How to travel on a budget and like it—sorta.

I’M OFTEN ON THE ROAD MAKING MY LIVING. Frequently, that means middle seats, economy rental cars, Spartan motel rooms and chain restaurants. But sometimes—certainly not nearly as often as I’d like—I get the royal treatment: first-class air transportation, limousine service, a hotel suite and dinners in exclusive restaurants.

I don’t find that I eat any better, sleep any better or do better work when I’m coddled. Nor do I get paid any better. But you know what? I like it.

I know that the fuss over me is nothing more than a pretense that feeds my self-image of importance, but somehow it appeals to me. And I’m not alone. Take a look at the number of travelers who pay good money—sometimes a lot of good money—to travel in style. They (or their companies) pay three to four times the cost of a coach airline ticket to ride in the first-class section. They rent full-size cars that cost significantly more than midsize vehicles. And they book themselves into hotel suites that can easily run twice as much as a standard room.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’d just as soon fly in the front cabin, tool around in a big car and haveh ave a spacious room to crash in, but I just can’t justify the cost. Perhaps, according to Dr. Brian Gibbs, that’s because I think about the value of travel services and products in purely economic terms, without regard to their value in terms of status.

Dr. Gibbs, an associate professor at the University of Melbourne, studies how people value products and services and offers some insight into these matters. He believes that status may have an evolutionary basis, one which provided our esteem-seeking ancestors with an ability to better adapt to their environments, and thus left our brains “wired for status.” Consequently, the status attached to selections that people make often plays a significant role in determining these choices. In other words, choosing to travel in style, even when it costs more, does make some kind of weird sense.

So, how does a guy like me—and maybe a person like you—feel content with travel arrangements that are sufficient, but less than prestigious? Dr. Gibbs offers a few tips:

Don’t compare. Try to value the selections you have made without comparing them to the selections made by others—particularly by those who have made more expensive selections. Granted, this may be easier said than done when you are sitting in an airplane eating peanuts with your knees in your chest, with a kid behind you banging on his traytr ay table, while passengers in the front of the plane are watching movies and sipping champagne.

Compare “down.” If you must compare, try to weigh your condition against that of others in a less preferred situation. For instance, rather than dwelling on the fancy sports car the guy before you just drove off the rental car lot, it will be to your advantage to think about how much better off you are driving around town in an old beater than is the guy in line behind you at the agency counter who was told there were no more cars available.

Maintain a low reference point. Each time you taste a higher level of status when traveling, there is a tendency to move up the reference point of what you think you deserve. This makes it tempting to opt for a more expensive alternative the next time you book a flight, car or room. (Why do you think that companies are so generous in offering you free upgrades?) Resist the temptation. Otherwise, over time, you will find yourself feeling dissatisfied with anything less than prestige (read: costly) arrangements.

Human nature makes these tips difficult to follow. It takes fortitude to be content with simple, clean, efficient and safe travel options. So, hang in there.

Me? I’ll be in first class.

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terry riley is a psychologist (appliedpsychology.com) and internationally recognized authority on understanding, managing and influencing business travel behavior. His is also the author of Travel Can be Murder, C.H.A.R.M. School and The Complete Travel Diet. Email Terry at editor@executivetravelmag.com.