Your first paycheck is small, but it’s the first proof your time has a price. Spend it like you respect that.

Seeing hours converted into a specific number changes how you think about both. The amount is not the point, the exchange rate is, and this is the first time the trade is visible. From here on, every purchase is quietly priced in hours of your life.

Before buying something, work out how long you had to work for it and see whether it still appeals. Put a small slice of the first one somewhere you cannot reach easily. The habit matters more than the sum, and it starts at whatever size you are earning now.