Does anyone else not go on holiday

DianneB

I don't think I am actually a holiday person, we have to take holidays at peak times as OH teaches so when the children were little we did camping and caravanning when we could afford it but to be honest I always found it stressful trying to cook and look after the boys under canvas or in a tin can!! we could never afford to eat out other than the occasional fish and chips. When the boys started leaving home and there were less of us we went to Wales and stayed in cottages which was lovely, but I still can't wait to get home. We don't live too far from the north norfolk coast so I don't think the boys ever missed out, in fact my second son will be marrying a girl who travelled all the way from Bristol to spend the summer on the same beach we used to visit so they both have fond memories of the same place. Now there is only me OH and DD at home we could afford to be more adventurous but we aren't!!

Spendless

Depending on where you are have you had a look to see where the Feb/Oct half terms fall plus Easter and the summer hols. I once got a cheap Oct 1/2 term hol cos the rest of England was off the week before. Feb 1/2 term falls in a different week next year and the hol companies have put the price up for this week. If your area is off the traditional Feb half term you may get something in your price range. Easter is another hol worth looking at, mine finish day before Good Friday this year for 2 weeks, next year they go back day after Easter Mon,. Again if you have the trad week before week after, you might find something.
My area had 7 weeks summer hols last year and the last week whilst not as cheap as term time was certainly cheaper than the previous 6 had been. Scotland finishes earlier and goes back earlier than England so if you want a U.K hol look for a late August/early Sept one in Scotland. If you are in Scotland look for an early July hol before kids break up here.
May 1/2 term is often cheaper than the 6 weeks hol. The last week in the summer is usually cheaper than the rest.
Finally look for when inset days fall, with 'random' ones (ie ones not attached to a school hol) you might be able to do a cheap w/end break. For ones that fall before a hol you might be able to get a cheap break by going a day earlier.

Melonade

We are going away for a longish weekend in May. Had to re-plan it because I'd got muddled up and almost booked it when the SAT's would be happeing It'll only be 1 day off school because we can't afford to go in peak times and my OH is self employed and has one of the busier work times in the summer.

Anyways I'm nearly wetting myself with excitement because we haven't been away for..... a looooong time (maybe 7 years) It's booked and paid for and I've booked a day out and paid for that too

I love the summer holidays and me and our son usually see how many free days out we can do. Bag of sandwiches and some train fare, we usually end up in town wandering round the museum or park. He actually loves spending time with his friends in the summer and I try to plan days out when his mates are on their holidays. That way he's got something to do when it gets quiet.

We're hoping to get a camping holiday in at the end of the summer... we'll see. I don't feel guilty about not taking him away as long as we can fit in some great days out :T

MrsE_2

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Holidays are overrated. They are stressful, don't live upto your expectations and expensive..

Don't agree they are stressful, its the one time of the year we really chill out.

patchwork_cat wrote: »

Personally I don't like staying anywhere that has worse facilites than we have at home, so as that means money and more money we don't tend to go. .

Very much agree with this.

patchwork_cat wrote: »

It depends on your priorities, I know I would hate camping it isn't for everyone and I would rather spend the minimum £700 for a week in Butlins on other things and haven't got the £2500+ it would cost for the holiday that we might enjoy (although if the past is anything to go by we will feel let down)
.

I agree I would rather not do a UK one - to me that would be a trial rather than a holiday. I would rather miss one (or two) & put it towards what I enjoy.

kindofagilr

dollydoodah wrote: »

Not necessarily. Don't assume that just because people go away a few times a year they are paying for it on credit.

Exactly, a lot of people do without throughout the year to enable them to have a yearly holiday as that is what they like

MrsE_2

kindofagilr wrote: »

Exactly, a lot of people do without throughout the year to enable them to have a yearly holiday as that is what they like

We don't go out drinking, or drink at all really, play bingo, smoke, anything really.

We enjoy cooking & we have the top sky package & we like a nice holiday & thats us. Once in a blue moon we try & find time to visit the cinema - even better if we can use an Orange Wednesday.

Bronnie

I love holidays. Any kind, anywhere! Have always made the best of them, no matter what our budget or the UK weather has been like. Like mrcow said, it's possible to holiday on a limited budget with a bit of imagination, planning and application!!

I only went on hols twice as a child, to the same place in Wales and although we were always taken on days out, yes I do feel I missed out on a special experience and I made sure my kids had a holiday most years, even if it was in the UK and planned on a very tight budget although we also went abroad, often camping.

I just think it's wonderful to take yourself out of your everyday circumstances and routines, relax and see new faces and places and it's something that will always be remembered.

Paul_Varjak

I had holidays in 1979 and 1988. But, Since October 2005, I have had holidays in Russia (4 times), USA (once), Turkey (twice), Latvia (once) and Philippines (once). I am aged 58, quite seriously disabled and travel alone (but visit friends in my destinations).

pukkamum

mrcow wrote: »

I think holidays are very important. Irrespective of where you go - they are very important for adults and children alike.

They are memorable and special. Especially for children.

You don't need to spend a fortune to go somewhere for a holiday. You just need some imagination and some application. Job done.

Quite right mrcow
Our last holiday abroad was our honeymoon which our son came on it was 2 wks in spain in a v.nice hotel we had a great time that was 4 yrs ago.

Other than that we have always gone camping first in a tent, then we bought a cheap caravan.
Last summer we came into some money £3500.
We were in a quandry, we had no debts to pay and DH's gramp had wanted us to spend it on something fun.
So we considered a really fab holiday abroad, we spoke to ds and his first question was well if we go abroad can we still go camping?

Well when told it was one or the other he chose camping!!!!!!
So we bought a campervan!!!!!
We spent two weeks travelling around cornwall and devon and had the greatest time ever ds said it was the best holiday ever and all his friends were jealous.
Holidays are about who you are with not where you are, you can sit in a tent in a wet field playing monopoly and as long as you are with the ones you love it will be fab!!!!!!

kettlefish

I don't think holidays are important per se. I don't think it matters where you sleep but I think it is vital for a couple/family to have a couple of weekends or a week per year where they spend time without mobile phones, laptops and alarm clocks, doing things together just because they're fun or they fancy doing them.

That said, in the past year we have been to the USA for 2 weeks, Scarbourough for a weekend, Jersey for a week, London for a weekend and Prague for a weekend. This was for no other reason than we wanted to... but we plan to start a family in a couple of years time and know when I give up work it'll go to 'holidays at home' (week off all together, ordering takeaways and going for days out to Skeggy and the Peak District) some years. Actually, that sounds great