Kari Karanikos is 25 years old with six figures of debt. A social media director who lives in Pittsburgh, Karanikos is one of the many Gen Zers who love to travel, despite carrying hefty debt.
“It’s important that people have a variety of self-care activities they can engage in… that allow them to still take care of themselves at different budget points,” she says.When it comes to balancing fun with financial savviness, Karanikos is no stranger to the challenge. She’s doing her best to manage both while keeping an eye on the big picture.
And even though Karanikos recently got a salary raise, she’s trying to keep her costs steady. In her words, she doesn’t want to fall victim to It may be hard to understand how people can spend money on travel expenses when they’re already in the red with debt. But Karanikos’s motivation to travel is about more than just getting that Instagram-worthy photo.
“Logistically, my debt will not be gone in the next year or two years,” Karanikos says. “I don’t want to put aside and finally be able to live my life when I hit 30 or 35 and have that regret.”