Booking a holiday when paying off debt

kboss2010

There's nothing wrong with a holiday if you're still repaying your debt in some way and avoiding charges for late payment!

Everyone needs a break and it'll do your health (and maybe even your relationship) wonders I'll bet. In these cash-strapped times it's important to keep your spirits up.

Somewhere sunny is good, my OH and I went camping in Edinburgh for the Fringe a few years ago and we were both wet and miserable for the whole long weekend as apparently we'd picked the middle of a monsoon to arrive - the back half of the campsite was flooded and we couldn't get dried out completely for the whole time we were there. The last fun camping holiday I've been on was when I was 8 years old - the weather was always lovely when we camped as a child in Derbyshire, every time I've been camping since it's felt like an endurance test rather than a holiday due to the weather. I wouldn't recommend camping in Britain unless you like a challenge/adventure!

I don't care what Tourism Britain says either, holidaying in the UK is expensive if you actually want to do anything besides hike/walk whilst away. Add up entrance fees to places, the cost of meals, travel, accommodation etc. and you can easily spend £1000 a week for two.

A few years ago I looked into going to a gig in London from Aberdeen, stay for one night and come back again - it cost me only £150 more!! to fly to Toronto, stay there for 5 days and see the same gig there so I did and got a week's holiday out of it - it's a joke really! I also tried to book the sleeper train recently for a friend's wedding down in Bristol - it was £980 for two people one way!!! I could literally fly to Australia for that!

If you want cheap, fly budget and stay in a hostel in a foreign country!

Try hostels, they're much cheaper than hotels usually and most offer private rooms. Youth Hostelling International website is a good place to start for reasonable-standard accomodation.

lgs6753

If you spend to go on holiday, you're effectively spending your creditors' money, so that ain't on, sorry!
On the other hand, if you can find a holiday (=any break away from the norm) that doesn't add to your normal monthly costs, go for it with a clear conscience.
Things like camping/cheap off-peak caravan breaks come to mind. You'll be saving on power light and heat at home, commuting costs, childcare costs, perhaps a daily paper or bought sandwiches/coffees - they all add up to a budget that you can spend whilst away on your holiday.
"A bit of sun" sounds too expensive to qualify under my definition!

EvaCustard

If you are still paying at least your minimum and plan to continue to overpay after your holiday then go for it. Everyone needs a break sometimes.

Just remember there are people who won't agree with you but that doesn't mean you are doing the wrong thing!!

Enjoy your holiday and carry on with the debt clearing afterwards.

flossy_splodge

EvaCustard wrote: »

If you are still paying at least your minimum and plan to continue to overpay after your holiday then go for it. Everyone needs a break sometimes.

Just remember there are people who won't agree with you but that doesn't mean you are doing the wrong thing!!

Enjoy your holiday and carry on with the debt clearing afterwards.

And there are people who WILL agree with you but that doesn't mean you are doing the RIGHT thing!

EvaCustard

flossy_splodge wrote: »

And there are people who WILL agree with you but that doesn't mean you are doing the RIGHT thing!

If she is doing the right thing for her & still meeting her financial committments, who are we to judge?

Surely the right thing is paying her debts on time every month. What she does with the rest of her money is her choice.

pollypenny

I couldn't relax on a holiday knowing I was in debt. When we were very hard up with little ones OH always wanted a holiday and we did go.

However, we bought a second hand tent, borrowed much of the equipment and went camping in Brittany.

We stayed on a municipal site, bought food in a hypermarket and cooked our own.

The only extra costs were the crossing and petrol.

WantToBeSE

EvaCustard wrote: »

If you are still paying at least your minimum and plan to continue to overpay after your holiday then go for it. Everyone needs a break sometimes.

Just remember there are people who won't agree with you but that doesn't mean you are doing the wrong thing!!

Enjoy your holiday and carry on with the debt clearing afterwards.

I agree with this.
YOU are the person who is paying the debt off, it's YOUR life. As long as you continue to pay your debts off and dont go on holidays all the time (therefore not being able to pay your debts), and dont get into MORE debt to pay for the holiday, go for it!

kboss2010

Whilst I agree with some posters that debt is stressful, that's precisely why sometimes people need a break - for their health and sanity. However, there is a huge difference between not overpaying debt and going on holiday with the extra cash and just shoving it on a credit card and worrying about the cost later.

Camping abroad is fantastic *if* you enjoy it. If you don't, trying to force yourself to enjoy that kind of holiday in order to save a few ££ is counter-productive in my view - what's the purpose of paying for a "treat" that you actually find a chore?

My OH loves camping - I'm happy as long as the weather is good. I enjoyed it as a child.

scarlet_macaw

There are a few factors we have not been told which have a bearing on this:

How much is the debt and how long will it take to pay it off?

Have the creditors agreed to any reductions in payments or are you 'just' paying off HP, credit cards etc because you felt the amounts due had grown too high?

This second point in particular is relevant to some of the more negative posts that have been made. If no-one else has suffered from your having got into debt and are making profits from their lending business as a result of your indebtedness, it is your decision and you need only be sure that you are comfortable that spending money this way will not create financial problems for you. On the other hand if the debt has been reduced as a result of a CVA or similar arrangement or there are non-commercial debts involved then you definitely should not be spending money on anything else until it is all paid off.

jaxsmar

I booked a holiday this year, I haven't had a holiday in 7 years.. one week in Spain... do I feel guilty.. yes! But I need this, next year my financial situation gets worse, so I probably wont see another holiday for another 7 years. who knows what's around the corner?