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I have a couple of rather hefty balances coming due on credit cards. I have to pay off the zero interest balances before they convert to
much higher rates in May. I could still buy silver and gold... but I can't do both.

So... I'm gritting my teeth and watching deals go by that I would normally pounce on. Grrrrhhh!

For instance, christostock just had some MS70 Buffalo gold one oz at only 4% above melt. Wanted me some, badly... but I resisted and other members
removed the temptation from before my covetous eyes.

What deals have you resisted, because you just didn't have the ready funds? On the other hand, what temptations have you caved in on and bought, even
though it meant some real sacrifice in other parts of your temporarily ignored so-called budget plan?

I've resisted everything because I've been in rent-house remodel mode. 5 months on one last year and an eviction late last year and half way done on a second one. Hopefully this will end soon. My stack is getting dusty.

Just passed on the group buy at BS for Vote Trump Dollars. Getting cash up for son's anticipated college expenses as we dumped "cash" emergency funds for pay off current year's tuition and other avenues of forward payments to improve the numbers on financial aid forms. And because I caved in on Inaugural Trump Coins group buy fiasco also over at BS.

Control of cash flow. It's everything, like political appearances.

While I'm not opposed to appropriate mortgage debt on real estate, especially for primary residence, it's better to be completely debt free, so working toward end game of being completely debt-free by 2019 at latest. That means having to pass on a few things that I would otherwise have snatched up. You can include those same two buffs among them Ray - I also noticed them and felt the pull, but not to be at this moment. Still buying, but mostly small things.

Management of cash-flow, yes! Good point John. Almost by accident, I changed the way I balance my checking accounts a few years ago. There was a moment in time when I was tight enough on expenses that I needed to go to a spreadsheet to manage my cash-flow over a period of a couple of months to ensure that I kept a positive balance in the account, given discrete bits of money coming in and going out at different times. I found that approach so much more useful than maintaining a checkbook that moved to using that exclusively and just stopped maintaining a checkbook. I've since extended the cash flow spreadsheet into a simple forecasting tool that looks 6-12 months into the future, and ends up being an informal budgeting tool (a 95% solution). I update it weekly, and ensure that the upcoming entries are exactly accurate for a rolling 1-2 months into the future, and approximately right (using estimated entries) for at least the next 4-6 months.

Second son just got accepted to college for fall 2017. Have had my eyes on the U.S. Mints Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative proof and uncirculated silver dollars for a while. Sons acceptance has killed the urge. Sigh...

Will be working 2 jobs for at least next 4 years.

Oh well, at least I am employed. keep stacking.

I console myself by repeating ... "there will always be bargains."

I resist every and only allow 1 oz. gold per year. Silver, different story, I wound up buying 300+ oz. last year, some bars at 15.50 and some kooks at 20.68, totally over spent, only supposed to be allowed 100 oz. silver per year. Doesn't really set me back, doesn't change anything, even when/or if I ever retire I don't plan on retiring anyways. As far as debt free, not happening, I just started a new 15 year 2.65% loan on my living residence, and the payment is 500/month, I see inflation coming and that's the only dollar short I've got, I'll keep losing on cash reserves that only pay about 1% interest vs. inflation running around 2 currently. Meanwhile many people I know are turning into paper millionaires by staying the course in equities all these years, economy is literally roaring!, lol, with mostly debt of course, par for the course, rinse/repeat. Mostly trying to limit any expenditures, except for hunting/gathering quality food, figuring next recession may provide some opportunity, my best guess is Trump will wind things up here for us by pushing the interest rate up far enough to give us that next recession or buying opportunity near end of his term.

I resisted getting the 2015 koalas mostly because I wanted spot to go lower at the time, and was trying to save up for some rennovations or just in case cash was king for a day. I sleep well thanks to my stack, but a cash cushion makes for a better pillow. I've also been buying a lot of magic the gathering cards. Many of them hold their value quite well, and it's less out of pocket since let's face it, I'll never have enough metal It's the best game ever though.

But I did find one of those koalas at the LCS recently, and then I didn't have to buy 20 of them.. buying online I feel like I have to buy more to make the shipping worth it. And they had a 1/20th oz gold lunar series 1 horse for cheaper than apmex has probably ever sold it for, so it was worth the trip, and maybe I wouldn't have gone if I already had those koalas... nah, I still would have gone.