cancel camping holiday or just tighten belt even further?

ceridwen

Well - you are already getting all sorts of practical advice.

ONe point that I think needs making though is "Give yourself a pat on the back" for how well you've managed so far. I would panic at having only £6,000 to get through the last year on - and you've made it through for a whole family. You are one (very) capable lady that you've managed it:T

So just give yourself one little moment to say "Yay me for superb organisational and budgeting skills" - yes I AM serious when I say that.:)

I thought mine were pretty darn good - but you've beaten me by a long way on that..:)

narabanekeater

have you checked out the cost of the train for you to go to the funeral using the best fair finder on www.thetrainline.com
sometimes leaving earlier /getting back later saves quite a bit
the best fare finder is on the bottom of the homepage or could a coach me an option

Barneysmom

If you possibly can, Go On Holiday.
You and your family need a break, and next summer is a long way off.
Borrow the money off your mom, if you were my daughter I'd be so grateful you came to me for the money rather than go to strangers xxxx

meritaten

actually, I wouldnt cancel the holiday - you have already set the money aside and paid the deposit. get the car fixed out of the holiday fund and go!
you are struggling yes, but have no major debt and you deserve it and so do the kids - and hun, life is too short to be forever denying yourselves treats! you dont have many so please go and have a lovely time and perhaps when you come back refreshed the situation may have improved.
btw, would your uncle understand if you DIDNT attend the funeral as the cost is significant to you? you could hold your own little remembrance service in your garden or home at the same time and be there in spirit? I would hate to think of family members being strapped for cash by attending MY funeral (when its my time) and would rather they just remembered me intheir own way.
you have the internet so is there anything you can sell on ebay to raise some cash? your trash can be others treasure you know!
or if you bake copy an american tradition and hold a bake sale in the front garden - cost the goods carefully and make sure you turn a profit. people love home-made goodies!
look on internet for other money raising ideas hun, you may be surprised at what other people will pay good money for.
I do hope you have your holiday! and that your finances improve - your poor OH must be feeling so despondent now - he really needs a break too!

gailey_2

artichoke wrote: »

hi

I need to pay £400 appox to cover the rest of the holiday money (10 days camping), I have just checked my balance and £5 in current a/c and OH is already £400 overdrawn (he paid the vets bill - but did not tell me he had to go overdrawn - i have just found out by checking his account - he probably was worried i would have said put her down as we can't afford the op:()

Both me and OH have £1K overdraft facilities but i have never used mine for years, it is what i used to have when i was working but i kept it on the account just in case...

We have paid £355 for operation at the vet but she is going back this evening and it might cost more if we need more anitbiotics...

car is sitting here on drive until we make a decision.

I have £600 in saving account set aside for the holiday costs and food, petrol, days out,

but once its gone its gone :eek:

if the vets bills keep coming we will have a problem and we need to pay for the car to be fixed at some point....

art

Sorry few queries

you say you have to pay another 400 on hols.
Have you already paid a deposit, is that not returnable.
you say you have 600 aside for hols which leaves 200remaining would that not be enough as spending money and food.

Understandbly you worried but sometimes life tests us like this several bad things happen at once.
Our car of doom has dragged us into debts many a time over the years.

Admire how you manage on so little.
do you have any spare so could dsay 3-6months od dipped into but paid off.
sell as much as you can through ebay/carboot surprising how much you can make be super ruthless.

Anybody you know need some paid services dog walking, ironing, babysitting ect.

I would go but had same situation in june booked sun hols was meant to be 15quid per person so 60quid but then 50quid service charges were added, we took food down and self catered which brought down costs and part from fish and chips and cornisj pasty /icecream its all we brought.

yes it stretched us but after horrible year struggling we felt we needed the break.

Downsizing__for_sanity

Hi,

To be honest, if it was me, I'd go on the holiday. Keep costs low by self catering as much as possible, but it sounds like you all could do with a break together. And it might help your stress levels to be able to let off a bit of steam to your mum and other family members. If you're not in debt to anyone at the moment, the dog is a much-loved part of the family etc, you deserve to have a few days away if you've planned and budgeted for it. Go for it - use the overdraft and work out how to claw it back from somewhere else in the budget while you're away.

And while the kids don't really "need" a holiday, true, one day they'll be all grown up and you'll remember the time you moved heaven and earth for them to have a few days at the beach building sandcastles!

DFS

DianneB

What a week you have had!! Hugs and hope things get better, for what it's worth I would cancel the holiday, it could be tricky taking a sick dog with you, explain this to the family and your children. I wouldn't go to the funeral either, just batten the hatches and stay at home, have a few treats with the kids and relax. You are doing an amazing job don't make it harder for yourself!!

dreaming

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Personally I would cancel the holiday (have to say it seems very expensive for camping), and take the kids "camping" in the garden for a couple of nights instead. They would probably enjoy that just as much. And then maybe a day trip or two to the seaside by train if the car is kaput?
Hope everything works out well for the dog.

princesstippytoes

A crappy week for you but its better now than after your hols so at least you got the choice. If it were me I'd stay at home and pay the bills but thats me. Your little ones are small enough to get over the dissappointment soon and you can easily distract them with free things to do near to home. Your debt free. Stay that way and cut back the OS way then you can have a fantastic hol next year when the babes will be bigger and remember it more. Hope you work it out.

katholicos

What an awful week, but that is the way of things isn't it?

I must say that i think the camping holiday is extremely expensive, unless i've reckoned up wrong, all together is it a £1000 holiday? And in this country too? Gosh!

In truth because i would probably go on the holiday, but that is me and i am overdrawn myself (though i have paid loads of debt off already). However, it could be that there may be more unexpected expenditures around the corner and then you'll be in an even stickier mess, so probably best to bare that in mind.

Some things for you to consider:

1) is it really going to be an enjoyable holiday if while you are away you are worrying about coming home and facing paying off the overdraft with no sufficient means to do so?

2) Are you going because you don't want to let your kids down or perhaps going even to be a suppport for your Mum ...are either of these reasons acceptable reasons for going into debt for?

I don't mean that in a horrid way, i mean, are there not other ways you can show your support? Perhaps if you explain to your Mum that there have been some unexpected bills this week and that as much as you would love to go, it just isn't feasable. With your kids, you can tell them that you will still have lots of fun and days out.

3) Can you get any of the money you have already paid down for the holiday, refunded?