Are we the only couple who can't afford a holiday?

Little_Muvva

We were going to go abroad this year - first holiday for 17 years. My fixed rate was up and, when I looked this time last year, I could have re-mortgaged for another £2,000 on top, not increased the term of the mortgage and still would have paid less per month. However, since then mortgages have changed and house values fallen further so it's not to happen.

The trouble with staying home is you end up doing the domestic things and you don't get to totally relax and forget about day to day life. (not to mention the rubbish weather the past few years which means you can't even have a cheap picnic!).

I'm lucky to live in Devon so, if we get the summer we hope to, at least we can get to the beach or to a beautiful picnic spot. My daughter and I have decided to pretend we're in a holiday cottage and go out every day like you would if it wasn't your house.

I've spent the last 16 years not wanting to spend money on a holiday when there's always a sofa to buy or a room to decorate. Funnily tho, we never did get the sofa or decorate the room either....... where did the money go?

barnaby-bear

nirelandguy wrote: »

This time of year always annoys me as its all you hear people talk about I.E going on holiday, so I suppose I just want to know that we are not alone in that we can't afford a holiday:o

Both Mrs. b-b and I have spent about 30 days so far on work trips each in the last year.... it's rubbish staying in hotels with no other choice than to eat in a restaurant, it's horrible hanging around airports, travelling takes a day - I guess we can spend £100-200 a day on the work expenses bill. For a holiday this year we're spending a week in a friend's mobile home on a haven park in norfolk about an hour from home just having the time to cook and open a bottle of plonk with no commute is bliss - I don't think either of us would consider travelling anywhere as a holiday......

barnaby-bear

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've not had a holiday since 1995, never been abroad ... and even though this year I can afford it, I wouldn't enjoy it alone. So be grateful you're a couple.

I don't have debts, it's just that when you're single the cost of living is so high there's nothing left over to waste on luxuries ... when you might need the money a month later to fix a boiler or something.

It's not only the expense it's the effort - Mrs.B-B has vague interests in places to go but unless you have a burning desire one generic med. tourist trap pretty much like the next - I do wonder if the adage holidays are for those who need to get away from life is true... just to not be working suffices....

HairyHandofDartmoor

Little_Muvva wrote: »

The trouble with staying home is you end up doing the domestic things and you don't get to totally relax and forget about day to day life. (not to mention the rubbish weather the past few years which means you can't even have a cheap picnic!).

I'm lucky to live in Devon so, if we get the summer we hope to, at least we can get to the beach or to a beautiful picnic spot. My daughter and I have decided to pretend we're in a holiday cottage and go out every day like you would if it wasn't your house.

I agree that getting away makes you forget about bills, housework, etc. That is why going away is so relaxing.

I often resist going away because of the packing, the expense, the journey, etc, but as soon as I get there I relax for the first time in months and have a great time.

And the memories last for literally years. I can't remember what presents I had for christmas or what the sofa looked like when I was a child, but I do still remember the family holidays we had. These were mainly in the Uk, but I loved them and learnt a lot about the country I live in by visiting different parts of it.

I live in Devon too and we are lucky enough to be 30 minutes drive from the beach and lots of other beautiful holiday spots, but I still feel it does us good to get away, as it refreshes the spirit.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I forgot to say that we can't afford a holiday this year (effects of the recession) and I am pretty disappointed, but have hopes of having one next year.

I don't care if it is abroad or in this country, I just like to explore new places and experience new things.

crotig

The last time I was away from home overnight was in Aug'07,I spent my 3 weeks leave from work on a training course that I hoped would lead to a new career. It didn't and added 2k to my debt. The last and only time I went abroad was 11 years ago to the U.S./Canada and I spent most of the time worrying about money too much to enjoy myself.
I, like many, live alone so mortgage/C.tax/utilities take up 50%+ of my income and the rest goes to paying interest on debt. I'm the same as a previous poster in that I can't stand heat, anything above 15C, and bright sunlight. I can't imagine going somewhere hot and sunny to relax so I don't miss that. I have just had 4 weeks off work due to a painful injury, which had the silver lining of the fact that I work outside and would have been dying in this heat. I go back to work next week for 2 weeks and then I have 3.5 weeks off. Everyone asks where you're going, or when you go back where you went and then look at you funny when you say nowhere, but I'll just be at home. Unfortunately home is no refuge due to noisy neighbours:mad:. I could have a holiday, somewhere cool LOL, on my emergency card but it would just be more debt to worry about.
My dream is to pay off everything, sell everything and take to the road on my bike through the US and Canada for 1-2 years. To get up every day and have nothing to worry about but where the road takes me. No house/bills/work/nothing. Bliss . I would give up all holidays to be able to do that. Unfortunately my debt is at the moment infinite and in the current situation I can't reorganise to make it finite.:(

So you're not alone OP. I hope reading everyones tale has helped.

credit_crunch_dad

Hi folks, you are not alone. I work in a bank ("So called well paid") and wanted to buy a house for years. So i could not take a holiday even with my newly married wife. We have been saving deposit for a house and finally bought at the peak of the market (great, the prices went down after 3 months). Now we have a baby - i think of booking tickets for a holiday and hear news that we might be made redundant. So we felt it might be better not to go on holiday this year too. I often get worried about not taking my wife on a holiday and now the baby too. Our parents took us to small towns when i was a kid and i still have those memories. Maybe, we will all come out of this credit crunch and go on holiday in a couple of years time.
Worth using those options for cheap holidays (like Sun offer) or Competitions to see whether we get a chance..

Smiley_Mum

We aren't going anywhere this year. I usually set aside money over the year and then get a 0% credit card and pay for the holiday on that, half the money I saved over the year I put towards the holiday costs and then the other half for spending money. Then I just pay up over the year, not doing it this year though. We have been having day trips here and there and the kids love going on the train. Courtesy of the discounted railcard that I managed to get via MSE. Great weather this year though so not really missing out on the sunshine.

Viper_7

My ex can afford two holidays abroad a year now, that I divorced her for her behavior, yet I can't... go figure! Great system! and she only works about 16 hours a week. Great to see my hard earned cash going to my daughter..not...!

Scottishmummy

We go camping using £2 coins we save up to pay for the ferry to get across to Mull. The petrol we use to get there is slightly less than we would normally use in a week anyway and we wild camp so there are no campsite fees. Last year we stayed at home as the weather was awful on the west coast and ended up spending more than if we had gone camping. I have only ever had two foreign holidays and for one we didn't have to pay accommodation costs and the other we only had to pay food costs, all other costs were paid for us otherwise we could not have gone on either.