Have you attempted a budget and failed? Why do you think that is? Maybe you budgeted for boring! Include these 3 splurges in your budget and budget for fun!
I am a big fan of zero based budgets. This means that you take your income and you evenly divide it between all of your expenses until you are left with a big fat zero. Money gets designated towards bills, groceries, fees, etc and the rest generally goes into savings. The surest way to doom a budget however, is to never work in any fun! The best way to stick to a budget is to work in planned splurges. When you sit down to make your budget, be sure to include these 3 splurges.
Entertainment
It is unrealistic to think that you can have a budget and not factor in some form of entertainment. The surest way to set your budget up for failure is to expect too much of yourself. As human beings, we crave stimulation. This does not mean that you plan a Disney World trip every 2 weeks. It simply means that you factor in for those times where the backyard is the most unappealing place in the world. We have all been there, you get cabin fever, you want to get out and explore! Plan for this, so you never feel guilty.
Dining Out
There is going to come a time in the next month or so where you will need to eat out. I do not care how much you love home cooking, we all get caught hungry away from home from time to time. Plan accordingly and have some cushion in your budget for the occasional meal out. Or maybe, like me, you actually really enjoy eating out, but hate feeling guilty for wasting money and food when you could very easily eat at home. Meal planning solves this guilt because you simply don't buy food for the day you plan to eat out! Money gets designated to your splurge of the week guilt free. Whether you are planning for your weekly burger at your favorite local dive, or for a coffee at the drive through, do it guilt free by leaving an allowance in your budget for it.
Pampering
Give yourself a break by working some pampering into your budget. This could be as simple as getting your haircut once every 6 weeks, or as luxurious as a weekly maid (that would be my personal pick by the way!). Look at your income and your expenses and add in some planned luxuries! Having a budget doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself. Instead work in the occasional indulgence and enjoy!
Of course, the amount of cash you can designate to these splurges will vary based on your income and your expenses. Start off small, and add a bit more as you can. The longer you stick to your budget, the more splurges you will be able to work in. Use these little bits of fun to motivate you to work harder and harder at maintaining your budget month to month. So relax, have fun, and plan to splurge!
How do you work fun into your budget? Tell me in the comments, I'm always looking for new ideas!
