@eddified I totally understand man. Really. It's just that there's a certain point where the amount of money spent on "fun" becomes insane, and I think for people with our earnings, that amount is actually a lot less huge than we want to think.
For example, I've never been a car guy, but I got really big into guns during COVID. I bought a $700 dollar pistol, a $2,000 dollar rifle, and a $900 dollar shotgun. And they all have various accessories.
I realized that if I kept going down that path, I'd end up in a bad situation. I unfollowed all gun-related subreddits and YouTube channels. Spending $4k on just gun stuff alone felt like I was beginning to cross the line of "respectable amount of fun spending."
Now, I have a few other very strong wants (expensive home gym equipment, another gun, and even a bicycle) but I'm delaying all of those things by years. Life is already becoming more and more expensive in general. Food, home repairs, medical costs, etc. And layoffs are rampant lately.
I've redirected focus toward investing in other ways to be happy and content with life without those expensive toys. Slamming as much as possible into the market and saving a large emergency fund, for example.
You being able to save $5k per month is pretty incredible. Couldn't imagine doing that. I think the advice you got is great: Keep saving for a couple years. If you're still positive that it's your dream car, buy it in cash (or mostly cash). Then you'll know you made the best decision possible.