Make choices about your lifestyle

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!

About the Author

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 my story here, or visit my other blog: The Everyday Minimalist.