<prompt> Human: In many discussions of personal finance here and elsewhere, owning an iPhone andor iPad is essentially shorthand for living large and irresponsibly. Spending more than necessary on a computer, phone, tablet, car, or even having a Netflix subscription is seen as wasteful spending and something you should cut if youre serious about financial responsibility. We signify spoiled teenagers by the fact that they have iPhones.This seems appropriate in certain circumstances - surely bad debts and emergency accounts should be funded before luxuries like that. Fine. There are also good arguments for keeping your spending only to whats necessary. Thats at least internally consistent.But the reason given for why I should cancel the Netflix account and give up the smartphone is so that I can save up for international travel down the road.Why is that better? What is more honorable or responsible about a 1,200 plane ticket than a 1,200 laptop? Why is it better to spend 500 on meals out during a trip in 3 years than 500 on an iPad today?I own a Macbook Air, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Kindle, and DSLR. They are effortless in ways that cheaper devices are frustrating, and they let me do things I enjoy and wouldnt be able to do otherwise. They deliver value basically every day for a period measured in years.On a larger scale... my dad owned a BMW for a while. He loved it. He talked about seeing it in the parking lot at work ever day and getting a rush while thinking oh wait, thats mine! The tight engineering, the zippy acceleration, the excellent handling and high-quality stereo and yes, the sporty appearance brought him joy. And when I get to a point in my life where I can afford one, Ill probably also want to own a car that brings me joy.On the other hand, no one in my family has ever held a passport. Id like to see Europe at least once in my lifetime, as a bucket list sort of thing, but Im pretty sure Id choose the iPhone over a second trip. Id certainly choose to send my kids to a high-quality but expensive university before Id choose to take the family to France every year.So, my question is, why should I change? Why should I deny myself gadgets and restaurant meals to pay for plane tickets? Is there a philosophical reason why people should prefer vacations to other consumer items? Or is this just a bias that people who talk about personal finance happen to share? If so, why is that?Or, on an even larger scale, why is delayed gratification good? Its hard to make yourself do it, yes, but so is chewing off your arms. I see a lot of adults in my life especially teachers, since my governor just busted their union who denied themselves pleasure in order to save for retirement for their entire lifetimes, and now they dont get to retire. My mom is a social worker for old people and, honestly, it sounds like a pretty terrible time. Id rather have 250,000 of experiences than 250,000 of surgery so I can prolong my life in a nursing home by two years. Why is that bad?  <response>: No ones making you travel! If you dont want to, dont. Thats clearly working for you and your family.No one is making you save for retirement either. You might find yourself living off the government in a terrible environment with crappy medical care and life sucking a lot. Maybe not. shrug If you want the iPhone more than planning for your future, rpersonalfinance wont stop you!I find value in travel. It shapes who I am and how I see the world. I find security in planning for my future via retirement. It helps me feel like Im more likely to live with some comfort and not be a drain on my children. Im buying myself the opportunity to stop working earlier than not planning would allow. Im buying my future self play time post-career, before medical downward spiral. There are no guarantees though. 