Buy all the lattes you want

[wesscoast]

Saving 15 cents? How about saving money by not spending $500 at the bar like you're homies at Pickup Podcast. Nice strawman dude.

[kadavy]

"Sustainability is more important than detailed accuracy," absolutely. I call this "underorganizing," and it's why I don't fold my laundry.

[winfidel]

I'm not saying you should not spend money on yourself, I'm saying that rationalizing buying whatever you want by saying it's only such and such an amount is a bad habit. It's like the old joke "a few million here, a few million there, and pretty soon we're talking about real money".

I think of what I spend as an investment, either for financial payback, quality of life, happiness, whatever. I then justify the expense by expected payback and try to determine whether it's worth it or not.

[winfidel]

I disagree about the lattes; I used to feel the same way, it's only 2 or 3 dollars (plus tip), maybe $15 a week, $750 a year (hmm). OK, not that much, but it's a way of thinking. There are lots of those little, unnecessary things, that might add up to several thousand a year of after tax money. Hey, Ramit, how much wold that add up to in investments? But, tell people what they want to hear, and you'll be popular. They won't listen anyway if they don't want to hear it!.

[shakaama]

my trick is, I have a hands-off account, i.e. money goes in but i can't get it out, at 5%. I say to myself, if i can spend 20 bucks on a game i can put 20 bucks in that account, if i can buy 15 in junk food i can put 15 bucks in that account. So i put 50 bucks in the account whenever i think about it. every check, which is weekly.

I think he's saying the same thing, if you know you're going to spend, spend on yourself as well.

[wesscoast]

@winfidel Considering its also totally unhealthy I'd say skip the lattes entirely. Good call. Save money, lose weight.