I am in a similar place at the moment. Reaching for the FY lever, but still holding back because reasons. Don't we all have reasons? It's never as simple as it looks. Apart from life pressures, eating ramen for so many years left me with deeply ingrained behavioral patterns. It takes a while - time and will - to adapt into YOLOing a dinner for two that costs about 0.3 months of pay.
Another example of ingrained thriftiness: After my last sale, which was actually my first, I only bought one new tire for my car rather than a couple or - god forbid! - a full set.
The book you recommend might be a useful read. Thanks for your suggestion.
I lived a very frugal life for most of my life, spending basically nothing and saving all my wage .
I am trying to change my atitude towards money and saving, but "old habits die hard". As I get older and a larger portfolio, I feel I need to spend more, because I do think that taking all my money to the grave is useless and selfish.... specially bitcoin
And planning my expenses to get most of my life and my money. Money is not so useful when we get older
I've lived similarly but really only when it comes to my own wants and needs but sometimes you gotta splurge to make life a little more interesting.