Alexandra Stoddard wrote about the 5-percent rule. That's when most people concentrate their energies on things that are for special occasions rather than the things that we do or use everyday....or 95% of the time. I used to do this, although it further translated to my saving things for special occasions. Saving the nice soap for a special occasion, the nice plates for visitors, buying only the good cheese for parties. Upon realization a few years ago that I was spending 95% of my life anticipating some later joy, I decided that I would consciously try to make every day a special day. When I receive nice soap or shower gels as gifts, I use them immediately. D bought some hand made soap from Cambridge recently, and every morning when I use a bar I think of the market where we used to have our lunch sarnies from Marks and Sparks. I now use the "guest" towels because, well, we on average we have guests stay with us once every 9 months and why have such nice fluffy towels collecting dust in the linen closet. When we feel like splurging, we head for the nice cheese shop round the corner and buy some nice Stilton we have yet to try, some tasty crackers made on some farm in BC and enjoy them with some nice vino...just us, just for the heck of it. We sometimes eat our dessert on our "nice" plates. Mind you, we only really have 8 nice plates (and salad ones at that) that D bought for me when we were in Amsterdam for my defence. The rest of our "china" are cheaper than cheap (white set of plates, salad bowls, cups and saucers etc for 8, on sale, $12)...and literally Chinese. We do use nice cutlery as I find nice, heavy cutlery really makes a meal. We drink our morning coffee from nice mugs. We only have 2 nice mugs though, as it doesn't really make sense to buy a whole set of 6 or 8 when we only need 2. We do have other mugs for guests, you know the ones you get for Xmas that says "Santa only comes once a year...aren't you glad you're not him". These we reserve for guests. Hey, they can lump it or leave it. I wear my jewelry (aren't all jewelry nice??) every day because I don't see the point of having them stored in our safe deposit box while wearing costume (which can be expensive too)...I follow the cost per wear rule. I don't splurge on unnecessary things, but neither do I put off enjoying nice things (and nice, pretty and enjoyable doesnt mean expensive..for example fresh flowers) as I may be hit by a bus/tram tomorrow...and I can so imagine looking down (or up) from where I am and thinking...DAMMIT, I should have opened that bottle of L'Occitanne shower gel!!