How do you pay for your summer holidays?

oghran

I see a lot of people managing to get away this year and I'm curious how other people generally pay for their normal summer holidays?

Do you save up throughout the year or stick on a credit card and worry about it when you're back?

The last trip I went on was a month long trip to the US a few years ago, and ended up in quite a bit of debt over the whole thing. I think it's made me nervous of paying for a holiday ever again..

Blacktie.

Most people don't go away for a month.That's a long time for a holiday. Generally I'd save up a bit and go away for a week or two.I'm more of a long weekend holidayer though.

Thoie

I put aside a monthly amount for a "big" holiday each year (including spending money) in a separate account. I buy the holiday on the credit card (for insurance/chargeback purposes if necessary), but pay it off in full from my savings at the next bill.

By "big" holiday I mean a fortnight - never taken a month off, but if I was planning something huge I'd do the same, but the saving period in advance would be longer. If some emergency cropped up during the year which meant I had to dip into my holiday savings, I wouldn't book the holiday.

cookie1977

Personally through budgeting. I save all year round and use a portion of the savings to pay for the holiday. I might use a credit card to pay for the holiday for insurance purposes but then pay it off before interest accrues with my savings.

I know people who save in the credit union, borrow on the back of the savings to pay for their holiday, pay it off over the year and reapeat the process again.

Plumbthedepths

Overtime in work. Wife and I normally go away twice a year. 10 days in the summer and 5 days in November. Gave up doing the normal 2 week's holiday years ago. Wife in is in a new job so she can only get a week off during my two weeks holidays. Off to Italy for the week car hire, flights and accommodation 800 euro. An extra 32 hours in work sorted it.

Bandana boy

Joint account pays for our holidays each year .

We both pay in an agreed amount that will cover mortgage , groceries , utilities , upkeep on house and our holiday .

When we plan a particularly big holiday a year in advance we will up the contribution to the joint account.
same if we have a big house expense coming in the following year.

Works for us

Sabre0001

Put away some money every month to lessen the load if I have to dip into savings / that month's disposable income.

theteal

Pay with credit card for security. Pay credit card bill from savings.

Zaph

We have a holiday fund where I work. You decide at the start of the year how much you want deducted from your salary each month, and you can draw down the full amount at any time during the year. The deductions will continue until the end of the year at which time the full amount has been "repaid".

loyatemu

Zaph wrote: »

We have a holiday fund where I work. You decide at the start of the year how much you want deducted from your salary each month, and you can draw down the full amount at any time during the year. The deductions will continue until the end of the year at which time the full amount has been "repaid".

AIB have a similar product called "Masterplan" - it's effectively a rolling 12 month loan, you pay it off over the year, the full amount is available from day 1, each year it starts again.

SCOL

I actually hate holidays can't stand them the hassle of packing getting to the Airport having to listen to the wife and kids !!!
living out of a suite case etc. My passport has expired now about 8-10 years now happy days.

whippet

SCOL wrote: »

I actually hate holidays can't stand them the hassle of packing getting to the Airport having to listen to the wife and kids !!!
living out of a suite case etc. My passport has expired now about 8-10 years now happy days.

days
cool story bro - very apt for a thread about holidays

It a god job I married a woman who I like spending time with.

we would plan our next main summer holiday as soon as we get back home. Generally pay it off when we get our annual bonus in January.

Dial Hard

Generally save up in advance for it or pay in monthly instalments if the tour operator allows it, which Tour America do. Heading to Mexico tomorrow, cannae wait! I was also skiing in January and that was paid for with a work bonus.

SusanC10

If we are doing the Ferry/Eurocamp to France, we usually have enough Tesco Tokens to almost cover the Ferry (this year we paid less than €200 after Tokens) and then book v early with Eurocamp and pay €99 Deposit and then use our Holiday Savings at the end.

If we are flying we book the Flights as early as possible using the Holiday Savings and pay for Accommodation later.

We have a separate Account for Holiday Savings with a set amount going in on DD monthly. I also top up monthly if I know that what is there won't cover the next holiday.

We normally go for 3-4 weeks. This year was 24 nights incl 2 nights on the Ferry. 2 Adults & 2 Kids.

wijam

usually plan well in advance and then budget and save

most of my hols are finished for this year, so I'm knocking about ideas for next years holidays and will probably in September on one or two of them and start booking flights, hotels, paying off what I can well in advance, to give time for saving spending money

usually have the credit card cleared is backup for spending money if needed, but try not to go there

kerry4sam

oghran wrote: »

I see a lot of people managing to get away this year and I'm curious how other people generally pay for their normal summer holidays?

Do you save up throughout the year or stick on a credit card and worry about it when you're back?

The last trip I went on was a month long trip to the US a few years ago, and ended up in quite a bit of debt over the whole thing. I think it's made me nervous of paying for a holiday ever again..

Holidays and/or any trip abroad do Not need to cost that much. I remember during one period of my life flying abroad for 3 out of 4 weeks in one month when the hotel I was working in closed mid-week.
Costs: cheap flight and accommodation and public transport <--> All else optional really and food/drink when travelling solo is street-food and adventurous.

Outside of trips abroad like that (and I have found holidaying at Home on this island of Ireland to be more expensive for me in times past) <--> we now have Airbnb which saved me big-time in 2016 and we have holiday sites (see link on our front-page for some) offering deals and reduced costs.


Travelling solo for me has never cost me outside of what I could afford; at any time so I've been lucky.
Times I saved before-hand had always left me with money in my pocket coming home <--> I never travelled relying on my credit card. Not once and I am proud and delighted with that. I have worked since my teens up until Mar/Apr 2017 so I have always been able to travel and afford to do so when I wished. I don't remember even having to compromise either.
In saying the above though; I've never needed to think of bringing family of any age when I travelled (solo) and even when I brought my car to France (w/daytrip to Switzerland) the main cost was fuel(when I found a petrol-station i.e! issues I won't get into here).


Summer holidays need Not be 'Summer' holidays. That is when prices increase substantially. Cost everything and Travel anywhere (within reason) when the prices suit you and/or those you wish to travel with.
Obviously the more who travel, the higher the costs (even self-catering) and that also includes the entrance-fees to resorts/museums etc etc.

It always seemed to me that others can travel when and where they like but I do wonder just how many rely on credit cards and even loans to do so.

Hope that helps in some way,
kerry4sam

dory

I always have the flight paid off by December for the following summer. Then I save up between January and summer for spending money.
A holiday is not something I would get into debt for, but I know lots who do and are fine with it.

dennyk

I'm very fortunate in that I make a decent salary and don't spend a lot, so I can put a lot of my disposable income towards travel. I've never spent more money than I actually have, I just spend some of the extra that I've built up in my current account since my last trip. I also don't generally travel during the summer myself, as I don't much like the crowds or the heat, and traveling during the shoulder or off seasons helps save some money as well.

retalivity

Normally have a number of long weekends away/<6days jan-sept, then a 2+ wk holiday late summer/autumn/winter. No kids, work for myself (as does the wife) ao can take hols whenever with a bit of notice.

Always have saved/use money ive got - either direct from savings /ca, or thru cc and pay it off almost immediately. Cannot fathom living forever on credit.

bikeman1

My tip is to pay bits and pieces off in advance.

One month flights / bit towards hotel

Next month hotel

Next month attractions in advance/ local travel (if required)

Save one month for the pissup

Then off you go and enjoy yourself.

Do this twice a year excluding December and Jan and you will have a ball. Also get away from the peak silly prices. September is a magic month to go away. Book early, get the deals, don't waste money on unnecessary extras. Stay away from silly spending in Ireland. Can be done. I've seen folk with little getting away twice a year for decent hols.

The Davestator

I paid for our family holiday this year by selling stuff on done deal and adverts. Sold 1,240 euro worth and kept it aside and when I bought the holiday, i just lodged the cash into my account.

Very satisfying!

For spending money, we use a €1 and €2 euro tin for the year - doesn't cover everything, but generally a few hundred in it

naughtysmurf

Credit union, take out a loan, lodge it into a separate bank account, use credit card then for booking flights, accommodation etc etc, pay credit card as I use it, pay back the credit union over 12 months

harr

Credit Union here , save as much as we can and top up with a small holiday loan and pay back over the next few months. Spending money is saved separately.
Saying that holidays are getting very expensive and we book through a travel agent because we have a special needs child and a holiday takes a bit extra planning.

woodchuck

The last trip I went on was a month long trip to the US a few years ago, and ended up in quite a bit of debt over the whole thing. I think it's made me nervous of paying for a holiday ever again..

There's no need to be nervous. Just save up the money in advance so that you don't end up in debt!

I love to travel, but it wouldn't do it if I knew I'd end up in debt over it. I've always been a natural saver and somewhat frugal with money. I don't deny myself much, but I think I just have simple tastes and appreciate a good bargain. I hate "wasting" money when I know it can be better spent (e.g. on travelling!). So I naturally end up with a surplus in my account each month which I use for travelling a couple of times a year. I don't normally drink alcohol though, so that probably saves me a small fortune in and of itself.

Nigel Fairservice

I have 2 credit union accounts. I put €20 a week into each of them. One is my health insurance fund and the other is my holiday fund.

ted1

Blacktie. wrote: »

Most people don't go away for a month.That's a long time for a holiday. Generally I'd save up a bit and go away for a week or two.I'm more of a long weekend holidayer though.

Just back from a month in Spain with the misses and three kids.

Booked flights before Christmas, then booked an AirBnB around May. So OP generally I break it up.

mfceiling

Flights booked and paid for in jan/feb. Car hire booked and paid feb/march. Wife covers villa or house that we take.
Spending money is throwing a few bob every week into the credit union. 20's and 30's soon add up and the occasional 100 or 200 and usually by May I've easily enough for 2 weeks.
Spare change is thrown into a old tub in the kitchen...Checked it last week and there's upwards of 400 quid in it!!
It's actually not too difficult if you keep on top of it throughout the year.

CelticRambler

This is the first year in ages that I'll be taking a "summer holiday" as in a trip that has to be fitted into the summer. Sister is a teacher and having a big family event, so I have to make plans to suit her rather than myself. Usually I tack my 12-18 weeks' holidays a year onto travel for work.

But other than the timing (and paying teacher prices :mad: ) my approach is the same as for other trips: look into the practicalities well in advance and get an idea of what prices are "about right" for flights, accommodation, local transport, local activities, etc.

That gives me a rough budget to work with, and an idea of how much to set aside from my monthly income. Since I got a Revolut card, I usually start feeding that with as much as I can spare as soon as I know what my target is (so not a regular monthly amount).

Then I keep an eye on a range of relevant websites and book a good deal from available cash when I see it, if I've got the cash available, if not, it comes out of the Revolut balance. It's working well for this year's trip (3 weeks in Africa) and worked perfectly last year (5 weeks in the US)

I never have and never would borrow money for a holiday - that's just crazy. There are plenty of ways to have a great time somewhere other than home without spending money you don't have.

dartboardio

I pay it off month by month, I use travelrepublic or alpharooms to pay off the hotel and apartments etc in batches.

Just back from a month in spain in a couple of different places. It was only me and my partner. Cost €1800 total for flights and accomodation in 3 seperate resorts for a month (which I think is an absolute bargain!)

Granted we dont go to luxury resorts however we book average places, clean and safe is the main thing (always stalk the reviews though!) we got bed and breakfast in a 4 star hotel for €450 in a well known resort in spain for a week.

But yeah, i find it alot easier to book the flights early, say January.

Then make a small deposit for a hotel/apartment on travelrepublic or alpharooms and I pay lumps off that throughout the year when I see fit. Extremely handy!!

I have a bit of an obsession when it comes to booking/looking for holidays and the best deal

And for spending money the credit union is a saviour, i transfer directly into my CU account from online banking, and ive blocked my online access to my CU account so I can't take it out unless I go down to that credit union.

kenkin

Would love to try the 3 different resorts idea. Can you tell us the name of the resorts.

theguzman

The last few year's I spent over 2 months abroad each year, I don't piss my money away on alcohol, cigarettes or rent. I own my home outright and purchased it with no mortgage. I have never holidayed once in a chavved up Spanish Costa and usually spend 12+ hrs on the plane to the more off the beaten track exotic locations.

dartboardio

theguzman wrote: »

The last few year's I spent over 2 months abroad each year, I don't piss my money away on alcohol, cigarettes or rent. I own my home outright and purchased it with no mortgage. I have never holidayed once in a chavved up Spanish Costa and usually spend 12+ hrs on the plane to the more off the beaten track exotic locations.

Loool

Aren't you fan fuxxen tastic.

I like the Spanish costa. Some beautiful unspoiled places in Spain. Cute villages in the middle of nowhere with no tourists, ports, boat trips. You have a small mind if you think all there is to Spain is package deals and Irish bars (i dislike that crowd just as much as you do but no need to dismiss an entire country larger than your own for it)

Still go to other places regularly, city breaks, long haul 'exotic' trips.