Remember when the United States Army’s slogan was “Be All You Can Be” and the TV commercials sported men and women decked out in fatigues doing more before 9:00am than every other human in the history of the world, ever? Admit it: you were totally sucked in and nearly broke your neck wresting free of your mother’s protective wing to rush down to the recruiting station and enlist. Ahhh, those were the days.

With the blush of youth long gone, nowadays you might be questioning whether you lived up to your potential, whether your dreams deferred will ever be fulfilled, whether you truly became all you could become.

In midlife, that flavor of self-doubt that rears its ugly, bald, freckled head is not uncommon. This time in your life, this beast we know as midlife, can be the harbinger of ills for some and a glorious shepherd into good times for others.

Sinking into the cracks of this time of transition—when you’ve stumbled into a midlife crisis—certainly makes life difficult, to say the least. But have you ever thought about the cost of a midlife crisis? When you’re in a funk and decide to buy a whole new wardrobe, where does that money come from? Perhaps you’re certain your left breast is mocking your right breast for being a fraction of an inch lower so you run to the nearest plastic surgeon. A cheap fix? I think not.

While you’re busy trying to make yourself feel better, you’re making someone else richer. Can you really afford a midlife crisis?

Infographic credit: Accounting-Degree.org