Memories………….. but was I ever? A spendthrift that is.
I cannot remember a time when I had so much ‘mad money’ I could buy whatever I wanted on a whim and not worry about it.
As a young child, I did what most kids did with their pocket money and spent it on sweets, but I did have a post office account and saved some of it together with my birthday money.
As a teenager, I earned a few pounds helping Mum at her works, but again, I saved some, gave Mum some for my keep, and the rest was my spending money for the week.
As an adult, I have always counted the pennies.
There was a time when Hubby and I were earning good money and in a position to change our cars (yes we had one each then) every couple of years or so. A neighbour thought I worked for Suzuki at one stage as there were two new vehicles on the drive.
Getting into negative equity as we did in the property crash of the 1990s, it became second nature not to spend more than we had to. I got sick of it, and took a month off scrimping, wasting money on frivolous things after the bills had been taken into account.
You know, I cried that month. No money put in the savings pot, and worse, nothing to show for it. Where had it gone, and on what? How foolish, irresponsible and careless.
Nope, a spendthrift life is not for me.
I am careful now, wary, and money savvy getting the best for what we have available. Which is just as well as our income might be taking a dive if TPTB move the goalposts again.
It has become second nature for you. I am not the kind to save much, in fact I am lucky if I break even. But overspending gives me a bad feeling too.
We don’t go without and still have the occasional treat, but most times we don’t spend much (just as well with recent vet bills, but we don’t begrudge it)
Saving money so that you have enough for sudden emergency expenses is a great policy.