To prioritise enjoying life over maximising savings?

29 replies

BeSereneWasp · 18/04/2026 11:20

I wouldn’t personally put saving money ahead of paying for the things that make life feel worthwhile - whether that’s experiences, travel or just enjoying day-to-day life. Of course having some level of financial security matters but I don’t see accumulating large amounts of money as an end goal in itself.

AIBU?

OP posts:

CamillaMcCauley · 18/04/2026 14:19

There was a weirdly similarly worded thread about this the other day where I don’t think the OP ever came back. Smells a little like a journo casting about for opinions to me.

Thecows · 18/04/2026 15:53

TheChosenTwo · 18/04/2026 14:07

I do agree with this to a large extent but we do save a lot every month for various things.
We could save a whole lot more but I enjoy doing things like buying lunch out when I’m working rather than bringing it (which I do sometimes), treating friends to dinner, going to gigs, spending more on the best ingredients for dinner, buying nice candles, splashing out on clothes etc. None of which is necessary at all but they are all nice to have/do and mean my day to day life is more joyful.
i have a colleague who spends £10 a week on her food shop, lives very frugally and prioritises spending her money on holidays. I wouldn’t choose to live 90% of my life so frugally so I could enjoy 10%. She is often grumbling about things she could choose to improve but opts to save instead. Not a mindset I can understand but she makes her choices and I make mine. We have very different lives - what works for one doesn’t for another.
And regarding my pension, I put into it and my employer makes a large contribution. Aside from that, we have some properties which we will sell when needed and beyond that I consider that my old age looked after. I’m not willing to put even more to one side because I have another 27 years until I retire, it’s a long time and I want them to be great years.

£10 a week? That's not remotely possible

Thecows · 18/04/2026 15:53

CamillaMcCauley · 18/04/2026 14:19

There was a weirdly similarly worded thread about this the other day where I don’t think the OP ever came back. Smells a little like a journo casting about for opinions to me.

Who cares, still an interesting discussion

CamillaMcCauley · 18/04/2026 19:49

Thecows · 18/04/2026 15:53

Who cares, still an interesting discussion

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It isn’t, especially. Most people aim for some kind of balance between spending and saving, rather than spending everything on lifestyle, or “maximizing savings”, whatever that means.

As I said on the last thread, this is a non-controversial opinion pretending to be a controversial one.

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