I don't know about you, but I have trouble spending money. I was trained by my frugal MidWesterner mother to feel guilty about spending money when I could do make do with what I have or do without. One thing I've learned is that some things simply make life easier. Less stressful. And at times when I are overwhelmed by my responsibilities and schedules or my spouse and I are arguing over something, I have learned to ask myself "Could this problem be solved by throwing money at it?"

Amazingly, there is almost always a way to lessen a problem by throwing money at it. It's not always worth it, but the excercise of asking reduces stress because the problem is no longer unsolvable or insurmountable. It may be expensive, but the problem can be solved.

Sometimes, though, the answer is "Yes, the problem can be solved by throwing money at the problem -- and why haven't you done it already?" When the cost is low enough or the stress is high enough, give yourself permission to throw money at the problem. It's worth it.