We got ourselves into £6K debt to have a nice holiday with the kids – it’ll take years to pay off but I don’t regret it
AS she watched her son scroll through videos of summer holidays on TikTok, Samantha Day decided it was time they both got away – no matter the cost.
The 46-year-old single mum had lost her job as a freelance PR during the pandemic and knew the only way to afford a luxury break would be to split the cost — totalling more than £6,000 — between two credit cards.
But Samantha did not hesitate and booked a trip to the Maldives during the Easter school holidays earlier this year.
She says: “I was looking for a post-pandemic holiday for me and my son Harley, who was 11 at the time, as we hadn’t been away long.
“We were hit quite badly financially during the pandemic and going to the Maldives had always been a dream of mine.
“My son had been watching videos online of Siyam World, a resort which has in-water villas with slides, so I was determined to make it happen.
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But it came at a price as I used two credit cards to pay for it and I will be probably paying it off until my son has flown the nest.”
Samantha is not alone, with a study revealing cash-strapped Brits are blowing their budgets for dream holidays.
Only 30 per cent of those who set spending limits manage to stick to them, according to the annual Holiday Spending Report from the Post Office.
But Samantha was determined to make life-long memories with her son.
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She says: “I’ve had breast cancer twice, so I have the ‘seize the day’ mentality where you don’t know what’s round the corner so let’s live our best life.
“I want to make these memories while we can. This year I thought, ‘If I don’t do it now we’re not going to’.”
After first looking at Benidorm and Tenerife, Samantha decided she would prefer to tick the Maldives in South Asia off her bucket list.
She says: “I first started out looking for package holidays to Spain and all together these were costing around £2,000.
“But I thought I may as well spend the extra £4,000 and go to the Maldives. I’m going to have to work hard and pay it off anyway.
“When I booked it and I tried to pay it on my credit card, I realised my limit was £5,000. I felt a bit sick when the payment was rejected.
"So I had to split the cost on two credit cards. I thought, ‘This is a lot of money, I shouldn’t be doing this’.
“But when we were there we had an amazing time. The memories more than make up for worrying about the cost.”
The package, which cost £6,694, included flights via Doha and a seaplane to the island, as well as an all-inclusive hotel.
They also coughed up an additional £600 for activities, including a jet-ski tour and snorkelling with turtles.
Samantha, who now has steady work as a PR, has struggled with the rising cost of living.
She says: “Life in general is really expensive at the moment, and I’ve found it really tough.
"The price of everything has increased dramatically. I’m a single mum anyway, and life can be a struggle.
I’ve had breast cancer twice, so I have the ‘seize the day’ mentality where you don’t know what’s round the corner so let’s live our best life.
Samantha Day
“It’s depressing, which is why I wanted to book this holiday.
“I work hard, I don’t drink, I don’t go out. I don’t really have an expensive life in that sense.
“I’m not that extravagant, so if I can’t have a nice holiday what’s the point in living? Working to live is not OK.”
Samantha, of Chepstow, Monmouthshire, says: “I don’t regret a single penny of the debt as after two years of no travels it was a wonderful opportunity to take a special holiday.
“It was a case of mum guilt where my son had fallen in love with it and the fact that in a couple of years’ time he won’t want to go on holiday with me.
“It will probably take me a good few years to pay it off, I might even end up where I need to switch it to another credit card.”
Despite the debt, Samantha is planning another break with her son at the end of the summer, which she will put on her credit card, too.
She says: “We’ve not got anything planned at the moment, but we are hoping to go away in the last week of August.
'I don’t regret it in the slightest'
“Just to see his face and how much he got from the last holiday made it worthwhile. I don’t regret it in the slightest.”
Mum-of-two Sam Johnson, 38, borrowed more than £4,000 so she could go on holiday with her kids.
She took Kingsley, three, and Amarlia, six, to Dubai for one week in May.
Sam, who owns a balloon decor business, has since had to take on a second job working in admin to pay it off — and she will still be making payments for the next two years.
Single Sam, from Sandy, Beds, says: “Looking for holidays this year, I really wanted to treat my kids to a special trip.
"We hadn’t been on holiday for three years thanks to Covid and we’d also had a bereavement in the family — the kids’ uncle passed away — so we needed the break.
“But I had a minimal budget so I decided to throw caution to the wind and borrow around £3,500 on my credit card, doing a balance transfer on an interest-free deal for two years. I put the rest on my overdraft.”
Sam adds: “The cost-of-living rises are scary but taking out a loan like I did for a blow-out break makes sense.
“I locked in the interest rate for two years and am budgeting 12 months in advance so I know I will repay the card’s balance.
“I don’t mind taking on the extra part-time job to pay for the break.
“I know that’s the job that pays off the holiday.”
Sam booked flights and a four-star, half-board hotel for £3,500.
She says: “I treated them to a waterpark visit on one day costing £300 and we had a blast.
“They got to see some amazing aquariums, museums and dined at super-posh six-star hotels which they loved and cost around £500.
“We spent around £500 on shopping and another £300 on snacks and meals.
“I did think about a budget beforehand, but once we were there we just wanted to take advantage of everything and live our lives.”
But Sam admits she will not be going on another fancy trip for a few years.
She says: “I knew when I got home I’d have to scrimp and save.
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“It will take me two years to pay off the debt and while it’s scary I know it was worth it.
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“My kids and I deserved to be spoiled and they had a blast.”
How to cope with holiday debt
HANNAH MARTIN, host of the Get Rich Slow podcast and a money expert, says: “I would never advise going into debt for a holiday.
“As much as you may have fun for those two weeks, you could be paying it off for several years – plus interest.
“If you do want to borrow money, look for a fixed rate loan.
“Shop around for the lowest interest rate and ensure you can meet monthly repayments.
"If you are struggling with debt, move it to an interest-free credit card and chip away at it every month.
“Make sure you move or pay off the amount before the interest free term ends.”
Hannah Martin is founder of