Yeah, but if you're smart and plan ahead you can do things like take breaks from work, and it doesn't even need to be the super-fancy live-it-up European vacation. Or even just retire before 65ish and live off your own savings before tapping government benefits. These are both options available to you...
Its not one or zero, Its not like suffer on the short run to enjoy on the longer or vice versa.
You need to plan both for the longer and shorter terms in life. I wouldn't be OK if I get a exotic vacation every now and then but a horrible time when I get old. Or the vice versa.
I think whats appropriate in life is to have short sprints of hectic work schedule where you can make you moderately big cash, then save and invest a part of it for retirement. Enjoy the rest to the fullest.
Heck, I've been on three international vacations in the last year, and I have plenty of friends who have done even more. If you're in the US it's easy (and not that expensive) to fly to some random European country for a week.
The deferred life plan isn't just about taking international holidays, of course. I have the freedom to jet off to random destinations at the drop of the hat because I don't have a wife or kids; I've deferred that aspect of my life in favor of another one.
You gotta defer something. You can defer the kids or you can defer the globetrotting lifestyle. You can defer the freedom and job satisfaction or you can defer the material wealth.
