“I'll start saving for that next month, once things settle down.”
What's happening
A dollar today feels more real and important than a dollar in the future, even when the future benefit is much larger. That makes it easy to favor immediate comfort or savings over choices that would leave you substantially better off later.
A financial example
Skipping this month's retirement contribution to cover a discretionary expense feels harmless — it's "just one month." But the real cost isn't $200 today, it's $200 plus every year of growth it would have had between now and retirement.
A better question
Would I still make this trade if I had to feel the future cost today instead of later?