You have the right instincts. My mother's doctor once told her that if she was going to eat sweets, she should buy the best, most expensive ones she could find, because anything less was not worth eating. Sometimes it's better to have a little bit of something awesome.

It's certainly better to buy quality over crap for things you use. I held out for the best new car I could afford (highest durability and fuel efficiency) and despite the fact that I couldn't afford much and spent three years paying off the loans, I've saved money over friends who spent half what I did. It's insane to me how much their cars break down.

The thing that I struggle with is wish buying. It's not quite the same as retail therapy. I buy things not because they make me feel better with the rush of a purchase, but because they somehow hold the promise that I could do or be something else. In essence I'm buying the "I wish I could" or "I wish I was."

For example, I buy a lot of books that I never have the time to read because they promise me that I'll have the time to sit around reading like I did when I was younger. I buy some clothing that I never have an occasion to wear because it promises me that someday I'll have that chance. It's very insidious.