I strive to live well under my means and keep a VERY healthy emergency fund (like a year’s worth of typical expenses). I have autopay set up for all my recurring bills. I don’t worry about the total at the grocery store (which is usually Aldi, so even splurging there isn’t actually spending a lot).
But…I’ve been laid off twice in the past two years. During the jobhunting phase, I pretty much constantly fret about being able to pay bills. “What if I can’t find something before unemployment runs out?” Etc…That part of my brain won’t stop until I can afford to retire.
This mindset even comes up in retirement where you don’t know how long you’ll live and what the economy will do so some people don’t enjoy their retirement and end up dying with huge amounts socked away they were afraid to use.
I’m 50/50 on this.
I strive to live well under my means and keep a VERY healthy emergency fund (like a year’s worth of typical expenses). I have autopay set up for all my recurring bills. I don’t worry about the total at the grocery store (which is usually Aldi, so even splurging there isn’t actually spending a lot).
But…I’ve been laid off twice in the past two years. During the jobhunting phase, I pretty much constantly fret about being able to pay bills. “What if I can’t find something before unemployment runs out?” Etc…That part of my brain won’t stop until I can afford to retire.
This mindset even comes up in retirement where you don’t know how long you’ll live and what the economy will do so some people don’t enjoy their retirement and end up dying with huge amounts socked away they were afraid to use.