For me it’s more like I feel that the money could’ve been used better elsewhere. There is also the nagging feeling that I overpaid for something and I end up checking the price for a while after buying the item to see if it gets cheaper. This only gets more maddening with algorithmic pricing.

The urge to save up is definitely strong and it isn’t helped by all sorts of people screaming about how we all need to save for retirement and being responsible with money which is contradicted by the economy depending on spending. If everyone was a big saver, then those companies wouldn’t be reporting high profits and these already unjustifiably high valuations would be even less justifiable.

Money should be a means to an end, not an end itself. I save because I value early retirement highly, but I still spend money on other things to enjoy myself while I’m still young. Constrained spending helps you figure out what is most important to you, but overdoing it drains the enjoyment that would otherwise be there.