First post here, just found this forum while searching the web for answers.
This may not seem a problem to some but it's causing me some serious stress.
Having worked and scrimped for decades my wife and I have done well enough to have most anything we've wanted. Nothing over the top, but new cars every 8-10 years, boats, motorcycle, race cars, RV, and a paid off home. All modest middle of the road stuff, but all paid for and all done on a modest salary. All the while slowly building a savings and retirement account like we're supposed to do.
That was the challenge, the game as you will.
Now after doing this for decades it's turned into enough to retire on right now, and more money than I'd ever dreamed we'd ever have. I'm not talking multi millions or anything, but enough for a lower to middle class guy that's worked his butt off knowing what's needed for retirement, and reaching it.
I'm only in my early 50's and my wife has gone to short work weeks but I have no intention of retiring this early, so we decided to just start spending what we make while leaving the savings alone.
The problem is I can't spend it, the guilt or whatever prevents me from doing it without feeling over anxious about how much I'm spending, and my wife isn't much better.
Could be for a new gas grill, I would normally just replace the burner in the old one, or a few thousand dollars for landscaping that I'd normally bust my butt trying to get it done for half that rather than pay someone even though it's getting to be too much for me physically.
And I tie myself in knots justifying it either way I go. If I fix the rusted out 10 year old grill I wonder why I would do that, I'll run an old set of tires one more race rather than spend money on a new set. I'll patch garden hoses rather than go buy a couple of new ones. I've repaired every appliance in our house at least once rather than buy new ones.
All that was done to reach where we are now.
But it's like; now that I won the game I don't know what to do.
Continuing to do as before causes us to question our sanity, enjoying the fruits of our labor causes anxiety.
Old habits die hard I suppose.
This may not seem a problem to some but it's causing me some serious stress.
Having worked and scrimped for decades my wife and I have done well enough to have most anything we've wanted. Nothing over the top, but new cars every 8-10 years, boats, motorcycle, race cars, RV, and a paid off home. All modest middle of the road stuff, but all paid for and all done on a modest salary. All the while slowly building a savings and retirement account like we're supposed to do.
That was the challenge, the game as you will.
Now after doing this for decades it's turned into enough to retire on right now, and more money than I'd ever dreamed we'd ever have. I'm not talking multi millions or anything, but enough for a lower to middle class guy that's worked his butt off knowing what's needed for retirement, and reaching it.
I'm only in my early 50's and my wife has gone to short work weeks but I have no intention of retiring this early, so we decided to just start spending what we make while leaving the savings alone.
The problem is I can't spend it, the guilt or whatever prevents me from doing it without feeling over anxious about how much I'm spending, and my wife isn't much better.
Could be for a new gas grill, I would normally just replace the burner in the old one, or a few thousand dollars for landscaping that I'd normally bust my butt trying to get it done for half that rather than pay someone even though it's getting to be too much for me physically.
And I tie myself in knots justifying it either way I go. If I fix the rusted out 10 year old grill I wonder why I would do that, I'll run an old set of tires one more race rather than spend money on a new set. I'll patch garden hoses rather than go buy a couple of new ones. I've repaired every appliance in our house at least once rather than buy new ones.
All that was done to reach where we are now.
But it's like; now that I won the game I don't know what to do.
Continuing to do as before causes us to question our sanity, enjoying the fruits of our labor causes anxiety.
Old habits die hard I suppose.