Two winters ago, we vacationed with my family at a popular resort in the Caribbean. There are various attractions around the casino floor for our consumption.
We found an art installation to climb up, faux floral arches to stand around, and giant milkshakes filled with desserts served in sugar-rimmed glasses to drink from – yum Well, not before the photo.
Photos come first.
To be honest, it felt less like being on vacation and more like visiting one of those immersive exhibitions where it was all about taking photos and everyone you knew was there taking the same photos. it’s because of them have The exact same photo was taken there and marked their location without a shadow of a doubt.
Social media has changed why we take photos on vacation. according to a survey Forbes Advisor, 82% of Gen Z and 57% of Millennials visit certain destinations because they saw them on social media. Many people post their trips instantly, engaging in a perpetual game of capture and sharing. According to the same survey, 74% of respondents feel some pressure to emulate the travel content they consume online.
We definitely fell into this camp while on vacation. It’s performative, exhausting, and most importantly, ridiculously expensive.
Don’t get us wrong—we love connecting with friends via social media, drawing inspiration from others, and yes, even drooling over beautiful destinations. But the danger with it is that it clouds your better judgment when you make financial decisions that may not be worth it in real life.
Slightly more than half of Americans plan to take a vacation this summer, according to a Bankrate survey. Of these travelers, 36% are prepared to take out debt to pay for their expenses. The cost of flights, accommodation, and even meals continues to rise across the board, and consumer purchases are rising in tandem. In the process, many travelers lose sight of their long-term goals, which is to capture something that momentarily feels important but actually doesn’t matter at all.
“Take a photo or it didn’t happen” comes at a price
Mosa Images | Digital Vision | Getty Images
When something that’s supposed to be for you turns into showing it to other people, you lose the plot and your money. It’s a classic case of “either the photo was taken or it didn’t happen.” You might end up spending more time focusing on the wrong elements of your vacation, like getting ready for the perfect sunset photo, but then no Watch a real sunsetor use your camera to capture the half-time concert flip on you.
We’ve all done it; it’s no one’s fault. But is taking these photos worth the hefty price tag? Falling into credit card debt? Stretch your annual leave budget to suit this The resort that everyone claims to love so much?
If these photos don’t have a core memory attached to them, they won’t be as valuable. The casino resorts are crowded, restaurant prices are the same as in Las Vegas, and there are long waits for almost anything. We spent some quality time together as a family, but the photos we took contributed little to that time.
Learn more about the vacation elements that matter to you
When you’re trying to budget and plan for your summer vacation, start by determining your upper limit on costs. See how much of that number your proposed travel and accommodation expenses account for. If they’re almost at your limit, maybe that version of the trip is too expensive. You want to leave room for vacation experiences, and those experiences come at a price.
As far as what you choose to do, put yourself at the center of those decisions. What will cause you to say when you go home on vacation: Does it feel really good?
Focus on what’s important to you and your family, not what’s trending online. If you are interested in food, focus on food. If you like risk, invest in it. When you intentionally set your schedule, you’ll find the perspective you need and cut out the unnecessary things that cause you to overspend.
Finally, try putting your phone away or leaving it in the room, just for a while. Use all five senses instead of turning to some generic coping mechanisms. There is nothing more memorable than trying, tasting or seeing something new that you don’t get in your normal life.
Take it from us. The same weekend the next year we went to a beautiful, much more low-key beach resort. There we read the whole book. Our phones are in our bags. Our feet live in the sand. Of course, we took pictures, but we spent more time together than can be captured in any photo shoot.
—Author: Heather and Douglas Boneparth joint account, Couples Money Newsletter. Douglas is a certified financial planner and president of Bone Fide Wealth in New York City. Heather is a lawyer and the firm’s Director of Business and Legal Affairs. Douglas is also a member of CNBC’s Financial Advisory Board.
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