When did this become the norm?

[Anonymous]

We are a family of 4 in Maryland and we bring in "not a lot" by this area. 300k. We play the credit card game and travel a ton. Get points, companion passes, free hotel nights etc. We don't have a lot of dept, we just take advantage of all the perks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are sheep, if I hear about one more person going to Portugal or Japan I am going to scream. A few years ago, it was the National Parks, it seemed like everyone was going to Yellowstone or Grand Tetons or whatever. The constant need to keep up with everyone else, going to the same vacation spots, same poses, same SM captions…Traveling loses its appeal when it becomes so common and predictable. It’s annoying waiting in lines and competing for photo ops. Too many damn people doing the same thing.

It is truly absurd the number of people going to Portugal lately. I suppose I am part of the problem as we travelled there for spring break a few years ago, but good grief. Oh, look, another picture of the pink street.

You are definitely part of the problem. You got yours and that was fine but now others are sheeple?

+1

Also it’s entirely possible people are going to places other people they know have gone because it puts it on their radar and it’s nice to be able to ask for recommendations vs creating a vacation from scratch.

Back in 2012 we had our honeymoon in Costa Rica, which was a popular destination among our friend group at the time. We weren’t trying to “keep up” with anyone but a number of friends mentioned how great their trips were and gave us some restaurant and excursion recommendations. We ended up booking some stuff from our own research but friends got us started with planning.

Not everyone has some deep seated need to prove how “original” we are with our travel destinations.

This. It’s only travel. If you’re on DCUM and making it a weird contest, that’s just strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of 4 in Maryland and we bring in "not a lot" by this area. 300k. We play the credit card game and travel a ton. Get points, companion passes, free hotel nights etc. We don't have a lot of dept, we just take advantage of all the perks

that’s about our income and I am failing at the credit card game. We have chase preferred and after two years of spending could probably fly all four of us somewhere, but that’s it? How do I learn how to play the game correctly??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of 4 in Maryland and we bring in "not a lot" by this area. 300k. We play the credit card game and travel a ton. Get points, companion passes, free hotel nights etc. We don't have a lot of dept, we just take advantage of all the perks

that’s about our income and I am failing at the credit card game. We have chase preferred and after two years of spending could probably fly all four of us somewhere, but that’s it? How do I learn how to play the game correctly??

Same here. The only way to play it correctly from what I’ve read is to churn credit cards which just seems like a PITA. And we can on travel spring/summer and one of the tips is to travel off season. How do you do that with kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a family of 4 in Maryland and we bring in "not a lot" by this area. 300k. We play the credit card game and travel a ton. Get points, companion passes, free hotel nights etc. We don't have a lot of dept, we just take advantage of all the perks

that’s about our income and I am failing at the credit card game. We have chase preferred and after two years of spending could probably fly all four of us somewhere, but that’s it? How do I learn how to play the game correctly??

Same here. The only way to play it correctly from what I’ve read is to churn credit cards which just seems like a PITA. And we can on travel spring/summer and one of the tips is to travel off season. How do you do that with kids?

Yes it’s the points from the sign up bonuses, but there are rules and methods to it so the banks don’t cut you off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love to travel and we have a lot of money. Goin to a second home at OBX sounds super boring.

We travel to National Parks, Italy, the Islands etc..

OBX is kind of boring. That's the appeal. My kids, who have done a fair amount of travel, love our trips to Hatteras. Beach, boogie board, fish, kayak, beach volleyball, walks on the beach, just hanging out at the beach house, grilling dinner. Sometimes simple's good.

We also like Italy and National Parks too.

PP is a typical prole striver. Can’t afford a second home, so they own nothing and piss away their dough on rentals and hotels trying to appear worldly and sophisticated.

“Prole,” that’s cute.

[Anonymous]

I’m with you, OP. I haven’t read all of the replies yet, but I am always amazed by this as well and observe similarly.

Our hhi is $400k, we put most expenses on a bonvoy/marriott cc, we try to always fly on the same airline to accrue points, and we still can “only” afford (in money and time off) to travel basically on 1-2 one week trips (almost always in the U.S.) and some long weekends incl family visits - and to be clear I know that is more than most people get to travel and I’m very grateful we can do these trips.

[Anonymous]

Agree with what you say OP. I also feel like I am bombarded by social media ads promoting “travel sets” to wear while traveling, an endless array of luggage, travel accessories, etc. It feels like people are constantly on the go and it baffles me as a regular working stiff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love to travel and we have a lot of money. Goin to a second home at OBX sounds super boring.

We travel to National Parks, Italy, the Islands etc..

Maybe I’m fickle but once you’ve seen a National Park or two, you’ve seen them all. Same with going abroad. I have been there done that and now that I had kids, I desperately need a relaxing vacation, not a jam packed international trip. It’s just exhausting, no fun at all. And I have experienced other cultures as my relatives are foreign and live abroad. They aren’t really very interesting or different than us. Many want to live here actually and I don’t blame them. I would much rather pack lightly and stay at a comfortable beach house or actually a lux hotel and just do nothing but sit on a beach or by a pool for a week and be waited on.

I'm the exact opposite. I crave active vacations - skiing, surfing, hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering, canoeing, etc, etc. No - the Grand Canyon is drastically different than the Galapagos. If you've seen one National Park, then you've seen one. And, sitting in one place sound like torture for a vacation because I have a desk job and sit in one place everyday. I'd be bored to tears plopping down on a beach and eating/drinking/being sedentary. Yikes! I'd rather go somewhere explore and try new food that locals eat, not rich tourists.

Like one PP said - I also have 2 vacation homes in places I LOVE. I go there when I don't want the challenges of travel and logistics, because yes, those are tiresome and complicated- no matter how you do it. One is a ski condo in CO the other is a beach condo in FL. I keep my sport gear there and can pop over for a quick trip with nothing more than my handbag - so I can take those super cheap flights with no faff.

Travel, relaxation, and vacation is not a one size fits all shoe. Different strokes for different folks. And, I still intentionally do stay cations sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love to travel and we have a lot of money. Goin to a second home at OBX sounds super boring.

We travel to National Parks, Italy, the Islands etc..

Maybe I’m fickle but once you’ve seen a National Park or two, you’ve seen them all. Same with going abroad. I have been there done that and now that I had kids, I desperately need a relaxing vacation, not a jam packed international trip. It’s just exhausting, no fun at all. And I have experienced other cultures as my relatives are foreign and live abroad. They aren’t really very interesting or different than us. Many want to live here actually and I don’t blame them. I would much rather pack lightly and stay at a comfortable beach house or actually a lux hotel and just do nothing but sit on a beach or by a pool for a week and be waited on.

I'm the exact opposite. I crave active vacations - skiing, surfing, hiking, mountain biking, mountaineering, canoeing, etc, etc. No - the Grand Canyon is drastically different than the Galapagos. If you've seen one National Park, then you've seen one. And, sitting in one place sound like torture for a vacation because I have a desk job and sit in one place everyday. I'd be bored to tears plopping down on a beach and eating/drinking/being sedentary. Yikes! I'd rather go somewhere explore and try new food that locals eat, not rich tourists.

Like one PP said - I also have 2 vacation homes in places I LOVE. I go there when I don't want the challenges of travel and logistics, because yes, those are tiresome and complicated- no matter how you do it. One is a ski condo in CO the other is a beach condo in FL. I keep my sport gear there and can pop over for a quick trip with nothing more than my handbag - so I can take those super cheap flights with no faff.

Travel, relaxation, and vacation is not a one size fits all shoe. Different strokes for different folks. And, I still intentionally do stay cations sometimes.

Me again. We travel loads and yes we're rich. But I've never stayed in a Four Seasons or traveled First Class - business for work only. I too am like OP - amazed by HOW MANY people travel like we do (or much more luxuriously). Our travel budget is monstrous and we don't do luxury- not our style.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are sheep, if I hear about one more person going to Portugal or Japan I am going to scream. A few years ago, it was the National Parks, it seemed like everyone was going to Yellowstone or Grand Tetons or whatever. The constant need to keep up with everyone else, going to the same vacation spots, same poses, same SM captions…Traveling loses its appeal when it becomes so common and predictable. It’s annoying waiting in lines and competing for photo ops. Too many damn people doing the same thing.

It is truly absurd the number of people going to Portugal lately. I suppose I am part of the problem as we travelled there for spring break a few years ago, but good grief. Oh, look, another picture of the pink street.

You are definitely part of the problem. You got yours and that was fine but now others are sheeple?

+1

Also it’s entirely possible people are going to places other people they know have gone because it puts it on their radar and it’s nice to be able to ask for recommendations vs creating a vacation from scratch.

Back in 2012 we had our honeymoon in Costa Rica, which was a popular destination among our friend group at the time. We weren’t trying to “keep up” with anyone but a number of friends mentioned how great their trips were and gave us some restaurant and excursion recommendations. We ended up booking some stuff from our own research but friends got us started with planning.

Not everyone has some deep seated need to prove how “original” we are with our travel destinations.

This. It’s only travel. If you’re on DCUM and making it a weird contest, that’s just strange.

Yes, let’s try not to assume the worst of everyone! I mentioned once on here that I wanted to go somewhere because I heard that other people had a fantastic time. I never would’ve thought of going to this destination otherwise. Someone called me “basic” and just trying to keep up with everyone else. It was super aggressive and weird. Why wouldn’t I or anyone else be interested in a place others enjoyed?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I love to travel and we have a lot of money. Goin to a second home at OBX sounds super boring.

We travel to National Parks, Italy, the Islands etc..

OBX is kind of boring. That's the appeal. My kids, who have done a fair amount of travel, love our trips to Hatteras. Beach, boogie board, fish, kayak, beach volleyball, walks on the beach, just hanging out at the beach house, grilling dinner. Sometimes simple's good.

We also like Italy and National Parks too.

PP is a typical prole striver. Can’t afford a second home, so they own nothing and piss away their dough on rentals and hotels trying to appear worldly and sophisticated.

Interesting 🙄

Different poster- I agree about the pissing away their dough on rentals & hotels and being all about "image", but plenty of us don't want a second home.