'Should you go on holiday while in debt?' poll discussion

liz545

I voted B - camping in the UK. I think for a lot of people, a holiday is a necessity. It's a chance to take a break from the everyday stresses and remind yourself why you're on the debt free journey. Being in debt can put a lot of strain on your family and your relationship, and without the odd treat to look forward to, it can damage your relationships. But they do need to change their definition of treat. It's about spending quality time, not money; and it goes without saying that they need to save the money for the holiday before spending it!

SUESMITH_2

camping, when we were at our poorest we took our 30 odd year old caravan and stayed in a cl for £3 a night for 6 of us. took most of our food with us and timed it so it went over payday so we would have a least a little bit extra to spend - biggest treat for the kids was a bought ice cream and they loved it. spending time together not luxury is what's important

slow_saver

I'd go for "a" as the next thing you know is Xmas round the corner, best just to stay indoors, in the dark no drinking or smoking, eating budget food, hey then perhaps this labour govt. will be happy with us plebs!!:mad:

pixwix

No sense in going mad on expensive holidays when you're in debt.

But a cheap holiday - why not?

For me it really depends on where the debt came from. If it's a result of this recession, I'd say go for the holiday. Let's face it, the fat City !!!!!!!s who got us all into this mess are having a fine old time at our expense!

WhyIsSavingSoHard

If you're in debt, but paying it off at the agreed amount each month, in my opinion you are entitled to do what you like with what money you have left.

BUT, one thing I would not recommend is having a holiday on your credit cards thus adding to your debt.

There are lots of ways of having a debt free holiday. Saving up through the year is one of them and so is (as has already been said on here) having one of the cheap newspaper holidays. As far as I'm aware, you could even go to France doing that.

My sister's in debt and paying it off monthly (interest is frozen as long as she keeps up the re-payments), but she, her OH and 3 children have a holiday every year. They start saving for it as soon as they get back from one. Once they have enough money to pay for their half board accommodation, she keeps an eye on their website for the bargains to come up. This year they're taking Mum with them, so there'll be 3 adults and 3 children half board at Butlins, Mon-Fri for around £500. AND no debts because of it either.

BTW, I voted C as it was the nearest to what I've just said.

jackieblack

Mozette wrote: »

Being 'desperate' for ...whatever... was possibly what got them in debt in the first place:rolleyes:

My thoughts exactly!

Our family earnings are nowhere near £35000 (I wish!) and are never likely to be but the only debt we owe is our mortgage because we just don't buy things we can't afford.
We have been lucky to have some lovely holidays in the last few years, by saving hard and going without other things. For us it's a question of priorities. Our priority for the next few years is showing DD a bit of the world before she's too old to want to come on holiday with Mum & Dad anymore, and to be able to do that we drive a 10 year old car and have put off home improvements such as new kitchen/bathroom, have an old tv, don't subscribe to 150 tv channels we'll never watch, etc etc etc

If they really need a holiday, and I completely accept that we all reach that point from time to time, they should do it the cheapest way possible ie camping, that's why I voted b.

Sami_Bee

I voted A but I'd say really it would be something between A and B really.
As a child I went on only 3 real holidays all of which were camping/caravan my parents couldn't afford more so we would visit family and friends for a week and have cheap days out. Spending time as a family is IMHO much more fun than a holiday that I would spend hiding in the shade because I'm so darn pale

mdr86

Hehe, I would just go camping in UK anyway!

FairyElephant_2

Sadly, camping in the UK is nowhere near as cheap as it used to be. You CAN still find basic sites which are reasonable, but they are getting much harder to find, and not all suitable for families with kids.

TBH, we used to go camping a lot, but in the last 2 or 3 years especially have found that it can be cheaper to grab a last-min break abroad if there are more than 2 of you going - mad as it sounds!

Many campsites seem OK when you first look at the price, but then there's often an extra charge per person for more than 2 people per unit, charge for awning or gazebo, charge for 'pup tent' if your tent is not big enough for all the kids as well... we've been quoted £50 per night for 2 adults & 3 kids at a site with just a few extra amenities (I'm not talking heated swimming pools & entertainment here either!).

A_fiend_for_life

A) Keep paying - even if the debt is serviceable now a change of circumstances would be horrendous and not unrealistic.