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

creased-leach

I agree that camping in the UK isn't necessarily a cheap option any more. We used to go to a £4 a night field on The Lizard- but that was an exception.

I've priced up the same holiday we just had this year for next year. A ready set up tent on a 4* campsite in Brittany. For up to 6 of us it costs £137 for the week- including the ferry! Living where we do we can get there quicker than we could get to Cornwall- and spend less there too. That works out at less than £20 a night for up to six- you'd be hard pressed to find many sites to beat those prices in the UK, especially by the time you consider leccy hook ups, and the way you seem to get ripped off for every conceivable extra.

"More than 10 tent pegs going in the ground? That's £2 per peg, per night extra please!"

moonsugar

southernscouser wrote: »

It's ridiculous that people think being in debt should be a prison sentence.

How does not having a holiday equate to a prison sentence?

southernscouser

moonsugar wrote: »

How does not having a holiday equate to a prison sentence?

It's not about the 'not having a holiday'. It's about people saying your debt should be your life.

jackieblack

southernscouser wrote: »

It's not about the 'not having a holiday'. It's about people saying your debt should be your life.

No-one is saying your debt should be your life, they're saying that morally/responsibly this (fictional) family should repay what they already owe before spending money on something that is not a necessity.

You say there is a sad stigma attached to people in debt.
Debt is created by people spending money they haven't got, which some consider irresponsible. While I accept there are possibly exceptional reasons why this fictional family may have incurred this debt, the truth is that most credit card debt is run up by peope living beyond their means - who desire material possesions that they can't afford and don't have the will power to either wait until they can afford them or to control their materialistic desires, or the common sense to control their spending to within their own financial limitations. It is this attitude to which stigma is attached.

Once someone has that 'lightbulb' moment and resolves to sort out the financial mess they have put themselves in, relapsing and booking an expensive luxury holiday is not just compounding their financial problems but regressing to their previous irresponsible mindset.

They may be 'sufficiently servicing their debt' at the moment, but spending alot of money on an expensive holiday will keep them in debt for longer, making it more expensive in the long run. Far better to repay the debt as quickly as possible, enabling them to enjoy the freedom of being debt free sooner.

redstripe

jackieblack wrote: »

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.

You earn nowhere near £35,000 and you have a mortgage!
We earn a little more than £35,000 and we can't even afford to buy a manky old bedsit where we live.
Nor can we afford a holidays with the rent and other stuff.
Only £200 in debt though.

southernscouser

jackieblack wrote: »

No-one is saying your debt should be your life, they're saying that morally/responsibly this (fictional) family should repay what they already owe before spending money on something that is not a necessity.

You say there is a sad stigma attached to people in debt.
Debt is created by people spending money they haven't got, which some consider irresponsible. While I accept there are possibly exceptional reasons why this fictional family may have incurred this debt, the truth is that most credit card debt is run up by peope living beyond their means - who desire material possesions that they can't afford and don't have the will power to either wait until they can afford them or to control their materialistic desires, or the common sense to control their spending to within their own financial limitations. It is this attitude to which stigma is attached.

Once someone has that 'lightbulb' moment and resolves to sort out the financial mess they have put themselves in, relapsing and booking an expensive luxury holiday is not just compounding their financial problems but regressing to their previous irresponsible mindset.

They may be 'sufficiently servicing their debt' at the moment, but spending alot of money on an expensive holiday will keep them in debt for longer, making it more expensive in the long run. Far better to repay the debt as quickly as possible, enabling them to enjoy the freedom of being debt free sooner.

To be frank, you're blinded opinion is exactly what I'm talking about.

I don't say there is a stigma attached, there is a stigma attached. You are proof of this.

I started to type a long reply to this but sometimes you have to hold your hands up and admit that you're fighting a losing a battle.

southernscouser

redstripe wrote: »

You earn nowhere near £35,000 and you have a mortgage!

But mortgages aren't debt remember. You're paying £500k to invest in a £200k home. Bargain.

redstripe

FairyElephant wrote: »

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!).

Too right, went camping last year with some friends. 4 Adults and 2 toddlers £110 for 3 nights. Years ago about 8 of us went camping, using 6 tents it was about £15 quid for the weekend on an equivalent campsite (shower blocks and nothing else).
Campsites realise camping is seen as cheap - until you get there when they sting you for everything they can.

moonsugar

southernscouser wrote: »

To be frank, you're blinded opinion is exactly what I'm talking about.

I don't say there is a stigma attached, there is a stigma attached. You are proof of this.

I started to type a long reply to this but sometimes you have to hold your hands up and admit that you're fighting a losing a battle.

The person was stating a fact, not confirming a stigma. A stigma would have to have a strong negative connotation and the person specifically stated there are exceptional circumstances for getting into debt and not all people get into debt because they are greedy / lack control:

jackieblack wrote:

While I accept there are possibly exceptional reasons why this fictional family may have incurred this debt, the truth is that most credit card debt is run up by peope living beyond their means

A large number of people DO get into debt this way, that's not something made up to stigmatise people who suffer. I have a great deal of sympathy for anyone who struggles with debt however they got there.

jackieblack

redstripe wrote: »

You earn nowhere near £35,000 and you have a mortgage!
We earn a little more than £35,000 and we can't even afford to buy a manky old bedsit where we live.

We bought this house over 9 years ago, and were only able to afford it because it needed alot of work, but it has doubled in value since then (even with the recent loss in value due to the current market conditions) - there is no way we could afford to buy anything similar now. Our next-door neighbour rents their house and pays more in rent than we pay for our mortgage.

Also we live in a part of the country where house prices are not vastly over-inflated, and we choose to do that because this is a place where we could afford to buy.