Your Opinions Please (about holiday)

thesaint

climbgirl wrote:

Sorry, sorry just my opinions! I'll try and keep the phrasing to more thoughtful tones, but someone needs to point out a more sensible option here!

And I'm sorry but financially, it is madness. This is a financial, debt free website. And having a £18,000 loan with £12,000 in cash and wanting to spend £7000 on a holiday makes no financial sense whatsoever. To me, this is indeed financial madness.

I take the points about the age of the children, no holidays etc. But there are cheaper options which they'll love just as much if they've never been abroad. There's a whole world of amazing places in Europe to explore for a fraction of the cost.

Ok, enough, I've said my piece. It's the OP's decision after all.

climbgirl, I am completely with you on this one.

When talk of a 'holiday of a lifetime' is spoken of, all common sense went out of the window.

This holiday won't cost £7000 though, it will cost closer to £10,000 because of the interest paid on this money over the years to come.

specsappeal

hello guys - thanks for the many replies. the general feeling seems to be that we should go for it so i think we will. i may shop around to see if i can get the same holiday any cheaper and will let you all know!
climbgirl - thanks for your opinion, i have taken on board what you have said and i do know where you are coming from. however, for us it is a once in a lifetime thing as we wont all be together by next year when daughter goes away. we all sat down and discussed where to go and the USA came out tops. we can find a cheaper package holiday but after saving/paying debts for so long i feel we should be able to just for once have what we really want without compromising which is what we (and im sure most msers) do all the time. the children are all very good with money and all have their own savings accounts which they pay into regularly so they should all have a couple of thousand by the time they are 18 (as well as the money from the savings policies i pay into since they were born). I also understand your point about changing situations in the future but in 2 or maybe 3 years we will be selling up and downsizing which wouls mean we could pay all debt and buy a smaller place outright. Thanks for the advice though and i do see why you are saying it.
Teb - i will take you with us on one condition - you can fit into my flight bag lol
Thanks guys!!

Bewitched2761

What memories theyll have! Id do, it the chance to go on a family holiday which may well be the last one you all go on together, would balance out with the money aspect for me
have a wonderful time

DEBTFREEWANNABE_6

Go For It And Have A Great Holiday

kuohu

I don't disagree with going on a holiday, but if it was me I spend anywhere near that much. Things don't have to cost the Earth to be special and memorable. I'm afraid I have agreed with everything Climbgirl has said, and I wonder if (deep down) the OP does too.

But I think you'll go on the holiday anyway, so have fun and send us all a postcard

GettingThingsDone

I'm with climbgirl. Any family holiday will be a holiday of a lifetime, just go somewhere closer and spend more time with each other. Have a ball.

A whistlestop tour of the us could just end up with you all being irritable - go when you can spend 3 or 4 weeks there.

Just my opinion; mind you I've never been. Maybe somebody who has been can comment in more detail. Some of my debt is from going to Austrailia which was a bit overrated to be honest.

consultant31

I worked with someone who was always very careful with her money. Her husband was much older than she (already retired) was and they had decided that when ahe retired they would sell up their house, buy a luxury caravan and take to the road.

To this end she worked an extra 5 years after she was able to retire, so that the kitty would be big enough not to have to worry about money. She died 8 months after she retired and before they'd had any chance to make their dreams come true.

What I'm saying is that no-one knows what's round the corner. If you have a dream you should make every effort to make it come true before it's too late. If your dream holiday is the USA then going to France won't hit the spot will it, and you'll be spending money you could have put towards fulfilling the "dream".

Perhaps if you decide it will be the only holiday for 5 years or so you can justify it to yourself, but you've no need to justify it to anyone else. After all the money is yours, duly earned to be spent however you wish.

One thing's for sure, the debt will still be here when you get back, but IMO it won't look half as grim with the sort of memories you'll be storing up!

Specsappeal I've sent you a pm.

nearlyrich

I would go on holiday but make it a mission to book it all myself and save the middle man fees. I was looking at the holiday pages today and there was a hotel in New Zealand being offered at £108 per night, we walked in there last year and had 2 nights for less than £60 in total.

savingstill

potogold wrote:

Go for it!!! life is for living, you have the money, so get it booked!

absolutely! enjoy every minute!:j

kazl_2

Holidays like this are a major part of the reason we are in so much debt. However the memories we have from such fantastic holidays will stay with us forever and they are particularly special because the kids wont be going on holiday with us forever. No regrets even though we have huge debts.
Go for it and have a fantastic time. Those places are fantastic! Make sure you go on the boat trip to alcatraz and get the audio tour. Las Vegas is amazing too.