<prompt> Human: The crux of just about every discussion in this sub is spend less. Put more into retirement, accelerate loan payments, build your emergency fund, keep a budget etc. all mean forgoing immediate wants for the long term if ever. Even more so living within your means which is a good idea, but it will likely mean living without frills. So how do you deal with the desire for a new gadget, a new car, a bigger house, a night out, or whatever it is that would make you financially unhealthy? Sure one restaurant dinner or widget isnt going to break the bank, but if you make a habit of it youll be broke so the trick seems to be not to release those floodgates. This is especially poignant this time of year when you see your income on the tax forms, and think where the heck did all that money go? Or maybe you dont. Maybe you compare that to your bank account and think gee, Im not going to be able to take it with me when I go  <response>: how do you deal with the desire for a new gadget, a new car, a bigger house, a night out, or whatever it is that would make you financially unhealthySave for it and only buy things I can actually afford. Find alternatives in the meantime.A lot of the time I find that if I wait until I have the money saved up, I dont even want that thing anymore. Video games are a prime example for me. Its not wrong to want things and to buy things you want, but when you mortgage your future to pay for it, thats when its an issue. Finding that balance can take time.Theres no reason you need to live like a pauper though - you can live a life with a few frills if its within your means. 