The psychology behind money is interesting. We have all heard messages from our parents and society about money – and we still do. Maybe your parents told you things like “money doesn’t grow on trees,” or “what do you think I’m made of – money?” or “you have to work hard for money because it’s hard to come by.” On the contrary, maybe your parents were spenders – they never missed an opportunity to buy the latest and greatest stuff … and then maybe went into debt as a result. Regardless of how you grew up, we all got messages about money.

I tend to be “cheap.” In other words, you won’t find me spending lavishly on many things. And I definitely am not an impulse buyer. But I do have my weaknesses for some things, as we all do. I don’t know exactly how I got to be “cheap,” but I know that I got messages about the importance of saving money while I was growing up. So I find myself struggling sometimes by trying to figure out when and where I should splurge – or save.