Comments: You Choose -- Pets or College for the Kids; Spending is a Series of Trade-offs

I had a response to my post on You Choose -- Pets or College for the Kids that I thought did a good job of explaining my outlook on spending/saving money. Here's the whole piece:

You're absolutely right that pets aren't cheap. We have a 10 month old beagle and we don't spend on him beyond the necessities - food, an occasional toy, boarding when we travel, occasional minor grooming, etc. - and even then it's not cheap. So I can't imagine how people justify spending extra on the luxuries for their pets.

That said, I think this is one of those quality of life issues. We're humans. We can't deny ourselves every possible pleasure in pursuit of another thousand dollars to stuff into our IRAs. We can cut out the lattes, the sodas, and every other little thing, but where do you draw the line?

Believe me, I'm as financially responsible a person as you'll meet. But sometimes it's important to spend money on things that make you happy. Our puppy makes me smile and runs up to greet me when I get home from work. That's worth something.

I think the real solution is to find that right balance of spending on the extras. Do enough to make yourself happy and enjoy life, without overdoing it. Get a dog, but just one, and cut back on the lattes. Or get the lattes, but take a couple less dinners out each month.

The part I want to highlight is the last paragraph. Dan does a good job of summarizing my feelings on spending -- it's about choices. You can't deny yourself everything or life will be pretty boring. However, you can't have everything or you'll be in debt. It's a balance, a set of choices that each person needs to make for himself or herself.

I just wanted to highlight this thought because I know I can sometimes come off as advocating "don't spend money on anything." That's not my intent. My intent is to share with you ways to save and point out when items are excessively costly. After that, the choice is up to you.

If you want more information on how to save money, see the saving money section of Free Money Finance for all sorts of tips and ideas.