Look in the Mirror

I am not passing judgment on anyone's choice for his or her money. Spend every dime, plus a few of VISA's dimes as well, it makes little difference to me, but I do feel that people should be honest with themselves.

Observe your spending habits and make conscience tradeoffs. If you need a new furnace, that's understandable, but remember it's a tradeoff. If you start exercising your consciousness it will gradually creep into every purchase and might help you sacrifice something besides your retirement when a big purchase isn't optional.

For reference, my parents lived in a moderately cold local for many years without a furnace because of the monetary tradeoff. They had to use a wood fireplace and electric blankets but they are in good shape for retirement. And I learned how to use a chainsaw and split wood as a consequence.