You sound very disciplined when you sum it up like that. I’m pretty amazed I’ve made it as far as I have in savings with all the temptations out there!

Saving for my trip really got me into a place, mentally, that I was surprised to be in. Having been so consumer-minded all my life, and now paring down everything I buy, I find that I’m so much happier not wanting for anything. I drive a Civic with a few dings. I haven’t bought new clothes for myself in a couple of years because I don’t need any. I don’t care about the biggest TV and the latest stereo tech. Etc. None of that matters.

In some ways, I think consciously forcing yourself to think about saving money treats the symptom (i.e. spending too much money), but not the root cause. Once I realized that buying more stuff didn’t make me happy, I just stopped spending money in the first place. Now, it doesn’t even occur to me to think about spending money on things that don’t matter because I honestly don’t miss any of it.

It’s kind of like the difference between “dieting” versus permanently changing the way you eat and think about food. The former is almost certainly doomed to fail because it’s a temporary mindset and you’ll probably relapse. But the latter – though much harder – will succeed if you can tough it out.

We use the Money program to track our finances, and it has made us so much more aware of where the money goes, and how we can cut expenses. I know too many people who have no idea where the paycheck goes. I think awareness and deliberate choices are the key to saving for your goal. Where do you spend the money, and why.