Last week, I decided to have a big splurge. I bought an international plane ticket last minute to go home and visit my family.

I had some time off of work, it was Mother’s Day, and it was also a few days before my birthday.

While I hadn’t planned on seeing my family until the holiday season, I really missed them, and I wanted to go.

Plane tickets to my hometown are pretty expensive, and there are always other costs involved in seeing my family, including meals in the airports, gas, etc. Yet, sometimes, even someone as frugal as myself just can’t help but swipe the credit card. Some things are more important than saving money.

Yet, this mindset can also lead to financial problems. If we weighed every situation with the mindset that we’ve “earned” a splurge, it can lead to credit card debt and set us back from achieving our goals.