How do you feel when you spend money?

ceegee

I hate spending money. My feelings are that it is hard-earned and I don't like parting with it after all that hard work. Once I read that the shortest book ever written about money contained just seven words.....Here it is and there it goes.

It is hard come by and I physically droop and go very quiet when I have to spend money on things that are not actual necessities for life, ie anything other than housing, food and clothing.

I am turning into a miserly miserable old git!

FrankieM

I find spending money quite stressful.... :eek:

I'm very aware that you can only spend it once.
Having been in huge debt and struggled each month I guess I can be overly cautious.
I also live with a man who can be overly generous so I do feel I have to be a bit of a tight !!!!!! to balance it out!

sportbeth

I've been very fortunate in an odd way.

This time last year I couldn't even afford a point of milk at one point because my employer didn't pay me. I remember sitting at home at the weekend agonising about asking my dad to lend me £50 to buy some food and put petrol in my car.

Now I've got a regular balance of £500 in the bank (and yes I do panic when it dips below £500), savings in the bank and I've got my problem debts sorted.

My OH earns a very good salary but I find I balance him back when he gets extravagant. He says he wants to spoil me but I quite like the fact that I ground him sometimes. I know whats important to me now and that's the safety net, not blowing cash. I suppose thats even nicer for him too. If I spent every weekend trying to spend his money he might worry about my intentions too.

Agutka

I usually pay for stuff using my credit cards - guilt only sets in a few months down the line when I look around and see where money was wasted. And it's A LOT of money usually.

I remember once I paid for a sweater in cash. Brought it home, decided it didn't fit (the lure of the sales), took it back and got a refund. Back in cash. They paid me for something and it was the best feeling in the world - it was anti-shopping, or un-shopping. Better feeling than anything you can buy.

ChrilleK

Agutka, It does turn out to be alot doesn't it?
It always amazes me when I go shop for groceries how just a few cheap things can add up to such a big sum! Often I look through the receipt to see what was so expensive!

CK

halloweenqueen_2

I get quite grumpy about spending money now! Even stuff i want!! Not spending any today! I very rarely have any money in the house now, it cuts down on impulse buys down the shop!!

ashmit

ceegee wrote:

I hate spending money. My feelings are that it is hard-earned and I don't like parting with it after all that hard work. Once I read that the shortest book ever written about money contained just seven words.....Here it is and there it goes.

It is hard come by and I physically droop and go very quiet when I have to spend money on things that are not actual necessities for life, ie anything other than housing, food and clothing.

I am turning into a miserly miserable old git!

I appreciate what everyone is saying on this thread, and I don't really like spending money unnecessarily myself... but what is money for if not for spending? Sure, don't overspend, don't live beyond your means, grow your own fruit and veg (I do!) and live in an ecologically sound way... but why are you working so hard to earn it, if you don't ever want to spend it?

I own a book called 'Clearing your clutter with feng shui' and it says in there that money is just a tool to buy you experiences and ideally you should get to the end of your life with no money in the bank, but a huge pile of experiences in the bank of your life. Now obviously this isn't an exact science as you don't want to run out of money at 80 and then live to be 115(!!), but I do think it's a good idea to keep things in perspective.

I freely admit that I probably spend more than I need to, and that I'd be happier spending less and paying off my debts a little quicker (although I'm still throwing a lot of money at them proportionally each month!), but I don't want to be miserable and I think if I reduced my spending more than a little, I really would be.

ceegee, I'm not criticising you personally so I'm sorry if I sound like I am, I hope I don't! but your post was the one that made me want to post.

halloweenqueen_2

I agree - long time dead - but at the moment I haven't got enough to not worry about spending it and we do manage to enjoy ourselves on a small budget - the entertainment budget is the one i don't mind spending! Just get annoyed with the mundane expenditure.

Ember999

Well, I shall add my thoughts. I am afraid I am totally different to you all. Yes, I like saving money, but only in the way of eg: I want a particular item, where can I find it cheaper etc. I do know from experience that 'you get what you pay for' and buying the cheapest is often false economy. I love buying nice things, clothes, furniture, whatever it may be. I buy the best but try to get the best price. I am afraid I am a fashion victim in that I need to have the latest gear and I love my designer labels. To me that's what being a 'girl' is all about. HOWEVER, I don't run up debt and only buy what I can afford. So if I cannot afford it, I do without! When I want to spend lot's of money (like now, I have just bought a new cottage in the country and am spending money like water ) we work harder to earn more! I save a lot but also spend a lot. I think this makes me happier than if I was scrimping and saving, buying cheap stuff and doing without etc. Not knocking anyone who does this, we each have our different priorities don't we. But me personally, I like the good things in life and am happy to pay for them.

Ember xx

Quasar

That's right Ember999, just what I have been saying.

We work hard for our money, and because of this we have to ask ourselves: what is all this effort, all this money FOR? Is its sole purpose to become an ever increasing figure in our bank balances, or is it a means of exchange so that we can LIVE life as fully as we can and not just "be alive"?

I know which one I would vote for.

:j