When did this become the norm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok of the friends I know who travel like this, both of the parents work full-time, and are 100% immersed in super high income earning careers that naturally take them away from their kids more than they might want to. The overcompensate for this absence by over vacationing, is how I think of it. I’m talking spring break in the grand Cayman Islands, surrounded by three or four of their besties from their kids $60,000 a year private school, weekends in Montana in the summer, in the Hamptons, a week in Iceland in the summer, three weeks in France, Norway and Spain in August, and more vacation throughout the year….. the kids are spoiled beyond belief and the parents travel a TON for work so a lot of that travel helps pay for the cost of the family travel through earning miles and accruing travel points. It’s a cycle and yes in our close in affluent Nova suburb it’s a whole thang.

So this has always been a thing amongst the wealthy. This is nothing new. What is new is the extensive travel and boasting of the MC/UMC demographic. It’s the neuvo riche of travel. It’s gaudy and pretentious.

Where exactly do you fall in the socioeconomic hierarchy that you are in a position to pass judgment as to what is tasteful or not? Also, it's "nouveau riche." If you're going to use phrases like this you really must spell them correctly.

I am UMC and am older and wiser than most posting and boasting about their worldly excursions. I manage these people, I am well aware of their annual incomes.

We were on a plane yesterday and got to listen to the two passengers in front of us showing off about their travel experiences. I was cracking up laughing at these fifty somethings trying to out-impress each other. It was like an SNL skit. One of them undermined herself by mispronouncing the names of Japanese cities she'd visited. She ordered champagne for the short flight into the hub airport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok of the friends I know who travel like this, both of the parents work full-time, and are 100% immersed in super high income earning careers that naturally take them away from their kids more than they might want to. The overcompensate for this absence by over vacationing, is how I think of it. I’m talking spring break in the grand Cayman Islands, surrounded by three or four of their besties from their kids $60,000 a year private school, weekends in Montana in the summer, in the Hamptons, a week in Iceland in the summer, three weeks in France, Norway and Spain in August, and more vacation throughout the year….. the kids are spoiled beyond belief and the parents travel a TON for work so a lot of that travel helps pay for the cost of the family travel through earning miles and accruing travel points. It’s a cycle and yes in our close in affluent Nova suburb it’s a whole thang.

So this has always been a thing amongst the wealthy. This is nothing new. What is new is the extensive travel and boasting of the MC/UMC demographic. It’s the neuvo riche of travel. It’s gaudy and pretentious.

Where exactly do you fall in the socioeconomic hierarchy that you are in a position to pass judgment as to what is tasteful or not? Also, it's "nouveau riche." If you're going to use phrases like this you really must spell them correctly.

I am UMC and am older and wiser than most posting and boasting about their worldly excursions. I manage these people, I am well aware of their annual incomes.

We were on a plane yesterday and got to listen to the two passengers in front of us showing off about their travel experiences. I was cracking up laughing at these fifty somethings trying to out-impress each other. It was like an SNL skit. One of them undermined herself by mispronouncing the names of Japanese cities she'd visited. She ordered champagne for the short flight into the hub airport.

They come in all age brackets. And who cares if someone can’t pronounce a foreign city correctly? Can foreign people pronounce all US cities correctly? Pretentious idiots

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually enjoy looking at (curated not 30+) travel photos. Gives me ideas of places to go! Much better than endless posts about dogs, kids, politics etc.

It’s a type of peer pressure though. You see others traveling and having wonderful experiences and adventures, your kids also see this and want that. You want to provide similar experiences for your kids so you book trips just to check off a box.

As they say, that’s a “you” problem that is not limited to travel. If I see my friends post on SM that they bought the latest new car, do I run out and get a new fancy car? No, I don’t care about cars and am happy driving old cars. I don’t care that my kids want a Tesla.

I like travel. If my friends go someplace cool and share photos, I’ll add it to my list of trip ideas. But I’m not going to do something I’m not genuinely interested in just to check a box or keep up with the Joneses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually enjoy looking at (curated not 30+) travel photos. Gives me ideas of places to go! Much better than endless posts about dogs, kids, politics etc.

It’s a type of peer pressure though. You see others traveling and having wonderful experiences and adventures, your kids also see this and want that. You want to provide similar experiences for your kids so you book trips just to check off a box.

As they say, that’s a “you” problem that is not limited to travel. If I see my friends post on SM that they bought the latest new car, do I run out and get a new fancy car? No, I don’t care about cars and am happy driving old cars. I don’t care that my kids want a Tesla.

I like travel. If my friends go someplace cool and share photos, I’ll add it to my list of trip ideas. But I’m not going to do something I’m not genuinely interested in just to check a box or keep up with the Joneses.

It’s insidious though. Maybe you aren’t affected by it, but many are imo. Especially younger people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok of the friends I know who travel like this, both of the parents work full-time, and are 100% immersed in super high income earning careers that naturally take them away from their kids more than they might want to. The overcompensate for this absence by over vacationing, is how I think of it. I’m talking spring break in the grand Cayman Islands, surrounded by three or four of their besties from their kids $60,000 a year private school, weekends in Montana in the summer, in the Hamptons, a week in Iceland in the summer, three weeks in France, Norway and Spain in August, and more vacation throughout the year….. the kids are spoiled beyond belief and the parents travel a TON for work so a lot of that travel helps pay for the cost of the family travel through earning miles and accruing travel points. It’s a cycle and yes in our close in affluent Nova suburb it’s a whole thang.

So this has always been a thing amongst the wealthy. This is nothing new. What is new is the extensive travel and boasting of the MC/UMC demographic. It’s the neuvo riche of travel. It’s gaudy and pretentious.

Where exactly do you fall in the socioeconomic hierarchy that you are in a position to pass judgment as to what is tasteful or not? Also, it's "nouveau riche." If you're going to use phrases like this you really must spell them correctly.

I am UMC and am older and wiser than most posting and boasting about their worldly excursions. I manage these people, I am well aware of their annual incomes.

We were on a plane yesterday and got to listen to the two passengers in front of us showing off about their travel experiences. I was cracking up laughing at these fifty somethings trying to out-impress each other. It was like an SNL skit. One of them undermined herself by mispronouncing the names of Japanese cities she'd visited. She ordered champagne for the short flight into the hub airport.

They come in all age brackets. And who cares if someone can’t pronounce a foreign city correctly? Can foreign people pronounce all US cities correctly? Pretentious idiots

When you're pretending to be worldly wise, it helps to be able to pronounce the names of the famous cities you're bragging about visiting. I'm guessing many foreigners can pronounce the names New York and Washington DC and Chicago correctly. Granted Susquehanna or Chincoteague might be more challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok of the friends I know who travel like this, both of the parents work full-time, and are 100% immersed in super high income earning careers that naturally take them away from their kids more than they might want to. The overcompensate for this absence by over vacationing, is how I think of it. I’m talking spring break in the grand Cayman Islands, surrounded by three or four of their besties from their kids $60,000 a year private school, weekends in Montana in the summer, in the Hamptons, a week in Iceland in the summer, three weeks in France, Norway and Spain in August, and more vacation throughout the year….. the kids are spoiled beyond belief and the parents travel a TON for work so a lot of that travel helps pay for the cost of the family travel through earning miles and accruing travel points. It’s a cycle and yes in our close in affluent Nova suburb it’s a whole thang.

So this has always been a thing amongst the wealthy. This is nothing new. What is new is the extensive travel and boasting of the MC/UMC demographic. It’s the neuvo riche of travel. It’s gaudy and pretentious.

Where exactly do you fall in the socioeconomic hierarchy that you are in a position to pass judgment as to what is tasteful or not? Also, it's "nouveau riche." If you're going to use phrases like this you really must spell them correctly.

I am UMC and am older and wiser than most posting and boasting about their worldly excursions. I manage these people, I am well aware of their annual incomes.

We were on a plane yesterday and got to listen to the two passengers in front of us showing off about their travel experiences. I was cracking up laughing at these fifty somethings trying to out-impress each other. It was like an SNL skit. One of them undermined herself by mispronouncing the names of Japanese cities she'd visited. She ordered champagne for the short flight into the hub airport.

They come in all age brackets. And who cares if someone can’t pronounce a foreign city correctly? Can foreign people pronounce all US cities correctly? Pretentious idiots

When you're pretending to be worldly wise, it helps to be able to pronounce the names of the famous cities you're bragging about visiting. I'm guessing many foreigners can pronounce the names New York and Washington DC and Chicago correctly. Granted Susquehanna or Chincoteague might be more challenging.

That statement is as narrow minded and obnoxious as these passengers sound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok of the friends I know who travel like this, both of the parents work full-time, and are 100% immersed in super high income earning careers that naturally take them away from their kids more than they might want to. The overcompensate for this absence by over vacationing, is how I think of it. I’m talking spring break in the grand Cayman Islands, surrounded by three or four of their besties from their kids $60,000 a year private school, weekends in Montana in the summer, in the Hamptons, a week in Iceland in the summer, three weeks in France, Norway and Spain in August, and more vacation throughout the year….. the kids are spoiled beyond belief and the parents travel a TON for work so a lot of that travel helps pay for the cost of the family travel through earning miles and accruing travel points. It’s a cycle and yes in our close in affluent Nova suburb it’s a whole thang.

So this has always been a thing amongst the wealthy. This is nothing new. What is new is the extensive travel and boasting of the MC/UMC demographic. It’s the neuvo riche of travel. It’s gaudy and pretentious.

Where exactly do you fall in the socioeconomic hierarchy that you are in a position to pass judgment as to what is tasteful or not? Also, it's "nouveau riche." If you're going to use phrases like this you really must spell them correctly.

I am UMC and am older and wiser than most posting and boasting about their worldly excursions. I manage these people, I am well aware of their annual incomes.

We were on a plane yesterday and got to listen to the two passengers in front of us showing off about their travel experiences. I was cracking up laughing at these fifty somethings trying to out-impress each other. It was like an SNL skit. One of them undermined herself by mispronouncing the names of Japanese cities she'd visited. She ordered champagne for the short flight into the hub airport.

And you would play the part of the pretentious worldly traveler looking down on them and feeling better about yourself for it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even with all the inflation in housing/college/healthcare costs, the UMC is wealthier today than the UMC in the 80s-90s.

Really? I usually hear the opposite. Nowadays all I hear are people complaining about how much easier Boomers had it wrt housing, healthcare, education fees, etc.

This is true. UMC luxuries like private school, tutors, household help, sleepaway camp- and event the basics like food - are way more expensive now. I don’t think the rich are richer because their dollars go further, but maybe there is more family wealth and grandparents subsidizing. And/or families are smaller.

[Anonymous]

Family wealth; grandparents to paying for trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family wealth; grandparents to paying for trips.

Agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually enjoy looking at (curated not 30+) travel photos. Gives me ideas of places to go! Much better than endless posts about dogs, kids, politics etc.

It’s a type of peer pressure though. You see others traveling and having wonderful experiences and adventures, your kids also see this and want that. You want to provide similar experiences for your kids so you book trips just to check off a box.

As they say, that’s a “you” problem that is not limited to travel. If I see my friends post on SM that they bought the latest new car, do I run out and get a new fancy car? No, I don’t care about cars and am happy driving old cars. I don’t care that my kids want a Tesla.

I like travel. If my friends go someplace cool and share photos, I’ll add it to my list of trip ideas. But I’m not going to do something I’m not genuinely interested in just to check a box or keep up with the Joneses.

+1. I HATE shopping (especially for overpriced brands) and home remodeling. My husband and I are like “we could replace our old counters or take another vacation. Vacation obviously!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family wealth; grandparents to paying for trips.

Agree

This is a very small % of people. The emphasis on travel nowadays is huge & I agree with the other posters who posted about competitive travel. Of course all these people fool themselves by acting as if this overspending and huge emphasis on travel is somehow less shallow than buying new cars, clothes & material things. Millennial logic.

[Anonymous]

It is also a move away from things towards experiences, which has been well-documented. Younger people are much less interested in acquiring stuff and much more interested in spending disposal income on new experiences like vacations and events. I think about things my grandparents treasured, like they had a whole cabinet full of silver ornaments (that required frequent polishing!) and “best” china in addition to the daily set, and even things like watches, jewelry, fur coats. I don’t care about any of those things but I do love traveling with my family.

[Anonymous]

It is also a move away from things towards experiences, which has been well-documented. Younger people are much less interested in acquiring stuff and much more interested in spending disposal income on new experiences like vacations and events. I think about things my grandparents treasured, like they had a whole cabinet full of silver ornaments (that required frequent polishing!) and “best” china in addition to the daily set, and even things like watches, jewelry, fur coats. I don’t care about any of those things but I do love traveling with my family.

It was a lot more difficult and expensive to go on a trip back then (you had to pay a travel agent and options were limited). I remember having to pick up my plane tickets at the travel agent office (and very expensive). Lots of business was done with live people over the phone or through the snail mail. So planning was much harder. Plus people had larger families. Yes, I am old. Also people could not work from anywhere (no computers) so you had limited vacation time. I lived in a more rural area and people who work on farms cannot just leave the animals to take care of themselves. Jobs were more labor intensive. Even taking care of your house (changing out the storm windows, no lawn service, painting because there was no vinyl siding just to name a few). Cars were also more expensive back then and they broke down a lot. More moving parts (no computer chips). You had to fix them yourself (we changed our own carburetors, spark plugs, oil, timed the engine, etc.) or know a good mechanic ($$). Physical community was important (because no internet) so people met in their homes for socializing. Dinner parties were a thing. Going out to dance and/or socialize at the tavern, play billiards, bowl on a league, etc. More people went to picnic at the park or enjoy a boat ride at the lake (if you go to a park you will see many immigrants doing these things here). It was just different times. And when hard times came, they could sell the silver or the watch or the jewelry. People had lived through the Depression and did not forget that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It is also a move away from things towards experiences, which has been well-documented. Younger people are much less interested in acquiring stuff and much more interested in spending disposal income on new experiences like vacations and events. I think about things my grandparents treasured, like they had a whole cabinet full of silver ornaments (that required frequent polishing!) and “best” china in addition to the daily set, and even things like watches, jewelry, fur coats. I don’t care about any of those things but I do love traveling with my family.

It was a lot more difficult and expensive to go on a trip back then (you had to pay a travel agent and options were limited). I remember having to pick up my plane tickets at the travel agent office (and very expensive). Lots of business was done with live people over the phone or through the snail mail. So planning was much harder. Plus people had larger families. Yes, I am old. Also people could not work from anywhere (no computers) so you had limited vacation time. I lived in a more rural area and people who work on farms cannot just leave the animals to take care of themselves. Jobs were more labor intensive. Even taking care of your house (changing out the storm windows, no lawn service, painting because there was no vinyl siding just to name a few). Cars were also more expensive back then and they broke down a lot. More moving parts (no computer chips). You had to fix them yourself (we changed our own carburetors, spark plugs, oil, timed the engine, etc.) or know a good mechanic ($$). Physical community was important (because no internet) so people met in their homes for socializing. Dinner parties were a thing. Going out to dance and/or socialize at the tavern, play billiards, bowl on a league, etc. More people went to picnic at the park or enjoy a boat ride at the lake (if you go to a park you will see many immigrants doing these things here). It was just different times. And when hard times came, they could sell the silver or the watch or the jewelry. People had lived through the Depression and did not forget that.

We're not comparing travel to 1975; it has exploded even since the few years before COVID.