First and foremost: I'd like to stipulate that literally any personal concern expressed on an internet forum dedicated to cruising is a First World Problem.
My specific concern here is as First-Worldly as it gets. I apologize for the length of this post, but I'd really appreciate help from those with experience.
That said, I've been a saver since I was a young child. Indeed, when the ice cream truck would come around, and all the kids would run into their houses to grab money, I'd pull the plug from my piggy bank, look inside, and 9 of 10 times, close it back up and just wait until the other kids were done with their snacks before we started playing again.
All my adult life, I've penny-pinched and saved. Hubby had no savings when we met, but quickly adapted and became a saver/investor. We've maxed out pre-tax contributions since our 20s. We've put money into other investments and savings accounts with every paycheck.
Now, Hubby has retired (my own career ended due to family/extended family needs in the 90s). The kids are grown (youngest graduates HS in May). One has already graduated college and started his own career and retirement investments. College expenses for the younger two are covered with what we've saved and invested since they were babies. The one who just turned 21 started her own investment account at 19 and is about to open her first 401(k) now that she's old enough.
All that is to say that I am very good at the saving/investing and being frugal mindset. Now that it's almost time to spend that money, I'm having a hard time. I love putting money away. The thought of actually spending it freaks me out, even though this time of our life is exactly what we've been saving it for. It is largely meant for Bucket-List style travel (the pension more than takes care of every day expenses). Thankfully, we pulled a significant chunk from two investments we've had since the 90s and put it into cash last week before the market tanked. That money is still sitting in an account, so I'm okay with it, but when it comes time to pay for next fall's travel, I might freeze. We did pull enough to also cover the taxes on gains, of course.
So, wise folks who have gone before us, do any of you have any tips for helping change mindsets? I know full well that the expenses for which we will use this money are exactly why we sacrificed and saved it instead of having the lifestyle our colleagues had the last 30 years. I just can't wrap my brain around the spending mindset.
Any advice?
First and foremost: I'd like to stipulate that literally any personal concern expressed on an internet forum dedicated to cruising is a First World Problem. My specific concern here is as First-Worldly as it gets. I apologize for the length of this post, but I'd really appreciate help from those with experience. That said, I've been a saver since I was a young child. Indeed, when the ice cream truck would come around, and all the kids would run into their houses to grab money, I'd pull the plug from my piggy bank, look inside, and 9 of 10 times, close it back up and just wait until the other kids were done with their snacks before we started playing again. All my adult life, I've penny-pinched and saved. Hubby had no savings when we met, but quickly adapted and became a saver/investor. We've maxed out pre-tax contributions since our 20s. We've put money into other investments and savings accounts with every paycheck. Now, Hubby has retired (my own career ended due to family/extended family needs in the 90s). The kids are grown (youngest graduates HS in May). One has already graduated college and started his own career and retirement investments. College expenses for the younger two are covered with what we've saved and invested since they were babies. The one who just turned 21 started her own investment account at 19 and is about to open her first 401(k) now that she's old enough. All that is to say that I am very good at the saving/investing and being frugal mindset. Now that it's almost time to spend that money, I'm having a hard time. I love putting money away. The thought of actually spending it freaks me out, even though this time of our life is exactly what we've been saving it for. It is largely meant for Bucket-List style travel (the pension more than takes care of every day expenses). Thankfully, we pulled a significant chunk from two investments we've had since the 90s and put it into cash last week before the market tanked. That money is still sitting in an account, so I'm okay with it, but when it comes time to pay for next fall's travel, I might freeze. We did pull enough to also cover the taxes on gains, of course. So, wise folks who have gone before us, do any of you have any tips for helping change mindsets? I know full well that the expenses for which we will use this money are exactly why we sacrificed and saved it instead of having the lifestyle our colleagues had the last 30 years. I just can't wrap my brain around the spending mindset. Any advice?
