Planners vs. Do-ers - $$$$

This post could go in a few directions, but I'm taking it in the financial direction.

I'm frugal.

Not super crazy frugal, but I'm always crunching numbers and thinking about how much we need to save each month for trips/gifts/wedding etc. 

I was chatting with the fiance a while back and he said

"There are planners and there are do-ers."  

And it's really so true.  Together, he and I make a decent income.  

According to one of my professors in school, we are DINKs (Dual Income No Kids).  

We have some friends who are not DINKs but still manage to constantly be spending and buying and traveling.  

Living the life, really.

That's when this conversation happened.  I asked, "how can we NOT afford to do all of that also?"

It's not that we can't afford it, it's that we choose not to in order to save an extra buck.  For what?  For retirement?  Yep - I'm that anal 26-year old who is saving for retirement.  I'm clearly a planner.

This is how I budget - envelope system

PLANNER

• We plan and live for the future.  
• We scout out hotels far in advance for the absolute best deal
• We miss out on opportunities because we are concerned with not wanting to spend that much money.  Why buy a brand new car when you can buy a perfectly good used car?
• If we can't pay cash, we aren't buying (aside from homes, cars, etc).  Things like mattresses, furniture, computers, etc.  If you have to take out credit, how badly do you really need it?
• We avoid credit like white socks and flips flops
• Appetizers just mean more $$
• We max out our 401k
• We coupon (ok, not all, but it helps stretch the dollar!)

DOERS

• You live in the now
• You live spontaneously and plan last minute trips, just for the heck of it.  You don't think twice about having fun when us Planners are concerned with, "What can I cut out of my budget this month to afford this?"
• Happy Hours are your thang, $7 here and $7 there - it's no big deal
• You don't stress about whether or not you can afford something - if you want/need it you get it
• You pamper yourselves and others - why buy a used car when you can spend a little more to get something brand new?
• You do all of the things the planners are planning for

I'm not saying either is right or wrong.  In fact sometimes I'm jealous I'm not a do-er.  I like to believe I'll be set when it comes to retirement, but sometimes I think it's ludicrous that I'm planning for my life that's over 30 years away.

So, dear bloggy friends, are you planners or do-ers?