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Talk to many people and they’ll tell you with a wistful gaze in their eyes that they’ve always dreamed of traveling, if only they could afford it.
Then the next day they’ll start telling you all about the fab new pair of shoes they’ve just bought and how they only spent $70 instead of $100 but with that extra $30, they bought the matching handbag too but had to put an extra $50 to it but that didn’t really matter because it was still a bargain.
If your mind is anything like mine, you might be thinking “Hmmm, well that’s like 2 day’s budget in Cape Town or a week in Vietnam”. Or perhaps it could pay for a more comfortable, air-conditioned airport transfer instead of waiting hours for a bus after a 20 hour flight…or any one of those little luxuries that can make the world of difference when you’re traveling on a budget.
I know plenty of people like this and whilst they’re not planning to do the extensive world traveling that my husband and I are doing, they are dreaming of trips to New York, Southern Europe, Thailand and Japan. That is only of course, if they can get the money together to pay for them - and if they can forego some of the unnecessary things they keep buying like new handbags, new shoes and new DVDs.
I guess it’s a matter of priorities but I would far rather enjoy a month overseas than a pair of new shoes which will quite likely be out of fashion within 2 minutes.
November 8th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Instead of giving up specific things, I started tucking away some money towards traveling as soon as I get a paycheck. It’s out of sight, out of mind when it comes to my shopping urges!
It’s hard to kill consumerism and the instant gratification one feels from buying stuff. It does all come down to priorities: would you rather have ‘things,’ or memories & experiences?
November 8th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
It’s a fair point, and the money we Americans waste is staggering. On the other hand, your comparison is similar to those that compute the lost retirement savings when we buy our lattes and crackaccinos every morning. While it’s true, it is also an abstraction. Only those who have traveled on a budget or felt the pain of running out of money before you run out of life truly understand your point. As such, few can delay gratification for a mythical reward the don’t know they’ll even get.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
K - great point about having things or memories/experiences. I’ve chosen the latter - although I have previously had plenty of things.
Brian - I agree, the lure of the mythical reward often isn’t enough to stop people from treating themselves to the things that provide instant gratification and that’s not always the best approach either - after all, it’s often the little things in life which bring satisfaction and contentment.
The kind of people I know who are like this are not chasing the mythical reward however, they actually have trips all planned out in the near-ish future (not long term ones but more holidays). They desperately want to go yet delay booking because they don’t yet have the money together…all the while buying themselves new shoes and handbags each time they get their paycheck.
November 8th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Everyone has different priorities (of course) and those people who insist on having new shoes, etc. are exposing theirs. My sister, for example, is always dressed in the latest fashions (no matter how ridiculous) but my husband and I are planning a trip to Barcelona next year, our 5th international trip in 18 months. As you mentioned, we prefer to collect experiences than things!