I think you raise a good point. There was a time when frugality seemed to stretch a lot further, like trips instead of just surviving. I toned down my drinking and eating out habits about three years ago, and boy am I glad, because I make pretty much the same amount of money. So I live about the same as I used to, without some extravagance that I was already doing away with.

I just need to choose some more extravagance to get rid of to future-prood myself, like heat in the winter, AC in the summer, and new shoes.