Do like we do and "try" NOT to live so frugally anymore, but it is very hard to change. It does also depend how old you are and how long it has to last.
Yep, old habits can be hard to break. I remember one milestone goal I had set was that, once I sold my condo and the proceeds cleared, I would stop drinking cheap beer. It was a minor treat, but, baby steps I guess.
This wasn't a specific dollar milestone, but I was in possession of that condo, after I had moved, so juggling it plus the new house was getting to be a drain. Anyway, December 2004 was sort of a perfect convergence of events. The condo sold, and cleared around $78,000. On top of that, the monthly costs of around $1100-1200 associated with it went away. Also around that time, I made the final payment on my car, so that freed up another ~$350/mo.
Once the condo was sold, and those monthly costs went away, it felt like a big weight had been lifted. But, at the same time, I didn't feel like blowing that dough. If anything, I started getting more serious about saving and investing. 2005 was the first year, I believe, that I started maxing out my 401k contributions.
Now, here it is, 14 years later. The beer I'm drinking really isn't that much higher quality. I'm still of the attitude that "fine dining" means hitting up Burger King or Wendy's instead of McDonalds. But, I've also moved again, and these days have a fairly hefty mortgage. I also have a higher income, and much greater assets than 14 years ago, so the big mortgage is more of a mental thing, than something that could theoretically sink me, but it's still hard to crack open that wallet and splurge, sometimes!
