My mom was like this because of:

Wait until I finish middle school, wait until I finish high school, wait until I finish university, wait until I find a job, wait until I find a good job, wait until I find a wife, wait until I get married, wait until I buy a house, wait until I have kids, wait until my kids graduate—a vicious cycle.
Many people with this "wait and see" mentality never get to go where they want to go in their entire lives.
So respect the cycle and don't say "just wait, the bull market will come," which causes you to lose even more money and never go on trips anyway. Traveling is the most cost-effective thing to do right now.