“I was confused,” Iyer said. “But in the end I decided that going to Iran was never easy, and war would make it even more difficult. I had to be prepared to pay the $8,000 myself.”
How can the rest of us apply this observation to our own travel dilemmas: we can’t afford to go on a friend’s bachelorette party or an aunt’s 50th birthday cruise?
Lauren Bowlingof financial experts say setting specific economic goals can help them assess whether travel fits into their overall economic situation. “I think if you have immediate goals, that will help you make decisions,” she said, citing plans to buy a home in the first quarter of next year as an example.
She also recommends asking yourself if staying at home really helps push the needle toward achieving your goals. Bowling said she may regret opting out if she doesn’t have a specific purpose in exchange for the trip. However, if you don’t go, she suggests sending a small gift, such as flowers, that costs a lot less than the entire trip.
But for Iyer, saying “yes” to a trip to a new place, even if it means taking a financial risk, means paying off a credit card to buy, say, a new sofa. Worth more than borrowing money.
“For me, travel is much more likely to change me than getting something at home,” he said. “That’s why it’s worth the risk, because the beauty of travel is that you never know who might come back from it. And I hope I’m a completely different person than the person who left home.” increase.”
