+1 Throughout our life, even with young kids and a much tighter budget, we made it a point to take at least one vacation each year. Last year, at age 69 I had 5 stents, despite being a regular exerciser of running, swimming, etc. DW and I went to Europe a short while back, then Florida....and now I'm under "house arrest" due to pericarditis. All is good now, but no exercising for a while. I'm glad I got those trips in, and we already have plans for November and next year. I didn't save all these years to not spend money I can afford.
I May Have Lost My Mind
- Thread starter MercyMe
- Start date
+1 Throughout our life, even with young kids and a much tighter budget, we made it a point to take at least one vacation each year. Last year, at age 69 I had 5 stents, despite being a regular exerciser of running, swimming, etc. DW and I went to Europe a short while back, then Florida....and now I'm under "house arrest" due to pericarditis. All is good now, but no exercising for a while. I'm glad I got those trips in, and we already have plans for November and next year. I didn't save all these years to not spend money I can afford.
target2019
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Is all inflation bad? I don't think so. You have a very long wait for crashing prices, and enjoying the travel. You're stash may improve, so maybe that number growing is your vacation.My spouse and I have not been spending money for the last three or four years. In fact, total expenses combined for the last three years were a bit less than our total spending just in 2018.
With one or two exceptions, we have always been frugal and we've both come to feel like today's inflation is mostly because of excessive corporate profit motives and less because of supply chain issues. That idea gives us a tiny bit of satisfaction in not spending money. We feel like we're not feeding the greed machine. We do still donate a good portion of our income to our church and two charities.
It would be foolish for either of us to think we alone could thwart the direction of inflation with our own spending habits. Nor do we think the corporations are wondering why the two of us aren't spending as much as we could. But we got to thinking that by saving money now and keeping it wisely invested, that we are setting ourselves up to be able to spend more later... (here comes the insanity)... when the price of things isn't so high.
I hope that is not too laughable, but even I chuckle a bit at the thought.
Here is an example. We haven't been on a vacation for four or five years. It's just so crazy expensive to fly and stay anywhere that we would like to visit. My unspoken thought is "Let the uber-wealthy spend down their fortunes and when that world runs out of money and prices come down, we'll be able to take a nice trip."
So we don't take vacations, the money stays invested, and perhaps one day travel will become affordable again. Then we'll be able to take a nice vacation or two each year. This implies deflation and that seems so unlikely. It would probably take one heck of a recession for prices to lower, and if that doesn't happen then we may never travel again, ever.
Do you ever feel that spending money contributes to inflation? It's been said that every dollar is like a vote. I don't want to vote for the price of things to keep going up.
Now, please take it easy on me. I know this is all a bit ludicrous.
This will be the third successive year we go to Europe for three weeks. I think our ties to family and friends is more important than a great deal.
Taco
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2022
- Messages
- 127
Sounds like a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
If you are trying to stick it to the man by depriving yourself, that's just sad. You are missing out on the best remaining years of your life.
Corporations have always tried to make profits, and always will. That's basically their job. Ignore that! Life is short. Get out there and do whatever you and the spouse find fun/interesting. YOLO!
marko
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2011
- Messages
- 8,437
Sad indeed. Sounds like more of a fairly weak justification than a 'cause'. Sad either way. I'm pretty sure that the 'corporate greed machine' couldn't care less.
Koolau
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Better yet. Beat them at their own game. For instance. Fly to Europe or The Islands or wherever. But get the best deal going or wait a month or two. Buy whatever you really want, but find a way to get it at a bargain. Again, you may have to wait. If you lose out, there is something better waiting.
Heh, heh, years ago, our youngest found a Coach Bag (list price over $100) in perfect, virtually unused condition for $2.
DW found a table and 6 chairs at a thrift shop. One chair had been cracked (wild guess someone was moving it in a store and an accident happened.) The whole set was $5/chair (cracked one free.) Table was $20. But they were having 20% off.
It's not just thrift stores. Most stores have big sales sooner or later. If you can wait them out, you may go home with a great bargain and thus feed the "greed machine" a bit less.
Try never to buy from an outlet or major store. Secondary markets often have better prices. Be patient.
Montecfo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
MercyMe,
I do understand that sentiment. And hey, there is some some underlying science. Economists say the cure for high inflation is high inflation. So deferring spending or trading down matters and the collective effect does make a difference.
We also like to get deals and that can be a catalyst for what trips we choose. But we go somewhere no matter what because we are in the Go-go years (following your travel example).
Europe with the US dollar strong can be a good deal. Not necessarily cheap but that's an idea for example.
And be aware that travel and hospitality are the hottest part of the US economy right now, despite cracks elsewhere. It will cool off and prices for accomodations will drop in a weak economy. So that's a time to take advantage and maybe go to a usually more expensive spot of for longer duration.
But you are not losing your mind. But you want to keep the "big picture" in focus.
Or so it seems from here.
I do understand that sentiment. And hey, there is some some underlying science. Economists say the cure for high inflation is high inflation. So deferring spending or trading down matters and the collective effect does make a difference.
We also like to get deals and that can be a catalyst for what trips we choose. But we go somewhere no matter what because we are in the Go-go years (following your travel example).
Europe with the US dollar strong can be a good deal. Not necessarily cheap but that's an idea for example.
And be aware that travel and hospitality are the hottest part of the US economy right now, despite cracks elsewhere. It will cool off and prices for accomodations will drop in a weak economy. So that's a time to take advantage and maybe go to a usually more expensive spot of for longer duration.
But you are not losing your mind. But you want to keep the "big picture" in focus.
Or so it seems from here.
SnowBound
Recycles dryer sheets
A little off subject: But my son is trying to get out on is own (instead of under our roof). So he is adding to the housing inflation by house hunting? Looking at the skyrocketing home prices in the past year+, I would say yes.
On the flip side, my wife found a huge house almost on the lake for $100 for last night and the next two nights. Why $100: no one else is renting it for the next 3 weekday nights (no demand). I forgot to bring the hamburgers though (will add to gas inflation by driving into town later today).
On the flip side, my wife found a huge house almost on the lake for $100 for last night and the next two nights. Why $100: no one else is renting it for the next 3 weekday nights (no demand). I forgot to bring the hamburgers though (will add to gas inflation by driving into town later today).
I understand the issue. All too well. No regrets on how we didn’t blow as much as we could have in our 60’s. Traveled to Africa and Europe about every year. Cruised the Amazon and saw Machu Pichu. Over those years worked on spending at a higher rate because we could easily have afforded it. But, never could see spending thousands of dollars to spare us of the discomfort of a 7 hour flight. Yeah, our kids and grandkids will inherit those thousands but that’s OK. Debt free college? No problem. Worth it.
Meanwhile we have done a lot, but most of it was fairly inexpensive. At 72 we quit traveling which was the biggest discretionary. Without it can’t spend all of the pension and SS. The Fidelity calculator says we could spend 3x what we do. The point is we have done ALL we wanted to do these past years, not blown all we could just because we could. Just fine. Only thing on the bucket list is New Z and Galapagos. Probably would have done one or both if not for Covid. So here we are.
Always ate well, got regular exercise most days of the week. Numbers all good but I take BP meds and it’s fine. Wife (of 52 years) weighs maybe 5# more than high school. Me a bit more. Looked like our 70’s would be the traveling years before the slowdown age brings. And then a year ago I drug her in for a memory exam, she’d been missing words. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, already at moderate stage. It just snuck by me; I’d never asked her what state we live in (one of the questions she failed (absolute gut punch)). So much for blowing dough. Sold her BMW, didn’t bother to renew the passports this March. Porsche Cayenne, house, all paid for. Also got a couple of million I’d GLADLY pay to cure her incurable disease. All those new “breakthroughs” would only apply to early diagnoses. I accept it. No one gets out of here alive and contrary to my favorite song by R E Keene the road does not go forever and the party in fact does end.
I have no regrets on savings or expenditures. But, if you’re denying yourselves joys because your sense of the value of a dollar exceeds the price of said joys, which you can well afford, you are a fool. **** happens. You do not have to blow dough because you can but you also should not defer affordable pursuits of joy.
Meanwhile we have done a lot, but most of it was fairly inexpensive. At 72 we quit traveling which was the biggest discretionary. Without it can’t spend all of the pension and SS. The Fidelity calculator says we could spend 3x what we do. The point is we have done ALL we wanted to do these past years, not blown all we could just because we could. Just fine. Only thing on the bucket list is New Z and Galapagos. Probably would have done one or both if not for Covid. So here we are.
Always ate well, got regular exercise most days of the week. Numbers all good but I take BP meds and it’s fine. Wife (of 52 years) weighs maybe 5# more than high school. Me a bit more. Looked like our 70’s would be the traveling years before the slowdown age brings. And then a year ago I drug her in for a memory exam, she’d been missing words. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, already at moderate stage. It just snuck by me; I’d never asked her what state we live in (one of the questions she failed (absolute gut punch)). So much for blowing dough. Sold her BMW, didn’t bother to renew the passports this March. Porsche Cayenne, house, all paid for. Also got a couple of million I’d GLADLY pay to cure her incurable disease. All those new “breakthroughs” would only apply to early diagnoses. I accept it. No one gets out of here alive and contrary to my favorite song by R E Keene the road does not go forever and the party in fact does end.
I have no regrets on savings or expenditures. But, if you’re denying yourselves joys because your sense of the value of a dollar exceeds the price of said joys, which you can well afford, you are a fool. **** happens. You do not have to blow dough because you can but you also should not defer affordable pursuits of joy.
OP, have you looked at traveling in the off-peak or shoulder seasons of your desired destination? For example, November is basically the lowest season in the Canary Islands, and we are finding some good deals for accommodations there right now. (Probably the best example, paid ~$65 per night for an apartment and got comped an upgrade to a four-bedroom house for a three night stay in one town/city.) So too, on our recent long trip to Indonesia, we avoided the high-Australian travel months and got good deals.
HI Bill
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2017
- Messages
- 2,556
Exchange Rates? Have you looked at the exchange rates at places you'd like to go? Travelling is very cheap in some places right now, including Spain, Peru, Egypt, South Africa, etc. For example, today, today 1 USD = 143.523 Japanese Yen. This might just change your perspective!
gayl
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I feel the opposite urge from OP which is to do it all now before I can't (like H2ODude's wife). I keep thinking of all those who can only cruise and go on cruise line excursions because of age and / or physical limitations. I didn't retire early to wait for "some day," I retired early to do it now. That said since 2018 I've "only:"
> refurbished house (refinished cupboards, new cooktop, bamboo floors, furniture)
> traveled (in order: Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South America, East Coast, Quebec, Cabo, New Zealand again, British Isles, Alaska, Pacific Northwest, Alaska again, Caribbean, Yep- Alaska again, Panama Cruise, cruise down the west coast, Cabo again, Hawaii)
> bought 2 cars (DD & DGS1) during height of pandemic. They chipped in what they could but I made the Bank of Mom decision that it was more important for them to fully fund their Roths. My money / my decision / but oddly they listened and just DCA into total stock market index etf (SPY / SCHB)
>> currently only have 1 excursion plus a few months long trips booked (whitewater next month, Nov 23 in Italy then transatlantic cruise, April 24 for a week in Sydney then 3 week cruise up to & around Japan)
>> only saving 2k a month now but I'm looking at a truck. If I get one then I'll just save 1k.
I guess I fail at being frugal but I don't want to wonder if I could have experienced more
Last edited:
This! We were being very frugal(not as much as the op) the first 3 years or so if retirement. I was healthy etc doing very physical activities and I come down with a rear cancer. Luckily they were able to take care of it with surgery only. I spent a couple of weeks in MD Anderson in Houston and been good since. Long story short I you never know how long you will be on this earth.m
Wow, H2ODude, I am sorry about your wife's diagnosis. If you talked about it before, I missed it.
I can be a little like the OP. Your story is powerful. I need to make more of an effort to do trips now, while we are able. Thank you.
I can be a little like the OP. Your story is powerful. I need to make more of an effort to do trips now, while we are able. Thank you.
I agree with what most are saying. I didn’t work and save my whole working career to leave it all to heirs. And we don’t have near the money that most on here seem to. Maybe $2M NW, and income of $150k between pensions, SS & retirement fund SWR. Blow that dough on stuff/experiences that are what you wanted to do. Because if you don’t, they certainly will. (I know way more that have blown it than have been “good stewards”. Mine certainly are very money stupid, as are most of my and DWs relatives. All the setting examples and explaining what is important about saving and investing fall on deaf ears.) I fight with DW about this all the time. We need to do it NOW. We lost 2 important years of travel thanks to C19. Finally went to London in June 2022, at the tail end. Not once did I wonder about what anything cost, either before or afterwards. It was not even a blip on the bottom line. Switzerland and Italy this year. Same. We travel BC or FC on any long trip, and usually stay in a Junior Suite. We Do travel smarter (as Audrey said) in that we use points for a lot of it. Book tickets a year in advance, with Free Travel Companion BOGO on BA. (This will be the 6th time, and we lost one thanks to C19 timing). The MOST a pair of First Class or Business tickets has cost us to Europe is ~$3200. $1600 each is worth every penny to me. (Plus points, of course, which are effortless with everything paid for on the CC). The lowest we spent the first time, about $1900. DW thought $2000 was too much when we went and I told her “its only going to get more expensive”, and it has. She insisted on staying in a smaller cheaper room to “make up for it” and it almost ruined the whole trip. If it’s something you want to do, do it. It won’t be too long before memories are all you have. Prices of airfare do go up and down, but like everything else, the trend is usually up. Same with hotels.
Last edited:
Retired Expat
Full time employment: Posting here.
+1. Here here! Don’t wait!
1. prices never go down unless there is a depression in which case your savings or investments may also disappear.
2. your health or physical abilities will decline. This is just the law of nature so depending on your current age and condition you may need to do it all now. Suddenly things were hurting and the Dr. confirmed osteoarthritis in my hip, knee, shoulder. I am a confirmed gym rat and not being able to climb stairs, or get up off the floor without pain is killing me! Hylauronic acid gel injections only help so much…..
3 now is a great time to find alternate travel options that cost much less. Try home exchanges… some amazing options although a bit complicated. We have done several and now exchange regularly with a couple families.
4 use AirBnB vs hotels. When you look at the overall savings they can be huge. Rent a house with several bedrooms and share with friends for the cost of a nice room in a hotel. Stop paying the $20-$30 hotels want for breakfast. Be able to buy your one food and groceries and never again spend $6 on a coke or cold water from the minibar. Plus you have more space and comfort.
5. Consider pet or house sitting… people need your help and you get to live rent and utility free. Internet now makes all of this possible.
6 search and find other airlines that may not show up on Expedia like Ryan Air, Aerlingus (usually a great way to save on getting to Europe.) veiling, Breeze etc. Sure not as convenient as a legacy carrier but usually worth the savings. Also do everything you can to earn travel miles! Pay all your bills with a mileage earning credit card, earn miles when you buy or sell your home, eat in a restaurant. Those miles equal free travel or free upgrades…
This year we have had 2 trips to Brazil to visit the new grandson, a trip to our home in CT, which is rented on AirBnB or swapped on exchanges when we are not there.
Coming up, a 2week stay in Edinburgh Scotland for the theater festival. A walking tour of the Cotswold and a couple of weeks with family and friends in a beautiful house in Patagonia. And all for less than we used to pay for a nice hotel and meals for a week in a place like New York City or Paris.
Oh finally look for places with lots of inflation where your dollars are strongest. In Argentina you can live very well for not a lot so we have been going there. Of course finding an exchange rate giving the Blue Conversion nets you 2x as many pesos as a bank will give you so everything is 1/2 off!
So find ways to travel for less but take advantage of your ability to travel while you can. I never want to be one of those travelers being pushed around an airport in a wheelchair or relegated to tours that accommodate the handicapped. Of course the time may come where I feel differently, and I can already envision it. But then maybe we will take cruises or go to resorts, which is not what we do now….
Oh speaking of which, cruising can be a huge bargain too when you add it all up. Not our favorite thing but a totally relaxing stress free way to travel! Assuming you don’t miss the boat while sightseeing on a port visit!
Northforker
Recycles dryer sheets
This x 1000!
I was diagnosed with Parkinson's 3 yrs ago. I'm working on my travel bucket list. On our way to Newfoundland in our RV right now. We spent last summer RVing to Alaska and back. Tomorrow
? who knows.PLEASE do not put off what you want to do!
My VERY healthy mother & I had intended to travel A LOT when I retired in 2022. DH has golf league in summer & DF has health issues that prohibit traveling. Her sister is 95, so we figured she had another 20 years...10 or 15 good. (they are 18 years apart).
2 years ago BAM. Stage 4 lung cancer.
She fought valiantly & we did take 3 trips in 6 mos. after diagnosis.
But this taught me--DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OFF.
DH's dad passed at 62...and DH is 60 now.
DH is much healthier & does not smoke...but YOU DO NOT KNOW.
When we discussed our retirement plans/spending last year when I retired (he retired 2 years ago), we realized that since we each have a healthy pension that more than pays for our daily expenses, our investments are for US & the things we want to do.
Our investments DO NOT need to last the rest of our lives...they only need to last as long as we can do what we want to do.
We did go a little crazy the 1st year & spent about 5% (still very reasonable with the pensions), but we have scaled back already a bit for year 2.
If something happens to one of you--severe health problems like my dad, or worse like dear mother--you WILL regret not doing what you want to do.
Mom & I had a UK cruise booked in 2019 but Dad's health issues made us decide to postpone--sadly we COULD have gone, we just thought, NO BIG DEAL, WE WILL DO IT LATER.
Clearly that didn't happen.
NOT trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but instead saying JUST DO IT.
Live with no regrets.
When I'm gone I want my loved ones to remember the wonderful memories we created--not the money I left in the bank.
My VERY healthy mother & I had intended to travel A LOT when I retired in 2022. DH has golf league in summer & DF has health issues that prohibit traveling. Her sister is 95, so we figured she had another 20 years...10 or 15 good. (they are 18 years apart).
2 years ago BAM. Stage 4 lung cancer.
She fought valiantly & we did take 3 trips in 6 mos. after diagnosis.
But this taught me--DO NOT PUT ANYTHING OFF.
DH's dad passed at 62...and DH is 60 now.
DH is much healthier & does not smoke...but YOU DO NOT KNOW.
When we discussed our retirement plans/spending last year when I retired (he retired 2 years ago), we realized that since we each have a healthy pension that more than pays for our daily expenses, our investments are for US & the things we want to do.
Our investments DO NOT need to last the rest of our lives...they only need to last as long as we can do what we want to do.
We did go a little crazy the 1st year & spent about 5% (still very reasonable with the pensions), but we have scaled back already a bit for year 2.
If something happens to one of you--severe health problems like my dad, or worse like dear mother--you WILL regret not doing what you want to do.
Mom & I had a UK cruise booked in 2019 but Dad's health issues made us decide to postpone--sadly we COULD have gone, we just thought, NO BIG DEAL, WE WILL DO IT LATER.
Clearly that didn't happen.
NOT trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but instead saying JUST DO IT.
Live with no regrets.
When I'm gone I want my loved ones to remember the wonderful memories we created--not the money I left in the bank.
marko
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2011
- Messages
- 8,437
+100
Forty years ago, my grandmother was dying in the hospital. We brought in photos of our trip to Bermuda. She said "Oh it looks so nice. When I get better I'm going to go there again". Well, that never happened.
Her daughter, my mom, however, always remembered that and never let a party or a trip go by without her! She died suddenly --if it's possible to die 'suddenly and unexpectedly' at the age of 92.
She had what they call a 'life well lived'. She traveled, ate out every day, had a nightly 'nightcap' and had an overall good time most of her life (once she got rid of dad!). At her funeral, we all took comfort knowing that her bucket list had been empty for decades!
You never know how long you have!!
On a good note...
My parents traveled quite a bit--cruises, Vegas, bowl games.
And DM traveled often with our family, or sometimes just she & I--cruises, Vegas, Disney World, Chicago, Fort Worth (2 oldest went to TCU).
As she said--I have no regrets, except that I'm not ready to go yet.
So all this travel is in her honor. (and Dad's too--he live vicariously thru me; he wants updates & photos when we travel)
My parents traveled quite a bit--cruises, Vegas, bowl games.
And DM traveled often with our family, or sometimes just she & I--cruises, Vegas, Disney World, Chicago, Fort Worth (2 oldest went to TCU).
As she said--I have no regrets, except that I'm not ready to go yet.
So all this travel is in her honor. (and Dad's too--he live vicariously thru me; he wants updates & photos when we travel)
Travel is about time, money, ability, and "desire". My father loved to travel (except to France in 1944) and was always ready to go during vacation time, and then after retirement. Money did not prevent him from going. But I watched his 'desire' begin to ebb in his early 80's - had been a LOT of places, and travel became more like work than fun. I took note, and we have travelled a lot, knowing that ability and desire will eventually become factors for us as well.
pacergal
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2015
- Messages
- 5,883
To all who are dealing with health issues for yourself or loved ones--my prayers go out to you. May you have a good day Today, as tomorrow is not promised.
For us, we started having a family trip in the summer, last year was the first. We leave next week for our trip this year. Kids, grandkids and us. We rent a house on the coast. Next summer, DH and I are taking everyone to Hawaii. We happily spend on time with family and making memories.
Now that covid is easing up some, we will restart our yearly trips with our good friends since high school.
OP---we have not heard back from you. If not traveling is because you remain frugal, that is one thing. But if you think inflation will go away, and then you will start traveling, well, you will never start.
Current inflation is better than it was, hopefully will continue back down to around 2%.
For us, we started having a family trip in the summer, last year was the first. We leave next week for our trip this year. Kids, grandkids and us. We rent a house on the coast. Next summer, DH and I are taking everyone to Hawaii. We happily spend on time with family and making memories.
Now that covid is easing up some, we will restart our yearly trips with our good friends since high school.
OP---we have not heard back from you. If not traveling is because you remain frugal, that is one thing. But if you think inflation will go away, and then you will start traveling, well, you will never start.
Current inflation is better than it was, hopefully will continue back down to around 2%.
OP
OP
MercyMe
Recycles dryer sheets
- Joined
- May 7, 2022
- Messages
- 226
I haven't posted a reply to this thread because I've been absorbing various bits of input from multiple sources. This forum is clearly very pro-travel and pro-blow-that-dough. 
Another forum I use (a private one for small business owners) offered somewhat-opposite views. The word "greed-flation" was used by someone and it sparked a lot of conversation. At least I'm not the only one who feels like there just isn't much value in anything these days. That was somewhat reassuring. When greed-flation was mentioned, the idea of not voting for more inflation by curbing spending was well-received.
The most thought provoking reply was from a financial author/podcaster who I've emailed from time to time. He kindly replied saying that saving money for a less-rainy (meaning... less expensive) day was fine if doing that made us happy now, but to watch for FOMO later on. He and I corresponded by email more than a year ago and he recalled the personal history I shared with him. He reiterated that (a) self-employed people (b) who have been on the wrong side of a law suit, (c) grew up in poverty, (d) watched relatives die in poverty, (e) have no children/heirs, and (f) are about to retire... have six of the eight most common reasons to feel a need to aggressively work toward only spend money when there is good value. The missing two aspects were poor physical health and poor emotional health.
I'm not saying my spouse and I absolutely agree or disagree with any of this. That is simply because it's overwhelming at the moment. Indeed, we might regret not spending on an extravagant trip, or we might regret spending on a trip that was a waste of money, or we might enjoy having the money where it is to cover us when we get a bit older. That peace of mind could(!) be priceless.
My spouse and I have also discussed that whatever it is that we are going through could be a hard habit to break. It sounds stupid but we may have lost our desire to spend money... literally meaning that we only know how save it.
Lastly, my kindest thoughts and best wishes to all of you (or your family members) who have become unhealthy far too early in life.
Another forum I use (a private one for small business owners) offered somewhat-opposite views. The word "greed-flation" was used by someone and it sparked a lot of conversation. At least I'm not the only one who feels like there just isn't much value in anything these days. That was somewhat reassuring. When greed-flation was mentioned, the idea of not voting for more inflation by curbing spending was well-received.
The most thought provoking reply was from a financial author/podcaster who I've emailed from time to time. He kindly replied saying that saving money for a less-rainy (meaning... less expensive) day was fine if doing that made us happy now, but to watch for FOMO later on. He and I corresponded by email more than a year ago and he recalled the personal history I shared with him. He reiterated that (a) self-employed people (b) who have been on the wrong side of a law suit, (c) grew up in poverty, (d) watched relatives die in poverty, (e) have no children/heirs, and (f) are about to retire... have six of the eight most common reasons to feel a need to aggressively work toward only spend money when there is good value. The missing two aspects were poor physical health and poor emotional health.
I'm not saying my spouse and I absolutely agree or disagree with any of this. That is simply because it's overwhelming at the moment. Indeed, we might regret not spending on an extravagant trip, or we might regret spending on a trip that was a waste of money, or we might enjoy having the money where it is to cover us when we get a bit older. That peace of mind could(!) be priceless.
My spouse and I have also discussed that whatever it is that we are going through could be a hard habit to break. It sounds stupid but we may have lost our desire to spend money... literally meaning that we only know how save it.
Lastly, my kindest thoughts and best wishes to all of you (or your family members) who have become unhealthy far too early in life.
When I did not see you respond for days, I thought - are they gone? Just kidding.
Well, I'm glad you're still alive and kicking.
Spend that money, because tomorrow is not promised.
Peace of Mind by hording that money can be an Illusion.
Well, I'm glad you're still alive and kicking.
Spend that money, because tomorrow is not promised.
Peace of Mind by hording that money can be an Illusion.
I haven't posted a reply to this thread because I've been absorbing various bits of input from multiple sources. This forum is clearly very pro-travel and pro-blow-that-dough.
Another forum I use (a private one for small business owners) offered somewhat-opposite views. The word "greed-flation" was used by someone and it sparked a lot of conversation. At least I'm not the only one who feels like there just isn't much value in anything these days. That was somewhat reassuring. When greed-flation was mentioned, the idea of not voting for more inflation by curbing spending was well-received.
The most thought provoking reply was from a financial author/podcaster who I've emailed from time to time. He kindly replied saying that saving money for a less-rainy (meaning... less expensive) day was fine if doing that made us happy now, but to watch for FOMO later on. He and I corresponded by email more than a year ago and he recalled the personal history I shared with him. He reiterated that (a) self-employed people (b) who have been on the wrong side of a law suit, (c) grew up in poverty, (d) watched relatives die in poverty, (e) have no children/heirs, and (f) are about to retire... have six of the eight most common reasons to feel a need to aggressively work toward only spend money when there is good value. The missing two aspects were poor physical health and poor emotional health.
I'm not saying my spouse and I absolutely agree or disagree with any of this. That is simply because it's overwhelming at the moment. Indeed, we might regret not spending on an extravagant trip, or we might regret spending on a trip that was a waste of money, or we might enjoy having the money where it is to cover us when we get a bit older. That peace of mind could(!) be priceless.
My spouse and I have also discussed that whatever it is that we are going through could be a hard habit to break. It sounds stupid but we may have lost our desire to spend money... literally meaning that we only know how save it.
Lastly, my kindest thoughts and best wishes to all of you (or your family members) who have become unhealthy far too early in life.
I do not think you are losing your mind. I also receive a small bit of pleasure by not spending money. That, in part, is why we have money to spend now. We both like having money in the bank in case we want (or need) to spend it. We are fortunate, we can afford most things, but not everything. So we have to pick and choose how we spend our money.
I would not put off travel if there was something or someplace we really wanted to do or go. As others have said, we are not getting younger. I doubt the price will go down. Better to do it now. But we do keep a reserve in case some unique travel opportunity comes up.
We have been putting off a home renovation we would like done. The problem here is we would like it done - but we don't want to actually do it, or go through the process! Or spend the money. If there is a recession, the price might actually go down, and there might be more people available to actually do the work. And who knows, if we put it off long enough we might want, or have, to move to someplace else.
I would not put off travel if there was something or someplace we really wanted to do or go. As others have said, we are not getting younger. I doubt the price will go down. Better to do it now. But we do keep a reserve in case some unique travel opportunity comes up.
We have been putting off a home renovation we would like done. The problem here is we would like it done - but we don't want to actually do it, or go through the process! Or spend the money. If there is a recession, the price might actually go down, and there might be more people available to actually do the work. And who knows, if we put it off long enough we might want, or have, to move to someplace else.
