There have been a few posts about this recently, including the MMM spending experiment and some on hedonic adaptation.
It got me thinking about bang for the buck. Some people are focussed on cutting back absolutely everything to amass enough money to be FI. The bang for the buck is long-term high return for each dollar saved.
I find that I'm not in this camp anymore. I like my job. I earn a good wage. I own enough stuff. I have investments. For me, there are some things I really enjoy that I have no guilt spending money on because, while I'm not retired, I have enough financial security that amassing capital is no longer as motivating the way it once was.
I was away on business yesterday. My connecting flight was missed and I had a long delay. I paid the thirty bucks for the private lounge that includes free wifii, peace and quiet, drinks and food. Totally worth it for me.
Got me thinking that my paradigm has shifted. I don't buy a lot of consumer stuff, but things that improve the quality of my time I am willing to pay for.