Never really had an issue. My tastes are cheap, and I long ago whittled my lifestyle down to mostly the essentials. I go out to eat once or twice a year because it is wasteful compared to the pleasure I get out of it. I take a plane trip once every two years and a big trip once a decade because I prefer camping locally, or staying with friends when I want to get out. I don’t have cable because I put up a rooftop antenna: I get more pleasure in getting free live sports, Saturday cartoons and nightly news than I do in the endless firehose of entertainment at 700+ dollars a year.
In general, I reject the notion that quality of life is measured in experiences. I’m all about building, and my expenses beyond maintenance are usually investments of one sort or another. So in that sense, if I am feeling a little strapped one month or another, I might not get a replace a rain jacket or boots, and push the old ones another month, but I never feel like I have to cut things out to make ends meet.
I’m not sure if I spend more on food than others, but it is an area in which I will not compromise. But I buy in major bulk, and all vegetables and meats come directly from farmers, or my back yard, so I cut out the middle men. The price is basically incidental to me.