spending money

It seems more and more so that I have a bit of a different perspective on spending money than many of my peers. Yes, I do want to have a house (and will hopefully be purchasing one soon). I would like a different car and more nice clothes. I could spend a small fortune on books and movies. I realize though, that those are not the things that I really NEED to have. Instead, I need to have good food to eat. I need to pay my car insurance. I need to pay doctor bills, gas, and the like. These are the things that come first. Whatever money I have left over after my have to bills, I put most of into savings or just leaving in my checking as you never know when you will suddenly need to spend it on something important. I also allow myself a small amount as spending money to get those things that I just want- a new book, a new skirt, going out to eat, etc. While I have never followed a formal budget, I do know about how much I spend on different things per month and allow that plus a little extra before figuring out what my spending money and savings money are. Also, before I spend more than $15 on an item, I ask myself if will get at least that much in enjoyment out of it. If no or maybe, then I don't get it. If yes, I buy it. If maybe and I still want it a couple weeks down the road, then I will typically go back and buy it. This seems to be very different from many in my age group who buy something just because they want it(oftentimes without much forethought) and then later come to regret it and go into debt. I am glad that I am how I am with money. It is one of the few things in my life that I take actual pride in.