Whether $10k, $1k or $100k, a $'s a $ is the point. It's a matter of personal taste how to spend. I travelled/lived overseas a good deal for work. It was interesting but at a certain point enough. I've no direct personal desire now to travel overseas as a tourist (I like US destinations via cool car), though I do travel overseas sometimes because other family members like it. No big regret I didn't spend more on cars earlier either, though some. 'Experiences over things' (calling overseas plane trips 'an experience' but driving cool cars not 'an experience') isn't a real scientific thing. The maximum validity of that idea is cataloguing what other people's preferences are, but I don't care (for people outside my immediate family). A $ is a $ is the objective thing.So someone throws out $10k for a vacation and all of a sudden that is the standard? A young person by himself could spend a lot less than that and have really memorable experiences. But yes foregoing retirement savings for extravagant vacations is a bad idea
Same with foregoing 401k/IRA/HSA for a vacation. $10k is $10k as I see it. Whether it's a true 'once in a lifetime' $10k or $10k a year certainly matters, but because that's different amounts of money. The same number of $10k's over time on the 'experience' of nicer vacation(s) or the 'experience' of driving better car(s) is objectively the same financially. Which one the person prefers is a matter of taste, and 'surveys' of other people can't tell a given person their taste.
While I’ve been lucky and never had to live in uncomfortable circumstances, I’ve ever looked back and wished “if only I had a nicer car” or “if only I had a nicer apartment or house”. I do look back and wish I had traveled more, although that is as much about opportunity working in corporate America with crappy vacation policies vs the money to do it.
Statistics: Posted by JackoC — Fri Jul 26, 2024 8:34 am — Replies 121 — Views 13595