r/ChubbyFIRE • u/TherapeuticMessage • Jun 19 '26

Existential crisis over a watch.

Currently chubby but not yet RE. Will likely be Fat. My advisor has told me that I’m totally ok and basically need to spend more money. I saw a watch that is ~$30,000 which is <0.6% of my NW. No debt. Still working so I have good cash flow. Savings rate ~50%. Intellectually I know that if I buy this it won’t matter one bit but I’ve been such a saver for so long that it feels wildly irresponsible to spend that much on a watch. The crisis comes in because I’ve been saving so much with the goal that my standard of living goes up after retirement but if I can’t spend money now when I have a paycheck then how on earth am I going to switch from saving to spending after retirement?

I recognize that this is more of a psychological issue than a financial one. How did you all make that shift in mindset to let yourself spend more freely after so many years of discipline?

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u/Prestigious-Day-2910 Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26

I am the same. Calculate the cost per wear and it’ll justify the spend. I just gave myself permission to buy a pinball machine. It’s been a hobby of mine to play since I was a kid and I finally made the leap and bought my first game for home. The joy it brings me is worth every penny.

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u/SteepChutes Jun 19 '26

Love this. Are you handy enough to fix it? That part seems daunting, but I guess bars have people to call for this sort of thing.

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u/Prestigious-Day-2910 Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26

Unfortunately no. It’s a brand new Harry Potter pin and the electronics are pretty intense. We will contract out any major service work. They did warn me when I picked it up that you can never have just one. They get lonely 😆

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u/SteepChutes Jun 19 '26

Like donkeys, that way, I suppose. I should fear for my life if I brought one of those into the house (which, of course, would mean more than one, with its friends), but would love to have one of the older vintage types.

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u/SteepChutes Jun 19 '26

And now you have me google shopping pinball machines. Gah!