[ART] PSA

Kind of, but if you can't afford to actually use it and replace it if need be, then you shouldn't spend the money just because you have it. If money is that tight, you should save for like a year so you have a cushion, then feel free to save up and spend the rest of your pocket change as needed.

I think of it in terms of buying a car; if I have $500 set aside per month for a car, a car with $500 monthly payments is too expensive for me. What about maintenance, repairs, insurance costs from accidents, other incidental costs? Is it costing me more in gas than a different car would? I might be able to afford to buy it, but can I afford to own it? Once I sink the money into it, there's no guarantee I get anything back. If I total it, can I afford to replace it? Can I afford to lose that money to depreciation as time goes on, or will that be a huge financial hit for me?

If I buy $30 sneakers and they get scuffed, no big deal. If I need to replace them, I can afford to do so immediately. If I buy $3000 sneakers, I can't really part with that money so easily. I need the shoes to last a while in order to get their full value, but if something happens and I don't, I'll miss that money. I can afford them if I wear them for a couple years, sure, but I could also screw them up on the first day and I can't afford to take that risk. I don't have peace of mind wearing them because I can't replace them easily, whereas to somebody wealthier, it's pocket change, so why not? So in my mind, I can't afford $3000 shoes even though I technically have the money for them. They're just out of my budget.