Can you save too much?
Something I’ve noticed with people who have been financially responsible for a long time is that saving can become a very hard habit to switch off.
For 20 or 30 years, they’ve done all the right things.
They’ve saved. Paid down the mortgage. Invested. Built up their super. Thought carefully before spending money.
And those habits have served them incredibly well.
But when we reach our 40s and 50s, the question can start to change.
It’s no longer only about building for the future.
An interesting question starts to emerge:
When do we give ourselves permission to enjoy more of what we’ve built?
It can be a surprisingly difficult shift.
If we’ve spent decades feeling good about saving and slightly guilty about spending, having more money doesn’t automatically change how we feel.
We can keep accumulating simply because that’s what we’ve always done.
But there may come a point when another dollar saved for the future is less valuable to us than using it for something meaningful today.
A family holiday. Working a little less. An experience with the kids while they still want to come with us. Or simply enjoying life a little more without feeling guilty about it.
Of course, the answer isn’t to suddenly stop saving and start spending.
It’s knowing what you can afford to enjoy today without compromising tomorrow.
And I think that’s an important part of financial planning that doesn’t get talked about enough.
Sometimes a good financial plan should tell you to save more.
Sometimes it should give you the confidence to spend more.