I don't know if this belongs here but:

My wife has had a lifetime bias towards frugality and saving. She managed to convert me to that program a few decades back. And it's worked really, really well for us. So now we find ourselves, if not exactly rich, then quite well-off.

And I have to confess: Transitioning from being a reflexive saver to a deliberative spender is not as straightforward as I thought it would be.

We just took some cash out of our investment account for a good-sized home project, replacing our patio. The amount was less than the increase in our portfolio's value over the last month. The whole project will go right to our cost basis and our ultimate resale value. And taking summilux's advice, we're not cheaping out on the quality of the work.

And goddamn does it feel weird. Like I am lighting cigars with $100 bills.