More than a quarter of Australians (27%) have lied about the cost of their holiday to friends or family – either to avoid judgment or to make their trip sound more impressive.
A survey of more than 1,000 Aussie travellers by Money.com.au found that 10% also downplayed the cost of a trip to avoid criticism from family or friends.
In contrast, 9% admitted exaggerating the cost to make their holiday seem more lavish, while a further 8% said they’ve lied both ways depending on who they were talking to.
Nearly half of Australians surveyed (45%) said they’re always honest about the cost of their holidays, while 29% said they don’t discuss their travel expenses with others.
Sean Callery, Money.com.au’s Finance Expert, says Aussies are caught between wanting to look like savvy spenders and wanting to show off their travels.
“Amid the cost-of-living crunch, some Aussies want to appear to be travelling with a sense of financial responsibility,” he said.
“To them, going all out and blowing money on a holiday feels a bit reckless when everyone else is feeling the pinch.
“Others like to stretch the truth to make their trip sound a little more glamorous than it was.”
Millennials were the most likely to lie about how much their holiday cost (45%), followed by Gen Z (37%).
However, the two youngest generations differ in their motivations behind the fibs – 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 from family and friends.
By contrast, 24% of Gen X and just 9% of Baby Boomers admitted to bending the truth about their travel expenses.
Older Aussies were more likely to say they don’t discuss the cost of their holidays with others, including 46% of Baby Boomers and 26% of Gen X. Only 19% of Gen Z and 15% of Millennials said the same.
“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,” added Mr Callery.
“It can be innocent fibbing that happens when travel and money mix, but 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.”
