<prompt> Human: Im 25 years old and I look at my friends profiles on Facebook and all I see is new cars, big screen TVs, and exotic vacations. Many of these people have lower income than I do, so I know they cant be saving too much money. Meanwhile, I save a significant portion of my income for retirement. I have plans for what Id like to do when I retire, and as a result I dont indulge in too many excesses right now. Understand, I dont hate my life and I do spend money on things that I enjoy, but savings always come first. 99 of me says, Be responsible , your sacrifice now will pay off many times over in the future. However the 1 wonders if it is all worth it, am I living my life wrong? What if Im saving all my money for a time that never comes? What if I die early or am otherwise disabled before then? Why dont I have my fun now, while Im young and able?How do you justify known current sacrifices for uncertain future gains?Edit: To clarify: I dont really feel the need to buy new cars, big screen TVs, and exotic vacations at this point in my life. Instead saving money and financial security makes me happy. I just feel at odds with the world sometimes who prioritize spending over saving.  <response>: Im about a decade older than you, and went through the same thoughts back when I was your age, and maybe didnt make the best choices. I can honestly say saving the money at your age is the better choice. Looking around at people at a similar age today, those that were fast and loose with their money through their 20s are very far away from where they now want to be. And, to be brutally honest, the older we get, the farther behind theyll be; its just how compounding works. What if Im saving all my money for a time that never comes? That doubt is very healthy, if youre able to keep it confined to 1 of you, youre doing better than me. Why dont I have my fun now, while Im young and able?Hahaha. This is particularly funny for me, because just this past weekend, I realized my girlfriend was now 36 years old, and I was 35. Less than 5 years away from the 40... which seems really fucking old. Then, I also realized I feel no older than I did at 25. And I thought about all the older friends I have, in their 40s and 50s living a far more lively and active life than I ever have which they can do because theyve been smart with money. How do you justify known current sacrifices for uncertain future gains?Ive been pretty smart with money since I got my first real job out of college at 22. Sure, I made some poor choices here and there, and had some good luck to balance them out. But, the fact that I can now decide to take a weekend trip to Vegas substitute anywhere you might like to go whenever I want, without wondering if I can afford it and still not be in poverty when I retire, is a great feeling. Far better than having a flashy car or big TV in my 20s. 