Britons spend £2.8bn on pre-holiday items

03 August 2012 17:11:45

The cost of books, sunscreen and other essentials adds up.

Holidaymakers often have a hard time budgeting for their overseas spending, but the overall costs become even greater when items purchased before leaving the UK are taken into account. New research suggests we spent billions of pounds in preparation for holidays, with items such as books, sunscreen and medication all adding to the outlay. The findings highlight the importance of including all possible costs when planning your holiday spending, to avoid falling into financial disarray.

Holidays cost billions of pounds
Britons spend a massive £12bn during their overseas holidays, according to the latest research from Asda Money. And as if that total weren't enough, the study suggests that a further £2.8bn is spent before people have even left home soil.

Asda Money's survey found that the average holidaymaker spends £50 before heading to their destination, with books, sun cream and medicines all making a dent in people's bank account balances. One in four people spend as much as £100 before leaving the UK, while 42% of parents fork out more than £100 on bits and pieces to prevent their children from getting bored on the journey.

Brits urged to budget properly
Kirsty Ward, head of Asda Money, urged people to plan their holiday spending carefully to avoid problems. She said: "Holidaymakers are planning on spending a fortune on a much needed break this summer, but on top of flights, accommodation, outings and more, they are spending billions of pounds in preparing and enjoying themselves once they hit the sunshine. Mums and Dads need to make sure they are budgeting way ahead of their trip and to not overspend before and during, as they could come back to a financial mess."

Travel money research also important
As well as putting together a comprehensive spending plan, Brits should also put some thought into their travel money. Airport travel money bureaux rarely offer good rates of exchange, so it's worth shopping around and ordering your foreign currency in advance. Some people may also want to consider applying for a fee-free credit card or a prepaid travel card to ensure they are not charged for making purchases and ATM withdrawals during their holidays.

‹ Back

All news articles

All Home Page News
All News Stories

Product Offers
Please ensure that you fully read the terms & conditions of any product or policy before you decide to proceed and are fully aware of the total costs and the benefits and any exclusions or limitations applicable to the product or plan.

Please note that the product links will take you direct to the Issuer or Insurer's site direct and we cannot be held responsible for the information which they provide within their own sites. On some comparison tables we use a star rating which rates products by visitor popularity.