But not everybody would spend so frivolously. Public relations guru Michele H. says that at the age of 55 taking care of her health prevails, although there is that niggling voice in the back of her head reminding her that you only live once. 

"It's a tough one, because these days every purchase I make has to go through my mental 'decision committee' which consists of two members: the practical me and the passionate me.{relatedarticles}The practical me would suggest the best thing to do is to save the money, because I anticipate some income interruption in the next 12 months, plus I'm changing medical insurance plans, and I'm not sure how coverage will change. I have to take an expensive medication for osteoporosis for goodness sake, and I want to make sure I can afford it. The worst-case scenario is, it could be $1,000 a month, and I need to take it for 24 months. 

"But the passionate side of me would like to use that $10,000 for an exotic, incredibly relaxing diving trip in Indonesia. I haven't taken a trip like that in about 15 years and would love the escape. The passionate me is always berating the practical me by saying, life is too short and everything will work out in the end anyway -- it always does."