The must have generation

wymondham

We tend to take shorter holidays - long weekends, mainly as if I take a week or two off, it takes me a week or two to clear up the [EMAIL="!!!!"]!!!![/EMAIL] I come back to.. hence neutralising the effect of having the time off in the first place!!

We like the Isle of Wight!

Jennifer_Jane

Zelie wrote: »

What's with the hate for credit cards? They are a perfectly reasonable tool to use. Of course, any tool can be dangerous if you use it incorrectly but the blame should surely not lie with the tool.

If I go away I put it on my credit card. I recently bought a fairly expensive camera with it. Hell, I even put my weekly groceries on there. Now some people would say this is foolish in the extreme but that's because they are reacting to an idea in their head and not the reality. I have plenty of money in my account to cover the card debt. It's paid off in full every month. The purchase of the camera was delayed until I had enough saved to cover it. The same with holidays. And I'd rather my money sit in my account earning interest for another few weeks than go immediately to pay for my small luxuries. Not to mention that I can make use of s75 if I need to.

There are plenty of good reasons for purchasing luxuries on a credit card. Just because someone does so does not mean they are reckless with money.

Well, exactly. I pay for absolutely everything by credit card (1% cashback too). I lived for a long time in South Africa, and carrying cash around was not a good idea. It gets paid off every month in full. It's all there written down so that I can transfer expenditure to a spreadsheet. I think it's madness not to use them. And Section 75 as well.

So everything I buy is a debt.

ess0two

Nothing wrong with credit cards,just run em up,dont pay then use the un-enforcebility templates from here.
Happy days:beer:

Zelie

ess0two wrote: »

Nothing wrong with credit cards,just run em up,dont pay then use the un-enforcebility templates from here.
Happy days:beer:

Or run em up to the extent you can afford, pay em off without interest charges and live an honest and happy life?

Orpheo

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

Well, exactly. I pay for absolutely everything by credit card (1% cashback too). I lived for a long time in South Africa, and carrying cash around was not a good idea. It gets paid off every month in full. It's all there written down so that I can transfer expenditure to a spreadsheet. I think it's madness not to use them. And Section 75 as well.

So everything I buy is a debt.

What if your employer fails to pay you this month? What if you turn up to work tomorrow and the place is permanantly closed for business?

If this happens to my family we're good for 3 years at our current standard of living. And because of this we would not be entitled to benefits. I'm off to spend my savings now.

1% Cashback too? You're a financial genius.

StevieJ

I find this constant criticism of how people allocate their resources (borrowed or not) tedious in the extreme, reminds of that nanny state :eek:

chucknorris

Jennifer_Jane wrote: »

Well, exactly. I pay for absolutely everything by credit card (1% cashback too). I lived for a long time in South Africa, and carrying cash around was not a good idea. It gets paid off every month in full. It's all there written down so that I can transfer expenditure to a spreadsheet. I think it's madness not to use them. And Section 75 as well.

So everything I buy is a debt.

I never used to use a credit card until a few years ago I noticed capital one were offering a 5% cash back for 3 months followed by a constant 1% cashback. I was refurbishing a house at the time and managed to get a total of about £15,000 on that card during the first 3 months. The 1% cashback shouldn't to ignored either as I spend about £12,000 a year with that card (mainly groceries, petrol and electrical appliances etc)

macaque_2

Prudent wrote: »

I really enjoy going away. I do feel that I chill down in a way that I don't do if I stay at home.

I have only one paid for a proper holiday since becoming a single parent 8 years ago. I took my daughter to Majorca when she was 16 and saved for ages.

We do have several breaks/ holidays a year though. Mainly due to comping.

Over the last 12 month period comping has given me:

2 weeks in an upmarket spa hotel in France with flights, car hire and £1000 spends
2 nights in a luxury country house hotel in Yorkshire with free entry to local attractions
2 nights for four at Alton towers (in Alton towers hotel) with £300 spends
1 night in Glasgow at the jury's inn
2 nights in Malmaison Aberdeen with travel
1 night London theatre break (combined with visit to family)
1 night in a hotel in Wales (combined with visit to family)

If you are creative there are ways to have nice holidays on very little.

My first break as a single parent cost me £20 including travel. We booked two nights in a travelodge when they were £5 a night. I spend a further £5 on petrol. We had free cinema tix through some mse offer and went both nights. We also had some free attraction tix via mse posts again. I spent the last £5 on going swimming and two portions of chips. We took food with us. I made up cold pasta salads etc and took picnic plates. The sun shone and it was a lovely break. I do not feel holidays require debt.

Glasgow, Aberdeen, Yorkshire, Wales?

Can I remind you that the theme of this thread is about 'holidays'.

dori2o

We go away for 1 week a year, normally in May when when it is cheaper, and we book the following years holiday the payday following our holiday. We always go with Haven, they allow us to pay a £50 deposit and pay the rest off in 6 months with no intrest charge. We then have 6 months to save for spends.

Next year we're going to Cala Gran, 7 nights, £149 for 4 of us. Tesco vouchers allow us to go to the Pleasure Beach in Blackpool, and our money bottle wich we save all our 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's usually generates enough for a day out somewhere else.

We went this year and the weather was brilliant, not one drop of rain.

It may not be a glamour holiday, but with the facilities this country has, do you really need to go abroad?

Orpheo

StevieJ wrote: »

I find this constant criticism of how people allocate their resources (borrowed or not) tedious in the extreme, reminds of that nanny state :eek:

What a miserable little accusation. The nanny state is precisely what uses the sound financial position of some to bail out those that have got themselves into trouble. I quite clearly don't want to nanny anybody. I want folks to look after themselves in such away that they don't have to come cap in hand immediately as soon as the SHTF.

That said, I do believe in helping others. I believe that some people get into difficulties through little or no fault of their own. But the indebted do not qualify. The irony is that often those who have contributed the most get the least in return when hard times come.