You know you can't have your cake and eat it too.
I know you are trying to work out a compromise..you might find listing all the wants, then try finding the ones you agree on, but can cut the size of.
For example that trip to Hawaii..family IS important, and hotels are much more comfortable than staying with said family, BUT. you can't have it all.
When we travel (which we do a lot) we stay with my MIL..you know I am not fond of that! but I do it so that we can afford to travel more often. there have been points where we stayed away for a time to cool off and also tried camping (DH was a wuss about it) anything to keep the cost down and still visit. We keep coming back to the cheap staying with family...not my fav, but it gets the want of visiting done, without ruining our finances.
The bike is another want that could be cut back, but not out. My Dads first bike that I recall cost him $250 (used) not the 'dream bike' and I think he now owns a non motor bike that cost about the same. Point is for the time it did the trick, he upgraded once, and then later switched to pedal bikes (which he likes better-some folk are strange...).
My husband wants new computer parts, always
. I do too actually, but rather than buy a 3 or 5K new computer we settle for a component at a time, sure it isn't the dream machine, but it is a little bit of satisfaction.
Oh and for water softening, you know adding a bit of baking soda to the tub does the same thing? course it doesn't work for a shower, but is rather soothing in a bath as needed.
