Should I feel guilty for traveling?

Go!
Don’t let your extended family get (possibly) feelings of guilt when they realise that you don’t go on holidays because of them (having less to spend).
You already help(ed) them.
Now it’s time to help yourself and your immediate family (to a well earned vacation).

Don’t let other peoples bad attitudes dictate your choices. GO! Have fun!! You are the only one who can change how you feel though. Your feelings are your feelings. Stuffing them won’t change them.

You will put yourself and your husband out by not going.
Those two people should be your primary concern.
Go, drink some Guinness and have a blast.

If the extended family protests, tell them the bank of @dubsrayboo is closed.

Go. You may never have this opportunity again. You are not responsible for your extended family’s finances.

Why do you feel guilty? Because you can travel and they can’t? Is that it?

You should go, with no guilt. Your family is horrible for making comments, they should be happy you have these opportunities. They are acting selfish and jealous.

With that logic, no one should go anywhere because there’s poor people all over the place. Families deserve vacations, and kids need to travel and see things.

Go! It’s not rubbing salt into anyone’s wounds that you enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Your family will get over it.You will feel worse if you don’t go when you think back on what could have been.

I agree with the others. Don’t let your family hold you back if this is something you really want to do. You’ve already helped your extended family. Now it’s time to do something for your husband and self. Go, and have a good time!

@Neizvestnaya Exactly! If they are hurt by it, it’s because they choose to be.

NO and GO.

Go! Go! Go! Go!

From the information provided, your husband is spot on and you may be suffering from a case of too much empathy for your family members.

As someone who has observed several generations of siblings and family members in various states of financial comfort, the bottom line is that you need to be loyal to yourself and your spouse, if this is what you wish. No one in your family should envoke guilt for how you want to spend your money. Most importantly, this includes yourself.

Please listen to your husband and take the trip. It sounds as if it will accomplish a personal goal. We only have one life, and you should live it while you can.

If it helps, my mother and her siblings have lived their lives in ways that are very financially different. So have my siblings and I, as does the next generation. There are no issues when it comes to financial support. Breaks have been given under the table in some cases, but no one has put aside what they wanted to personally do, and there is no ill-will for it. It sounds as if you should learn to feel the same way.

If you have to ask…

Opportunity is knocking . . . . open the door. You’ll regret it is you don’t and possibly will resent the relatives. I think comments from them should be answered with an honest, “We’ve been very careful with our money. That allows us to take advantage of this opportunity,” or something of the sort.

There is something called false guilt, you know ?

If you allow their jealousy and judgemental attitudes to override your husband’s good sense then this will be a clearcut example of exactly that. FALSE guilt.

It’s (to a lesser degree) similar to survivor’s guilt. You’ve done nothing wrong. You didn’t cause their financial state (and you even helped them out) so your conscience is clear. Don’t allow them to convince you otherwise.

Go and enjoy your family.

Go. You and your partner earned anything you have. If you want a holiday overseas, that’s your right. You are not morally bound to support your extended family.

Enjoy your trip and tell us about it when you get back.