Are you ever accused of being a cheapskate? If so, you have something in common with Linda Beech, a columnist for The Garden City Telegram, who wrote her latest opinion piece on why she bought a used car (instead of a new one) for her teenage daughter:

Years ago, when I had two small children and my first husband was diagnosed with a serious illness, I made a conscious decision to live a very frugal lifestyle. Even though my salary would have allowed us to spend more, I decided to live simply, with future needs in mind. This allowed us to “cover our bases” and still save up for emergencies, start a college fund for both kids, invest for retirement and buy a home.

Since then, my lifestyle has steadily improved (mostly due to the fact that there was nowhere to go but up!) and we continue to try to aim for improvement. Thankfully, my new husband and I are on the same wave-length when it comes to managing our spending.

We have an informal list of financial goals that we’re continually working toward. And while a brand new car is on the list, it is so far down, you’d need sonar to find it. I do believe, however, that there will come a time when we’ve accomplished so many of our goals that the new car will rise to the top of the list.

Beech teaches a valuable lesson: Just because you can afford the brightest and shiniest new thing doesn’t make it a smart purchase if it means compromising on your long-term goals.