Do you ever feel guilty about spending money? I definitely struggle with this. It’s why I didn’t start splurging until I was 45. Growing up, my parents were super frugal, teaching me to only order tap water at restaurants because everything else was just too expensive. To this day, I find it hard to order anything but water, even though I sometimes really crave something like a fresh coconut juice, especially when I’m enjoying chicken satay at my favorite Malaysian spot.
One trick I’ve learned to handle my spending guilt is to buy what I want, enjoy it for as long as the return policy allows, and then decide if I want to keep it. I’m such a car enthusiast that if cars had a 30-day return policy, I’d be trading in for a new ride every month! Although I’ve had my current car, Moose, for over five years, I still have way more money than I’ll ever need. Despite this, old habits die hard, and I find it hard to break my frugal ways.
People often judge me for being too frugal. This Thanksgiving, I challenged myself to only spend money I made online during that long weekend. Surprisingly, I earned $1,100 by reaching out to my international clients, who, unlike most Americans, were working. This allowed me to indulge a little, buying some socks and a pair of Tod’s loafers I found on sale for $315—still expensive, but a steal compared to their usual price.
Even though I know $315 is a lot for shoes, it seemed justifiable since I made that money over the weekend. However, it’s been over ten days, and I haven’t even worn them outside yet. The guilt of spending that much is creeping back in. I keep thinking about returning them and looking for a cheaper deal.
I even blog about the futility of making money if you never spend it, hoping to convince others—and myself—to enjoy the fruits of our labor occasionally. But despite these efforts, I can’t seem to shake my spending habits.
I really think we should all try to enjoy the results of our hard work sometimes without letting frugality take over our lives completely. Maybe conducting a challenge to be more intentional with our spending could help us live more fulfilling lives.
