Do I run too tight a budget?

anguk

I can understand where you're coming from and often when you run a tight ship it's very easy to say "how much"! but your OH's "wants & needs" should be taken into consideration just as much as yours.

You admit that it's really your dream to pay the mortgage off and have a house in the country, it would be nice if you could be supportive of his dream to have this holiday. Especially as it should only set back your dream by a few months.

I agree when others say it's easy to lose sight of today when you have a long term goal but they're right you never know what's round the corner. My OH spent time on life support earlier this year after a ruptured appendix, we nearly lost him and it came completely out of the blue.

Don't lose sight of your dreams but compromise along the way, your OH may be supportive but it would be awful if he secretly felt resentful that he'd missed out on things because of your dream.

Threebabes

JodyBPM wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies - a bit of a mixed bunch, some seeing it from my POV and some from my DH's I'd say.

Will have a chat with DH this evening, but I was thinking about a compromise - one week, rather than two, and doing a big supermarket shop when we get there and taking pack ups with us for days out and an agreed spending budget for activities. Does this seem reasonable, or (especially to those who are seeing it from my DH's point of view) would you feel that I'm diluting his "fun" by suggesting the compromise ie carrying the MSing into the holiday, rather than an escape from it.

I'll see what he thinks.

Hi

Ive been reading through the replies and was going to suggest a compromise that you go for a week, which youve already made :-). Also you dont have to spend a fortune, take the kids bucket and spade and a day on the beach doesnt have to cost the earth. Also I find its the eating out and snacks that cost the most so if you do the supermarket shop Im sure it will save you.

We have around the same monthly income and we save £200 a month for the sake of it and £50 a month for xmas/birthdays. I wish we could save more. We both have a monthly allowance of £200, which I would reduce but DH likes his money. He works really hard for it, Im a SAHM.

Enjoy your week away :j

Molly41

I think you are being a little tight but then you have a dream. I note you have 600 a month savings? Surely thats for things like holidays?

ema_o

JodyBPM wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies - a bit of a mixed bunch, some seeing it from my POV and some from my DH's I'd say.

Will have a chat with DH this evening, but I was thinking about a compromise - one week, rather than two, and doing a big supermarket shop when we get there and taking pack ups with us for days out and an agreed spending budget for activities. Does this seem reasonable, or (especially to those who are seeing it from my DH's point of view) would you feel that I'm diluting his "fun" by suggesting the compromise ie carrying the MSing into the holiday, rather than an escape from it.

I'll see what he thinks.

Sounds like a perfect compromise to me, I would also compromise with taking pack ups but treating yourselves to the odd ice cream, maybe odd meal out. So that you're not being quite as MSE as at home but don't end up spending a fortune either

JodyBPM

Molly41 wrote: »

I think you are being a little tight but then you have a dream. I note you have 600 a month savings? Surely thats for things like holidays?

No! It's savings to pay off the mortage so that we can afford a dream house in the country. As we live in the SE and need to be within commuting distance of London, houses in the country with land (ie a half acre or something, not a smallholding!) do not come cheap!

I've just had a brief chat with DH, and he's now saying that camping might be fun! Men! I actually think it might be better getting a cottage as we'll spend a fortune eating out if we're camping, so it'll probably only work out a hundred or two more expensive to be in comfort for the week! Anyhow, we're going to talk about it tonight, at least we're both open to compromise:)

Silaqui

Hi,

I was reading your first post and noticed that you work part time and he works full time. I know you have the kids and everything, not meaning to take away from that, but from when we used to go camping as a family when I was a kid, my dad used to have to spend half of his time sorting everything out, you know the stuff, like fetching water, sorting out barbeques, and so on. Maybe he would just like to relax a bit and chill out, and a cottage would be better for this.
I think your compromise sounds good - get the cottage but keep the activities frugal. Me and my boyfriend went to London last year for a long weekend, no kids but we had great fun finding all the money off vouchers for restaurants and things, looking up 'walking tours', and it allowed us to do loads more than we could have afforded otherwise!

xx

PasturesNew

Top tip for August bookings, I've noticed a lot of cottages/caravans etc are (strangely) reducing the price right down for the last week of August (the one that includes the bank holiday). e.g. where they are showing week by week the costs, it'd show the regular August price for the week before, almost half price for the last week, then price up again for the first week of September. Can't be a mistake as I've seen several listings now doing that.

JoJoB

Ok, so £600 per month savings, £1000 holiday, you estimate you will be mortgage free in 2 years. So basically it postpones your mortgage free status by 2 months if you take this holiday.

I think your savings is admirable and your dream is wonderful! But this holiday would be a big deal for the memories piggy bank and would not put you that far back in terms of your long-term goals.

It sounds like you both work very hard and 2 weeks would enable you to kick back and relax far more than one week.

Let your hair down.

Apricot

Go for it! Life is too short, everybody needs a holiday and it will give you all some fab memories to look back on!

gabyjane

Hi havent read all the replies but have to agree with some of what i have read in you are young only once and you never know what is round the corner. I am 31 and a few weeks ago my next door neighbour died..she was only 32 and without being depressive it really hit home to us that anything can happen..the fact she was a year older than me made me think about lots of things and our attitudes changed to our lives a bit.

Dh is very good and sensible with money from one aspect and wanted to really clamp down and pay off our mortgage as much as poss..i on the other hand want to go out and buy that tv ive always loved etc and although we dont need it i feel like i want to live as such..sounds materialistic in a way and maybe it is but tbh i want to enjoy life as such (tv maybe not the best example but ykwim).

We have decided now (and i have a new job starting) we could pay off a lot of our mortgage..our monthly income ive just worked out will be more than yours which was interesting to see what yours goes on as makes it easier to prioratise..but we are still going on our 1 holiday a year and doing what we want within reason so we get an equal balance.

I would say go to the cottage..whats £1k off your mortgage free time scale..not a lot i bet..think of what a change it would be too..ide say go for it and enjoy!

Good luck and you should be very proud of yourself for being so good woith money not everyone is!