How do you justify holiday costs?

[Jaguar steve]

768 said:

How do you justify leaving the cash in the bank and not making the most of life? Do it, show us the pictures.

Easily justified. Leave cash in the bank to earn you a income so you can afford to make the most of life.

[Bill]

condor said:

I'm a dog walker/pet sitter, enjoyable and not a stressful or onerous job. I look after other people's pets when they go on holiday so it could be said I get paid for holidays throughout the year. It doesn't pay well - about £7K a year, so the Galapagos trip is the equivalent of nearly 2 years pay.
There have been many programmes on the TV about the islands.

In all honesty, on that money the Galapagos is a pipe dream. Even for someone on 10 times that it's an extravagance. But for some as a once in a lifetime or rare treat it might be worth it.

[African Grey]

All down to your disposable income.
On the other hand ; I work hard enough and long enough to allow myself to relax.

[PositronicRay]

It's like all things, if it's what you want and can afford it why not?

Some people spend £100k on a car, some people push themselves to spend £5000. Some people spend £100 per head in a restaurant, some people £30.

[Butter Face]

My wife and I have had 20 holidays in 10 years of marriage. Sometimes it’s just been a week in Lanzarote but it’s precious time to unwind, forget About work etc and be together as a family.

I have friends who have never left the country and are as happy with a weekend in a caravan as I am with 2 weeks in the Caribbean. Different strokes etc.

Yes it’s normally a silly amount of money (especially now with a child in school, the uplift over half terms etc is obscene!) but I wouldn’t go without. I work hard enough and spend enough time in work the rest of the year!

[anonymous-user]

Bill said:

condor said:

I'm a dog walker/pet sitter, enjoyable and not a stressful or onerous job. I look after other people's pets when they go on holiday so it could be said I get paid for holidays throughout the year. It doesn't pay well - about £7K a year, so the Galapagos trip is the equivalent of nearly 2 years pay.
There have been many programmes on the TV about the islands.

In all honesty, on that money the Galapagos is a pipe dream. Even for someone on 10 times that it's an extravagance. But for some as a once in a lifetime or rare treat it might be worth it.

It’s also arguably too late. We visited the Galapagos in 2008. A few days in Ecuador before and after a 7 night cruise on a small, traditional motorised sailing boat, 16 passengers. It wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t that expensive.

At the time most of the boats being used there were relatively small and as I remember there was only one large cruise boat being used.

We were usually the only group ashore on the different islands, only seeing other boats as we passed at sea.

These days I’m told that the majority of cruises are on bigger ships, with a fair bit of waiting around as small groups are ferried to and from the shore.

I remember that our naturalist guide back in 2008 was quite worried about the snowballing commercial interests and growing numbers. His parting comment, “Hope you’ve enjoyed it here, please don’t come back!”

Once in a lifetime? Of course, but not the rare treat it was, perhaps.

[condor]

I think you're right there.
I dreamed of visiting the Galapagos when the first David Attenborough documentaries were shown - but certainly didn't have the funds to go. Recent TV programmes have shown how busy it is now with the various cruise ships and tourists.

[Bill]

Personally, I'm not interested enough in the wildlife to justify the costs. Even when we were travelling in Ecuador 20 years ago we weren't that bothered although we did try to visit the "poor man's Galapagos" of Isla de la Plata but it was fogbound so we moved on.

[Condi]

Jaguar steve said:

768 said:

How do you justify leaving the cash in the bank and not making the most of life? Do it, show us the pictures.

Easily justified. Leave cash in the bank to earn you a income so you can afford to make the most of life.

That's illogical when your cash in the bank is losing money vs inflation. It is not only not earning you an income, but actually worth less year on year.

[HustleRussell]

REALIST123 said:

Bill said:

condor said:

the Galapagos is a pipe dream. Even for someone on 10 times that it's an extravagance. But for some as a once in a lifetime or rare treat it might be worth it.

It’s also arguably too late. We visited the Galapagos in 2008. A few days in Ecuador before and after a 7 night cruise on a small, traditional motorised sailing boat, 16 passengers. It wasn’t cheap but it wasn’t that expensive.

At the time most of the boats being used there were relatively small and as I remember there was only one large cruise boat being used.

We were usually the only group ashore on the different islands, only seeing other boats as we passed at sea.

These days I’m told that the majority of cruises are on bigger ships, with a fair bit of waiting around as small groups are ferried to and from the shore.

I remember that our naturalist guide back in 2008 was quite worried about the snowballing commercial interests and growing numbers. His parting comment, “Hope you’ve enjoyed it here, please don’t come back!”

Once in a lifetime? Of course, but not the rare treat it was, perhaps.

condor said:

I think you're right there.
I dreamed of visiting the Galapagos when the first David Attenborough documentaries were shown - but certainly didn't have the funds to go. Recent TV programmes have shown how busy it is now with the various cruise ships and tourists.

As Realist alluded to, if you care about the Galapagos in particular, absolutely don't go there!

For me, enviroguilt is actually the toughest thing to justify about taking holidays

That said, I don't need to be told that 'you only live once'. 'everyone else is going to do it anyway' etc etc... I am a hypocrite.

ETA: However this does complement the point that was made earlier. If you do your own booking and planning, and you are travelling as opposed to 'holidaying', you are at least paying your money directly into the local economy which generates income and provides a way of living for an increasing number of people worldwide...

Edited by HustleRussell on Thursday 23 January 11:35

[Simon Brooks]

OP

For me the justification is the world is a huge amazing place and your dead a long time in the big scheme of things, go and enjoy it, some places you will love and want to go back to continue exploring, others just wont do it for you, everyone is different, luckily so is the world.

[Jaguar steve]

Condi said:

Jaguar steve said:

768 said:

How do you justify leaving the cash in the bank and not making the most of life? Do it, show us the pictures.

Easily justified. Leave cash in the bank to earn you a income so you can afford to make the most of life.

That's illogical when your cash in the bank is losing money vs inflation. It is not only not earning you an income, but actually worth less year on year.

Yes, yes, yes - I know all that.

I used the term "bank" in it's very vaguest form and all I'll actually have in the "bank" after the bills are paid at the end of the month might possibly be just enough for a wet weekend in Swanage...

[Fluffsri]

Simon Brooks said:

OP

For me the justification is the world is a huge amazing place and your dead a long time in the big scheme of things, go and enjoy it, some places you will love and want to go back to continue exploring, others just wont do it for you, everyone is different, luckily so is the world.

Im with Simon. Lifes too short and the world is very big!

I have a job where Ive been lucky enough to visit a lot of the globe even if its a short visit. As a couple we work to travel, usually its not a holiday its a roadtrip to see and do things we would not do and see at home. How do I justify it? Dont really, we just do it .

[anonymous-user]

Bill said:

Personally, I'm not interested enough in the wildlife to justify the costs. Even when we were travelling in Ecuador 20 years ago we weren't that bothered although we did try to visit the "poor man's Galapagos" of Isla de la Plata but it was fogbound so we moved on.

If you’re not interested in the wildlife there’s definitely little point going.

If you are though, at least a decade or so ago, it was priceless. Face to face with albatross chicks on the nest, while the parents are performing their mating dance, having baby sea lions come up to your feet on a pristine beach, seeing them born, swimming with a whole harem of them with the beach master barking at you!

Swimming with sharks, turtles and endless species of fish.

The unique thing for me about the Galapagos was the behaviour of the wildlife, with no fear or interest in the tourists wandering among them.

[ghost83]

Life’s short so enjoy it!

You can always make more money

You can’t get back lost time!

I spent 11k going to Florida with wife and our 2 kids, yeah when you add it up you can do plenty with the money but I need a holiday and it’s great

Going again next year! I could be dead in the next year or 2yrs so I want to enjoy been able to go away

[Frank7]

AlexC1981 said:

You only live once.

Very true, or as my dad used to say, “You’re only here for seventy odd years, it ain’t a rehearsal.”
Another gem of his, “Memories live longer than dreams.”

[Frank7]

Jaguar steve said:

Easily justified. Leave cash in the bank to earn you a income so you can afford to make the most of life.

By the time your cash in the bank has earned you enough to make the most of life, you’ll be too old to do anything enjoyable, unless basket weaving is your thing.
I went to graft when I was younger, if there was a pound note to earn, I went out and earned it.
I worked all the hours God sent, and enjoyed having three weeks in Tahiti, or Buenos Aires, or renting a pool home near Quito, Ecuador.
Now I’m older, don’t have much mad money, and spend any free time with relations in France, but I don’t regret the halcyon days of my thirties and forties one bit, it wasn’t a waste.
I won’t die wondering if there were any decent bars and restaurants in Papeete.

[David Beer]

Just in the last year, four weeks in the summer in us. Four weeks this Xmas in the us, this feb only ten days in the USA, but back in June for four weeks. So guess what I believe !

[StevieBee]

Kermit power said:

I think a lot of people replying with things like "you only live once" are maybe missing a critical point.

Yes, it's great to travel, and I love it myself, but how do you justify the holiday costs that come from paying for a package?

I think you need to separate the concept of 'travel' from 'holiday'.

If one defines a holiday as a bit of sun and relaxation then you can grab no end of perfectly reasonable deals for less than £500.

Travelling is entirely different and something that truly broadens minds and opens eyes, something that can make you a better person sometimes. This is something that is worth investing in - the amount being that which you can reasonably afford.

It's the old death bed thing....how many people wish they'd saved a bit more money. How many people wished they'd seen more of the world?

[Frank7]

Nickbrapp said:

There’s a saying I love. Travel is the only thing you spend money on that makes you richer.

It’s easy to justify, why do you need to justify it? What else are you going to do with the money just sitting there? Retire earlier? To do what? Sit around and not see the world?

I love to travel, I like to go away a few times a year, wether it’s £1000 or £10,000 you can always have a great time, do things you’ve never done before or just lay on the beach and eat food.

Travel is something to be treasured and enjoyed not justified like a ISA.

You are my long lost son, glad to see that you’ve followed my teachings, I’ve missed you.