You and I share some traits. I’ll give some examples. I have been to counseling for my spending, at my then girlfriend’s urging. I could feel myself being pushed to agree to spend more – by buying a house – and I angrily rejected the whole counseling project.
I hate spending large amounts. When I do, I research it for a long time to get the best quality item at a good deal. I have been looking at property since 1975. I have looked for the right reclining chair at the right price since before 1990. I bought my first audio equipment in the 1990’s, after postponing my first purchase in the 1970’s because a friend had told me about the research being done into CD technology that would make cassette tapes obsolete. The list goes on and on.. and on.
After many decades, how do I manage? I budget for big purchases at levels I know are very reasonable, and then I don’t mind spending the money. For example, my budget for a home is 10% of my net worth. I can live with that, even if the market value of the home plunges to zero. I budget for my car by setting aside 1% of my annual net income, and buy a new one every 10 years with the savings that build up.
This way, I cater to my need for caution, but I do actually buy things (eventually).
