The rule I follow for discretionary spending that has served me well for 8 years: if I can't afford to buy it three times, I can't afford it once.

The logic: if a purchase would be a significant disruption to my budget — not just uncomfortable but genuinely straining — that's information. Either the purchase is genuinely unaffordable at this moment, or my budget is too tight and I need to address that separately.

For most people who are generally on track, a purchase you can theoretically afford once but not three times represents spending that strains your margin. That's usually not an emergency purchase — it's a want that feels urgent.

This rule doesn't mean I never spend money on things I want. It means I try to distinguish between 'I choose not to buy this because I have better uses for the money' and 'I want this but my financial situation means I shouldn't.' Those are different conversations.