Debt-fighters, a question about mini-splurges

[msjd123]

Debt-fighters -- it sounds like we could be an athletic team or something, LOL!

Anyways, my question: When you know you're in this debt-fighting mode for the long haul, do you allow yourself little mini-splurges here and there? I don't mean using the credit card, but just allowing yourself to buy something fun just because you'd really like it.

I'm just curious what other people's thinking on this is, and what you consider a mini-splurge in the first place. I just think that my resolve might start to wane if I don't allow myself a little treat now and then. I'm going to be working overtime starting on Tuesday -- I'm a teacher and I'm giving up my conference period to teach, which is considered overtime and earns me an hour's extra pay a day -- but that's exhausting, and I always end up feeling like, "OK, what do I have to show for all that hard work?!?!" Yes, we'll be putting the lion's share toward our debt and savings, but still, I can't help but feel like I'd like to skim a few bucks off the top of each paycheck just to reward myself.

[sallyg6]

I do give myself little treats but I try to stretch them out and I am also trying to change my attitude about things - like thinking of a DVD from the library as a treat instead of it having to be a new release from the video store (or some expensive item of clothing). I find if I don't give myself "treats" I get off track really easily and end up sabotaging our efforts.

Sara

[obiandelismom]

I find treats to be a slippery slope, but I'm an all-or-nothing kind of spender . If I am staying focussed, I don't spend ANYTHING on ANYTHING that is not in the budget. If I start to throw a little money this way and a little that, then it seems pretty soon I'm standing in line at Linens and Things with 4 wicker baskets that I SIMPLY MUST HAVE.

The trick for me is to have money budgeted for things that I know I will probably have/want to buy. Like haircuts, clothes, kid's fun stuff, etc. If I'm getting a spending jones, I can go look in my envelopes and see what I can spend. Half the time, just knowing that the money is there does the trick, and I don't even end up spending any. Also, I've been at this long enough now to know that I need to save toward stuff that I know I'm not going to be able to resist - especially activities with the kids. Otherwise I'll "splurge" on something for them, and get into that weird spiral where you spend more to make yourself feel better for spending what you shouldn't have. :

Dave Ramsey (I think) suggests "blow money" be budgeted each month, and this is something we do for my DH (only 5 bucks a week, though!) But I do better not spending at all, fwiw!

[Shirelle]

Dave Ramsey (I think) suggests "blow money" be budgeted each month, and this is something we do for my DH (only 5 bucks a week, though!) But I do better not spending at all, fwiw!

We do this too....it only ends up being about $20 a month for each of us, but it's built into the budget and we can do whatever we want with it. I think it's really important to have a small amount of money that you can spend on something fun.

[A&A]

Originally Posted by msjd123

I'm going to be working overtime starting on Tuesday -- I'm a teacher and I'm giving up my conference period to teach, which is considered overtime and earns me an hour's extra pay a day -- but that's exhausting, and I always end up feeling like, "OK, what do I have to show for all that hard work?!?!"

As a fellow teacher, I did that as well, for two years. And it is EXHAUSTING! I've now decided that my sanity is worth more than that little bit of extra money. So I really feel for you.

[DreamsInDigital]

If I don't allow myself mini-splurges, I will randomly buy something we didn't budget for and end up paying a bill late or running out of grocery money. I'm an emotional spender.

[myhoneyswife]

We take $30/month a piece out. Unless something comes up big, then we'll both forgo it, but in general we get $30 to spend however we want. Which usually end up being fabric for me and a CD for him, along with some junk food. DH tends to need it more than I do, but it does well for both of us. We sound funny, though, I'll see him eyeballing a French fries wrapper in the truck or an Amazon.com box on the table and I'll squeal, "I used CASH" and we both know what that means

[USAmma]

We have envelopes with cash set aside for clothes for dh and I, things for our kids, and I budget a little extra into our grocery food budget to use as my own spending money. If dh wants something he can take it out of his clothes fund. Last week dd wanted a build a bear. She's been wanting one for years and keeps asking and it was nice to see that we had money in their envelope so I could get them each one and not feel bad about it. I have about $45 saved up in my clothes envelope already and we have only been doing this for 3-4 weeks now. At this rate I can buy some good Land's End clothes when it starts to get cooler here.

[AngelBee]

:

[emilys_mom1]

I'm trying to work on this myself. I feel the need to treat myself, but I need to limit it now that I'm a SAHM and we have 1 income. This is really hard, but I would give up being a SAHM just to buy myself stuff.

[EmsMom]

One thing that was very helpful to me when I started to really budget was to budget for splurges. And what I mean is setting aside a bit of money every week to save up for the things in life that I really, really wanted. It is usually a class or a new book. One time it was a new instrument that I fell in love with. I set aside money every week (and squeaked money out of other budgets, happily!) to buy that instrument. It took about 6 months. The builder held it for me. I visited it on the computer. I worried when a hurricane was aimed right at my builder's hometown in Texas. If he had to evacuate would my instrument be hurt? Etc. etc. It was very exciting. I have absolutely no regrets about "blowing" that money. Just looking at my instrument I feel happiness and peace and strumming it even just for one minute gives me absolute delight. I have no need to want another dulcimer. It helped me realize that life can really be like that. Using what money you do have to purchase something of real, lasting value. Sometimes it can be something material. More often it is peace and happiness that we are after. Find your dream -- your ideal life -- write about it and make decisions about it as if it about to happen. A debt free life is not the dream. It is the peace and freedom that goes with the debt free life that is the dream. So budget in something that is going to take you one step closer to that dream of yours. Then, when you find that quarter on the sidewalk you can happily put it in your pocket and say "that is going right into my [fill in the blank here] fund. And do it. When you start to find your real happiness in life, you will spend so much less time standing in line at some department store buying something you THINK will give you happiness but really won't.

[wurzelkind]

I love reading foreign literature and magazines and consider that my little splurges. Luckly some of the magazines I *really* love and can not get here in Germany (like Real Simple and Body&Soul) I can get for almost the original price off ebay.de and two other magazines (Gourmet and Yoga&Joyful Living) I buy from the international press at the local station during the month when I get some extra money from my grandparents : . Foreign books (be it novels, cookbooks or specialised books) are on my endless wishlist for christmas and my birthday (two years ago I made my Dad buy me five books on childrens' nutrition from amazon.com for my birthday! ).
Those magazines keep me happy and I truly re-read them quite often and not just once so the money is well spent!

[velochic]

Wurtzelkind - I used to live in Munich (actually Haar). Do you know about the 2nd Hand English language book store in Munich?

They take exchanges for credits in the store. Their books are very reasonably priced. I think they have back issues of magazines, too. They are at Westendstrasse 134, near Donnersberger Brücke (S-Bahn, Bus 33 and 66, Tram 18 and 19 Stop Trappentreustrasse).

[msjd123]

Originally Posted by A&A

As a fellow teacher, I did that as well, for two years. And it is EXHAUSTING! I've now decided that my sanity is worth more than that little bit of extra money. So I really feel for you.

I know, I've done it before, and I'm NOT looking forward to it. For two years after we bought our house, this was the only way to make ends meet, but I hate the way you end up staying after school every single stinkin' day because there's no other time to make copies, call parents, etc. For me, it's more than just a little extra money, though; depending on holidays, I should make anywhere between $600-$800 extra per month, and that money will go toward paying down our debt. At least my extra class is an elective. It's a fun class, and the pace is much more relaxed than an academic class, so mentally at least, it will still feel like a little bit of a break.

[wurzelkind]

Velochic - I haven't heard about that 2nd Hand English Book Store yet thanks for telling be about it! I might go there next saturday when I am downtown on my own as I would be able to look around properly w/DD in tow.

BTW - I know Haar as my grandparents live in Trudering and my aunt&uncle used to live in Haar

Where are you now?! When and Why did you go away from Munich?

Originally Posted by velochic

Wurtzelkind - I used to live in Munich (actually Haar). Do you know about the 2nd Hand English language book store in Munich?

They take exchanges for credits in the store. Their books are very reasonably priced. I think they have back issues of magazines, too. They are at Westendstrasse 134, near Donnersberger Brücke (S-Bahn, Bus 33 and 66, Tram 18 and 19 Stop Trappentreustrasse).

[velochic]

Originally Posted by wurzelkind

Where are you now?! When and Why did you go away from Munich?

I went away about a year and a half ago... much to my dismay and loud objections.

Dh is a university professor. He was at TUM and now he's at Indiana University.

I know Trudering quite well. It was the closest DM. They have a great toy store there, too. Actually I used to take the 93 bus there to the S-bahn when I missed the S5 at Haar. Sometimes it was a lot faster.

I really miss living there. I miss too many things to list.