Struggling Between Wanting to Travel and Adulting Realities

I can’t stop thinking about how much I want to travel, especially when I see people in my life doing it. One of my friends and her husband + their 2 kids travel all the time and post about these amazing trips to other countries. Together, they make six figures (which sounds like a dream to me).

But here’s the thing—they’ve admitted to me they’re house poor, car poor, and drowning in debt. My friend has literally cried to me about how they can’t pay their bills, yet somehow they’re still jetting off to these bucket-list destinations. They have so much money, but it seems like it’s all tied up in things they can’t really afford.

Meanwhile, I’m 26F broke and just starting my career. I’m about to move into my first apartment, and while I’m excited about this next chapter, the expenses are definitely adding up. Between rent, utilities, and furnishing the place (on a mix of second-hand and new pieces), I’m doing my best to budget wisely. It feels like a huge step toward independence, but it’s also a little overwhelming financially.

I’m trying to do things right—build a solid financial foundation with savings, investments, paying down debt, and just keeping up with my bills. But it’s hard not to feel jealous sometimes when I see her photos and think, Wow, I wish I could do that too.

I know logically that it’s better to build financial security than to live paycheck-to-paycheck or rack up debt for vacations. I’m proud of the path I’m on. But sometimes it feels like adulting is all about waiting—waiting until I have enough saved, waiting until my career is stable, waiting until it’s “responsible” to treat myself.

And while I’m happy for my friend and don’t want to judge her choices, it’s hard not to compare. I don’t even know how they manage to keep traveling with their finances in shambles. It makes me question if I’m doing something wrong or being too cautious with my money.

I’ve tried reminding myself that traveling isn’t always what it looks like on social media. People rarely post about the sacrifices, the credit card bills, or the stress that comes later. But it’s hard to keep that perspective when all I see are stunning landscapes and smiling faces.

At the same time, I don’t want to resent my own financial choices. I want to build a life where I can travel guilt-free and not worry about how I’m going to pay for it when I get back. My ultimate goal is to set myself up for a stable, comfortable future, but it feels so far away sometimes.

Do any of you feel like this? How do you balance wanting to travel (or spend on something big) while still trying to stay financially stable? Do you ever feel like you’re missing out because of your goals, and if so, how do you cope?

I’d love any tips or encouragement. This balance between being responsible and actually living is such a tough one to strike, and I could really use some perspective.