Optimal Finance Daily · Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Tim Sullivan explains that generosity, unlike vices like greed, can be a difficult financial pitfall to recognize and address. He notes that it's easier to feel guilty about buying new shoes than to question excessive spending that appears virtuous, such as spoiling a child or donating to charity.
“It's much harder to point your finger at a problem that seems virtuous.”
“My friend Tracy spends almost all of her disposable income spoiling her kid, and yet complains about the holes in her own shoes.”
“They seem so nice, even if they are ruining her financial situation.”