Prioritising family holidays during recessionary times is a Guest post

Living on a budget is a common situation for many families in today’s economy, a financial reality that often means cutting out luxuries that make life more enjoyable. The family holiday, however, does not have to be one of these fiscal casualties. In fact, escaping the pressures of daily life is all the more important in these recession times. 

Holidays are not always considered as essential, but a number of recent studies have shown that, along with creature comforts such as hot showers and a night in front of the telly, many people feel an annual break in foreign climes is necessary for their health and happiness. Still more would prefer to give up dining out, or even the family car, rather than forego a week or two away.

 

Prioritising family holidays during recessionary times

So how are modern families getting around this budgetary dilemma of limited funds vs. an essential need to get away? Well, there are plenty of alternatives to that pricey holiday in the sun, such as travelling locally and making the most of the British coastline, national parks and cities. But there’s also a trend for things like home swaps, making that international vacation affordable by renting someone else’s property and offering up your own home in return. 

The internet is still a big money-saver, with those on a budget keeping a look out for out-of-season offers, or signing up for email vouchers from discount sites. Comparison sites are now used for anything from browsing secret hotel deals to fishing for the lowest flight costs, which allows you to more easily find something like a last-minute cheap holiday in Spain. Shopping around on the web has overtaken the high street travel agent in terms of getting the best value for money.

Of course, it’s not always easy for families to be as flexible on things like travel dates, but they can compensate for this in other ways — by choosing low-cost destinations, for example. Many people have been using the widespread economic downturn in Europe to their advantage over the last few years, and countries like Greece and Turkey are still offering astonishing value that can easily minimise the daily budget. 

The current austerity measures may mean keeping tighter hold on your finances but with more creative ideas than ever for saving the travel budget, families shouldn’t rule out that well-earned – and essential – holiday break just yet.

 

I hope you found this post on Prioritising family holidays during recessionary times to be useful – you mihgt also like my post on how to save money when travelling