andy66 wrote:

but last year he had arranged to delay paying a bill so freeing up some money, by the tone of most of the replies you would have thought he had defrauded the bank of england!! Realistically i think there are many people who probably do that , personally i wouldn't , but i wouldn't be so judgemental on people that do.
.

After the words "probably do that," i certainly mean,.... hold back payment on a bill. as i hope "many people who probably do that" are not actually defrauding a bank.
I think the quote in its whole context implied that i was referring to a minor financial misdemeanour and certainly not advocating a criminal offence like bank fraud, i hope that clears any confusion.

Andy, thanks for the clarification- I read your post as meaning you wouldn't judge people that would defraud the bank of England I see now what you were getting at

hi all...basically we all have to make choices....no one is all wrong or all right...atleaste not in regards to our or others way of doing things...

Some one who smokes has to work out finances so they can afford thier cigaretes...this may mean to some they have to do without something else...or learn how to do rollies...or both ....but they sort out thier lives ect so it works......there will be some can afford to smoke and still do everything else...and thier lives are not affected..

Its the same with everything...we all feel different things are more of a priority...and we alll have different ways of having them...

Some will borrow a fiver till next payday if run out of fags and no cash...some would sweat it out...get grumpy and it afects the whole family...which ever way has its faults...but the same result...come pay day things are back to normal...

When it comes to choices and priorities....its like having a shopping list...
soap...shower gel...toothpaste...mouth wash...washing powder..bread... cake ...biscuits...chocolate....eggs ....beans...potatoes..

12 items ....can usually afford all but want to go on holiday...this year life is such it is a high priority for me ...so need make desisions and do best to afford it...

Could go like this

1/ really have to have eggs beans potatoes as one of my priorities is have to eat
2/just buy the soap and dont get the shower gel....can use soap in shower instead...
3/just get the toothpaste...leave the mouthwash....most toothpaste has mouthwash stripe in
4/get the washing powder but get a cheaper brand...as long as clothes get washed its OK
5/ get the biscits but cheap ones....would miss my dunkies too much
6/leave out the chocolate and cake....if want hols have to sacrifice something

It might be that you have managed to have saved enough for the hols this way....but its 3 weeks to go and your a few quid short...and you have really did your best....so you put thinking cap on...and realise ......well I managed to save most of the hols money by making choices and saving money...if only there were a bit more time....so you borrow the rest....knowing you can carry on after hols doing the same as before and using the cash each week to pay off loan...no probs

There again some would decide not to go

tweetie

my OH's gran is like stop wasting your money on holidays save up etc - She nevers goes anywhere bought house for 8k got loads in the bank doesn't like spending ever and now she needs a carer which because she has savings house etc has to pay £400 a month where as if she had nothing it would be free so sometimes being to careful and not having fun etc is such a waste.............so everything she has will be eaten away and shes not enjoyed herself.

I knew things were going to be very tight this year so I was fortunate enough to get a second job and that pays for our holiday.

Holidays are an absolute priority here as I just could not bear working all year for nothing but the way things are I just could not afford that luxury out of my main job this year.

I paid the full deposit when I booked and the rest is being saved to pay the balance when due. I worked out what I needed to put away each week and work the extra hours needed to cover that cost.

Holidays for us are also a prority and we have as many as we can. I work part time through an agency and my income pays for our holidays so the more work I accept the more we have for holidays. It is an incentive to do it!
I have been even more canny for the last year or so in finding the best value for money. Next week we are off to Switzerland for a spot of skiing using Airmiles collected from my Tesco shopping and petrol purchases. We have booked accommodation in a farm house for about £20 a night each including breakfast. This must be our bargain of the year and so it will be exciting and we'll enjoy it I'm sure. We visit Turkey a lot and this year I booked 3 lots of return flights as soon as Easyjet announced them for £90 return each. We usually squeeze in a trip to Egypt for water sports as it is always good value for money and see there are many bargains to be had now but I don't think we'll go this year. A friend is there now for windsurfing and says it is very quiet and there is still a worry about sharks. Finally we enjoy UK holidays and sometimes have a weekend camping, it's fun and there is no need to spend a fortune.

I never have the money saved to pay off a main holiday when the balance is due . I'm always too busy paying off the last one still. Am I worried about it , not in the slightest because I have a system and know what i'm doing .

I use a barclaycard solely for this purpose . As an existing customer they have for some years (of course now I've said this they will change it) offered customers a low interest rate (usually about 6.5 -6.9%) for a lifetime balance transfer . when a balance needs paying I use my normal cashback CC that I use for everyday pruchases and then transfer my holiday payment to my barclaycard . I pay off £400 a month and continue in this way.

If I had to find the cash I could still cash in some investments but wouldnt want to do that unless I really had no choice.

Holidays are more important to me especially now my lads are older . The fact they still want to come with us of course makes holidays expensive . This summer 6K for 5 adults + oldest sons girlfriend + another week at Easter. Quality time with them at their ages (20,18 & 14) is what's important to me . If I was to stand still and pay what I still owe first I will never get that time back. Things change rapidly at this age. When they don't want to come it will get paid off. Until then I have CC holiday debt and in no way am I ashamed to admit it.

Like JMK I am also very canny at making money go far for extra weekend trips etc. I collect Tesco points too , have my cashback american express card that gives me enough for a weekend somewhere . I do on-line surveys and earn enough in my quidco account to pay for another . all that extra money goes into my own little savings account called "lyns weekend fund"

Lyn

no holiday for us this year we are having to stay home I just hope we have some nice weather for a change.

Enjoy being at home southygirl and make the most of any nice weather we have. Treat yourself to a nice meal in the garden and a bottle of something. As much as I love going away and consider it a priority it's not essential is it and we can enjoy being with our families at home,

Im a regular to this site and have been travelling on my hols to the costa del sol every aug for my holidays, I got made redundant back in september 2009, and since then have had a hard time getting a secure job been in and out of temp work, managed to get to fuengirola last august coutersey of my brother paying for me to go, but this year Im not sure what is gunna happen by now Ive normally paid a deposit and secured my holiday, but One huge reason is I havent got any money and 2 the hotel I frequent in fuengirola has been took out of the brochure so the only hotels they have in thomsons and TC are over 800 quid each and that would be to much for us to pay..so Im lookin at benidorm 5 star 709 quid each beginning of august so If I get a job in the next month or so Im goin there, boyfriend wants to book he works, but I really dont know what is gunna happen..this year and last has been flippin hard..and I so want to get in the holiday mode its untrue..Reason why I havent been on here for a while..so glad for people that can afford 2 hols or more a year they are flippin lucky..

We knew this year was going to be a bit more expensive than usual as it's our first where we have to go in the school hols and we were preparing to majorly tighten belts to find the money when I got a lovely letter saying I was one of the however many who had over paid tax for the past 2 yrs which gave us a healthy deposit.

I am just saving. I don't get as much as leisure time as most in the summer as it's my busiest time of year at work, so I make sure I have a holiday in September or October

sacrificing one holiday to carry on working overtime and weekends etc so we can save up towards the biggie.It was a case of what do I want more. The smaller jaunts we go on 2 or 3 times a year..or the biggie. I wanted the biggie more. So, it means more working hours, less leisure hours and less spending of disposable income in the pub and eating out.
I did consider taking a second job to get the extra cash..but I already work 45 hours per week..which I know is not much..but by the time you add on travel etc... It might still be an option..depends how my saving goes.