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I live abroad (in France) and have lots of (paid) vacation time and so I travel a lot. Lately more and more people ask me how I can afford to travel so much and tbh I can't help but get offended. Am I the only one? Are people even right to ask this question? I feel like how I pay for things is none of their business.
It's not their business and also sometimes people have misconceptions about how much a trip costs. For example, most people think the Galapagos is expensive. Went for a week and it was the CHEAPEST trip my husband and I ever went on.
I don't so much mind when they ask how I can afford to travel (I respond by sharing tips on making trips more affordable. They seem to genuinely appreciate the info). What I mind is the sarcastic "it must be nice to be able to afford to travel so much!" Usually said with an eye roll.
I don't so much mind when they ask how I can afford to travel (I respond by sharing tips on making trips more affordable. They seem to genuinely appreciate the info). What I mind is the sarcastic "it must be nice to be able to afford to travel so much!" Usually said with an eye roll.
Those people are just jealous.
Anyone can travel. My husband and I make it a priority so we make sure we have $$ saved up specifically for that.
Doesn't bother me one bit. We take tons of weekend trips, and every now and then someone will ask us that question. We just tell them we spend very wisely in our Monday-thru-Friday lives and pick budget lodging.
I think a lot of people don't realize that modest or more-frequent travel is within their reach, but they prioritize finances on other non-essential purchases (such as typical consumerism) that they don't realize is eating up their disposable income. So of course to them, we must be rolling in the dough lol.
I think a lot of people don't realize that modest or more-frequent travel is within their reach, but they prioritize finances on other non-essential purchases (such as typical consumerism) that they don't realize is eating up their disposable income. So of course to them, we must be rolling in the dough lol.
I've never had anyone ask directly but I remember when I left on my first trip to Europe (2 years into my first real job), a few coworkers said stuff on the order of "it must be nice". I reminded them that my car was a POS bought used and I lived in a one-BR apartment. Nice apartment in a good area, but certainly not as expensive as having a mortgage, a lawn to mow, etc. It was all a matter of priorities and it still is 40 years later. I've always had modest cars and kept them till they were no longer dependable, never went in for designer clothes, didn't spend a lot in restaurants. For me (and for my late husband) it was/is a good trade-off.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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as you know it is pretty common to ask these things in USA, not so common in other cultures.
For the record, as above, I just explain travel is a priority, so I make it that with time and money (very little).
People turn off their ears when they hear I travel cheap, so I can travel more.
Same with life priorities. I drive a CHEAP car ($35) that runs on free fuel (Cooking oil) so I can give money to charities and so I have more money to travel.
I don’t respond to questions about my financial status as that area is totally off limits. If someone gets too nosy I tell them I was smart with my money and that’s enough.
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