From March 12th to March 18th I spent my spring break in Seattle, Washington. Prior to leaving for my mini vacation, my dad told me this, “Eat as much as you can. Don’t regret not trying something.” His words resonated with me throughout the whole trip, and I’m glad I took what he said to heart.
Photo by Sharmaine Ong
On our first day in Seattle, my friends and I visited the famous Pike Place Market. The outdoor vendors sold barbecue, seafood, baked goods, and more. I wanted to try everything. And to be honest, it felt like I did.
During our stroll through the market, my friend said, “I’ve spent too much. I need to choose the places I want to go to carefully.” Because of that, he didn’t want to try the coffee or tea from one of the top cafe’s in Seattle called Moore’s Coffee Shop. At the time I thought, “We all saved a substantial amount of money to pay for food, so why not splurge a little? There’s nothing wrong about spending money on vacation especially when you’re spending it on food.”
He might disagree, but today I’m here to give you five reasons why you shouldn’t feel guilty when spending money on food during vacation.
1. You saved money for this trip
Gif courtesy of Giphy.com
Okay, we might not all be rolling in dough, but when going on vacation, it’s a good idea to make a budget or save a certain amount of money to spend for necessities like food.
I get it. It makes sense to feel bad about spending more money than you would usually spend on a normal day, but as long as you’re within your budget, why not try that crepe place you saw on Yelp? There’s spending money you don’t have, and then there’s spending money you saved for a trip. Don’t feel guilty for eating out. You didn’t save money to do daily chores; you saved money to relax and enjoy your break.
2. It’s your money
Gif courtesy of GIPHY.com
This might seem obvious, but I’ve met people who have been concerned about spending money on vacation because they feel as if people would judge them. I’ve had a classmate who would say things like, “What if he (the guy she liked) thinks I’m materialistic? Or what if someone thinks I’m some spoiled brat with stacks of dollar bills? What if he thinks I’m a stripper?!” The last part was an exaggeration, but she was so concerned about how people would perceive her if she spent money on herself, that she wasn’t able to enjoy her vacation.
Honestly, as long as you’re not spending money you don’t have, I don’t see the problem with splurging a little bit. Don’t let others stop you from enjoying your vacation. It’s not their place to tell you what you can or cannot spend. If you want to buy a five dollar donut, buy the five dollar donut. No one should judge you for wanting to try something good.
3. You’re somewhere new/different
GIF courtesy of cindysuen.tumblr.com
I think this is one of the most important reasons to eat out on vacation. You went out of your way to go to a place that’s not your home, so you should try to eat new and different dishes. Why settle for McDonald’s or Chipotle (places you can find anywhere), when you can try a Cuban sandwich from one of the local eateries or a fresh slice of tuna sashimi from the local fish market? Be adventurous. One of the best parts of vacation is the adventure.
4. You’ll regret not trying something different
GIF courtesy of meloplasty3.rssing.com
Do you want to be Ron Swanson? Do you want to be unhappy and regret everything? I know I don’t, and I hope you don’t want to be sad and regretful either.
The last bit of advice I can give you is this: eat the cake, buy that specialty drip coffee from the fancy cafe two blocks away from your hotel, and don’t regret not trying something you don’t have in your own city. Regret is a painful feeling. Somewhere deep down you’ll be thinking, “I could have had that. It could have been in my belly.” I don’t ever want you to let it get to that point.
5. It’s your vacation
GIF courtesy of GIPHY.com
In the end, I guess what I’m really trying to say is treat yourself. This is your vacation, so you should make the most of it. Don’t be Ron Swanson. Be Tom Havaford and “treat yo self.”
You earned it. You earned that slice of pie my friend, so don’t feel bad about getting it.