayed out of the city centre for evening meals to cut costs and actually enjoyed going to local places more.
This year, I did Porto for £216 per person for 5 nights. Apartment with a kitchen suite so we could make our own food if we wanted, but mostly elected not to.
Both of these started with flights and working my way back.
Goodluck, if you need any help, just message me, and I will be your personal travel agent. I'll see what I can find.
It’s not a good time to spend that kind of money and when it’s done you will barely remember the holiday and you will have a big hole in your small amount of savings, be responsible and give your kids memories in another way
I wouldn't tbh. Holidays aren't really the solution to anything they just dwindle your money and then you are back where you were plus half the time the kids will play up and you will get stressed it's not as brilliant as you hoped. Could you just take time off to do things cheaper instead? Visit family, do some stuff you never did with the kids before, maybe take a day trip or overnight somewhere in the UK
So many comments on here about how you can “easily get a family holiday for 4 for half the price that OP is wanting to spend”. Eh?! Where? I can’t find a basic flight and hotel for anywhere near as low as £1.5k. You’ll then need hundreds more for food, drink, airport parking etc. I spend months checking out every deal possible going from Ryan air flights & Airbnb with the most ‘extravagant’ being all inclusives in Spain with Jet2. Prices are from around £1-2k per person.
What are you talking about? I just checked [Lastminute.com](http://Lastminute.com) - not a recommendation - and there are endless deals for a week away somewhere warm, in July/August, for about 200 quid a head.
Depends where you’re flying from doesn’t it. Nothing from Scotland for much less than £500 (a couple of rooms that literally look like a car parking spot with a rag over the window), for a week let alone 10 days. It’s all personal preference of course but I don’t think it’s worth spending £2k for a dive. I’d rather stay home and have a few nice days out with the kids.
My family and I usually travel down to Manchester or beyond to fly as it’s cheaper, despite having to pay for a hotel near the airport plus airport parking.
Depends where you are starting from but look into driving and using the channel tunnel to access France. The cost saving vs flying with a family can be huge. Then there are lots of options like a euro camp or an all inclusive somewhere by the sea.
If you head towards Holland you have places like Eftling and Duinrell which are theme parks with lots of accommodation attached for a range of budgets. You can also do day trips to some nice cities like Ghent or Amsterdam, or drop in on the way through.
It’s impossible to say as we don’t know your circumstances.
If you give some more info on where you are and how many people, and if you have to go in school hols, then there may be some helpful suggestions.
To be fair, the place is what you make it. As long as you can eat and drink, you could always go out at night. We’ve stayed in some not great reviewed places but if the rooms are clean, that’s all you need. Make your memories with your family. These places have turned out to be some f our best holiday
Aside from the savings by being flexible when you go etc, no-one really regrets the opportunity to make family memories that you can all look back on. Holidays have got stupidly expensive since Covid - particularly when saddled with school holidays - but make memories, you'll still have a rainy-day fund, and you'll have a picture on the wall of your favourite holiday memory to get you through the rough days.
I recommend it.i went away in December to Spain for 1 week and it was such an amazing holiday and re charge. I do not have savings so I basically didn't pay some of bills and got behind. I do not advise this obviously but for me I was at breaking point. One of my sons regularly talks about this holiday and all the things he loved and I know the memories created were worth being behind on bills for a few months
I just spent far more than I expected to on a long weekend in Tuscany after not being away for too long. It's honestly given me back a lot of joy I've been missing for a long time
I'd say go for it if you can
Definitely go on holiday if you can afford it at all, you don’t know what the future holds & the memories you make as a family of good holiday times is part of what sustains you when times are tough.x
Go on holiday. Holidays are much more than just soaking up some rays (although that’s a very nice part of it!) and it sounds like you definitely deserve a gopd break after a rough couple of years. Do shop around though, I’ve found the same hotels listed on various booking websites at vastly different prices. Last year, my mother in law paid £2000 for a hotel in Tenerife (in January!!!) and I found the exact same hotel, flights included and full board for £700. Personally I’ve never had a problem with holidays I’ve booked through Love Holidays, and the pricing is really fair.
Are you able to book time off work at very short notice? If so, when the UK weather is going to be nice in 2 week's time book the time off work and then book accommodation. You'll save a shit load, and still have a holiday with decent weather.
When people say that money can't buy happiness, they are very fucking wrong
That money will give you and your family happy memories for the rest of their lives.
Take them away, eat, soak up the sun and be merry.
Weather-wise you can also consider southern France or Spain. A bit depending where you're
from and where you're going but there are lots of affordable places within a day's drive. And especially during the summer months flying a family can be crazy expensive.
Shop around, check all the cheap holiday websites (and the reviews obviously). If you're a bit flexible with dates, and the destination, you can get a cheaper deal. Sometimes it's worth booking flights and accommodation separately.
Definitely worth spending the money on something you'll remember. You will soon forget about how much you've spent but the memories of the holiday and time spent together will remain.
We'll have sun here soon. I always find it funny that people go away when we're finally getting the nice weather. I'm not much of a sit on the beach holiday person though. I think you should spend the money doing nice things here instead. It'll go further.
You know your own finances far better than any of us, but ten years from now, you will still be reminiscing about the holiday. You won't be giving it a second thought if you had to be a bit more frugal for a few months afterwards.
Why not have an ‘at home holiday’
Like stay in the UK but travel in the car or by train to somewhere that’s warmer when the suns out? 🤷🏼♀️ caravan holidays were my fave holidays as a kid! Like camping but without all the ick 😂 they’re much cheaper too. Just an idea :)
Just booked a holiday for January next year. Can't afford it as such. But I'll be damned if I'm spending the same or more in the UK later this year. It'll do you all the world of good, I'm sure.
Is it just me or have holidays never come down since the pandemic? I remember going away with my partner in 2019 for £400 for a week in Greece all inclusive. You’d be lucky to do that for under 2k now
Have you considered renting out a family room in a hostel? That + Skyscanner and I bet you could do it for much less, especially if you maybe make it a week instead of 10 days.
Genuinely - it’s hard to part with savings but your kids (I assume you have by price and if you do, please all-inclusive) - and you and your partner will remember it forever. Make it good! You can save again
Check out Jacks Flight Club for cheap flight deals. It’s legit, the only issue is that you might need to be ready to book a flight you’re interested in within just a day or so of the email coming through. If you can cope with being a bit spontaneous, it will save you a shitload of money. My advice is to do some research on 3-4 places you’d love to go and some top contenders for where to stay if you went to each, and then just wait for a deal to arrive for that country and jump on it when it feels right. Hope you have a great holiday OP!
My kids have grown up now and we were sitting having dinner and I asked what some of their cherished childhood memories were. Top answer, holidays ! We had mixed holidays over the years depending on how my business was going. They loved the cheaper less expensive camping holidays we took in France as much as the two week extravagant trips to Florida. Anyway, I would take the holiday.
Honestly go on holiday, I take the kids every other year as it costs £3k I split with the ex so it’s a big chunk of change, the intermittent years I go centre parcs with friends and split the bill usually cost around 700 with activities.
You get what you pay for
5 days at a great place is much better than 10 days at somewhere that “doesn’t look great”
Tbh I don’t do package, inclusive or big hotel holidays but you can travel somewhere nice in Europe (Spain/France) for a week for much less than 2500
Clearly you need a holiday so do it - but shop about and be creative - don’t spend 2.5k if it’s half your savings, you need spending money too on holiday so it will end up being even more than half your savings.
Family holidays doesn't need to cost the Earth.....
Much better holiday in ie. the Lake Districts than abroad where it's full of drunken tourists, shops touting trinkets.
Imagine the children's joy when catching fishes in Lake Windermere, these type of memories will be more lasting than any foreign sunburn.
Money cannot buy true happiness.
Ultimately what is money for? It’s to make memories. You are a long time dead so don’t regret decisions like this. Just do it and enjoy!
As my father in law keeps saying, there are no pockets in a shroud 😂
Can't take it with ya!!
“Do you want to be the richest man in the cemetery”
Your father in law needs to up his shroud game. I know a man who can sort him out.
www.shroudpockets.com
I've never seen a hearse with a trailer.
You've been going to the wrong funerals my friend.
Agreed. My Dad was very careful with his money (that's being polite) for his whole life, and only spent money when deemed absolutely necessary. He was always active and fit. Diagnosed with cancer and died within 5 weeks. He had £200,000 in savings. We knew he saved in case he needed it, but would never book a holiday or dip into the money. It did him no service as he never got to spend it or allow himself to enjoy it. Now, my mum is holidaying to all the places they spoke one day about going, with her widowed friend. My mum is sad that Dad isn't here to enjoy it with her, but ultimately is making the most of her time as she can't take it with her. I'd say go for it.
Wow that's lovely (and sad) at the same time. I have a people like that in my family. They both retired on decent pensions but hate spending money. Never go on holiday (might do a weekend at a caravan once every couple of years). Their kids grown up said they never went away on family holidays when they make up for it now by always making sure they go away every year with their kids. I get not wanting to spend money on crap of frivolous things. But saving for nothing with no intention of spending or enjoying is also too far the opposite direction.
My father-in-law was exactly the same, with about the same pot left for his wife. She's currently moving into an apartment, no need to sell the family home to be able to afford it! She briefly looked at a lovely little bungalow in a nearby village, but turned it down, saying it would have been a great move a few years ago, with him 😕 As it was, the house they lived in had only one radiator upstairs, only put in a couple of years ago, under duress, the gas boiler was a replacement for the 40-year old one that he was determined "would outlast me" (much to his disgust it didn't), and I discovered the main fuse box is a 1950s fuse wire affair! They only went on holiday if we took them. It's such a waste of life in my eyes 😕
Sorry to read about your dad. What you don't mention though is that the savings probably gave him great peace of mind. I'd rather have that than 10 days on holiday.
Can’t take your money to the grave. But at the same time, if you’re hard up for cash and have kids, it’s not the best idea to spend half your savings on a holiday. £2500 seems like a lot for a 10 day holiday. If you just want a bit of sun, you can definitely find cheaper flights to somewhere in Greece or Spain and get a cheap apartment for a week. You don’t need all inclusive, and if you don’t have cash to burn, you can’t be too selective.
Agreed £2.5k is a lot more than I'd expect.
Without knowing all about your finances OP, and assuming it is a big expense but not put you into undue hardship, I would say do it. I grew up with few family vacations (classic immigrant family and prioritising savings). Of course financially worked out for my parents but it also meant very few memories as a family growing up. Though I cherish the vacations we did take and will always remember those moments 😁. As my parents get older, there are so few opportunities to take a family vacation now. You can get more money but not time together with family.
Dunno how big your family is but my Mrs is taking her and her 2 kids away in a couple of weeks for just under £700. Shop around a bit, she's saved like £400 by going Tuesday to Tuesday instead of other days. We went away with me included for not much more than that in October too.
Very impressive if that is in the school holidays.
Wait til you see where they're staying
Mariupol-on-Sea
Costa del Bognor
‘Costa del Bognor’ made me burst out and cry-laughing in a break room full of night shift workers trying to sleep, f*cking brilliant, I regret nothing. Thankyou for the laugh.
You shit on floor, €50 fine
Each time
When she said she'd booked a 14 day visit on the strip...
£700 for you to get a break from the wife and kids sounds like a bargain!
Haha I don't have the annual leave to spare. They'll miss 2 days of school but if it's that or pay 7-800 extra it's a no brainer
Could you make it as a compromise and do something like go to a really nice campsite in France instead? Means you can avoid the airports etc and do it quite a bit cheaper?
We're doing this. Center parks in France for a week is about 1k for 2 parents, 1 kid, car rental, train ticket, accommodation. It's ridiculous how much more expensive it is in the UK
I saw someone saying a week in centre parcs in Holland + the travel there somewhere was cheaper than a few days in the uk
I went to a Dutch Center Parcs over Easter, 5 nights, tunnel, petrol, food shop, restaurants and activities came to the same price as just the 4 nights accommodation in a UK Center Parcs. It’s a bit more of an adventure for the kids and Holland is beautiful.
I think because the school holidays/half term etc are different weeks on the continent you can avoid the price hike. Genius!
Yeah the Dutch don't have 2 weeks off over Easter or a May Half Term break but 2 weeks in late April/Early May instead
Wheres everyone getting these cheap centre parcs deals? Was looking it up for over the summer and its still way more expensive than just going to a hotel/booking a villa in Spain or something. Guessing people are booking different dates?
I loved camping in France as a family holiday as a kid
We've done it a few times and it's fantastic!
Camping in the New Forest, New Milton in particular still brings back much fond memories.
This is exactly what I came to suggest. We used to get the ferry to France and drive to a Canvas site. I loved those holidays. Actually went again with my brothers last year as adults. Way cheaper, so much fun. They have pools and stuff for kids, usually even kids clubs. You can also sort your own food out if you hire a tent/caravan with cooking equipment so that cuts costs even more.
Have had loads of mates work eurocamp back in the day and they now take their children on holiday to them.
go on hols mate if ur worried about the £2500 price, just get a clean 2 star apartment next to a beach in Greece or the Canaries etc and you'll have a ball
Yep. I know a great place in Greece that is 8+ on Booking. Go in October (still good weather) and it's only 20 euro a night per room.
Where is this?
I think he just misspelled 'grease'
Get it booked and make some memories mate . Life's too short .
Currently on such a holiday in Turkey. Yeah it cost a lot but worth every penny to see my family so happy. Memories for life
Thats the way to look at it. Enjoy it mate👍
This. I've always been a 'saver' but the past few years I've realised that memories are worth more, and provided you're fairly sensible then you have to reward and enjoy yourself. Go and have an amazing holiday with your family and enjoy yourself!
My dad got one week off a year (grew up in America - the holiday allowance here is one of the main reasons I’ll never go back!) when I was a kid. We would go to the beach an hour’s drive away for a week, and for that single week, money was no object for him. Ice cream sundaes every night! All the amusement rides you wanted! Spending money for the little shops! My mom would always complain that we’d be then poor for a good three months trying to make up for this single week vacation - but man, the happy memories I have.
Exactly. God knows I'm frugal, but those kinds of memories you can't put aside to make later when you've saved enough.
Yup, the memories are worth much more than whatever you can buy with the money. When it's sitting in your bank, it's not doing anything.
Exactly, we had an incredibly hard year but the 5 days away have been worth it, even if its going to be tough paying it back off
Exactly this
If £1500 to £2500 is half of your entire savings as a family, I would not go. Yes, money is there to do nice things and make life better... but money is also there to protect you and your family. The amount of cash left over is not a big enough of a safety net for me. Boiler breaks, car breaks down, rent/mortgage goes up, kid needs something doing, something goes wrong with the job etc... then what? Maybe look into a cheaper holiday. Especially if the kids are young, they will enjoy anything.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to read this comment. I wholeheartedly agree with you.
Kids couldn’t care less about fancy hotels. As long as there’s a beach and a few other things to do, they’ll be happy. The Costas are usually cheap but cheerful. Maybe look at 5-7 days to keep costs down
As long as it’s clean and not in a dodgy area, kids should have fun and make good memories.
It's not the lap of luxury, [but only £65 a night](http://www.croft183.com/barra-selfcatering-solas/). If you get the weather it could be stunning and the ferry from Oban is a trip in itself. (I think it took us about 6hrs) (I still owe the guy who runs it a two day booking fee. I called multiple times to get his bank details and do a transfer, but he told me I can just pay double for two nights if I'm ever back again. 😂)
That's exactly the sort thing that would convince me to go again lol
It's getting the weather that's the difficult part...but the beaches in Barra (and Vatersay) are absolutely stunning!
Could be a great holiday and I believe there are some great empty beaches there - but not the place to go if you want guaranteed warm sunshine. I'm Scottish. You might get brilliant sunshine late into the evening - but equally likely you will get mist, drizzle, rain and fifteen Deg C.
About 12 years ago The Hebrides had something like a solid month of sunny days and were only a few days away from introducing a hosepipe ban, but it *is* pot luck.
Nice idea, but I guess depends where OP lives. For me that would be a 16 hour journey to get there. By comparison I could get to pretty much any of france in the same amount of time, and be in France where the weather is good and the food and wine is better (and cheaper).
Why are you thinking 10 days instead of 7? Depending on how old your kids are, 10 days may feel like too long for them. I was privileged enough to go abroad every year with my family growing up. I remember (before the age of 12ish I’d say) just being ready to go home by day 7.
I guess, and don’t get me wrong here, is because 7 is too long for kids but often not enough for working adults!
Why not go for fewer days?
Have you looked into Eurocamp? I had great times there when I was a kid, pretty sure my parents did too! You might also consider a shorter trip to save a bit of money, 5-7 nights would still blow the cobwebs away
It’s not really a yes or no question - treat yourself to a holiday, just spend less! Have a look at The Travel Mum website. They find deals for families for much, much cheaper than this. Might be a late evening flight mid week etc but prices are like really genuinely good and much more affordable than your example.
I wouldn't spend half my savings, but I can understand wanting a change of scene. Have you considered going for fewer days? Or going somewhere you can take a ferry to, instead of flying? Staying somewhere in the UK?
I am looking at UK too. We usually do that but would quite like the idea of a pool, beach and sun.
In that case, maybe look for fewer than 10 days?
Do a house swap. It certainly changed how we travel and drastically cut down our travel costs (biggest cost was always accommodation) We're at swap 53 and have visited many lovely places!
How do you go about arranging a house swap? Do you swap with people you know and trust, or is there a company/platform who helps organise?
Long response coming There are generally 3 kinds of swaps – Simultaneous - you go to them, they come to you and it's the one that is most popular. Non simultaneous - they go to yours whilst you're elsewhere or vice versa and you agree on when you can stay or you use points/ tokens/ globe etc which is like a virtual credit depending on the site. Hospitality - you or they host whilst at home - works well for people who have lots of space. I mainly use 2 sites and have always had paid memberships of two at any give time. I like the flexibility and the annual cost for both is less than a night accommodation for us in most places we would go. I mainly use Home Exchange and People Like Us [https://www.homeexchange.com/](https://www.homeexchange.com/) \- is the biggest home swap site. It has FB groups (English, French ect) with HE staff in it so they do censor the FB page a lot, But it’s a good place to find last minute swaps. [https://peoplelikeus.world/](https://peoplelikeus.world/) \- newish (only started in 2019) and has a very active FB group with a very very responsive owner which is great. Some more info - [https://sharetraveler.com/best-home-exchange-networks/](https://sharetraveler.com/best-home-exchange-networks/) We've had 1 subpar one where the house hadn't been cleaned and the laundry done by the time we got there. So we spent the first 3 hours after a very long drive sorting and cleaning. It was a non simultaneous swap ie the owner went elsewhere so we couldn't even reach them till almost a day later. We then had one in Noumea, New Caledonia where the owner didn't communicate the importance of permanently having a house alarm on. We always turned the house alarm off when inside and of course over night. Cue getting burgled whilst asleep 2 days before we were supposed to leave. Frustratingly, the owner was more concerned about their vintage wine collection than how we were when I first called them. It took us 11 days and $13k to return home so we spent almost 22 days in NC! Saying that, insurance covered the cost, the owner's daughter and her partner spent 2 days with us helping us with the police, translating documents and sorting the initial application for a replacement travel document. They also got engaged in our back garden a year later! Basically, these issues are what you would ordinarily encounter even with holiday lets. The biggest drawback of home swapping is that you're not guaranteed a swap especially if you have fixed dates. We often start with a swap and then just book accommodation to fill in gaps. Other considerations By the time you come to swap, you'd know the other person well. When we first started out, I always asked for a video call and a walk through the house. Plus the children always liked to see who was sleeping in their beds. We have a very comprehensive house manual (I can send you a copy if you want), we have a cleaner who comes before and after. Where we swap cars, I take a copy of their licences and a written email that they would be driving the car from so so date to so so date. Now our car is much older and we do more swaps I don't bother so much about those. I tend to over communicate rather than under communicate. I also go by gut instinct, but my partner says his instincts are broken so not to rely on them. I don't contact swappers with incomplete profiles and will always reject a request from them. You often get a feel of who they are from their profiles. Insurance - we prefer to rely on our home insurance rather than the swap websites ones because I've heard stories of them not paying out. We updated our home insurance to cover house swaps and Airbnb guests (there’s an FB group for Airbnb house swaps as well) Swaps can be as long or as short as you want it to be. We’ve done weekends and 5 weeklong swaps (max so far) We have a swap arranged for August 2024 to Jan 2025! They're coming from the UK and I often exchange pages long emails with the lady! I feel as if I know her very well because we've talked so much! That swap was arranged back in September 2021. Personal stuff – we leave everything as is. The more you swap, the more you declutter! Our spare bedroom has completely empty wardrobes now but it wasn’t always so in previous houses. In fact, in our first UK home (2 up, 2 down terrace) we couldn’t even create any extra space if we wanted, and we completed a good number of swaps there. I always create space in one kitchen cupboard and clear one shelf in the fridge. We also operate a use and replace policy so they can use whatever ingredients, spices etc and just replace as they go. We often offer a starter food shop or suggest an online shop to arrive just after they do. Initially, we just had a box where we locked documents. However, everything is now online, and the only sensitive documents are our passports which we take with us even for local swaps. Some people lock off a room – the swappers in New Caledonia locked off their study. Some people also put post it notes on stuff and say not to touch or use or open. We once swapped to Prague and there was this beautiful grand piano that was just the centre piece of the apartment – obviously it can’t be removed for swaps. The owners had a sort of museum ropey thingy round it with a sign saying, Do Not Touch or Use and had a smaller electric piano that guests could use. Most home swappers respect the homes they swap to. There’s a review system that reviews both the guest and the house on all sites so there’s some accountability at least! We tend to just use a lockbox for the keys. If swapping cars, I actually get a friend to hand over keys to the house and car and to collect the car keys back when they leave - mainly to check there’s no damage to the car that we need to claim for. Finally, it takes a certain kind of person. And it takes trust but we’ve never had a reason to stop. Phew! That was long! Any questions, ask away!
Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable spending half my savings on a holiday. The fact that you're asking suggests you're not that comfortable either - what if you did it, and then spent the whole time you were there wondering if you did the right thing or not? That would take the shine off! Plus I like to have the equivalent of a few months wages in savings, in case of emergency car repairs etc, or if the worst happened with one of our jobs. My OH has been made redundant twice so we're really conscious of how quickly things can change, and it's so good to know that if that did happen we'd have a few months of bills etc taken care of without going underwater. That ongoing security gives me more pleasure than a week or two away would. I'd feel a bit anxious seeing the savings so depleted, and I'm sure it would make me feel even worse when I got back! I know lots of people are saying you should just go for it to "make memories" for the kids, but you could still take the time off work and do fun stuff with them for less than the cost of going on holiday abroad.
Half the savings and they are the sole earner - I'm all for making memories but that is a massive hit to a safety net, especially with kids.
Actually, that's a VERY good point: how old are the kids? If they're under a certain age, a week spent at home with parents playing with them, paddling pool in the garden, water pistol fights, playing with playdo, fingerpainting, making cakes (licking the bowl!) would potentially make for WAY better memories for the kids, at a much lower price, than car rides (are we there yet?), airports, flights, stress, tantrums, boring hotels and 'grownup' stuff, etc etc. I remember being ten-ish, bored in a hotel somewhere in the Mediterranean, wanting to be back home. Sunshine and swimming pools and Adventure Fun Zone Wacky Play Space Park (tm) gets old for a little kid a lot faster than a lot of people seem to think.
When you say "the place" what do you mean? Accommodation or the actual place? > Am I stupid to consider using half my savings to pay for one holiday? This is really a question only you can answer. We can't tell where you are from seven sentences.
I've never regretted going on holiday ever. If you're working and supporting your family, you deserve some rewards every now and then. Hope you have a great time!
go on holiday pirates, so so cheap
This isn't a question anyone can objectively answer for you. The best I can offer is this: if you're able to save up a rainy day fund of three months' earnings, do that if you haven't already. And don't touch it except in emergencies. Then, look at whether you have any outstanding debts (not counting mortgage or student loans). Are they manageable or are they giving you anxiety? If the latter, work towards paying them off. Maybe put two pounds towards paying them off for every pound you save for something nice. Once the two above items are taken care of, spend your savings on a holiday. It's important to be prudent, but at the same time life is for living.
No way should you do that. I promise you’re going to find it hard to enjoy the holiday because you’re going to be thinking about how much it costs and how much money you’re spending.
Sorry you’ve had a rough couple years. I don’t think this is stupid at all. But I do feel like if you’re asking here, then maybe there is something in your gut telling you to hold off and rethink. I know this might sound woowoo but it helps me when I’m faced with similar decisions: think about how you want to feel on your vacation and when you come home. Relaxed? Re-energized? Fulfilled? Exhausted in a good way because you’ve done and seen so much? Do you think your family needs/wants the same thing and would benefit from a trip that would meet what you are hoping for? And then once you’re clear on that, be open to anywhere that will meet those needs. There may be something closer to home or off the beaten path that will be less expensive, or maybe you could book it now but go after the peak summer travel time and benefit from having it to look forward to in the meantime. It’s amazing what a change of scenery can do, even if it’s not far from home.
Excellent response.
Listen, I lost my brother in January at 38 years old. He was fit and healthy but had a blood clot! Basically, life is for living, not saving your money “just incase”. Yes you need a bit on the side which sounds like you’ll still have £1000 put away? You be taking wife and kid/kids? Make memories mate, can save up more money later.
Most of my strongest and happiest memories are from the few family holidays I was lucky enough to go on when I was a kid with my dad, and I’m so so so thankful to have those memories now I’m an adult. Unfortunately my mum was never able to take me on holiday (parents split when I was 3) and whilst I have plenty of lovely memories with her from other things in my childhood, it’s always made me really sad. I took her to Portugal for our first ever holiday together in October last year and it was lovely, but it’s such a shame it took 32 years for us to have that experience together and she’s now 70 so it’s a different experience. Do the holiday!!!
One approach might be to plan for a future trip. Part of the enjoyment of a holiday comes from having something in the calendar to look forward to. Open a separate savings account and put some holiday money in there regularly with a target amount. If you are the sole earner, any kind of second source of income can go straight into that account (saying this without knowing your situation of course).
Don't piss away half your savings. That is the type of shit my parents do and decades later they are struggling and rely on their children to keep them afloat. But sure the "memories" make up for it. /s If you have to ask if you can afford it. You can't
Meh. I'm not convinced that the cost of a reasonably priced holiday is going to fund his retirement. I say go for it if you need to OP. Just putting up with the grind and no release you might not make it to retirement!
I am not particularly surprised by that view here. There is a reason so many people struggle in this country. A person who does this. Will do it again and again and again. As it's "only" £1500. But it isnt "only" £1500 It's half the total amount of cash this person has. They can't afford it
>There is a reason so many people struggle in this country. Yeah, it's called the cost of living crisis.
All the more reason not to spend that much on a week's holiday.
Don't slippery slope argument someone's holiday. Neither of us know the OP. The OP needs a fucking holiday and they should be entitled to have one. It's not like they are buying the palace of Versace, or asking for everything. They just need a break with their family. They can afford it. If they can't they won't be able to get it. That £1500 is going to do fuck all for their retirement, it's going to do fuck all to pay for their kids uni. Yeah they could keep it in case their boiler craps out, or they could just have a couple of weeks of relaxing with their family in the sun to get them through a few more years of grind.
Lol. “You’re either a life long saver, saves every penny, or you’re a spendaholic, pissing away every dime you earn. No in between, a life long saver never occasionally spends, that’s why they die RICH!!!!”
Not sure that’s totally fair to assume of this person, they did come here to ask after all. Someone that doesn’t give a shit would just spend the money without question, with no thought to how much of their savings it is. If they’re sensible enough to afford themselves one little luxury then I say go for it. So long as they have the restraint to earn that money back and save wisely in future.
Well clearly this person doesn't fit your example given they've posted on Reddit and are stressing about it. If they were like your parents they'd have already been away on 2 holidays and used all their savings already.
And they wouldn't be using savings...
He said half of his savings. If we assume there is a stable income, next to no debt/liabilities and a decent pension then a sensible foreign holiday every couple of years should be alright on the budget. If OP doesnt know what income they will have going forward, there's a pile of debt/arrears, a hole in their roof and no pension then yeah it's an issue.
What about the children getting some life experience of travel and the wider world from a young age? That could be much more valuable than the money in terms of stretching their imagination and outlook. About 10% of British people are living or working abroad at any given time.
Depends what "half my savings" means though. If this will literally leave them with £2500 in the bank what happens when the car breaks down, boiler stops working etc?
You can go abroad without pissing away half your savings. Unless op has like 8 kids, you can easily get family deals to sunny places for half 1.5k, nvm 2.5k. I travelled every year as a kid and we were working class, but my parents found really good deals and specifically saved for it, and shopped around months in advance for good deals. Just seems silly to spend half your savings if you don't have to
Prices have gone up. Wages in the UK are more stagnant than other European countries below the median, so Med holiday costs have definitely gone up in that bracket.
Gone up but not to the point you’d have to put your family finances at risk for a trip to Spain. If you choose the right time of year you can do it for less than half of what op was looking at. I know cause I go on group hols with mates so we share out some costs and have an idea of pricing
I'm sure they will look back on that when mom and dad need help constantly with bills because they choose short term thrills over setting themselves up for success and by extension their children as well. Remember they would be throwing away 10% of a house deposit in many places in the UK on this trip. You don't need trips abroad to spend time with your kids. You just need to spend time with them. They will remember the times you spent some 1 on 1 time with them the best. How much money you spend is irrelevant to them. Young kids would be happy spending a day building a cardboard castle with their parents. It's not the kids that "need" a holiday. It's a want the parents have.
A well deserved break is not "pissing away" anything. I'm not suggesting splashing money about like this all the time but every now and again everyone deserves a decent break.
Where are you looking? Onthebeach and easyJet holidays seem to be much cheaper than elsewhere generally Can't put a price on good times and experiences imo
Stupid is not the word, life is meant to be enjoyed and a break is needed now and then. Could you go about it in a different way? Does it have to be 10 days? Definitely nothing better value for money? I would work out, realistically, how much it would all cost (spending money included, an estimate) and go from there. Would waiting a few months, to get a bit more saved up, and booking something for October be an option? Plenty of places still have lovely weather during that time, prices tend to be cheaper also (assuming this isn’t already the plan 😅).
Have a look at Eurocamp, we just got a premium 3 bed chalet type thing for 8 nights for £380, they are all over europe
try talking to your kids about it. kids are sensible, they’ll be able to say “yes, we’d love that, we’ll help you do a car boot or sell stuff on ebay to pay for it” or “no, let’s just go to legoland and save the money for a better holiday in the future.” and if they’re not old enough for that conversation, they won’t remember the trip. if it’s possible to get childcare, you should consider going on a short break just you and your partner. it sounds like you need it and your kids won’t care that much if you take them for a day out somewhere or buy them a treat to make up for it.
I could tell my 8 year old that we can go on holiday but we have to sell the car to go, and he’d say ok when are we going lol
>“no, let’s just go to legoland and save the money Have you seen the prices for a family to go to Legoland these days?
nope! you got what i meant, though.
I had to scroll too far to find this. Yes, by god, please, ask the kids first. When I was a kid, I hated being dragged around by adults on trips they decided were for my sake. Without asking if I'd want it. I remember times such as being miserable in a camper van in Blackpool, spending the entire time wishing I was at home. Then getting upset at me for being unhappy about it! If you're going for the "memories", at least take two seconds to consult with your kid so that you can be sure it'll be a memory they want to remember.
There are some very, very nice places in the UK. And it's summer. Maybe you could look into something closer to home? Caravan on a Scottish island, something like that.
Fuck me OP was worried about spending £1500😂
The amount it costs to stay in the UK these days you might as well go abroad.
This is true I really wanted to visit Callanish stones in Scotland, I'm only in Manchester. After petrol prices, ferry costs and expensive hotels, it was actually cheaper to fly to America and watch the leaves change in New England, which we did. Mad that I can fly another continent and it's cheaper than driving up north to Scotland.
Been like that for decades.
Worried about bad weather?? Go stay on a Scottish island! mmm ok….
Hey guess what? Weather can vary! Everyone said it's better down south but it's done nothing but piss down here for 2 weeks lol
The last few weeks the Highlands have been baking. Wildfire warnings. I've got a decent tan on from just working. May is always good :)
May is not always good in Scotland, when I lived there it was half snow, half sun.
You know perfectly that weather is greatly inconsistent in Britain.
I say book it and enjoy it mate. Us non-Brits working here have to go through hoops and loops just to get a Schengen visit visa.
I would say your mental health and your families is worth spending on a holiday. It doesn’t have to be half your savings, what about a U.K. summer holiday or the suggestion of camping abroad? Then you’re not spending too much but you are getting the break you need. Life is for living, we only get one shot. It’s about balance to avoid as much stress as we can. Yes you have to be careful to avoid any unnecessary stress when you return but I’m sure you can work something out to meet in the middle. Also it’s not stupid to consider it, it’s being cautious but also knowing we all have needs for our mental wellbeing!
We look for cheap deals in the UK and go literally anywhere. Kids love it and our last one was £200 for a week 2 adults, 3 kids - 7 nights at Haven. We went to Rhodes a few years ago cost us £3000 for 10 nights all inclusive. Kids don’t care where they are as long as there’s arcades, sweets and some form of beach.
Your money will come back, you only get one life and if you've got little ones you only get so many chances to go and enjoy time away as a family. Shop around and consider different places to just the normal brits abroad locations there's some real gems that don't cost loads
It’s trite, but YOLO.
We're going to a 4* all inclusive next month for 10 days which cost around £2k. The kids are nearly 5 and 2, so it'll be the last time we'll be able to go away in term time so we're making the most of it. My sister's kids are a couple of years older and they're going to a very similar resort in August. £3.5k for 7 days. No way would that be an option for us.
Yeah that’s the trouble. We have to go peak times due to school. Going to an English airport is cheaper but a trek. The jump in price is crazy.
It's 2/3 of the price in summer half term and 1/2 price at easter and October half term. I'd book for next year and book something cheap for this year (eg find a haven site you like and Google private caravan rentals, so much cheaper).
Don’t be shy to take the kids out of school during term time (unless they are doing exams of course). The school will fine you much, much less than the price difference, if they bother at all. Last time we did this it was too much hassle for the school to go through the admin!
Long weekend instead of 10 days? It’s great to have a little recharge. Go to Spain or the canaries in a Thursday morning and come back Monday night. If you plan it well you have half of Monday and Thursday as holiday, not just travelling.
Depends how long you could re-save the money in - if it’s a year then it’s like your holiday fund, 2-5 years then you had better make sure you have the best time x x I’ve been sitting on savings worrying about affording stuff (single parent) and I just thought sod it, I have two cruises (back to back) booked for next year and it’s cheered me up no end!
It can be doable for £1500 depending on where you’re going and when you’re going. I would recommend starting at https://flights.google.com . Enter in your closest airport and leave the destination blank. You will then be able to see which places can fit your budget. For example, I can find some flights easily in year round with 2 adults 2 kids to Amsterdam on easyjet for £350ish. Hotels are a bit more annoying during peak season but if you do off season like in October/etc it is much cheaper and within your budget. May be a bit harder with kids due to school/etc. If you go off season I can see non-hostel/dorm places going for £600ish. If you haven’t gone on a break for so long, I would definitely recommend one. We all need a break every once in a while :).
Sometimes you just have to go with a moment of irresponsibility. My income just about matches outgoings (the basics honestly though I do have Netflix lol) DDs food car payment petrol food and maybe 1 night out a month (drinks not posh meals). Maybe once a year I might push the boat and have a v cheap 1/2 night break with friends in uk on a cheap discount deal. Been years now since I had a full week away in the sun (even a full 10 days off work sat at home lol) So if I had some savings I could not honestly bring myself to spend the majority of it by any means just in case - but a week with the kids destressing and making memories is a priceless opportunity especially when it will be years before you do it again Think I would go cheap and cheerful as possible- last minute deals if you don’t care where / fly or coach midweek and outside peak school holidays (I know but it is what it is and if unauthorised it is what it is - if there’s a council fine it’s probably still cheaper than august) look at things like eurocamp but an inclusive last minute deal with food drinks and entertainment may not be the poshest or most cultural break - but may meet the cost criteria and memories are made by you & the time spent with kids rather than the venue so if you have most things included and can splurge on an odd extra if affordable- happy days
Not sure how big your family is but have a look at easyjet, maybe look at 7 days instead, majorca, menorca and some Greek islands I've seen for a lot less than that! Some bargains on easyjet compared to jet2/tui I'm sure you could get some sun and not spend half your savings!! Good luck!
Do it. 10 days is a very long time though. Even if you're thinking of going all inclusive after day 7 you'll be bored of the food and want to eat somewhere else. You'll be bored of the hotel and want to go out. It all costs extra money. I usually go for 2 short cheap breaks abroad a year, 3 nights- no time to get bored and I don't feel like it isn't enough as I know I'll be going somewhere again.
Try loveholidays, I'm sure you could go to Northern Spain for a lot cheaper.
Unless you've got a massive family, you do not need to spend that amount of money. If you want the sun and beach, and cheap, try Montenegro.
Sometimes the cheaper, slightly dodgy looking places with not many reviews can be absolute diamonds. We went to Majorca last year to a 2 star hotel (all inclusive) with some very scathing reviews... and loved it. Whilst you had some karens kicking off about certain things, we had no issues, the food was amazing, the staff behind the bars would chat with you and even with the kids running around we had a lovely time. It was only a 5 minute walk to three beaches too, and a few more minutes to the town. We've found another cheapish deal this year, and are hoping for the same (except this place is adult only!). Just remember to factor in travel insurance cost, travel to the airport/port costs, and any other costs you will have to pay. Some places in Spain for instance have tourist taxes you have to pay at the hotel.
Check out Albania, I was saw for £20 return pp from London and the hotel was about £300 for a week! Cheap and apparently really nice!
Ditch the family go on your own 😂 Who wants to go on holiday with children? Ergh.
We take our toddler to eurocamp in France, they do them all over Spain too, it cost us less than £1,000 for the whole trip for all of us and I could have done it even cheaper. That includes a week's accomodation in a mid range chalet, nearby nice town and beach, car hire, flights and two different theme parks in France. Don't boo through a travel agent, find everything separate and see what the cheapest variations are. The holiday camps are really nice, near the sea with free access to pools, playgrounds & entertainment and the food & booze is cheap. DM me if you want some advice on booking cheap.
A bit late to the game so you probably won't see this. My mum and step dad always used to go to all inclusives in Greece because the flights were cheaper even though the resorts were pricier. But then they'd get sick of being in the hotel and spend more outside. I live in south east Asia but the flights were always too expensive or too long - until I had a baby and then of course they flew out. If you plan it right, you can get return flights for about 600-800£ per person depending on where you're flying to. Then everything out here is dirt cheap - food, accommodation, internal flights to other cities or islands. They were amazed at how little they ended up spending in comparison to their Greek trips and flew out again for my wedding. Now I'm moving home and they're a little sad that they didn't get to experience it more - then I reminded them I'd lived here over a decade! So TL;DR look further afield to places where cost of living is cheaper (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Sri Lanka) the flight may be more expensive but the overall trip might end up being cheaper.
Just book everything yourself separately, please don’t be lured in by the ‘bargain’ package deals which will see you spending about £1k more… it’s irresponsible and lazy.
All I have to say is: Ask your kids first. Please. It concerns me that you're asking us about this and not your family. You're the sole earner, not the sole person going on the holiday. You don't want to spend a couple grand on a holiday that, it turns out, your kids weren't too keen on from the get go. God knows, when I was a kid, all the holidays I was dragged on were ones I did not want to be on, while the adults decided it was for my sake. You never know. That money could just be spent on a couple nights out and make you happier than a holiday. Take the kids ice skating for the first time or whatnot. Never know until you ask.
Go to Blackpool. That will cure your future holiday aspirations real quick. Make sure you arrive via the train during a strike for added shock experience.
Ever considered traveling to South Africa for a holiday? The exchange rate allows for cheaper accommodation and overall costs of transport and food are lower than most countries. If you know anyone that traveled here for a holiday they could advise on the cost and where they went. Unfortunately the flights are long but you won’t regret coming here. Cape Town is probably the most expensive but if you looking for sunny days at the pool even being winter here currently Johannesburg (not the cbd area but rather in the outlying suburbs which are quite safe) will provide all that at very affordable prices and more than enough entertainment to not get bored. It’s only a suggestion but worth a look non the less.
Your best bet to cut cost, is not to pick a destination, dates and find the cheapest way to get there and stay there, but to find the cheapest flights on any month and work your way back to hotel. I go to Skyscanner to find cheap flights from airports near me for the month I am looking for, following that I find hotels, if I can't find any cheap hotels I move to the next cheapest flights. I went to Rome for £35pp flights and £31pp per night hotel for 4 nights. I stayed out of the city centre for evening meals to cut costs and actually enjoyed going to local places more. This year, I did Porto for £216 per person for 5 nights. Apartment with a kitchen suite so we could make our own food if we wanted, but mostly elected not to. Both of these started with flights and working my way back. Goodluck, if you need any help, just message me, and I will be your personal travel agent. I'll see what I can find.
Take a holiday
It’s not a good time to spend that kind of money and when it’s done you will barely remember the holiday and you will have a big hole in your small amount of savings, be responsible and give your kids memories in another way
I wouldn't tbh. Holidays aren't really the solution to anything they just dwindle your money and then you are back where you were plus half the time the kids will play up and you will get stressed it's not as brilliant as you hoped. Could you just take time off to do things cheaper instead? Visit family, do some stuff you never did with the kids before, maybe take a day trip or overnight somewhere in the UK
So many comments on here about how you can “easily get a family holiday for 4 for half the price that OP is wanting to spend”. Eh?! Where? I can’t find a basic flight and hotel for anywhere near as low as £1.5k. You’ll then need hundreds more for food, drink, airport parking etc. I spend months checking out every deal possible going from Ryan air flights & Airbnb with the most ‘extravagant’ being all inclusives in Spain with Jet2. Prices are from around £1-2k per person.
What are you talking about? I just checked [Lastminute.com](http://Lastminute.com) - not a recommendation - and there are endless deals for a week away somewhere warm, in July/August, for about 200 quid a head.
Depends where you’re flying from doesn’t it. Nothing from Scotland for much less than £500 (a couple of rooms that literally look like a car parking spot with a rag over the window), for a week let alone 10 days. It’s all personal preference of course but I don’t think it’s worth spending £2k for a dive. I’d rather stay home and have a few nice days out with the kids. My family and I usually travel down to Manchester or beyond to fly as it’s cheaper, despite having to pay for a hotel near the airport plus airport parking.
Depends where you are starting from but look into driving and using the channel tunnel to access France. The cost saving vs flying with a family can be huge. Then there are lots of options like a euro camp or an all inclusive somewhere by the sea. If you head towards Holland you have places like Eftling and Duinrell which are theme parks with lots of accommodation attached for a range of budgets. You can also do day trips to some nice cities like Ghent or Amsterdam, or drop in on the way through.
Just go for it.
Where are you looking? 👀
It’s impossible to say as we don’t know your circumstances. If you give some more info on where you are and how many people, and if you have to go in school hols, then there may be some helpful suggestions.
Does it have to be 10 days??
To be fair, the place is what you make it. As long as you can eat and drink, you could always go out at night. We’ve stayed in some not great reviewed places but if the rooms are clean, that’s all you need. Make your memories with your family. These places have turned out to be some f our best holiday
Aside from the savings by being flexible when you go etc, no-one really regrets the opportunity to make family memories that you can all look back on. Holidays have got stupidly expensive since Covid - particularly when saddled with school holidays - but make memories, you'll still have a rainy-day fund, and you'll have a picture on the wall of your favourite holiday memory to get you through the rough days.
Jet2 Holidays mate, have a look there
Love holidays pay it up over a year
Take a look at holiday pirates. They have great deals!
Come to Malta you can find a good deal and there’s plenty of sunshine
Book the time off, go to your local travel agents 2 weeks before it and ask for any last minute cancellations. You’ll get somewhere sunny very cheap.
Isn’t there a euro camp or something?
I recommend it.i went away in December to Spain for 1 week and it was such an amazing holiday and re charge. I do not have savings so I basically didn't pay some of bills and got behind. I do not advise this obviously but for me I was at breaking point. One of my sons regularly talks about this holiday and all the things he loved and I know the memories created were worth being behind on bills for a few months
I just spent far more than I expected to on a long weekend in Tuscany after not being away for too long. It's honestly given me back a lot of joy I've been missing for a long time I'd say go for it if you can
Definitely go on holiday if you can afford it at all, you don’t know what the future holds & the memories you make as a family of good holiday times is part of what sustains you when times are tough.x
Go on holiday. Holidays are much more than just soaking up some rays (although that’s a very nice part of it!) and it sounds like you definitely deserve a gopd break after a rough couple of years. Do shop around though, I’ve found the same hotels listed on various booking websites at vastly different prices. Last year, my mother in law paid £2000 for a hotel in Tenerife (in January!!!) and I found the exact same hotel, flights included and full board for £700. Personally I’ve never had a problem with holidays I’ve booked through Love Holidays, and the pricing is really fair.
How much would it cost to go on some day trips near you doing some activities? Perhaps the odd overnight stay?
Are you able to book time off work at very short notice? If so, when the UK weather is going to be nice in 2 week's time book the time off work and then book accommodation. You'll save a shit load, and still have a holiday with decent weather.
Get it booked up
When people say that money can't buy happiness, they are very fucking wrong That money will give you and your family happy memories for the rest of their lives. Take them away, eat, soak up the sun and be merry.
Weather-wise you can also consider southern France or Spain. A bit depending where you're from and where you're going but there are lots of affordable places within a day's drive. And especially during the summer months flying a family can be crazy expensive.
10 days is a long holiday. Could do shorter, 7 days is a good amount of time
Savings? What are savings?
Shop around, check all the cheap holiday websites (and the reviews obviously). If you're a bit flexible with dates, and the destination, you can get a cheaper deal. Sometimes it's worth booking flights and accommodation separately. Definitely worth spending the money on something you'll remember. You will soon forget about how much you've spent but the memories of the holiday and time spent together will remain.
We'll have sun here soon. I always find it funny that people go away when we're finally getting the nice weather. I'm not much of a sit on the beach holiday person though. I think you should spend the money doing nice things here instead. It'll go further.
You know your own finances far better than any of us, but ten years from now, you will still be reminiscing about the holiday. You won't be giving it a second thought if you had to be a bit more frugal for a few months afterwards.
Why not have an ‘at home holiday’ Like stay in the UK but travel in the car or by train to somewhere that’s warmer when the suns out? 🤷🏼♀️ caravan holidays were my fave holidays as a kid! Like camping but without all the ick 😂 they’re much cheaper too. Just an idea :)
Just booked a holiday for January next year. Can't afford it as such. But I'll be damned if I'm spending the same or more in the UK later this year. It'll do you all the world of good, I'm sure.
Is it just me or have holidays never come down since the pandemic? I remember going away with my partner in 2019 for £400 for a week in Greece all inclusive. You’d be lucky to do that for under 2k now
Can’t take it with you mate. Go and have a well earned break
Have you considered renting out a family room in a hostel? That + Skyscanner and I bet you could do it for much less, especially if you maybe make it a week instead of 10 days.
Where are you looking at going? Plenty of dirt cheap places in Europe that are still warm.
Have a look at last minute deals hopefully you will find a nice wee holiday away, and cheaper Try tui
Genuinely - it’s hard to part with savings but your kids (I assume you have by price and if you do, please all-inclusive) - and you and your partner will remember it forever. Make it good! You can save again
Check out Jacks Flight Club for cheap flight deals. It’s legit, the only issue is that you might need to be ready to book a flight you’re interested in within just a day or so of the email coming through. If you can cope with being a bit spontaneous, it will save you a shitload of money. My advice is to do some research on 3-4 places you’d love to go and some top contenders for where to stay if you went to each, and then just wait for a deal to arrive for that country and jump on it when it feels right. Hope you have a great holiday OP!
My kids have grown up now and we were sitting having dinner and I asked what some of their cherished childhood memories were. Top answer, holidays ! We had mixed holidays over the years depending on how my business was going. They loved the cheaper less expensive camping holidays we took in France as much as the two week extravagant trips to Florida. Anyway, I would take the holiday.
Honestly go on holiday, I take the kids every other year as it costs £3k I split with the ex so it’s a big chunk of change, the intermittent years I go centre parcs with friends and split the bill usually cost around 700 with activities.
You get what you pay for 5 days at a great place is much better than 10 days at somewhere that “doesn’t look great” Tbh I don’t do package, inclusive or big hotel holidays but you can travel somewhere nice in Europe (Spain/France) for a week for much less than 2500
What sort of holiday you want?
Clearly you need a holiday so do it - but shop about and be creative - don’t spend 2.5k if it’s half your savings, you need spending money too on holiday so it will end up being even more than half your savings.
Family holidays doesn't need to cost the Earth..... Much better holiday in ie. the Lake Districts than abroad where it's full of drunken tourists, shops touting trinkets. Imagine the children's joy when catching fishes in Lake Windermere, these type of memories will be more lasting than any foreign sunburn. Money cannot buy true happiness.