With only a few days left in the year there were a few people I knew who were happy that they were under budget this year which means they did a great job financially and not overspending. But for some it was interesting as with these savings they decided since it was the end of the year they may as well just splurge it on something as they earned it. For example, dining out at an expensive restaurant for the last day or purchasing some new electronics.
While there is no harm in spending the money you earned if everything works out, I think these types of habits essentially negate your efforts for the year. It almost reminds me of someone working hard for the year to stay in shape and then the last few days because they did way better than they thought they begin to eat everything and basically put themselves back at the starting point. I often find when you develop good habits in a consistent way you shouldn’t feel the need to fall off track like that.
If anything, for me personally I try to find ways to invest that extra money I saved to hopefully make more. Maintain the momentum as they say.