Are you guilty of a holiday flex or fib? You’re not alone. More than one-quarter of Australian travellers ‘fess up to lying about holiday costs and stretching the truth around their travel spend to family and friends.
A new Money.com.au survey found 27 per cent of Aussies admit to lying about holiday costs – either to avoid judgment or make their trip sound more impressive to family and friends.
Some (10%) downplayed the cost of a trip to avoid criticism from family or friends, nine per cent have exaggerated their spending to make their holiday seem more glam and eight per cent have lied both ways, depending on who they’re talking to.
Nearly half of Australians surveyed (45%) said they’re always honest about the cost of their holidays, while 29 per cent said they don’t discuss their travel expenses with others.
A case of keeping up with social media? Younger generations – millennials (45%) and Gen Z (37%) – are more likely to tell white lies about how much their holiday cost.
Millennials were more likely to inflate the cost of their holiday to make their trip sound more impressive (17%) and Gen Z were more likely to downplay their spending to avoid judgment.
In comparison, 24 per cent of Gen X and just nine per cent of Baby Boomers admitted to bending the truth about their travel spend and lying about holiday costs.
Travel truths
Money.com.au Finance Expert Sean Callery said Aussies are caught between wanting to look like savvy spenders and showing off their travels.
“Amid the cost-of-living crunch, some Aussies want to appear to be travelling with a sense of financial responsibility. To them, going all out and blowing money on a holiday feels a bit reckless when everyone else is feeling the pinch,” he said.
“Others like to stretch the truth to make their trip sound a little more glamorous than it was. It’s not just about where you go, but how your trip looks to others, especially among younger generations who use social media to share their highlight reels with friends and family.”
He warned Aussies not to perpetuate the illusion by blowing their travel budget and then downplaying holiday costs to loved ones.
“You want to make sure it doesn’t cross the line into something more serious, like going into debt to fund a trip and then understating the expense to make your spending seem more manageable.”
