35 Money Habits That Aren’t as Bad as They Seem

A friend of mine feels genuinely guilty every time she buys a five dollar coffee. Meanwhile she’s got a healthy emergency fund and maxes out exactly what she can afford in her retirement account. She’s doing great. She just doesn’t feel like she is.

Turns out a lot of financial advisors are actively pushing back against the idea that every small splurge is secretly sabotaging your future. Some of what they consider totally fine is stuff most of us have been taught to feel bad about for years.

We ranked thirty-five of these “actually it’s okay” habits, and the last one basically undermines the whole idea of financial perfectionism itself. Quick note before we get into it, this is general info on what advisors commonly say, not personalized advice for your specific situation, definitely worth a conversation with an actual advisor before changing anything major.

35. Buying Refurbished Electronics Instead of New

A refurbished laptop or phone sounds like a downgrade, like you’re settling for someone else’s problem.

In reality, most refurbished electronics get tested, repaired, and certified before resale, and they usually come with some kind of warranty attached. The failure rate isn’t meaningfully different from buying new in most cases.

Checking the refurbished section of a manufacturer’s own site first, rather than assuming it’s a gamble, is where this habit tends to pay off the most.