When a coworker mentions eating at a new restaurant, I mention a new recipe that we tried this week. When s/he mentions an expensive vacation they took or are planning this year, I mention the week-long hike this spring, or the week-long canoe trip I'm planning for the summer, or the family beach trip where my son and I ride 180 miles one way, credit-card touring style. When s/he mentions the kids' expensive athletic activities, I mention that my son won chess tournaments beginning at age 5 and continuing through middle school, never costing more than a $20 entry fee, a used chess set and clock, and a one-hour trip worth of gas and a couple meals while traveling. When s/he mentions high-priced musical instruments and teachers, I mention that my younger son saved two years for his own acoustic guitar before he was a teenager and learned how to record his music on a free, hand-me-down, 11-year old desktop that I refurbished and prepped for $175 that is still working today in its 15th year. A song he wrote and recorded for graduation was used at two schools' graduation ceremonies, and he's performed at the Biltmore House, the Governor's Mansion, and the local minor league baseball stadium while in high school.
None of this is said in a way that would cause conflict or sound condescending. These are just the stories that I tell about our family after s/he relates their story. In fact, my coworkers typically think most of our activities are really cool, even if they would never try those activities themselves.
The only requirements for having an experience are the environment, the characters, and the event. Money is not a requirement. If an experience requires money, I posit that there is always a completely suitable and possibly more enjoyable alternative that costs less or maybe nothing at all.
