Do you treat yourself?

Question

For most people, buying real estate (at least in the beginning), means penny-pinching for long periods of time in order to acquire the capital needed for the investment.

It could be months or even years of frugal living to achieve a goal, focusing on "needs" rather than "wants".

But even the most dedicated need a treat every now and again to break the monotony of what I call "the grind", in order to recharge the batteries and stay motivated.

So, do you guys (and gals) treat yourself?
	What type of things do you consider a treat?
	What about long time investors? Do you ever buy something knowing its a liability (a sports car, a boat, etc)?

Brie Schmidt · Answer

We do 2-3 week international trips as our "treat"

Michael Seeker · Answer

@George Pan - you're absolutely right about the years of penny pinching!

I scrimped and scraped for several years before I finally decided I deserved a "treat".  I decided my 10 year old Honda Accord wasn't cutting it anymore and went out and bought a (used) Cadillac CTS.  I've since upgraded to a more practical (used) BMW X5 (the utility is much better than with the CTS).  Both of these cars are huge "splurges".

I've also completely separated out my personal and business finances and only use my personal funds for any personal purchases (car/vacation/clothes/etc.) and keep my business money growing and working on the business.

I do have the benefit of a solid day job that covers the bills, so right now my investing is a side job that I don't need to take any profit from.  When I get to the point where I kick the day job, I'll have to start "paying" myself from my business if I want to continue with the splurges.

Just remember, you can't take it to the grave with you, so you should take some time to enjoy the fruits of your labor on occasion!