Do you feel guilty for treating yourself?

[Treatyourself]

Does anyone else feel guilty when they spend money on non essentials.

We are ok for money but far from well off. Probably what people would described as the squeezed middle.

Recently I treated myself to a few bits. Some nice make up £50, a bag £40, some new bras £80.

Dh and I are quite frugal generally, shop at Aldi or use basics ranges, buy second hand or hunt for discount codes, use employee discounts.

I love treating myself but always feel quite guilty unless it's something absolutely essential. Does anyone else?

I always find it odd when adults call it treating yourself. No I don’t feel guilty, I work and we have a disposable income each, and it’s our own choices what we spend that on.

No, I don't feel guilty.
it is your money, and if it is gained via legal means that no guilt to be felt.

Not in the slightest. I love spending money on me 😂 we have a set amount of money we take each month for ourselves. DH saves his, I've usually mentally spent it before it hits my account.

No. Why is there a problem with spending your own money? All the "frugal" behaviour is pointless if you get no pleasure from the money you have earned.

I do, but I shouldn't. I pay my bills, own my house outright, and put money to one side every month. I just always think I should be saving more.

never

A bit because I don't have a lot of money. But I don't feel guilty for the principle of thinking I deserve nice things. I do deserve nice things!

No, I work hard and don't even give it a second thought if I want something.

I always feel great when I buy myself a little present. If I can afford it then why on earth not. I think it's actually really good for my self esteem. For many years I never bought myself anything nice. This month I got a new t shirt. I can usually afford to spend about 30 quid on something for me each month, or save a couple months for something bigger. If it's in your budget, always make sure you give yourself a nice treat now and again. Don't wait for someone else to do it! Cos they inevitably won't.

No I don't feel guilty.
I work hard and it's nice to be able to afford nice things.

Yep!

No children, mortgage free, well paid job but wracked with guilt if I pick up a new bag.

Childhood poverty stays with you.

No, not at all. I love treating myself and other people. I work hard, it's the reward for that.

I do, but not necessarily because of money (or lack of) but just because there are so many people in the world who haven’t got anything. I can’t help it - every time I buy a non-essential item, I’m overcome with guilt.
Many of my clothes therefore are from charity shops or Fairtrade.
I blame my Catholic upbringing 😮

We're skint but no, I don't feel guilty for treating myself.

No. I’ve worked hard, been prudent and fortunate. As a couple we’ve been generous to our adult offspring. We’ve also put things in place for effective estate planning.

I do empathise with the hangover from childhood hardship, see the difficulties it can cause

I used to struggle with treating myself but now realise that I deserve nice things.

No. I don't feel guilty even though we are not rich. We are also probably the squeezed middle.

I'm not irresponsible with money, I don't go splashing it around willy billy but why should I not enjoy what I can?

No. I wouldn't even regard new bras and makeup as a treat. They are basic essentials in my book. Especially bras!

No, I never feel guilty spending money on myself.

Yes, I do feel a bit bad if I think I've wasted money on trivia and things I don't really need. Mostly I'm reminded of how incredibly fortunate I am just to live here in the UK and not in a war-torn or famine-plagued area like so very many unfortunate souls do.
Sometimes I feel like I should give away everything I own to help others who need it more. I should. But I don't.

My everyday shoes were getting a bit worn and tatty (they're 6 years old) and I ordered two new pairs online a few weeks ago, intending to return the one that I liked the least. But they both looked nice, fitted well and felt comfortable. So I've kept both. So that's £248 I've just spent on two pairs of trainers. Guilt! I know they will probably last me for at least 10 years, so I try to justify the expense with that thought.

This.

Presumably you've done a budget or at least arranged your money so your bills are covered and you have savings? So after that you should be allocating some personal money for essentials like bras and other basic clothing and also things you want like make up and accessories? So that money's there to be spent on whatever you want to buy.

Interesting.

I'm not sure why I feel guilty. Grew up very poor and buying anything brand new was seen as extremely extravagant. High street shops/department stores were seen as very posh. We only went to markets or second hand shops.

Even more interestingly dh comes from a well off family but he is even more frugal than me.

I'm a saver and one of my DC is a spender. DC thinks they are very hard done by because I budget. So if I treat myself to something like a new t shirt for a fiver my DC sulks for weeks. I still do it and refuse to feel guilty.

I grew up very poor and it's made me quite profligate instead. I was never allowed nice things growing up so now I make it a priority to get myself a couple of treats every month, even if they're not very expensive.

I do buy nearly everything second hand, but I certainly don't need everything I buy.

Same. Grew up poor.. raised on hand me downs and 2nd hand stuff.

It took a lot to undo the rigid thinking surrounding it. Funnily enough, it is my own DM who says to "treat yourself" when we are out and about now.
I now feel ok buying a new houseplant to cheer up my home, or a decent pair of trainers that will last instead of some Shoezone shite.

A lot of people saying they earned their money, so can treat themselves... I am on UC, so am I not allowed to treat myself?