Help me understand my friend

[handbagofoblivion]

A friend of mine is always telling me about the things she and her family can't afford and are buying on credit.

I'm talking about minor luxuries such as camping abroad (with all the extra travel costs) rather than camping in the UK.

Why would anyone do this? I find it a little strange. She could tell me where she is going on holiday without telling me how she is paying for it.

She is not boasting about her lifestyle. She is not saying 'poor me'. I would understand the need to do this.

Or am I just 'prudish' about money?

Hmm, guess I'm the only one who thinks it is odd then. Perhaps there's no cause for concern.

I find your comment "Minor luxuries such as camping abroad" quite odd. To me this is NOT a "minor luxury". If you class it as such I think you have very little grasp on financial matters and issues that other people have who are trying to prioritise where their money is best spent.

I Dont consider this to be "prudish", just "clueless".

What I mean is that it is a 'minor luxury' to her.

Without going into debt, they can afford a camping holiday here. But they take out a loan in order to afford a camping holiday abroad. It's a small difference, it's not like they are staying in a 5 star hotel on a tropical island.

I don't understand the logic behind that. I could understand why parents might feel the need to take out a loan to offer children a holiday if they had never been on one.

But my real query is why does she constantly tell me how they're paying for their luxuries on credit? I don't think she's after sympathy.

Or perhaps it is just me and my other friends who are unusual in that we just say that we can/can't afford to do x y or z without going into details.

Sorry, I misunderstood.

IS she show-offy! Surely it is a bit "keep up with the Jonses" to get a loan for something that you cant really afford.

In my books, if you cant afford it, you dont do it! - No matter whether it is 5 star in the Bahamas or a camp site 20 miles away.

I certainly wouldn't go telling friends about how I financed it.

Yes, I have that approach too. We've always been afford simple holidays and occasionally been able to save up for more extravagant ones.

I don't think she's showing off because if you were going to take out a loan to keep up with the Jones then you wouldn't tell people about it, would you?