Spending Block

[stphnstevey]

The idea was to get over a spending block! Not how to save money lol

Although I guess your saying that some things are worth spending money on and others maybe aren't?

[WTFH]

get a trophy wife!

I had one of those once. Stuffed her and mounted her on the wall beside the trophy antlers.

[vetran]

I had one of those once. Stuffed her and mounted her on the wall beside the trophy antlers.

Kinky - I just take her to bed and rock her world (well she tells me that). Maybe we will try it standing in the study again but we don't have antlers, can we borrow yours?

[ladymuck]

The idea was to get over a spending block! Not how to save money lol

Although I guess your saying that some things are worth spending money on and others maybe aren't?

Basically, yes. Generally your approach isn't all that bad but if you think it's having a negative impact then it's *just* a case of figuring out how to lighten up a bit.

[LondonManc]

Kinky - I just take her to bed and rock her world (well she tells me that). Maybe we will try it standing in the study again but we don't have antlers, can we borrow yours?

Stag do?

[ladymuck]

13 year old Audi TT, bought 8 years ago. It's only got 33,000 miles* on the clock, so I expect it's good for another few years.

* although, given how little I use it, it would probably be cheaper to use taxis than what it costs to keep it on the road

I looked into that - more along the lines of hiring a car when I needed to use one as I use my car mainly to visit the parentals which is more than a taxi ride to the supermarket. The numbers didn't stack up at all well so it's still worth while me keeping my car. I'll hang on to it until it hits an MOT fail that is not worth repairing (or some git writes it off).

[DealorNoDeal]

The idea was to get over a spending block! Not how to save money lol

Although I guess your saying that some things are worth spending money on and others maybe aren't?

Do you have any hobbies? Do you go on holidays?

I'm virtually retired now but when I was working (esp permie) I couldn't go for more than a few months without a holiday. Planning the next break was the only thing that kept me going.

The last few years of working I was contracting, and I cut back massively on the holidays. Like you, I saw time off as lost money, and I saved like mad. But (and it's a big but) I had a goal - to quit the rat race altogether.

Now I live frugally as I only have a modest income. But that suits me because I was never much in to buying stuff anyway, unless it needed replacing, and I don't feel the need to go away on holiday much now.

[GJABS]

I wondered if anyone else has experienced this and how they overcome it?

Why would you want to overcome it?
By saving large amounts of money you make yourself free. Don't knock it. You're lucky that you have that work ethic - many don't.

[stphnstevey]

Why would you want to overcome it?
By saving large amounts of money you make yourself free. Don't knock it. You're lucky that you have that work ethic - many don't.

Although it gives options, I feel the opposite and feel it has stopped me enjoying life

[Whorty]

I am trying to go with the concept that money can be converted into something that brings happiness. Success isn't how much you have in the bank when you die, but how many experiences that made you happy that money had brought you

Wife and I worked to clear our mortgage back in 2008. We were 'careful' with money, still lived a good life and had some great experiences, but didn't buy things that we didn't need. Clearing debt was very important to us.

Money won't buy you happiness, but what it does do is give you choices; by clearing all our debts, we have opened up far more choices for us. I now work 2 days a week (previous 2 contracts were both 3 days a week). This gives me the choice to now look after my wife full time as she is at end of life - we have created this chance at choice.

Others have gone through a really tough time financially and it scared them into being super careful.

This is very true. I come from a poor family. As a kid I had very few holidays, can't even recall birthdays (never had a party), Christmases were sparse, never had a bike/computer etc. I've always been conscious of this and determined to break away from that life and never go back. If you've never been truly poor it's hard to understand what it's like to live in poverty - wearing socks as 'gloves' in winter, plastic bags on feet to keep them dry as shoes had holes in, only get 'new' clothes when your older brother hands his clothes down to you etc.

At 50 I could probably retire and not need to work again, but I still have a certain amount of fear and so I still work to ensure I have savings for that rainy day (even though I have more savings than some will ever earn in a lifetime!). Is this healthy? Not for me to say, but whilst I enjoy working then it's no hardship to keep earning money