On luxury choices
My parents were very restrictive. They had rules and regulations to guide everything, including how many slices of meat or cheese we could put on our bread (one! unless it was a big slice in which case, a half) and how much candy we could have and not being allowed snacks past five o' clock. Sucks to be you when it's 17.05, trust me
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I'm fortunate in my current financial position, in that I don't have to think too much about whether we can afford things -- two incomes in a reasonable cost-of-living area means we're doing okay. The Mr and I both have a fairly frugal mindset, so we'll think over our purchases, especially the bigger ones. I think the Mr considers 'big' purchases to be anything over $50, but I'm a little more desensitized, as I take care of the finances and do the grocery shopping, and we average about $150/week on groceries for three. For us, we are willing to invest a little extra if it will be cheaper long-term, like buying better-quality items that will last longer. Or, if it's something we like, we'll pay a little more -- I buy loose-leaf teas because I find them delicious and it's worth it to me. But if it's all the same, we get the cheaper option: My Mr tells me he can't tell the difference between the most expensive and less expensive coffees, so I get the cheaper one.
Forgive me for going back in time a little -- it's been a while since I managed funds for just me -- when I was a grad student and wanting luxuries on a limited budget: the problem with wanting small luxuries and bigger ones, too, is that spending $ on the little ones means you don't have any for the big lavish things. So I'd have to prioritize, and save a little every month for the big thing, and then I'd have a little bit set aside each month for spur-of-the-moment splurges.
Which, if you do that, you should enjoy guilt-free, because it's not a question of "Is this worth it?", objectively, it's a question of "Is this worth it, TO ME?" Your 'worth-it' threshold may be very different from mine, and it's not my place to judge. (I, for one, would not be willing to spend $500 for a faery huntress costume -- it would not be worth it to me. But someone else might have a very different opinion! :D)
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I hear you on, if it's all the same, get the cheaper option. I buy my bread that way, and my fruit juices, and my salmon. If I can tell the difference, I'll make a choice on it; if I can't, I do like you and the Mr.
I have an automatic payment to my savings account installed on my checking account, but that's also because I have to pay my medical bills in December/January, and they add up over the year. (Or at least, that portion that insurance doesn't cover.) And I try to save any tax rebates/vacation money/etc. that comes in. So I can splurge on the big things if I want to.
Yeah, I bought a 150 buck mp4 player a few months back. I had a moment of feeling really guilty when coming short at the end of that month (I had savings that covered it more than easily, but still) because it felt too extravagant, even though I'd weighed the pros and the cons and got the benefit out of it straightaway, so being guilt-free about it is a work in progress.
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