[lgslgs]

It sounds like you have good financial habits in place and can budget for a bit more purchasing freedom if you choose to.

I'd recommend making a spreadsheet that you can use to predict your savings and investment growth, and estimate the date when you will be financially free to stop working if you choose.

Then consider your possible increased spending, see how it affects your financial freedom date, and decide if you are comfortable with a bit more luxury in the present.

I retired quite early this way, but there were certainly times when I was willing to budget in a bit more freedom in some areas. What really worked well for me was just having good info available so I could make those choices in a fully informed way. We still use the spreadsheet as a tool to look at how we draw from our nest egg, and how free we are willing to be in various budget areas.

Also keep in mind that you could do a one time boost to your clothing budget - either by diverting savings, scrimping for a month on something else, or other ways. One really great one might be to get a part time job for the holiday season at your favorite clothing store and use earnings and employee discount to your advantage.

Lynda