I could use some mustachian encouragement! I've been reading for about 4 months and have made some changes I'm really happy with (husband and I have cut hundreds off our monthly food spend, I shop way less, overall our expenses are down $1,000+ each month and we're saving like crazy). But I still get these occasional periods of stress about spending - particularly at the start of the month (when budgets re-set and I think about my needs for the month) and end of the month (when I watch the numbers and *try* to stay under $X in spending for the month and get stressed about whether I should stock up on something on sale, which would save overall, or defer the spend until a few days later in the new month).
As an example, I'm currently planning to buy a couple of new cardigans for work (I'm not an advanced mustachian - I have a high paying job that more than adequately compensates me for looking like a corporate attorney, and replacing worn clothing is a must), plus some tights for the winter (a necessity, again for the office). I have a budget (including credit card rewards), I'm comfortable with it, and I'm waiting for a certain annual sale I'm expecting to come up this month. But I just keep stressing about spending vs. saving. I go to the store website and pick out the things I might want, then put them in a cart and calculate the price with the discount, then remove one thing or put something back in the cart. Then I go to other store websites and start doing the same, and all of a sudden I'm looking at something else entirely I definitely don't need. Meanwhile I'm obsessively updating my Mint accounts and personal spending spreadsheet to see what it would look like if I do or don't spend $X (which I do plan to spend this month, just not today). I do similar things, minus the e-window shopping, with our food budget (which includes some wiggle room for a dinner out and beer and wine).
I'm not actually spending any money when I do this. And I'm trying to tell myself that the fact that I'm even worried about my spending at all is a HUGE step for me over 4-5 months ago. I'm not 100% sure what stresses me out about it all, but I think at least two things are at play: (1) some spending is necessary, and that's stressful because it still makes the monthly out-go numbers increase, and (2) the only way to not spend is to not spend. There is no corresponding non-spending activity. Yes, I should be a better person and find other things to do, but it's not as simple as switching out watching TV for reading a book or something. I do love my larger Vanguard bank transfers, but that's a once-per-month activity, not an I'm bored right now and and thinking about my wardrobe activity.
Anyway, this is long and rambling, but if anyone (particularly those who have active urges to spend and don't) has any encouragement or tips for dealing with this sort of stress, I would be very appreciative! I am so pleased with how far I've come, but clearly the spending urges are still there. And now they are mixed with a pretty strong sense of guilt, which isn't healthy either, though it does keep me from spending too much.