What's your biggest financial indulgence?
For me, for as long as I've been making money to call my own, I've been spending it on travel.
It's really my one consistent financial indulgence.
When I was younger, much of the "lifestyle" debt I acquired came from taking trips that I didn't have the cash for, but somehow found a credit card to put on.
I eventually got out of that debt, and yes, it was hard - but even today, I still find myself spending all of my "play" money on travel.
(These days I live on a budget, and my "play" money is money after bills and savings)
Recently, a friend asked me why I haven't bought myself a new cool mp3/media player phone type thing. She has one, and she's caught me drooling over hers a little too often.
Me: I don't know, it's just really hard for me to part with a couple hundred bucks for something like that.
Friend: But you just went on that beach trip AND didn't you buy another plane ticket today?
Me: sheepishly.... Well, yes.
Friend: Well, have you ever stopped to think about all of the things that you could have had if you didn't take so many trips.
Me: even more sheepishly.....Well, no.
And the truth is, I never really had. It's always just seemed easy to me go without the new TV, or the pretty necklace, or the new car- but the idea of turning down a chance to travel somewhere new - well, that's kinda heartbreaking to me.
However my friend's point that my $300 trip was a choice not to buy a $300 phone, did put some perspective on things. I'm sure I'll think about that phone next time a chance for a new adventure falls my way- just as sure as I am that I'll still choose to take the trip. :-)
