IDK how it was in Hawaii, but don't feel bad. I'd much rather spend money on an experience (or friends and family) than on buying stuff. If it adds to the fabric and experience of your life, it's worth it. That's what money is for. The reason I think this is, it's the total opposite of sitting alone in your castle acquiring shit that you hope to one day show off to people.

> I'd much rather spend money on an experience (or friends and family) than on buying stuff. [snip]... it's the total opposite of sitting alone in your castle acquiring shit that you hope to one day show off to people.

What makes you think that everyone buying stuff is doing it to show off to people. I'd much rather spend money on stuff than experiences. Experiences are ephemeral and, once completed, exist only in your memory. The stuff I buy is generally something that going to make my life better in a continuous and ongoing way. A pond in the back yard, a nicer car (I buy used, but I buy a nice used car, with the bells and whistles that I think are important), a console system to play with my child, etc. I spend most of my life in or around my house... spending my money to make that time better seems fairly optimal behavior.

Another thing is you can sell your “stuff” on eBay to recoup the cost when you’re done with them or you can gift them to others. You can’t sell your vacation memory later in life. I went on vacations and did a lot of travel many decades ago. It was great in the moment but I can’t even remember most of them now. Those experiences are totally useless to me now.

That’s why I consider it financial insanity to spend your 20s traveling the world and “finding yourself” instead of working and saving. A year of 401k contributions when you are 20 probably results in subtracting 3 years from your retirement age. Make hay while the sun shines.

As a 30y/o who’s took a very stable primary job with great benefits and who works 3 other jobs +- 1 (engineer during the day… mechanic, photographer, general contracting moonlighting) I also obsessed over retirement and saving for my future. I only try to buy things that maintain value or will be extremely useful or life improving to me. However, I also think that the experience of traveling, depending on how you do it, provides immeasurable value to our lives, even if they do live in our memories and fade over time. Keeping a journal helps with calling back those memories, feelings, and things learned. I traveled a lot in my early 20s while still contributing to some sort of IRA. But I traveled very cheaply. Hostels and splitting bills and it has taught me so much about people, history, and the world that it has shaped how I interact with people daily. I can relate to people of other cultures more easily and have something to connect with which I believe is the ultimate experience, once we acquire the main things that we need to survive day to day. I don’t have many material goods, but the ones fondest to me I’ve taken to these trips or have inherited from others with stories behind their gifts. Having said all that, yes, I think taking vacations at all inclusive expensive resorts or just going somewhere to get drunk is waste, or at least not an ideal way to spend travel money.

I think it’s important to learn about the world and take in many experiences while we are young and capable because too many people don’t make it to retirement or can’t physically do the things they wanted to when they were 20-40

Traveling has been very valuable to me because I get to see that some of the unpleasant behaviors that are common in my area are not universal, but just peculiarities of the spot I happen to live in. It's somehow comforting to know that things are different in different places.

> That’s why I consider it financial insanity to spend your 20s traveling the world and “finding yourself” instead of working and saving.

I spent my 20s unemployed due to MS. I'm screwed for my whole life now. Then again I don't get to plan when I retire either so I guess it works out?

> I'd much rather spend money on an experience (or friends and family) than on buying stuff. If it adds to the fabric and experience of your life, it's worth it.

Yeah, that's what my stuff is: an addition to the fabric and experience of my life.

Spending money on pure "experiences" is, for me, wasted money. A memory of a vacation is worth less to me than some "stuff" I will use for the next 10 to 15 years[1].

For me, it depends on utility. I'm willing to spend on things I find useful, and I'm willing to spend on things I enjoy. Given the option between a vacation and replacing my 12 year old car, I'd replace the car.

I'm typing this on my main personal computer, which is a first generation i7, so at least ten years old at this point.

I can agree with that to a point. At the same time, I could probably plan 3-4 trips for the price of the Hawaii trip.

Heheh. I know exactly and that's okay dude. Live and learn. I spent a totally bunk couple weeks in Surfer's Paradise once for the cost of a whole summer in Uruguay. Can't always get it right. Beaches get boring on the higher end, or if you spend too long, too. Nothin like a couple weeks in a beach town to remind you never to retire to one :D