Yeah, me too. Even if it’s not my money, spending so much is just uncomfortable for me. Are you sure you can afford that? Are you sure you’re not going to need it some time in the future? Are you sure all your debts are paid before you spend $65,000 on a wedding? I was raised to be careful with my money, and have been careful with it all my life - this is pretty deeply ingrained with me.
I know what you mean about being careful with money; it’s kind of ingrained with me, too. Both my parents, being of German heritage and having experienced the Depression, were extraordinarily frugal.
I married into a different culture, though, (refugees from WWII in Europe) and began to see another side, which is , “I may have been deprived before, and I may be deprived in the future, but for now I’m getting some joy out of life.” With moderation, I think the latter does end up being better off. Those of us who are constantly thinking of “fun” things as a waste of money better spent on serious, important items miss out on a lot.
My parents, for example, scrimped and saved and did without so that they could put my sister and me through college. They even spaced our births so that both would not be in college at the same time. Guess what – it was all for naught. I got married after my freshman year and paid for the rest of college myself. My sister dropped out in her junior year.
Right now, I’m taking money out of savings in order to pay for my younger daughter’s wedding, and I’m doing it with pleasure. We’re looking forward to a joyous celebration. Heck, it’s the last time I’m paying for a wedding. A lot of the extra expense is because we’re going to be at a place that specializes in customer service. Come the big day, all the wheels will be in motion & we won’t have to worry about anything.