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It depends on your priorities. To me memories and experiences far outweigh material goods. I could go out tomorrow and put some money down on a new Challenger or Lincoln. However, I'm happy with my 10-year old Altima and having that downpayment and monthly payment go towards places to go and things to see.
Yes, I was in my mid 40's before I bought a new sofa, I've never owned a new car &, living in a big city now, haven't owned a vehicle for 25 years. Before I bought that first new sofa I just got stuff from thrift shops & lived in rentals as a single & had already visited most of the US & about 30 countries. I also decided on a career that would involve travel for some of the time.
As was said you either have the wanderlust or don't.
I afford it by maximizing credit card bonuses for FF points & fly for very little money, or scan for sale flights that earn FF points for cheap. I stay in B&Bs, small 2 star hotels, serviced apartments & AirBnBs, the $$ I save with all of this & traveling to inexpensive locations like Southeast Asia, Portugal, Spain, Greece allows me to splurge occasionally at some over the top luxe 4 star resort occasionally.
No one I grew up with or is family shares this same priority, they all have big houses crammed with new furniture & multiple vehicles, boats, season tickets, etc... more power to 'em! But not for me....
No one I grew up with or is family shares this same priority, they all have big houses crammed with new furniture & multiple vehicles, boats, season tickets, etc... more power to 'em! But not for me....
It is completely ok to choose big homes and multiple vehicles, just don't complain not being able to afford to travel.
Travel in reality is not that expensive. It is the nice but not necessary things that people spend on during the trip that make it expensive.
It is completely ok to choose big homes and multiple vehicles, just don't complain not being able to afford to travel.
Agreed. I like to travel, prioritize travel, and love to hear about others with same passion.
However an interest/engaging in lots of travel doesn't have to be a "this or that" scenario for everyone where we must demonize people who also enjoy having stuff. Life is a balance, and everyone who likes traveling has to find that personal balance on where their spending goes.
I'm proud to travel and have owned a new sofa by age 40.
Mike is social worker, and Nikki is a kindergarten teacher. These 20 somethings are looking for their first home in Washington DC and want to buy a townhome in trendy Georgetown so they can be near the action. They like to entertain so need plenty of space, and Mike wants a separate workshop so he can indulge his passion for ceramics. Their budget is 1.4 million, let's so what we can help them find!
I get the saving $ and budgeting for trips, but how do most of you get away with taking that kind of time for work? If I told my boss I was going on vacation for 5 weeks, she would consider it my resignation. We only get 3 weeks of vacation for 5 years and of course, it is accrued as you go.
The most vacation I have ever gotten was 4 weeks and that included sick time too.
Are you all negotiating to your employers about needing vacation ahead of time? Do you take leave without pay?
I do not work for an international employer, nor do I travel for my job.
Since most Americans only get 10 days of vacation a year on average, I am curious how you guys with stable, jobs negotiate the American vacation system. Most employers do the accrue as you go, minimal vacation thing. Or are you the rare unicorns who have been with the same company for 20 years and have a lot of leave?
I get the saving $ and budgeting for trips, but how do most of you get away with taking that kind of time for work? If I told my boss I was going on vacation for 5 weeks, she would consider it my resignation. We only get 3 weeks of vacation for 5 years and of course, it is accrued as you go.
The most vacation I have ever gotten was 4 weeks and that included sick time too.
Are you all negotiating to your employers about needing vacation ahead of time? Do you take leave without pay?
I do not work for an international employer, nor do I travel for my job.
Since most Americans only get 10 days of vacation a year on average, I am curious how you guys with stable, jobs negotiate the American vacation system. Most employers do the accrue as you go, minimal vacation thing. Or are you the rare unicorns who have been with the same company for 20 years and have a lot of leave?
I don't think it is very usual for Americans to take 5 week vacations. More like 2 weeks max, usually less.
Americans have the least vacation time among rich countries (13 days on average), compared with the high 30s for France, Italy, Germany, Finland etc. This is probably why most Americans during working age don't travel that much internationally.
I don't know why America gets the culture where 3 weeks vacation is considered career suicide and 5 weeks constitutes resignation.
Once I took 8 weeks without pay because 5 weeks is simply not enough for me. That feels great. Why work so much to make so much money any way.
I get the saving $ and budgeting for trips, but how do most of you get away with taking that kind of time for work? If I told my boss I was going on vacation for 5 weeks, she would consider it my resignation. We only get 3 weeks of vacation for 5 years and of course, it is accrued as you go.
Since most Americans only get 10 days of vacation a year on average, I am curious how you guys with stable, jobs negotiate the American vacation system. Most employers do the accrue as you go, minimal vacation thing. Or are you the rare unicorns who have been with the same company for 20 years and have a lot of leave?
I am an employer and I typically give 10 working days of sick time / vacation for the 1st year. This does not include the mandatory holidays and does not include Sat / Sunday. So if they take Thanksgiving week off and fly out Friday evening the week before, and come back on Sunday night post Thanksgiving they can get away for 9 days but it is counted as only 4 days off (M,T,W & F). On many years I give those Black Fridays gratis and don't count it towards vacation time.
In the 2nd year they get 14 working days and from 3rd year onward they get 21 days off.
What I cannot afford to give is 4 continuous weeks off unless it is a real emergency like death in immediate family. Temp agencies cost a lot of money and more importantly, the person will screw up things rather than help. Hence the rest of staff covers the person taking off. Thus the possibility of taking the whole of August off, like it happens in France or Spain, is not possible. Two weeks off at a time is doable. And my staff prefer it that way.
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