Morgan Housel is good- The Psychology of Money. Claer Barratt also, although I can’t remember the title off the top of my head. Ramit Sethi on all his platforms.
I must admit I like spending, especially on the house (even if it’s a flat for rental and I’m not going to live in it). I like getting it right, improving on what’s there, and buying good quality and I haven’t found a way to do that without spending a good wodge on decent trades and finishes. I don’t mean like super aspirational stuff- there’s plenty of IKEA and La Redoute and the like in my life. But if you have, say, a good sofa or chair and you decide to reupholster it, well that’s still not necessarily a cheaper option. Or you insist on the tiler mitring the edges rather than capping the joints with chrome strips or whatever- well, that might add another day or two’s labour to a job but it’s a better finish and easier to keep clean.
I’ve kept a record of all clothing and makeup/hair beauty spends over the last few years and I try to keep downward pressure on that total. I like clothes but my life doesn’t require loads of different outfits and I have items that are 20 years old that I still wear and love. I like to set myself little challenges like my no book buy year where I borrow from the library or our own shelves. I splurged on 3months PT this year but now I’m back to home workouts with YouTube and keeping my steps up.
food is an area of the house budget where I feel I can exercise more control- I am not going to stop using energy or buying insurances or water but I can go to different supermarkets for better prices and eat the pantry down.
so no, I don’t think I suffer from guilt about spending or not spending, or using my money to bring me pleasure and I’m pretty good at finding low cost ways to keep myself happy when cash is tight. My first husband, dear departed, was a bit tight fisted and never saw a job he didn’t want done cheaper. I have to admit I get a slight thrill -not unrelated to his attitudes- out of spending money in and on the house on the good thing rather than the cheapest thing. Or going on a nicer holiday and eating out as well as catering at home. Thankfully the current Mr BigSkies is not remotely an ungenerous or cheese-paring man (so I won’t really sack him for the bathroom fitter).
It would be amazing if one day we could meet and chew the fat about the significance of money, spending, frugality, to us who post on this thread!
oh, does anyone else have a mum who always notices what you have and (mine used to do this, but eventually I teased her out of it) asks, ‘oh, I bet that was expensive wasn’t it?’ Which is an impossible question to answer really!