A quarter of the Dutch say they will not go on holiday this year. 54 percent of them indicate that holidays are too expensive. Last year, 42 percent thought holidays were too expensive. This is evident from the Nibud Holiday Money Survey 2018.
More than 40 percent of people with a below-average income say they will not be going on holiday this year. In 2017, that was still more than a third. They also use the holiday pay more often to pay off debts or clear payment arrears.
The people who do go on holiday plan to spend less money than last year. Nibud sees the results of previous purchasing power calculations reflected in this. Even then it became apparent that the vulnerable groups would not or hardly improve this year.
Not on vacation
Since 2003, the percentage of people who do not go on holiday has fluctuated around 25 percent. Also this year, a quarter say they will not go. 54 percent of them think holidays are too expensive, compared to 42 percent last year. People on benefits or with a below-average income most often find holidays too expensive.
Nibud sees an increase in the percentage of people who earn below average and do not go on holiday. Last year it was 34 percent, now it's 42 percent. They also spend holiday money less often on holidays than people with an average or above-average income.
A quarter of people with a below-average income use the holiday pay to pay off debts or payment arrears. Purchasing power calculations carried out by Nibud in January 2018 already showed that the lower income groups would make little or no progress this year. The fact that people with below-average incomes now use holiday pay more often than other income groups to clear debts or payment arrears may be a consequence of this.
Expenses
This year, too, people are going on holiday for an average of 15 days. Half of them spend more than 1500 euros on this, the other half spend less than 1500 euros. Last year, half of the holidaymakers gave more than 2000 euros and the other half gave less. In most cases, the holiday is paid from the holiday allowance, savings and/or money from the current account. More than two-thirds of the respondents are not or rarely worried about whether they can afford the holiday. A quarter sometimes worries.
Budget
Two-thirds of the Dutch check in advance whether they can afford the holiday. In doing so, they look at the costs of the journey and overnight stays as well as the other costs that they will incur at the destination.
More than half of the respondents reserve money to spend at the place where the holiday is celebrated. They make an estimate of an amount per day, per week or for the entire holiday. The latter group often loses as much as previously planned. They may have a better idea of what they can spend because they reserve an amount for the entire holiday.
Holidaymakers who set an amount per day for spending at their destination often spend more than planned. Nibud advises to make a budget for the entire holiday in advance and to keep an eye on the expenses during the holiday. This way people can avoid unpleasant financial surprises when they return home.
Among people who cannot go on holiday, it would also be interesting to investigate why some do and others don't.
Under this can or cannot, I actually mean those people who earn below average, but still want to live well above their budget.
So I don't mean those people who have lost their job due to chronic illness, disability, or already at an advanced age and sudden closure of their company.
The latter certainly do not have it easy financially, and are often forced to reorganize their financial expenses in such a way that if any money is left over, it is most likely not available for an expensive holiday.
What I do not understand, however, are those chonic complainers, who spare nothing in terms of body shape to eat, smoke and drink excessively, are young and healthy enough to work, and blame everything on the government, why they having such a hard time.
A couple who has enough money to smoke 2 packs of cigarettes together p/d could easily save about 4000 Euros or more with a healthier life, but OOH OOH OO if you talk to someone about that…
How is this possible and the Dutch economy is doing well according to the government. You know the ones about fixed-value pensions and old-age pensions. Would this still apply to a limited group, but for Jan Modaal and those below it, would be the modern reality.
My advice is to continue to apply the voting behavior to the political parties in such a way that we will automatically benefit from it and we may then be able to go on holiday again. Sleep peacefully because you are being worked for and everything will be fine. Remain fair, the civil servants receive a 7% pay increase. And tomorrow is another day for many to survive and the first class restaurants, to name but a few, will experience their daily business again. Bon appetit for whoever this concerns, but give my portion to fikkie. I now know how the world works and what people do to each other or mean to each other.