It’s so easy to take funds intended initially for needs and spend them on wants. I would never spend so much on theater tickets for novelty purses that I couldn’t afford groceries or rent. Still, sometimes you need the little pleasure that comes from having hilarious hairclips instead of a $7 family-sized box of Cheez-Its. Is a $7 family-sized box of Cheez-Its a need or a want? Who is to say?
While being cavalier with your own money as a high-flying single person is totally above board, it is a different ballgame when you combine your finances with a partner and have a household. In that case, buying 10 $40 Criterion DVDs when they are outside of your budget actually constitutes crossing a line, and I wouldn’t put it past someone to consider that a form of infidelity, especially when their partner is mostly spending the money that they earn.