Extreme frugality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone else ever feel like you hoard money? Especially if you grew up LMC/poor? We do well financially now as adults. We have over 500k sitting in cash (plus a little over ~ 1 mil in investments and no debt). And I feel guilty and anxious because I just spent twenty bucks on used books on Amazon. I don't let myself spend much money on clothes or little things like fancy coffees. I get upset when I find out my DH spent money on lunches out. It feels wasteful to me and like spending is a slippery slope: that if we're not careful, we'll let it get out of hand and end up back where we started with nothing to show for it. I think it has to do with never having any spending money growing up. But it's dumb, right? What is wrong with me? And no this is not mud. I wish.

Just wondering if anyone else struggles in this odd way. I probably have OCD or something.

Do you work? I think it may make it worse if you SAHM but your DH is bringing in the money, AND you grew up poor. Lots of weird guilt going on there.

You just need to get over it. Therapy might help. Don't go overboard, though.

[Anonymous]

I have a friend who has been frugal all her life...and frankly, I think she enjoys this type of lifestyle. She has her teaching degree and was a teacher and doing well..She owned a condo and had no debts, etc...but then she gave it all up to be an artist. she has lived well on approx. 10K - 15K per year now for 15 years. She loves her lifestyle. She has lots of free time. She only buys clothes at the thrift store. She doesn't have land for a garden, but she shops at farmer's markets and at supermarket sales and cans lots of food (it is cheaper than buying canned goods.) She is super smart and frankly, I think she enjoys the challenge of living so frugally and she doesn't own a lot of stuff. She is a minimalist too.

[Anonymous]

PS She is generous to her friends. for example, she loves to throw dinner parties and goes to great effort and expense to put on a nice meal for us.