Do you feel guilty about spending money?

Olive8585

I do. Not sure why, but I feel bad about almost every purchase I make. Sitting in all night working on an assignment and have just ordered a takeaway. Feel really, really bad about wasting money, despite the fact I worked well over 40 hours this week in addition to studying...I feel like I shouldn't be spending money on luxuries like that. Anyone know what I mean?

Gongoozler

No. Don't know why you'd feel guilty, if it's your own money. Is it? Is there something you need to keep that money for?

If it is yours and have no outstanding bills or debts, then no need to feel guilty at all.

kneemos

Know what you mean.

pablomakaveli

Think of it this way you worked hard all week with study and work and this is your reward.

Thats how i justified buying that second gold enamelled ivory back scratcher.

Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.

If you have the cash, spend it and enjoy it. Sometimes it's important to do things the easier way, not the hard way for the sake of it.

Amirani

I sometimes feel bad when I light my cigars with tenners instead of fivers.

Slicemeister

Yes, food is a luxury. Should've starved!!!


It's your money, do with it as you see fit OP!

catallus

Takeaways ain't a waste of money, OP! You deserved it!

The Backwards Man

No, money makes the world go round, like it or not. I always like to think that some thing I spent money on foolishly somehow resulted in a few euro going towards the future discoverer of a vaccine for some incurable disease actually ending up in medical school. Or the future Commander of the mission to conquer the galaxy's first toy space rocket.

ToddyDoody

I spent €70 on a teeshirt recently, which is not right but go capitalism?

SEPT 23 1989

Yes i have to admit when i put the nappies back because I havent enough for the vodka i do feel a slight pang of guilt but i can assure you that feeling does not last for long

Wishiwasa Littlebitaller

It depends OP.

Did you order boiled rice or pilau?

thebag89

Can't understand why you'd feel guilty about treating yourself. I haven't bought anything big yet this year but in a week or two I'm buying a decent laptop

Olive8585

Gongoozler wrote: »

No. Don't know why you'd feel guilty, if it's your own money. Is it? Is there something you need to keep that money for?

If it is yours and have no outstanding bills or debts, then no need to feel guilty at all.

Well yeah, there is always something better to be spending the money on. Saving for the future (house, car, etc.) Yes, it's my own money. I think it's because I don't earn that much, so I feel bad for spending it on things that aren't essential. Had a battle with myself in Primark the other day, debating over whether to buy a top. It was £3.50! And I still felt a bit guilty.

I find other people make you feel a bit bad too. I booked a long weekend in New York to visit friends as a treat for finishing my thesis and the number of people who are acting like I'm Miss Extravagant. I scrimped and saved to afford the flights and it's my annual holiday (usually just go somewhere in Europe). I have no dependents or anything like that, I work hard to earn my money, but still feel bad!

L1011

Nope, not at all. I've no unsustainable debt - mortgage that's quite a bit less than I'd have to pay to rent the place and that's it; everything's paid on time and what's left over is mine.

Gongoozler

Olive8585 wrote: »

Well yeah, there is always something better to be spending the money on. Saving for the future (house, car, etc.) Yes, it's my own money. I think it's because I don't earn that much, so I feel bad for spending it on things that aren't essential. Had a battle with myself in Primark the other day, debating over whether to buy a top. It was £3.50! And I still felt a bit guilty.

I find other people make you feel a bit bad too. I booked a long weekend in New York to visit friends as a treat for finishing my thesis and the number of people who are acting like I'm Miss Extravagant. I scrimped and saved to afford the flights and it's my annual holiday (usually just go somewhere in Europe). I have no dependents or anything like that, I work hard to earn my money, but still feel bad!

It sounds like other people are making you feel guilty so. Did you grow up in a tight household? You don't sound extravagant at all, smart with your money I'd bet.

dmc17

Olive8585 wrote: »

I find other people make you feel a bit bad too. I booked a long weekend in New York to visit friends as a treat for finishing my thesis and the number of people who are acting like I'm Miss Extravagant. I scrimped and saved to afford the flights and it's my annual holiday (usually just go somewhere in Europe). I have no dependents or anything like that, I work hard to earn my money, but still feel bad!

Oooh, no recession around here............ Only joking. Tell them all to f**k right off. If it bothers them that much maybe they should do a bit of work and go on their own holiday.

SEPT 23 1989

Olive8585 wrote: »

Had a battle with myself in Primark the other day, debating over whether to buy a top. It was £3.50!

You will also have a battle with the fashion police when they get a hold of you

Legs.Eleven

Yes. I feel guilty about any money I spend unless it´s food, bills or transport. I´ve never been rolling in it so always have this feeling I should be careful with my money. Right now, I´m earning a grand salary for Spain and shouldn´t feel guilty when I treat myself now and then but I do.

Olive8585

Gongoozler wrote: »

It sounds like other people are making you feel guilty so. Did you grow up in a tight household? You don't sound extravagant at all, smart with your money I'd bet.

Yes, I did...my parents would be considered quite tight! Not that they never bought anything, but every last thing would get the price commented on, from supermarket shops to shoes to everything. I guess that's where I get the guilt mentality from. I do spend money on nice things but I always feel bad about it. Would say I am generally smart with money, yea...I don't spend what I don't have. I would like to save more but don't want to live in misery to save a few quid either.

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

You will also have a battle with the fashion police when they get a hold of you

It's the height of fashion, I'll have you know.

Czarcasm

Olive8585 wrote: »

Well yeah, there is always something better to be spending the money on. Saving for the future (house, car, etc.) Yes, it's my own money. I think it's because I don't earn that much, so I feel bad for spending it on things that aren't essential. Had a battle with myself in Primark the other day, debating over whether to buy a top. It was £3.50! And I still felt a bit guilty.

I find other people make you feel a bit bad too. I booked a long weekend in New York to visit friends as a treat for finishing my thesis and the number of people who are acting like I'm Miss Extravagant. I scrimped and saved to afford the flights and it's my annual holiday (usually just go somewhere in Europe). I have no dependents or anything like that, I work hard to earn my money, but still feel bad!

Crikey Olive, your threads always start off with something trivial, in this case feeling guilty for ordering a Chinese (it's hardly Marco Pierre Whites!), and it's not long before there's some big drama (this time justifying a trip to New York to your friends).

Honestly, you're creating drama for yourself and giving people ammunition to judge you, and then complaining that people are judging you. It's hardly rocket science to suggest the two are connected, and the common factor in all these dramas?

You're clearly a smart girl, you'll figure it out.

Banjo String

Would you like me to spend it on your behalf, thus removing any aforementioned guilt?

strobe

Maybe it has something to do with how you grew up? We were seemingly always penniless when I was a kid, so there was always a big focus on spending money on things that were required as there was only so much to go around. So despite being perfectly financially comfortable now there still is a bit of a hangover from that for me. If I buy myself a phone or something there's always a little nagging voice in the back of my head saying "jaysus, x euro for something that isn't even a necessity, something you could have got for way less" etc.

Olive8585

Czarcasm wrote: »

Crikey Olive, your threads always start off with something trivial, in this case feeling guilty for ordering a Chinese (it's hardly Marco Pierre Whites!), and it's not long before there's some big drama (this time justifying a trip to New York to your friends).

Honestly, you're creating drama for yourself and giving people ammunition to judge you, and then complaining that people are judging you. It's hardly rocket science to suggest the two are connected, and the common factor in all these dramas?

You're clearly a smart girl, you'll figure it out.

Where is the drama?



The whole thing is fairly trivial.......like most of the threads started here?



Just wanted to know if other people feel guilty for buying things with their own money.

I'm sure we've all experienced the 'no recession in your house' comments whether they're about takeaways or holidays.

Munstermissy

Not a Jot, you can't bring it with you!!

WesternZulu

I do the whole time unless it's for essentials like food/petrol/rent etc.

Then I go out and the 60 euro that I was humming and hawing about spending on something sensible only a few hours beforehand is blown in the space of 2 hours in a nightclub!

Princess Peach

I get it! I had a lot if savings a few years ago that I spent on getting my masters. Now I'm in an OK paid job buy rent and expenses in Dublin mean I don't save as much as when I was in a low paying job and living home, so don't have many nice things at all! Since I started working as a teenager I had a fair bit in the bank and now I have debt to repay on student loans.

So I do feel guilty paying for lunch out, or drinks, never shop outside of penneys! I just always think that's €5 I could have saved for the dentist, or night school fees, or a laptop or a wedding! Can't get used to not having a lot of savings.

zl1whqvjs75cdy

I always feel guilty about spending money on unnecessary things, I am getting a bit better though. I am convinced its down to my mother, she's tight as a ducks arse. Even now when I tell her things like I booked a holiday or I bought a nice new bike (600 and 400 quid respectively, hardly breaking the bank) her first reaction is to disapprove. Its only her and my dad at home now. They both work, my dad makes a decent bit of wedge but they don't buy anything. Ever. Aside from food and the leccy bill and such.

Lia_lia

Yeah I do. Think I get it from my Mother.


I still buy stuff though..

cloud493

Yep. Even say, a €2 chicken roll, in my head its like 'you've got chicken and bread at home you greedy bastard. If you saved that €2 for a chicken roll 5 times, you'd have a tenner'

boobar

I don't tend to spend money foolishly.

A few treats like a takeaway every now and again is not something I'd feel guilty about.

Olive8585

cloud493 wrote: »

Yep. Even say, a €2 chicken roll, in my head its like 'you've got chicken and bread at home you greedy bastard. If you saved that €2 for a chicken roll 5 times, you'd have a tenner'

LOL exactly. That's exactly how I think.

GalwayGuy2

Originally Posted by Olive8585 View Post
Had a battle with myself in Primark the other day, debating over whether to buy a top. It was £3.50!

Yeah, that's pretty much me twenty-four seven.

I felt guilty because I bought a breakfast for 1.50.

I reckon it does have something to do with your homelife. Not that your parents were abusive, or neglectful or anything like that, but it probably does have something to do with it.

I feel like venting about my own homelife, but, grrrrrr, anonymity.

LegsEleven wrote: »

Yes. I feel guilty about any money I spend unless it´s food, bills or transport. I´ve never been rolling in it so always have this feeling I should be careful with my money. Right now, I´m earning a grand salary for Spain and shouldn´t feel guilty when I treat myself now and then but I do.

Yes. Don't get me wrong, I love saving money and being thrifty.

But, god, I sometimes roll my eyes at middle class authors/article writers proclaiming the joys of 'simple living'.

Olive8585

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Yeah, that's pretty much me twenty-four seven.

I felt guilty because I bought a breakfast for 1.50.

I reckon it does have something to do with your homelife. Not that your parents were abusive, or neglectful or anything like that, but it probably does have something to do with it.

.

Yep I agree. I don't want to moan about my parents as they were generally good parents and provided us with many opportunities...it's just that every single thing we did, there was constant discussion about the price of it. We went to Disney World in Florida once and I remember the countless arguments between the oul pair about the cost of it...once we got there, we weren't allowed to buy food in the parks, I remember being so hungry I felt faint in 35+ degree heat, and not being allowed to buy a hotdog because of the price. I know I was lucky to have gone there at all and I appreciate it, I just wish there wasn't the constant undercurrent of money worries. I remember how much less stressful it was doing stuff with other people's families and not having to scrutinise the price of absolutely everything. They didn't want me to end up spoiled but I think things might have gone to the other extreme!