Dawning realisation we just can't afford it! - Oh wait we can just!!!!!!!!!

[Ciorsdah]

My boyfriend and I are in a fortunate position that we have a contracted financial bonus each year in work assuming we perform to standard. However, this bonus is always spent on a luxury holiday.

My flat could do with new carpets and possibly a small change to the main bathroom. Things that our bonus could pay, but we sacrifice those for our 2 week break.

I agree its flights that are a killer. We are looking at £1355 return for 2 of us indirect with BA in Nov. Edin - LHR - MIA -MCO on way there and MCO - LGW-EDI on way back in PE (extra baggage and legroom)

We save our spending money throughout the year and forego fancy clothes or meals out to afford it

I really feel for everyone struggling in these expensive times. If it wasn't for our contractual bonuses we couldn't afford our home (bonus paid the deposit 3 years ago) and no holidays.

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

I know just how you feel, however I came to that realization about 3 years ago. We had been to WDW every year from 2000 to 2009 with DCL cruises as well. My DH is in the catering business and his family has always been in the hospitality trade so we "don't go cheap" i.e we always travel PE and we only stay in deluxe hotels otherwise we don't go at all.

Anyway after the crash in 2008 my DH who has a cafe in west London started working 7 days a week as the daily takings dropped and he is still working 7 days a week. I also work full time and long hours for a Japanese investment bank, and NO I don't get ANY bonus and I haven't had a pay rise in 6 years. As such we have moved to only going to WDW every other year now. As the boys go to a Jewish faith school we have also been lucky enough to have been able to move the timing of our holiday from Easter to end Sept/start Oct when they get a 10 day Jewish holiday which is in off peak season.

I hate not being able to go every year and when we get home after we've just been there, like we did last October, I feel so sad knowing it's going to be a very long time till we can go back. At the same time I do feel good about actually saving up the £10k - £12k (flight, hotel, tix, spends, car parking, car hire everything for 4 adults) and not building up huge credit card debts which would happen if we went every year.

 

[Jakejosh4]

The only way we can afford to go to Florida is to go every other year, the year we dont go we camp. My DH still has to do overtime and my DSs are 5&7 and this will be the last year I feel we should take them out of school. This year we are doing onsite for the first time and then a Disney cruise for 7days. We will so miss going but theres no way we can afford school holidays, not sure what we will do as like Wayne just sitting by the pool or on the Beach would drive us mad. Dont think DLRP will be the same and really doesnt interest me. Maybe my lottery numbers will come up!,

 

[CAROLINE4]

Last year was the cheapest holiday for us! We budget $100 per day spends and stay in a villa we got last min flights end of April for £213 p/p. our children are young so we very rarely eat in restaurants as it is such a hassle waiting for food getting them to sit still and behave that I end up totally stressed so we have our evening meal at the villa and they can play in the pool before we go back out for fireworks.

We spend everyday all day in a park (other than a few hours in the afternoon) so always get ultimate tics x I think if your lucky enough to be flexible then it's very doable! We spent £4200 all in all inc villa, car hire, tics and spends!! That was for 6 of us!

However I'm now qualified and can only go in school holidays and this realisation that we won't get to go back is very apparent at the moment flights in school holidays are horrendous and am literally going to cry!

Fingers crossed another delta or any airline offer comes in for aug!

 

[bee86]

I started the year with a plan... a meal plan!

I planned two weeks of meals for our family

Week 1
Roast Gammon with trimmings!
Home made Burgers & Chips
Pasta Bake
Cottage Pie & Veg
Chicken Curry
Sausage & Mash
Chicken Kievs, Veg & Chips

Roast Chicken
Chilli Con Carnie
Jacket potatoes
Pasta Bake
Chicken Stir-Fry
Toad in the hole
Pork Chops, Mash & Veg

In addition I have lunch box items incl fruit/veg, bacon, eggs, salad items. As well as bread, rolls, wraps, squash, milk etc..

I ordered online from ASDA - Total cost £75 for two weeks worth of food for a family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers (just need to make a few top ups of bread and milk - I have literally halved my shopping bill! That is £2600 a year!

May not work for everyone but an excellent way to save and all the family can help in planning the meals!

Love this idea, really good plan think I might just have to steal it hehe there are only two of us and we are disasters for ordering takeways when to tired from the day so Im defo going to try this would save us a small fortune! And as im the only one paying for the trip this year literally every little helps.

 

[paulh]

luckily we have bought into dvc, which has meant were able to go to Hawaii this year.
We are always savers and don't overspend, i noticed your realisation was on they way to buy a sandwich for lunch.
if you want to go cut back on things like doing this, take a packed lunch to work,
There are plenty of ways to save money(indirect, constantly checking flights ect)
Paul

 

[dixonsontour]

For the first time in years I haven't got a ticker

We are seriously thinking of moving house so it doesn't seem sensible to book an expensive holiday but I keep looking at prices.

We also pay school fees for DD (reason for moving is hopefully get catchment for a decent secondary and not end up paying again)

Are you definitely stuck with August? If you compare your girls hols to the state ones they should get a couple of extra weeks eg my DD has 2 weeks in October whereas the local state only get 1.

Without starting a bun fight on the merits of taking kids out of school one of the advantages of DD's private school has been the sensible attitude to kids out of school for holidays as it is their decision no govt/LA rules/fines.

We took DD aged 6 out for 4 days in May last year to take advantage of a late deal. Booked 1 week before we got 3 direct flights from Manchester and a 2 bed condo at bahama bay for £960 for 7 nights. That was with cosmos.

 

[dixonsontour]

I started the year with a plan... a meal plan!

I planned two weeks of meals for our family

Week 1
Roast Gammon with trimmings!
Home made Burgers & Chips
Pasta Bake
Cottage Pie & Veg
Chicken Curry
Sausage & Mash
Chicken Kievs, Veg & Chips

Roast Chicken
Chilli Con Carnie
Jacket potatoes
Pasta Bake
Chicken Stir-Fry
Toad in the hole
Pork Chops, Mash & Veg

In addition I have lunch box items incl fruit/veg, bacon, eggs, salad items. As well as bread, rolls, wraps, squash, milk etc..

I ordered online from ASDA - Total cost £75 for two weeks worth of food for a family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers (just need to make a few top ups of bread and milk - I have literally halved my shopping bill! That is £2600 a year!

May not work for everyone but an excellent way to save and all the family can help in planning the meals!

Your menu sounds lovely!

I've told DH he needs to go to the supermarket not me when we need bits - I seem incapable of buying just bread and milk!

 

[OhanaSam]

It shocks me how often some people go and stay in the most expensive hotels, eat in expensive restaurants and refuse to fly economy, then complain that they can't afford to go again

Some people will never get to go in their life. I've not been on a proper holiday in 10 years and have always wanted to go to Disneyworld and eventhough we can't really afford it we've cut back on pretty much everything and managed to save the money between us to go. My birthday last month was the first time we'd been on a night out since March We buy own brand food from supermarkets, don't go out for meals or to the cinema more than once a month, have basic freeview tv and only take about £50 per month from our wages to spend on ourselves. We won't get to go back again for years and we're flying economy, staying in a moderate resort, only because the free dining made it cheaper than a value resort and we're not doing everything we want, like Discovery Cove, because we can't afford it. We would never put anything on a credit card either because we spend with in our means. I've never had a loan or overdraft and wouldn't get one just to have a luxury holiday. You have to make sacrifices to get what you want and if that means flying a lower class or staying in a cheaper hotel then so be it!

Phew sorry for the rant

 

[wayneg]

It shocks me how often some people go and stay in the most expensive hotels, eat in expensive restaurants and refuse to fly economy, then complain that they can't afford to go again

I know quite a few people like this. Doesn't shock me though, totally their choice, they would rather not go than stay in a budget hotel or fly economy. I know they wouln't enjoy that type of holiday.

 

[joolz1910]

I knew that we would have to wait a few years before we could go again. My budget is around £7000. I would definitely do indirect flights next time, but I really loved OKW and DDp, so would like that again. It will be 2016 for us. Having said that, we will be ready to book at the beginning of 2015, so that's only 2 years away.

 

[married2mm]

I knew that we would have to wait a few years before we could go again. My budget is around £7000. I would definitely do indirect flights next time, but I really loved OKW and DDp, so would like that again. It will be 2016 for us. Having said that, we will be ready to book at the beginning of 2015, so that's only 2 years away.

that's a good way of looking at it.

 

[Kath2003]

It shocks me how often some people go and stay in the most expensive hotels, eat in expensive restaurants and refuse to fly economy, then complain that they can't afford to go again

Some people will never get to go in their life. I've not been on a proper holiday in 10 years and have always wanted to go to Disneyworld and eventhough we can't really afford it we've cut back on pretty much everything and managed to save the money between us to go. My birthday last month was the first time we'd been on a night out since March We buy own brand food from supermarkets, don't go out for meals or to the cinema more than once a month, have basic freeview tv and only take about £50 per month from our wages to spend on ourselves. We won't get to go back again for years and we're flying economy, staying in a moderate resort, only because the free dining made it cheaper than a value resort and we're not doing everything we want, like Discovery Cove, because we can't afford it. We would never put anything on a credit card either because we spend with in our means. I've never had a loan or overdraft and wouldn't get one just to have a luxury holiday. You have to make sacrifices to get what you want and if that means flying a lower class or staying in a cheaper hotel then so be it!

Phew sorry for the rant

Eh, different people have different levels.

People here go all on me when I suggest some of the things we do to allow us to go every year:
Staying offsite
Not visiting every single theme park
Indirect flights
Using the public buses

But there are some things that to me are - like Butlins

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

It shocks me how often some people go and stay in the most expensive hotels, eat in expensive restaurants and refuse to fly economy, then complain that they can't afford to go again

I'm one of those people who stay in expensive hotels and refuse to fly economy, however I'm not complaining about not being able to go again. I'm just saying that we can no longer go every year.

When I and my then BF were 23 we also had to save every penny that we earned to go on holiday, not get takeaways and forsake evenings out and we wouldn't have dreamed about going anything other the economy or staying in very moderate hotels. WDW was way out of our price range it was more like Spain or a self catering villa in Greece with a load of mates. However that was a very long time ago and I am now 50 and my DH is 53 so our finances and our requirments are a bit different. I agree with Wayne, yes, we could make our holidays to WDW cheaper but it's our choice not to as we'd rather not go than comprimise the type of holiday that we want and enjoy

 

[OhanaSam]

I'm one of those people who stay in expensive hotels and refuse to fly economy, however I'm not complaining about not being able to go again. I'm just saying that we can no longer go every year.

I'm just talking about the people who do complain about it, they should count themselves lucky that they have ever gotten to go

 

[CAROLINE4]

I'm one of those people who stay in expensive hotels and refuse to fly economy, however I'm not complaining about not being able to go again. I'm just saying that we can no longer go every year.

When I and my then BF were 23 we also had to save every penny that we earned to go on holiday, not get takeaways and forsake evenings out and we wouldn't have dreamed about going anything other the economy or staying in very moderate hotels. WDW was way out of our price range it was more like Spain or a self catering villa in Greece with a load of mates. However that was a very long time ago and I am now 50 and my DH is 53 so our finances and our requirments are a bit different. I agree with Wayne, yes, we could make our holidays to WDW cheaper but it's our choice not to as we'd rather not go than comprimise the type of holiday that we want and enjoy

I think with such little ones our priorities are to spend all day in the parks. we love the home from home feel and freedom a villa gives us compared to a hotel. we literally sleep in the villa and spend an hour or so there at dinner time to change and freshen up!
i think for some where they stay and how they get there is very important, as with you, and i think thats fine. for us we will try to do it as cheap as possible and go more often. Each to their own i say!

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

I'm just talking about the people who do complain about it, they should count themselves lucky that they have ever gotten to go

Agreed but I see it as "horses for course" and "each to their own". When people like that moan I just let it go straight over my head, pretty much in the same way as when people ask me how can I possibly go to WDW again

 

[Disneynutinlondon]

Each to their own i say!

Absolutely

 

[london75]

I hope I'm not one of these complaining people, I've made it very clear I know we're very lucky and it's great to have been so often. We have got used to the more luxury elements of the trip and I don't think saving money on my lunch sandwich actually has any bearing on the 9000 I'd need to pay for the holiday that was planned.

This thread was just started to discuss that sudden moment of clarity where you realise it's not worth it for now and not worth putting yourself under ever increasing pressure to maintain the things you've grown used to. I thought it might help others in the same boat to see the wood from the trees.

I'm very sorry that I built my own company from scratch and am not at all poor, I'm allowed to talk about my life too though.

 

[CAROLINE4]

I hope I'm not one of these complaining people, I've made it very clear I know we're very lucky and it's great to have been so often. We have got used to the more luxury elements of the trip and I don't think saving money on my lunch sandwich actually has any bearing on the 9000 I'd need to pay for the holiday that was planned.

This thread was just started to discuss that sudden moment of clarity where you realise it's not worth it for now and not worth putting yourself under ever increasing pressure to maintain the things you've grown used to. I thought it might help others in the same boat to see the wood from the trees.

I'm very sorry that I built my own company from scratch and am not at all poor, I'm allowed to talk about my life too though.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and knows their own circumstances and expectations from a holiday! i have to admit ours standards in regards to getting there and where we stay are not too high if im honest, as long as its clean!

i agree that once you have gotten used to luxury it must be extremely hard to make do with something less than! we stayed on Formosa gardens the year we got married there and it was absolute luxury but we could not afford villas in that community at the minute.

i think if you feel better about your decision sharing it with others is only a positive as others my be stuggling to come to terms with the same situation!