Taking a holiday when in debt?

sparkle_monkey

PS I should add that I'm definitely leaning towards not going and saving the cash first. Your words all reinforced what my heart was telling me and there were some good !!!!!! kicks in there!
I'm very inspired by ms_london and after a year working hard maybe I could be somewhere near to where she is with savings. WELL DONE!
You originally planned to go away whilst still in debt, but changed your mind to pay off your debt first, right?

mom23

Hi Sparkle
BIG ((HUGS)) cos it must be lonely when you have no one to confide in as such!!


You have paid off a good amount in just over 3 months!!
Have you worked out your debt free date ?
cos if you carry on paying off like this plus tax rebate you should be travelling in no time!!!
xx

scheming_gypsy

Just go, enjoy yourself.
Everybody is slating you for spending £3,000 to go travelling, which is nice considering you said to use SOME of it not all of it.
You could use £500 or so for expenses and work in the places you travel to to cover yourself. Sod the volunteering lark though.

You'll still have a decent chunk to pay off your debts when you get back.

Do it now while you can, by the time you get the chance to do it again you could be married, kids and a job you can't leave.

tesuhoha

Maybe I'm missing something but i dont see what the problem is. You owe £4709 according to your sig, and youve paid off £3465 since January. If that is January this year then that is in 4 months. If you could pay off the same amount in the next four months by August, when you say you have to return then you would only owe £244 and you could pay this off with your tax rebate and still have the remainder for your trip. Or have I got it wrong somewhere, is the January, January 2005?

Murtle

ms_london wrote:

Why should your parents have an influence & worry whether you have a sensible job or not? I suppose in that respect my parents are quite easy going & accept its my life. I would not live a life for someone else. I suppose with my line of work its easy enough for me to find a job anywhere, and its not the be all and end all if I take a "career break", but I appreciate for a lot of people it is. Life is about living, not about what job you do or how much you earn - I pity these people that work 70 hours a week & have no time to spend or enjoy their money, or enjoy their life.

OT - sorry!! :rotfl:

I don't think I explained myself very well, but don't worry you've missed the mark somewhat, my parents don't worry over my job, and they don't live my life for me. However, some people do actually enjoying working, and I for one get a lot out of what I do. Sometimes I work long hours, sometimes short - I contract, my partner doesn't. That's why I can't get away travelling as easily as a single, mortgage free person.

M

SG I agree completely with your post!!

mom23

tesuhoha wrote:

Maybe I'm missing something but i dont see what the problem is. You owe £4709 according to your sig, and youve paid off £3465 since January. If that is January this year then that is in 4 months. If you could pay off the same amount in the next four months by August, when you say you have to return then you would only owe £244 and you could pay this off with your tax rebate and still have the remainder for your trip. Or have I got it wrong somewhere, is the January, January 2005?

Yes i agree with this can't see the prob if paying off debts at that rate!!that's why i asked if you had worked out your debt free date!!!cos according to payment's already made I'd go for it!!!

amy21_2

i went away summer 2004 for 3months to america, had the most amazing time experienced so much stuff, and came home with 2k debt:o . Would I do it all again? YES cause I will never forget what I done, ok I run up debt but I can pay it off.
began making huge steps to doing it since january and its going well. I was invited to go again this year for summer, i kindly declined, graduate in 2months so I want to concentrate on getting good job, the plan is to start saving again when I get last summers debt paid off which should be around august, and I'm going to go travelling again summer 2007. Good Luck with wotever you decide to do,;)

sparkle_monkey

Well I think I can pay off £1000 a month for May,June and less for July as I would have to buy ticket for going and have some money to take with me. The problem is that none of my debt is interest free (apart from the debt to my dad which will be paid off in the next 2 months) so if I leave any of it, it will accumulate interest and plus any spending whilst away would have to be on credit c or into my overdraft until the £3000 comes in.
If I go home and work for a few months I can save some extra money but I will miss the chance to travel with my friend and will have to travel around South America by myself. I don't see that being a problem, but would like to share experiences with my mate.
Has anyone travelled for an extended period of time alone? How was it?

lynzpower

Travelling Solo in SA is actually pretty easy, as there are literally stacks of people doing the same thing. Ive never been away for more than a month on my tod ( didnt want to give up my job, & couldnt afford it) but put it this way I was never short of company.
If you are looking for an amazing budget destination there, do not overlook Venezuela, absolutely FANTASTIC place. I had one of the best meals of my life there with a Mixed Grill type affiair with white sausages, about 3 staeaks, black pudding, sauasgage, chops, massive bowl fires, mixed salad and enough cocktails to make me stumbly out of the door for about £4 in one of the top resturaunts. I believe things have got cheaper there too ( exchange rate all over the shop) a standard chinese meal like sweet & sour & rice & drink was about 25p when I was there year before last. Trying to convince OH we can afford to go back there, but we cant just yet, but it amazing, beautiful, fascinating and thrilling. Lots of bargaining to be done., I got a 4 day trip to angel falls, flight, camping , all food & river trips for about £30, and very nice it was too

Broken_hearted

Take the holiday, life is too short.