Anyone Feel Guilty Spending Money ?

[local2fed]

Curious if this is somewhat normal or I'm crazy (or crazier then I thought). I grew up pretty broke. Now that I make really good money I feel guilty about spending it. I feel this weird need to save it all. I'm 50 and single. My kids are grown and gone. I live in a cheap crappy apt and drive a 18 year old truck. I can afford to get a new vehicle and I better place but you guess it...i feel guilty. I'd like to go on a solo vacation, but always seem to find an excuse not to spend the cash. I'm starting to realize this is silly because I cant take it with me. I'd also add that I have zero debt and a good savings on top of nice salary. Anyone other nut jobs like me?

 

[323MAR]

Curious if this is somewhat normal or I'm crazy (or crazier then I thought). I grew up pretty broke. Now that I make really good money I feel guilty about spending it. I feel this weird need to save it all. I'm 50 and single. My kids are grown and gone. I live in a cheap crappy apt and drive a 18 year old truck. I can afford to get a new vehicle and I better place but you guess it...i feel guilty. I'd like to go on a solo vacation, but always seem to find an excuse not to spend the cash. I'm starting to realize this is silly because I cant take it with me. I'd also add that I have zero debt and a good savings on top of nice salary. Anyone other nut jobs like me?

My Grandmother grew up during the Great Depression and her fear of starvation never left her. As a result, she took my Sister and I to buffets and took advantage of the sales at supermarkets.
Your fear of having no money is still there, so your instinct is to save it.
My advice to you is to make up a list a of your greatest wants and fulfill them at reasonable intervals.
You can also invest. A conservative way to do that is to use a commission free brokerage app like Etrade and buy dividend paying stable stocks like Ruger(RGR) and Coke(KO.) Ruger pays quarterly and even pays a special dividend every year with excess cash. I have owned Ruger since 2000 when it was only $5 a share.

 

[Mitch Dufour]

Buy more guns. Buy more Ammo.

 

[falshooter]

Just say --Fugg It-- and go for it.

After you start spending on things you... want... the guilt will go away and you'll kick yourself in the azz for not doing it sooner.

Each day goes by, put you one step closer to the dirt nap.

 

[machinedrummer]

Post that on a dating website and some gold digger will gladly help you spend every penny. Money can’t buy happiness….that’s poor people talk!

 

[Bigchillin83]

Save what you need , but can’t take it with you… in the end I have never heard anybody saying, look how much money and I got in the bank… they always say I wish I would have done more stuff or enjoyed life a little more …

Thought about saving for my kids also, but the way I see it now.. by the time I pass my kids will be well established and set in there ways… either living right for the Lord and making good life decisions and a contribution to society.. or falling short… either way the money I would give them won’t help there situation…

 

[WhereIsIt?]

Pick something and do it man. I get not spending money on certain things but you can't be frugal on everything. Nothing wrong with buying something that'll keep you busy or taking a trip and seeing what's out there.

 

[3fifty7]

First of all congrats for being in that place financially.
We only get one ride on this merry go round, be good to yourself and be good to others when you can.

 

[davidd]

The advice is late now, as rates and prices are both up, but buying a house priced where you can afford a 15 year loan note is one of the best moves you can make. For 15 years, your rent never goes up (yes, taxes/insurance do, but that is really a wash with rent in the overall calculation). And after, you have no rent. Home maintenance and repairs, from my perspective as a homeowner for 28 years, still beat rent and 28 years of rent increases.

 

[john17427]

My parents went through the depression and on my father's side, his parent's were farmers who never owned anything more than a mule and 20 acres. As you might expect, my dad's parents saved everything and so did my father. Every nut, bolt, nail, and hinge. I remember straightening nails by the bucket load when I was a kid. I'm not much better either. I change my oil, cut my grass, rotate my tires, rehandle tools, and fix everything I can that can be done in a reasonable time. All that said, I've spent the last nine years burying the previous generation. Parents, aunts, uncles. After taking care of them and watching them go, I feel the weight of time now growing on me and a little urgency to get done whatever needs doing and see what ever needs seeing. You can't take it with you and there'll still be plenty for the kids to split up so make a bucket list and start running it. Just did a Rhine cruise this past summer and met A LOT of interesting and funny people, which was unexpected, scratch one. Bought some land, scratch two. Finally married off one son, scratch three. Now just need to get the other one married off. Japan is on the list too.

 

[AustinBR]

Just say --Fugg It-- and go for it.

After you start spending on things you... want... the guilt will go away and you'll kick yourself in the azz for not doing it sooner.

Each day goes by, put you one step closer to the dirt nap.

This ^^

Go travel the world. Eat the nice food you want. You'll enjoy "living" more now than you will when you're older. Just make a budget and stick to it so you don't materially backtrack in your financial situation.

 

[Big H]

Just do it---

 

[gunnut]

I grew up neither poor or well off. Always had food on the table/gifts under the tree, maybe not as nice of ones as some of my friends but better than others. I do spend discretionary income on things I enjoy but still save a lot more than I spend. Luckily I was raised/heeded to be financially responsible. I want to leave the kids money to have for their future and try to instill the same responsibility in them, but I want to enjoy my time on this blue marble also. One thing and older guy I worked with told me was "You never see a Brinks truck in a funeral procession".

 

[hotbiggun]

Cash app me fiddy bro?

 

[70mikenike70]

Just say --Fugg It-- and go for it.

After you start spending on things you... want... the guilt will go away and you'll kick yourself in the azz for not doing it sooner.

Each day goes by, put you one step closer to the dirt nap.

Absolutely correct!!!

 

[LACamper]

You can't take it with you... but it's also getting harder to just leave it to the kids. Get an attorney and a financial guy (and maybe a life ins agent?) to work together. Create a living trust. Have them find ways to leave that to the kids where uncle sam can't take too big of a bite. Not to mention if you go into a nursing home, etc. it doesn't get eaten up.

More importantly, travel and take the grandkids with you. Give them a chance to see the world and do the things you couldn't...

 

[70mikenike70]

Cash app me fiddy bro?

On that note I have always wanted a Barrett 50 cal….. Just look at it as an investment and opportunity to thank me for my service…. Just kidding lol, but I’ll take one in black or fde…. On a real note, find a good church to attend and start paying tithes on that money and you would be surprised how much it will multiply.

 

[hotbiggun]

On that note I have always wanted a Barrett 50 cal….. Just look at it as an investment and opportunity to thank me for my service…. Just kidding lol, but I’ll take one in black or fde…. On a real note, find a good church to attend and start paying tithes on that money and you would be surprised how much it will multiply.

I always told myself id buy a 50cal on 50th birthday. Well im 59 now and im so glad the pressure is off.

 

[70mikenike70]

I always told myself id buy a 50cal on 50th birthday. Well im 59 now and im so glad the pressure is off.

Ha!,!!!! I’m 45 and never thought about that…. I’m gonna have to tell my wife I have to hit that milestone and she will have to let me do it lol….

 

[Bolt Head]

I spent this past Thursday and Friday getting a guy straightened out on some documentation he needs but couldn't afford so he could pursue better income for himself and his family.
Cost me a pretty penny but it was fantastic to help someone who actually needed a hand.
It was a joy spending that money on helping someone better their life.