My dad being very free with money and buying us the best of everything- clothes, cars, electronics. My mom would cut coupons and take the bus instead of driving her high-end car to save on gas and parking for her downtown job. She would take instant coffee and lunch, water from home and save whenever she could.

I find myself doing the same, price matching, not buying essentials, thinking twice before any purchase for myself, but spending freely for others. I earn as much as my husband, but I'm always trying to save for a rainy day and not enjoying what I earn, or feeling guilty for it. We are living beyond our means, but when it comes to tightening our belts, it's only my belt which gets tighter and tighter because I was raised by my mom to not rely on others and never get into debt.