What to do for the best

Gilly1976

I have won a great competition of a weekend away with spending money (worth over £1400!!). I'd rather not say the competition just in case the prize could be taken from me but thank you very much Lakshmi for posting this one.

The rooms will be booked direct with the hotel but the spending money, travel & meals is being paid in the form of a cheque (around £1000)

The hotel is booked for early next year but if I'm being really honest, whilst my wife and I desperately need a weekend away, the money would be a lot handier at this time of year.

There would be no way that we could afford (or justify) spending this money now and then finding cash to enjoy the weekend and travel to the hotel.

What is everyone's opinion on spending the money and then cancelling the hotel closer to the time - they have already been paid for the room and it's not going to cost the prize promoter any more so I don't think this would be a problem but is does seem a bit wrong.

Thanks

rennie1811

could you not give the hotel stay to a friend or family member to use and you keep the cheque?

Gilly1976

Unfortunately not - it has to be in my name

hazyjo

Is it in this country?

I'd be tempted to think of it as money you didn't have in the first place, and spend as little as you can possibly get away with (spending money, travel and meals) and keep the rest, and enjoy the free break!

Jx

Louiseoc

If it were me, I would enjoy the stay away but not spend the entire £1000 on food, travel and spending, that way you get to enjoy some of that money on other things, congrats by the way!

brook_son

I also would try and give the hotel stay away and use the money. Its your prize so use it as it best benefits you.

Marg2k8

Congrats on your win. I think that I would do what some others have suggested. Try and go on the break, but spend as little as you can. If the break is in this country, try and book cheap train tickets, get cheap meals such as sandwiches from the supermarket, or a cheap pub meal. That way, you could perhaps spend only £100 on the weekend break and have the other £900 to spend on more essential stuff.

Gilly1976

Thanks for you replies. I think we will go away as there is no way we could afford to stay in a hotel like this but try and keep some of the money for other things and not blow it all on the weekend.

It's a nice choice to have and really grateful for it but was just worried that I could end up owing money to the prize promoter if I don't take the hotel stay.

something4nothing

Do they not want receipts ?
It's quite hard to comment when you don't know the details.

sillysally00

Excellent decision, you enjoy the trip and helping out with your other commitments too. Excellent win xxx

JimmyTheWig

Gilly1976 wrote: »

Thanks for you replies. I think we will go away as there is no way we could afford to stay in a hotel like this but try and keep some of the money for other things and not blow it all on the weekend.

I think this is the right choice.
You're implying the hotel stay is worth £400. That's pretty impressive and worth going to if you can make it work.
Presumably you are under no obligation to eat at the hotel, etc, so it's really just a case of the cost of getting there plus a few cheap meals out.
I'd say keep back money for travel plus £100 spending money for food, etc, and use the rest of the money now.
Then if you can save up any money between now and then (even £10 a month would help) you can turn it into more of a treat.

[This is based on it being in the UK so easy to find things cheaply. If it's abroad then do more research first!]