Back In Barcelona: Don't Sweat Over Spending

For a review of what we’ve done so far in February, see the Never Retire archive.

This is post #17 of 20 for the month, which is coming to you from Barcelona, the last leg of our month-long, five-city trip in Spain and Italy.

There’s something significant about that plate of Chinese food. The first meal we had after arriving in Barcelona, from Naples, on Friday night.

But first, today’s Never Retire checklist item—don’t sweat over spending—ahead of a full treatment of the subject in March, when I’ll write 20 posts in 31 days, meticulously detailing each of the 20 checklist items.

There’s a stigma around spending in personal finance. For example, people look down on other people for buying coffee. And even though it’s considerably more expensive in the U.S. than it is here in Europe, even a $5-plus per day latte habit should not break the bank. If it does, you likely have bigger financial problems, starting with how much money you make or, just as important, how much you spend each month on your biggest obligatory expenses, such as housing, transportation, and healthcare.

In post #17 come March, I detail my thought on spending and tie them to concrete strategies I use—and you can take, leave, or adapt—to guide my small, everyday and larger, one-off and ongoing outlays.

For the record, 24.20 euros for fried rice, the beef dish, sweet and sour chicken and two beers at Chen Ji in the heart of a decidedly Asian neighborhood in Barcelona.