But don't let me fool you into thinking that I'm the dream wife who simply said "Go for it, honey!" - because that was not and will probably never be me. I mean, that was the bottom line of what I said, but tears were shed over the cost. As always, it is hard for me to spend money - even little amounts, let alone big amounts - and I just kept thinking of our long-term savings goals being trumped by this undeniably "sexier" and more immediately satisfying purchase. The selfish part of me thought, "wait, wait, wait - what about me? What do I get out of this?" followed by confusing feelings of "well then I should just get myself something that I want!" and "no, now we really need to curb our spending in light of this big purchase." Oh the whirlwind of emotions. Over money. Ug.
Most importantly, we were able to each share our perspectives and make the decision together. But this experience was a bit of a wake-up call for me. All of my feelings led me to realize that the degree to which I am frugal, while great for saving money, can also cause me harm. For example, I've been wanting a replacement pair of wool socks for months, and I haven't been willing to spend $10-$15 for a pair because in my mind I deem that as "too much for one pair of socks." So I bought cheaper socks and they didn't keep my feet warm. :( So when SB bought this bike, which he completely lit up after riding, it made me realize that life is short and that you have to enjoy it.
It is important to keep spending in check, but I'm realizing that it isn't worth putting all of my eggs in a "FUTURE"-labeled basket at the expense of day-to-day happiness. When it comes down to it, future planning offers no guarantees and sometimes just knowing that you can come home to an incredible bike ride, or a cozy pair of winter socks, makes a hard day easier or a great day even better.
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