I was catching up on Parks and Recreation the other day, and saw an episode where Tom and Donna have a “Treat Yo Self” day, where they can buy whatever they want guilt-free. At first, this made the budget conscious part of me cringe. The idea that you deserve certain things whether you can afford them or not is often how people get into debt. But the idea of “treating yourself” is crucial to staying on budget.
Weight Watchers newest commercials show Charles Barkley eating a steak and drinking a beer. This idea of treating yourself, while remaining on a diet for the most part, is something they realized is crucial for people to stay on a plan. I often think of BudgetSimple as being similar to Weight Watchers. You understand your finances better by tracking them, and just the act of tracking them often results in less spending. But just as eating carrots for every meal is a sure fire way to go off a diet, having absolutely no fun is a sure-fire way to get off of your budget.
That said, there is a budget conscious way to handle treating yourself. You should budget for it!
In every budget I’ve ever had, I had some small amount of money set aside for doing something fun. In my first budget it was $40 (a month), and even now, 15 years later, although I make 20 times as much as that first budget, the fun money is only up to $120 a month. It’s very crucial not to go over this amount! In fact, if you are under, carry that into the next month to have an even more special treat.
Things I consider “treats” if you are in debt:
- Video games
- Massages/Spa/Nails
- Going out for drinks
- Going to the movies
- Buying books
- New Clothes
Essentially, anything that is not an absolute necessity in life. Although, many people consider some of the above things necessities, if you try limiting yourself to $25-50 a month for any of those things, you’d be surprised how quickly you don’t miss spending money on these types of activities.
