Mom Takes Children On Holidays During School Term And Saves Up To $7,000

Jan 09, 2023 by apost team

Some people think that going on vacations will always cost them large amounts of money that'll break the bank. But that shouldn’t always be the case. Unless you have enough money to splurge, it’s important to remember that vacations can be fun in so many other ways. After all, people travel or go on holiday breaks to either take a rest or experience something new. Then again, it can sometimes be challenging for families to travel on a budget since they already have more people to think about. Unlike those who are still single, it's much more difficult for families to go on backpacking trips, especially those who have small kids or newborns.

There’s always the option to go to the nearest park instead and have picnics, go to an arcade, or even do fun outdoor games in the backyard to save more money, especially on rainy days. But some parents think it’s better to take their kids to new places for them to experience new things in life – and that’s okay. Then again, that could be more expensive considering flights and accommodation that could cost them more. Some parents even take their children on vacation during school days – just like a mom who saved $7,000 by traveling during the school year. Her reason? To go on cheap holidays.

A 33-year-old mom from South Texas named Faith Skeen loves to take her two kids – a 15-year-old son Chris and an 11-year-old son Zach – on holidays. Unlike most parents, she takes her children on holidays during term time. Yes, they watch concerts and go on different trips together during school days.

Working as a copywriter and brand consultant, Skeen told The Sun in an interview in January 2023 that unlike before, she would need to use her sick leave for them to make their dream holiday happen.

But with their decision to go on holiday during term time, she no longer needed to do that.

"We've used sick days for many vacations and trips over the years,” Skeen said. "Most recently, I took my 15-year-old to a Twenty One Pilots concert,” she added.

Skeen added that she also saves more money when flying out midweek instead of flying on Fridays.

"Flying on a Friday was double the price of flying on a Wednesday, so we took three days for that one. I would do that again in a heartbeat,” she remarked.

She also noticed that her son had become a lot happier since they went on trips during weekdays.

"I haven't seen my son that happy since he was small, and we couldn't have done it without missing school,” she said.

Reiterating the reason behind her decision, she said: "We travel a lot, so we try to save as much money as possible every time." In 2023, she saved a whopping $7,000.

"We're usually able to cut the price of airfare and lodging in half by shopping dates, so I'd say we've saved at least $7,000 this year alone,” she said.

Then again, her decision doesn’t sit quite well with the school as she receives automated phone calls from them each time her children are away for a consecutive number of days.

"Last year, my son was sick a lot in addition to us taking two or three holidays, so I received a letter threatening legal action from the school. I was struck by the audacity,” she said.  

In her defense, her children study well. "My kids have excellent grades and performance in school, so it's not like we're neglecting their education,” she stated.

apost.com

Do you agree with Faith Skeen’s decision to take her kids on a holiday during term time? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to your family and friends who might find this story interesting!