Ah hem… this is a heads up that you don’t have to break the bank to lead a life of glamour, you don’t have to hold back on giving yourself what you want, you can have your cake and eat it too… you just have to be creative and honest about what it is you truly want.

My husband and I travel A LOT. We’ve been told that we do it excessively, that we are self-indulgent and even (*gasp*) somehow financially irresponsible. Alas, what we get out of exploring new places and revisiting our favorite areas is deeper than Instagram stories or bragging points.

In our case, it means more to us to bask in the nature of a location and interact with those who embody the bare bones of it. We gravitate towards identifying native vegetation, hiking, finding the perfect picnic spots, swimming in new waters, drooling over the local camper setups…

When we travel internationally, we rent a car with decent clearance, buy some essentials like blankets, a cutting board, a corkscrew, etc., and car-camp wherever we please. Fortunately, Europe accommodates this type of experience quite well, as there are plenty of places to take showers, toss our garage, and, of course, park ourselves for free, so we have been able to travel to our hearts desire without feeling guilty or desperate.

So may this be a sign to have a little extra self-introspection, identify the core of your wants so that you may get them with no strings attached. You like going out to dinner every night? What aspects of that experience are so intriguing to you? Is there a way you can recreate the sensations you enjoy from this type of activity that might be more practical? How can you prioritize your wishes so that you are able to treat yourself to them as often as you want? Hmmmm….