Introverts unite! I never have seen the appeal either. I’m not opposed to going out on weekends but I also make sure I don’t sacrifice my long-term financial and personal goals for short-term fleeting gratification. I’d rather have the freedom to do what I want every day of the week rather than just two days on the weekend.

You nailed it – most of us vaguely recall a past weekend being fun or eventful and we want to chase that feeling again each weekend. It’s a great way to kill your finances and never have money for the important things when the time comes.

And there’s no doubt numbers and graphs can be a powerful way of showing people the effects of long-term saving and planning, but I often feel like it’s not my place to jump in unless they actively ask for advice. For now I’ll sit back and see how the situation plays out. Thanks for the feedback 🙂

Thanks so much, Mrs. Grumby! You make a great point – tracking expenses is hands down one of the best ways to stay away from the hedonic treadmill and keep spending in check.

I like that “focus on true priorities rather than the fleeting moments of gratifications”, it really captures the idea I’m trying to write about here. The things that truly matter in life HAVE to be a priority for us or else we’ll continue to chase short-term, often unimportant goals.

Thanks for the feedback, Mrs. Adventure Rich 🙂

I like how you call it “vague” long-term stuff because that’s really what it feels like. Throwing money in a savings account for some big long-term goal isn’t nearly as fun or exciting as spending money TODAY on something you can feel and hold. And good point about the word choice people use – it’s easy to mix up “don’t have money for that” and “that isn’t a priority”.

Cheers to you for doing a frugal month challenge, that’s awesome! I feel similar to you – I’d like to help out the people closest to me but sometimes people just need to handle their financial situation themselves without any outside help, unless of course they ask for help.

It is pretty incredible how much money you can save by keeping a close eye on your spending. That’s why I like to check my credit card statements every Saturday each week to make sure I’m keeping my expenses fairly low. Thanks for the feedback Noemie and no worries about the English, your grammar is fine 🙂

It’s a tough spot to be in from the outside looking in, but I think it’s something they simply have to work out on their own. It doesn’t feel like my place to step in. I agree with you though, I think it always works out best when both people in the relationship are contributing the same amount and putting their best foot forward.

That’s a good question, only time will tell! But yes, in the short-term it’s so easy to find money for things and events that pop up and never actually save any money for bigger long-term goals. In general most people don’t have a long-term vision for what they want their life to look like, they simply live in the day-to-day.