Did anyone see the programme this week where a family (unknown to them previously) spent their holiday budget living at home & having special days out? I have to say what with the dogs and the "sword of Damocles" we have forever hanging over our heads because of my 36 yr old daughter with epilepsy - admitted to hospital today after a series of seizures - :-( I do wonder whether this wouldn't be a good option for us.

I'm sorry to hear about your daughter Carene :( I hope she is home again soon.
I didn't see the programme but I can imagine the results. My DH is self employed so we don't have holidays as such (had our first the beginning of last year). Instead we have lots of special days out. It's amazing what is on your doorstep! I also find it alot less stressful than preparing to take 4 children abroad and organising the family pets etc.
Give it a go and see if it suits you :)

I would go for it!
We live in a seaside town and if i ask the neighbours who have lived here all their lives what such and such a place is like they haven't a clue! they have never been!
Even when we didn't live here we just didn't explore and didn't realise what was so near to us that we could have enjoyed as a family

We adore fishing! Myself/husband/daughter aged 6/two danes we all go!! its sooo cheap to do but we go all day, a picnic bit of bait and we are all set :D

Even crab fishing! The dogs are in their element in the shallow pools! Cost nowt, time enjoyed? Priceless!

We did this this year :D :D  it was lovely :)  we couldn't arrange a holiday away for various reasons and went to our local national park for a day out and met so many people from England who were having their hols camping there so we went back to our 'HOLIDAY COTTAGE' ;) and planned lots of walks and days out based on what we'd do if we were away.  No worries about who looks after the pets, they were either happy at home or with us ;) and at the end of the day our 'holiday cottage' had all the comforts of home :D :D