My sister keeps criticising me for travelling

Of course!

for standard family behaviour, it seems to have upset you?

Could be, don't know. In our family it was called 'being a standard family'.

She's jealous! As am I 🤣 I'd love to have your freedom!

but she expected to be bailed out. I'd call that CF

But you see, she was not a CF, the aunt. She just lived like a teenager until her 90s (yes, her 90s). No children, no responsibility, love of travel, etc. She was working too, not too strenuously, in a job she loved. Never married, never had children. A sort of Barbara Pym spinster, but not quite. Very immature.

if I had a CF relative, I definitely could.

Stop projecting your family’s issues on to other people.

I can imagine saying 'I can't cover your mortgage, because I can't, but I honestly won't be able to say 'we don't have room for you', to an immediate family member, even if I have to sleep on the floor.

why not? I mean I get your Mum and Dad didn't refuse but why is it not done in "real families" "I am sorry, we can't afford to cover your mortgage" "I am sorry we have no room for you to move in" and why entertainment FFS?

Not in a real family, unfortunately and not in the case of my poor mum and long-suffering dad. Unfortunately, family members always impact other family members, by their action or inaction.

I am sorry that happened in your family but as is said on MN "No is a complete sentence"

I shall tell you why. My mum's sister was like that, and guess who had to pick up the mess of 'no mortgage, no family' and provide emergency accommodation when she was young and then, and I remember it clearly - entertainment and financial and medical support. She was much older than my mum and strangely, very immature. So I remember her clearly as my aunt who would not leave us alone - tagged on all holidays with us, expected support and care in later life from mum (blood is thicker, etc.) and though mum never said a word, I thought it was an imposition. And also, my dad occasionally murmured 'not again'? She had no savings, lived in council housing, so occasionally 'tapped' my mum too.

They worry it may become their business, if they are as close a family as my mum's family was.

why is it their business? I think its even ruder if the reason is because they are "worried about finances"

She is worried about you, that is all. I have a friend who also pissed all her good income against the wall by travelling and 'having fun', then circumstances changed, her income changed, she did not have a pot to piss in. They may be genuinely worried about you.

She sounds jealous. I would bat her stupid comment back to her. What an idiot she sounds 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Just say "I'm trying to keep up with you guys"!

(It means they don’t want to travel with the children, even though they aren’t invalids)

What I’d like to know OP is what does it mean to “love renting”? I mean I get that you won’t have to pay for a new boiler etc., but what’s to love about it, especially when you’re planning to buy in a couple of years anyway?

I'd set up a countdown to your sister's next trip abroad (and add in 'leaving the kids with grandparents for 4 days').... No one will take notice the 1st time.... But after the 4th in 6 months or whatever, it'll be noted......

Why on earth don’t you just answer her back?? Leaving two small children to go abroad every month is outrageous! How do they even do it? Do they not have jobs??

Is she bothered about you going away? Or is she trying to say you really should buy a house before you spend lots of money on holidays? Depends what your financial situation is doesn’t it. I wouldn’t be prioritising lots of holidays if I was only renting.

She goes abroad every month and has 2 kids under 3?
Meanwhile you're single with not kids and go abroad much less than that, and yet she has a problem with YOUR amount of travel?
Make it make sense 🤔

I was the older sister, married at 23, my first child at 25, whereas my sister travelled with her then boyfriend round Europe, they've been to loads of countries and enjoyed a child free 20s, she's now in her 30s with two kids, and I have to hand it to her, travels to different countries with them. I would never have had a go at her for going away so much, I admire her and think she's amazing for travelling and seeing other countries, what an experience! And the freedom to do it without other responsibilities, like yourself, that's fantastic and in my opinion a great way to spend your life.

I think you're a leveled headed person with your sh*t together personally and I applaud you for your independence. You're right. You DONT have to settle down have kids etc at your age, you're still young and your still experiencing life. I personally think your sister is jealous and she wishes she did the same when she was your age as now she's being judged (as you say by the wider family) for going away all the time, she is definitely diverting the light onto you a bit there. The difference is you haven't got her responsibilities and you can literally do what you want..
I'm actually slightly concerned for her children and how she looks after them... Have you spoken to your parents about this? Have they spoken to her? We listen and we don't judge... However sounds a little neglectful? That being said could she have a bit of pnd and is fortunate enough to mask it with nursery and holidays? Who knows, only she does, but. If I was you? The next time she says it, I wouldn't even grace it with a response just say "if that's how you would live life then I'm happy for you" and move on from it. She's never going to stop criticising and she will only make you out to be the problem.
Enjoy your next holiday, I bet you cannot wait ❤️

Bit rich coming from her considering she ditches her kids off to relatives to go on more holidays than you do. Ask her why she feels the need to shove her nose in your business

OP I rented in my 20s. And had my kids in my 30s. I promise you that during those exhausted and sometimes depressing newborn days, I cherished the memories of all the travelling and holidays I had in my 20s. I held onto those memories like a precious jewel, thinking at least I made the most of my freedom! Enjoy yourself!