When did this become the norm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are also trying to make up for the COVID years too to some extent. That might be fading off now

I think it’s making up for lost time and maybe a sense of foreboding? Like all these places won’t be as easily accessible soon bc of climate change and political conflict.

+1

And it's not likely that covid is our last pandemic

[Anonymous]

We traveled a lot pre Covid too and we don’t have social media. I don’t like shopping or remodeling - this is what we spend our money on. It makes us happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I travel for the ‘gram. If I’m double fisting Thrasher’s on the boardwalk, you bet I’m posting to make all y’all jealous.

Hahaha now I want Thrasher's fries with salt and vinegar.

[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.

That happens with every generation. Gen X are retiring soon and millennials will complain about them and on it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We travel a lot because we enjoy it so much and don't spend much in other matters. I don't have social media and I enjoy having something on the horizon to look forward to.

I am a bit put off at the thought of op pricing out someone else's vacation. People who count other people's money need to obsess over something more constructive. You are doing something revolting and still choose to judge a friend whose mistake was in sharing information with you. Why does everything need to become a source or jealousy or showing off. Maybe people like specific things and like to post pics of what they like and do things they enjoy and it's not directed at you or meant to be tallied up by their nosy friends.

This a bizarre overreaction. I think it's natural to wonder how much certain vacations cost when someone shares certain details with you. It's not "revolting." I had a friend who did a trip to Greece last summer and told me about staying in a villa where they had a private chef for a couple days. It sounded amazing and I was very happy for her, but also have to admit that my first thought was to wonder how much it cost. Partly because we've done trips where I looked at similar accommodations and the price for something like that was always really high even in otherwise very affordable travel destinations. So I was curious. I don't think it's crazy or horrible to privately think "oh wow that must have been pricy" when someone tells you about something that, let's get real, was probably pricy. It's a normal response. If you worry about people responding to you that way, maybe tell them about the cool hike you went on or a boat excursion, and don't choose to share the details of your vacation that are most likely to make people wonder about sticker price (though personally I don't care if people wonder how much aspects of my vacation cost, and actually I'm a big bargain shopper when it comes to travel and will tell everyone exactly how much we spent on stuff if they ask, and also explain how we got good prices or found budget options because I am happy to share what I've learned to help others).

Op is not interested in going herself, she is pricing out the villa, boat tour and adding in the travel fares because she is counting other people's money to judge them and people like them in a post here. I've even heard people judge others for the likely cost of their camping equipment, on the budget end of travel. Jealousy and judgment of someone else's spending is not mentally healthy. Recently a poster who travels once a year planned to keep their first big vacation a secret from their mom for fear of this very judgment. There is something wrong with being obsessed over someone else's travel budget.

DP here. On this note, you don't know the least of it. The counting others pennies and false and inaccurate assumptions is not limited to travel, so be aware and keep your distance, IRL.

[Anonymous]

I think it is a combination social media and access (i.e., cheap flights, ease of booking, researching a destination, etc.). In addition to “vacation” travel, we have UMC friends whose kids get married in Italy or Portugal, or some far flung domestic destination, instead of their hometown. So we are not only traveling for vacation, but also to attend family events that used to be held at the local banquet hall. Frankly, I find it frustrating and exhausting.

[Anonymous]

I travel every 6 weeks to our second home in Europe. I've been traveling like this for the past 15 years though. Our kids join us over their school breaks too, so it's nothing new. Maybe you are just paying more attention to how your friends and neighbors travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are also trying to make up for the COVID years too to some extent. That might be fading off now

I think it’s making up for lost time and maybe a sense of foreboding? Like all these places won’t be as easily accessible soon bc of climate change and political conflict.

+1

And it's not likely that covid is our last pandemic

Now that Fauci retired, we don't have to worry about him funding gain of function research in Wuhan. So I'm not worried about future pandemics.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s important to divide the aggressive travelers into two categories: the ones who own multiple homes (they’re loaded) and the ones who don’t. If you only have one home, it makes sense to spend the disposable money you would need for a second/third home on travel. Because going to a second/third home is travel, so it’s the same spending category. However, a lot of people find their 2nd/3rd homes to be appreciating investments, which of course does not occur with cruises, hotels, etc.

But the people who have enough wherewithal to buy/furnish/use 2nd/3rd homes while also traveling aggressively and raising children in the DMV — those people are stinking rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are also trying to make up for the COVID years too to some extent. That might be fading off now

I think it’s making up for lost time and maybe a sense of foreboding? Like all these places won’t be as easily accessible soon bc of climate change and political conflict.

+1

And it's not likely that covid is our last pandemic

Now that Fauci retired, we don't have to worry about him funding gain of function research in Wuhan. So I'm not worried about future pandemics.

Take your tin foil hat somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think people are also trying to make up for the COVID years too to some extent. That might be fading off now

I think it’s making up for lost time and maybe a sense of foreboding? Like all these places won’t be as easily accessible soon bc of climate change and political conflict.

+1

And it's not likely that covid is our last pandemic

Less concerned about that and more about global warming. Ocean is warming too fast. Locals are revolting against Airbnbs. Enjoy it now people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have wondered this too. I also grew up in an affluent bubble. Maybe you went on a school trip to Italy in high school or a service trip to Central America, and maybe skiing to Vail once in a while, but no one went on these trips 3-4x a year.

We are comfortable but I do wonder how people afford this?

Op here. Yes exactly what I’m talking about!

The rich apple I knew were much more likely to own a second home at the beach then take international vacations. Maybe one or two bucket list type trips right after retirement. But the people I know take 4-5 bucket list type trips a year! How do they afford that??

I know it’s hard to understand, but they have more money than you do.

[Anonymous]

I admit to struggling with this from a "keeping up" standpoint. We just do not have the money that some of our friends have and also don't have as many vacation days and can't work remotely. And now my kids are really into sports so a lot of their breaks will be taken up with required practices/games/tournaments. I really had to talk myself down that it's 100% amazing that they've done a European trip, several domestic national parks trips, a cruise, and lots of Eastern seaboard city long weekends. Compared to this forum, that is nothing, but really, it's great and has given them a good taste of travel.

Besides our family friends, I can't believe how much my young colleagues travel. One in particular takes 3-4 international trips per year, but I feel like it's just for the pictures! They will go for just 5-6 days, even places as far away from DC as Hawaii in that short time, and I feel like it's just to check a box and get some instagram pictures.

[Anonymous]

Also, just an observation, I have one younger colleague who I also privately roll my eyes at because she's very vocal about "saving the planet", won't even buy a pint of organic strawberries if they are in a plastic tub, but she travels by plane at least 4 times a year to exotic locales.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have wondered this too. I also grew up in an affluent bubble. Maybe you went on a school trip to Italy in high school or a service trip to Central America, and maybe skiing to Vail once in a while, but no one went on these trips 3-4x a year.

We are comfortable but I do wonder how people afford this?

Op here. Yes exactly what I’m talking about!

The rich apple I knew were much more likely to own a second home at the beach then take international vacations. Maybe one or two bucket list type trips right after retirement. But the people I know take 4-5 bucket list type trips a year! How do they afford that??

I know it’s hard to understand, but they have more money than you do.

I mean, it boils down to this. Combined with how much people do or don't prioritize savings. We live well below our means and save aggressively. I'm curious to see what happens to the big spenders in their late 50's. Are they still working hard to fund the lifestyle, or are they able to step back/semi retire/retire like us? We won't know until then if they were actually making more, or just spending more.