26 years old, 3100 euros net income and six holidays per year
A 26-year-old man earning around €3,100 net per month has sparked a heated discussion online after revealing that he takes six holidays a year while still saving and investing thousands of euros.
According to the young man, he pays €700 in rent including utilities each month and invests around €6,000 annually in an MSCI World fund. He sets aside another €6,000 each year specifically for travel.
He travelled six times last year and plans to do the same this year. His upcoming trips include three visits to Sweden, a cruise, and holidays in Turkey and Italy. Because he has 30 days of annual leave but reserves five days for his training, he mainly chooses shorter trips around weekends and public holidays.
The young man began questioning his financial choices after repeatedly seeing people in the r/Finanzen community discussing much higher savings rates. He wondered whether spending so much on holidays meant he was “out of touch with reality” or whether the online financial community represented an unusually strict bubble.
Many Reddit users defended his lifestyle. Some argued that saving €500 a month at the age of 26 is already a strong achievement, while others pointed out that people have different financial priorities. Some save for property, while others invest more heavily, but for him, travelling is clearly one of his biggest priorities.
The number of holidays nevertheless surprised some users. The 26-year-old explained that only one of his six trips would be alone, while the others would be with family, his girlfriend or friends. His cruise also attracted attention after he revealed that five nights of all-inclusive travel, including two days in Oslo, cost just €325 per person.
The debate eventually turned into a bigger question: should young people focus on saving as much as possible for retirement, or enjoy their money while they are young? Some Reddit users argued that spending two months' salary on holidays was excessive, while others pointed out that there is little point saving everything if it means postponing life experiences indefinitely.
Several commenters also warned that Reddit does not necessarily reflect the financial reality of the wider population. Extremely high savings rates frequently discussed in financial communities can create the impression that everyone should be saving huge amounts of money.
For the 26-year-old, the calculation appears straightforward: he keeps his regular expenses under control, invests €6,000 a year and spends another €6,000 on something he genuinely enjoys. While some believe six holidays are excessive, others see no problem with his approach — especially if he can afford it without sacrificing his long-term financial goals.