The difference between having the money to travel or not, could very well be the cost of what you consider basics, but others consider to be luxuries.
Someone who may not seem to make a lot of money but travels a lot may not necessarily be living off her parents’ money, but may just have simply made the choice to forgo little luxuries so she could afford the big one: travel.
A reader once wrote in to me saying exactly that — she didn’t go out to eat in restaurants, she didn’t have an iPhone or a data plan to go with it, and she lived fairly simply.
As a result, she managed to save most of her money, and used it to travel to places like Paris or London for a week at a time on a frugal budget.
She said people always lamented about not having enough money to travel, when in fact they were filling their lives with buying a new flat screen TV, driving the newest car and having the newest whatevers on the market.
They always expressed envy at her life to be able to afford such trips, and she would say back to them: Maybe if you didn’t buy that TV, pay for an iPhone plan or have a car payment, you’d be able to afford it too.
Whatever it is, it is your choice.
If you choose to pick having modern, daily luxuries over saving for a big luxury like traveling then stick with it and own it.
Understand that you made those choices and you can either be proud of them, or you can decide to change them. It’s your money after all!
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
I cleared $60,000 in 18 months earning $65,000 gross/year.
Now I am self-employed, and you can read more about 
I totally agree on what you just said. My parents think we’re “rich” just cause my family and I try to go on vacation once or twice a year but compared to what they pay for certain things, we try to be frugal and save on things we don’t really need. I would rather pay for an “experience” than material things.
I don’t know if you used that picture of the birds on a wire in a posting from a long time ago but I saw it and printed it and put it up in my office. I love it!! It is true though. Everything is a choice.
Yeah, I agree about this kinda thing. I’m not much into traveling, but man, people do toss away money on things they “need.” Anytime my girls do that when we’re in a store, “but dad, I neeeeed it!” I always stop everything right then because it’s time for a discussion about need. True need. No one truly needs earrings or Hello Kitty whatever stuff or a new dress…