Lisette spent €9,000 on holiday: “It was three great weeks”

Lisette (30) and her husband have saved a lot for a dream trip through America. At the last minute, they put the money up for sale on a house. A few years and a lot of savings later, they were still able to get going.

Holidays have become expensive. But €9,000 for a three-week holiday? Aha!
“It’s really a lot of money. We’ve dreamed of a trip for a long time Western America. Everything we know from movies, we wanted to see with our own eyes. Especially in natural parks, you have to pay a bit for the entrance. The highlight was a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon. You can opt for a luxury flight which costs €500 per person. Then the four of you are in the helicopter. Or cheaper, then you’ll be packed together. We chose luxury and I recommend it to everyone because you see more and have more space.

Is the trip worth the money?
“Definitely! We already knew we didn’t want to save anything on the trip. We wanted to do everything we thought was fun.

Then saving can resume. How did you handle it?
“By living frugally. Used to go out with friends every weekend. We had the usual pub. My husband and I would carry €20 with us and we were out of luck when it ran out. We also didn’t go on vacations, no city trips, no festivals, no eating out. Our fixed costs are not too bad. Together we made about $3,000 and our expenses were $1,500. We were able to save a little each month.

Did you stock up on groceries?
“Yes, we spent €200 a month on groceries. We don’t have kids yet. My husband worked shifts so he often ate at work. I ate at my mom, dad or in-laws house. Or I had a sandwich or soup.

What was it like to live so frugally?
“It wasn’t hard for us because we had a goal. But friends had to get used to it. For example, we immediately told the pub that they didn’t have to do us a round, so we didn’t feel guilty if we didn’t return a beer. They still sometimes called us ‘Ginibert.’ ‘ they call, winking now.

Does that fame stick with you a little?
“People don’t always understand our preferences. We prefer traveling and making memories over an expensive car or a big house. Other people go into that big house with high monthly expenses and then complain that they can’t afford to travel.

Are you saving for travel now?
“We have the bankroll for a grand tour Africa. We now have two children aged five and two. Let’s wait a little longer until they are a little older. So they don’t forget they’ve been to Africa. We often go out with the children. We went with the older one in Thailand to Italy and Dubai with them when she was nine months old. We also like to go out with the caravan.

You also have a caravan?
“Yes, the idea came during the pandemic. We soon discovered that buying a second hand caravan is better than renting all the time. It costs €5,000 including a year’s savings. It’s small, but it’s really cool to go out with it. Definitely an affordable way to spend your vacation.”

Camping is so much fun for kids, you sometimes hear.
“When the kids are having fun, we have a holiday,” my parents used to say. Now that I have kids of my own, I totally get it.