Money-Spending Decisions, Made Once and for All

For more than a decade, my family and I have gone to Jackson Lake in Wyoming for what’s become our favorite summer vacation. Because the trip includes a boat, we make arrangements to rent a mooring for the boat so we don’t have to take it in and out of the water each day.

Last week, I overheard my wife on the phone making the reservation for the mooring. As I listened, I noticed she didn’t ask how much it cost. When I asked her why, she replied: “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters,” I said, “It’s not like money grows on trees around here.” She patiently reminded me that we’ve had this discussion every year we’ve gone on this trip. We had budgeted to cover the cost, and it’s stayed roughly the same for years. In other words, we have already made this decision.

Read the rest of the article on The New York Times.