How you can go on a month-long five-star holiday with no hidden extras
Sunning yourself on a private beach for a month with free drinks on tap and gourmet food whenever you fancy feels like a fantasy for most... but it doesn't have to be that way.
Hard-working Brits are being offered the chance to swap worries over gas prices and rising food bills for a life of luxury, on a much more basic budget.
easyJet holidays has announced a 28-day all-inclusive package to a five-star luxury hotel in Egypt - and it's £227 cheaper than the average U.K. monthly household bills, according to ONS data.
It shows, on average, Brits are forking out £887 on rent, food, gas, electricity, and other outgoings.
For just £650, you could ditch the cost-of-living crisis for a month and live the high life at the five-star Stella Gardens Resort in Egypt instead.
For that, Brits will get a 28-day stay with all-inclusive meals at the world-renowned resort restaurant, plus free snacks whenever they want and bottomless drinks (alcoholic or not).
There is a free spa and gym, complimentary Wi-Fi and TV streaming services, and if lounging on the private beach gets tired - nip to one of the six swimming pools instead.
The move by the great-value holiday provider follows research revealing more than 50 per cent of the nation is considering escaping the U.K. this winter to avoid heating bill hikes.
Forty per cent have already searched online for cheap foreign winter getaways due to concerns over the cost of living.
But most have no idea the kind of deal they could be getting. Twenty-eight per cent of respondents thought a month-long holiday for a family of four would come in at twice their usual living costs.
Yet, easyJet's new luxury break blows that out of the water.
The latest ONS figures show that average British household costs are set to top £2,225 per month.
That includes over £1,000 on accommodation, £175 on gas and electricity, and £368 on food - when split into average costs per person.
Personal finance expert and author Lynn Beattie, founder of Mrs Mummypenny, reviewed the cost comparison data.
"The data collected in this study is incredibly insightful showing just how much the average household in the U.K. will spend on the most basic of living expenses," Lynn, an ACMA management accountant, commented. "While escaping abroad does not make all our financial commitments disappear, it's startling to know that like for like, it's cheaper to buy an all-inclusive holiday than stay in the U.K. this winter.
"For consumers who could viably sublet/Airbnb their homes and work abroad, the new package deal by easyJet holidays poses a very attractive offer."
That's before you even consider the weather too.
At Egypt's balmy Makadi Bay, the average sits at 20°C during the winter months - while the U.K. is seemingly set for some of the chilliest weeks on record.
It all makes for an excellent deal for the 47 per cent of Brits seriously considering leaving the country to escape the cost-of-living crisis.
Of course, if you can work remotely, it's even better.
Matt Callaghan, easyJet holidays' customer and operations director, added: "With a growing number of Brits now searching online to see if they can escape abroad this winter, we knew we needed to try to provide consumers with a solution.
"We looked at everything an easyJet holidays package deal has to offer, and have been able to confirm that yes, comparably, our new 28-day winter escape is cheaper than staying at home this year."
The package goes on sale today starting at £650pp for 28-days and can be booked via easyJet.com
