Guilt about spending money on yourself !

[razztazz]

I wouldn't say I feel "guilty", but I always have that internal conversation with myself about "Do you really need it?" And What if you need the money later for something important...?

[Chuckanut]

I don't have guilt about spending. But, I do feel guilty at times if I spend a lot for something that is not that important to me. I find myself asking:

Should I buy a new iPhone or put the money towards an other trip to Sunny Beach this Winter?

Usually, the beach wins.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by razztazz I wouldn't say I feel "guilty", but I always have that internal conversation with myself about "Do you really need it?" And What if you need the money later for something important...?

I finally quieted down the inner voice, by tracking our spending, and realizing I can spend up to X per year and not risk sleeping under a bridge or being toothless.

So now I feel fine if I buy a more expensive thing here or there..

However I will admit, I had to hem and haw when I dropped about $32,000 on a brand new van, instead of buying a cheaper $23,000 brand new camry.

That is when I decided I should track my spending to be sure next time.

[frayne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by candrew RobbieB - would you like to share your thoughts?

Not really but here goes, been retired for twelve years currently sixty-six, no debt for the last twenty years, seven figure portfolio, nice cars, nice house, kids college educated and doing well on their own, always lived within my means but I want (but don't quite need one) a new phone and am feeling guilty about buying a new $700 iPhone. Stupid and no good reason but just doesn't seem right.

I know first world problems !

[cyber888]

Yeah, Im thinking I like to buy that shiny sports car, but maybe the wife, relatives, and friends may need some money [emoji33][emoji56]

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne ... I want (but don't quite need one) a new phone and am feeling guilty about buying a new $700 iPhone. Stupid and no good reason but just doesn't seem right. I know first world problems !

I would ask myself if the new phone has some features that I could not do without. Most of the time, it is not. It's "nice" and is incrementally better, but not essential. So, I do not even want it, let alone having to feel guilty about anything.

My sister-in-law has no qualm about upgrading every time a new phone comes out. It's of course better, and that's all she has to know.

[frayne]

To make my story even more ridiculous my son and DIL got me an iPhone 5S about three years ago and put me on their company plan, they own a small business. So I haven't paid squat for the phone or phone service. Just seems outrageous to pay that much for a phone. My 5S is acting up but I'm going to milk it as long as I can. Yes, I know I'm a cheap unreasonable bastard. Even with a new phone I'm still on their plan and will pay nothing for service.

[GravitySucks]

Sometimes. When I remember how often DW and I scrimped and denied ourselves and now that I can afford it she's no longer here to enjoy it. Still haven't visited a few places we didn't get around to when she was healthy because I know I won't be able to enjoy them.

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by frayne To make my story even more ridiculous my son and DIL got me an iPhone 5S about three years ago and put me on their company plan, they own a small business. So I haven't paid squat for the phone or phone service. Just seems outrageous to pay that much for a phone. My 5S is acting up but I'm going to milk it as long as I can. Yes, I know I'm a cheap unreasonable bastard. Even with a new phone I'm still on their plan and will pay nothing for service.

Do you get WiFi calling with your iPhone 5S?

[audreyh1]

I don’t feel bad because I know I could spend way more!

As long as we are spending less than our retirement income each year, I don’t feel bad.

We give pretty generously to immediate family members and have buildup quite a stash in our DAF that we give from every year.

Our spending very much aligns with our personal priorities. We still shop for deals when we need something. When something is not a priority we spend little. We have no trouble splurging on travel though and readily spend on upgrades that increase our convenience and comfort.

[Ronstar]

No guilt whatsoever.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound About not throwing things away, we do not upgrade just to have the latest stuff. Hence our toys are outdated.

I looked around the other day and realized I was the only person on the train using an Ipod. And it was loaded with Freegal music from the library. I do have a smart phone but it is a cheap one without a lot of memory so I keep the Ipods for music and audio books.

I don't feel bad about spending money on things we enjoy, but even then I usually shop for bargains. The bargain part is half the fun for me. We could spend more but DH wants to max out our years qualifying for ACA, so we intentionally limit our MAGI for now. In a way this has been pretty enlightening, as we are spending less than we used to and less than otherwise could if we weren't concerned about the ACA limits, but we haven't been any less happy so we will probably not increase our spending much even when we are on Medicare.

[Tallman4123]

Yes, I feel guilty. And then I get over it.

[RobbieB]

Quote:

Originally Posted by candrew RobbieB - would you like to share your thoughts?

Of course.

I feel guilty when I'm not buying nice stuff and having big fun. I feel guilty for not blowing more dough before my wife died so she could enjoy more fruits of her labor.

I'm not going to make that mistake again.

[iloveyoga]

I don't feel guilty, but I don't buy a lot either. If I see something I want, I would get it. Selling on eBay has made me realize how much stuff I still have and how much the value goes down once purchased.

[frayne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 Do you get WiFi calling with your iPhone 5S?

I don't think so, it is on Verizon but when I'm home I have it set up to use wifi for surfing the net.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobbieB Of course. I feel guilty when I'm not buying nice stuff and having big fun. I feel guilty for not blowing more dough before my wife died so she could enjoy more fruits of her labor. I'm not going to make that mistake again.

It's really about doing what makes yourself comfortable.

If I were to die soon, I would not regret not having bought or enjoyed something. I don't care for fancy cars, so the thought of missing out on the ownership of a Ferrari would be the last thing I regret on my deathbed. Any material thing would not cross my mind.

Even for travel which both of us still like to do, I have traveled enough that I would not feel deprived.

I might regret being mean to somebody in my family, my wife, my kids, or not sharing things with them. Those are the things I have been trying to avoid. So, I have been sharing plenty.

[RobbieB]

Me too.

Never had kids so I helped support my girlfriend's son get through MIT when his dad decided that he had paid enough and was done paying. It's nice to be able to help people that need it.

Her Daughter will be going off to school this year and I'm sure I'll be helping with her too.

When I buy that brand new Lincoln, not a speck of guilt will be felt, more like a reward and just bask in the smooth & quiet as I motor on over to Reno to blow some more dough -

[NW-Bound]

All right! If giving your money to the mob makes you happy, then that's what you should do.

I do not care for fancy cars, but spending on travel is something I do not regret. The only thing that worries me is that this desire seems to be fading. If that happens, it will be sad as I do not have many things left that I desire, to spend money on myself.

[RobbieB]

Me neither especially since I fly first class now.

Before I had to travel (job) in the cheap seats, now when I want to travel it's up front!