The Fun Money Allowance
Like with proper weight control, going through life without a little chocolate, a glass of wine, or a plate of nachos wouldn’t be much fun. The same goes for spending. In moderation, there is nothing wrong from straying from your list once in a while. Build a little “fun money” into your budget and enjoy spending it guilt-free.

This is a good assignment for those who have trouble spending money as well as people with the tendency to overspend. It sounds like a strange problem to have, but saving money becomes such an obsession with some people they need a little reminder that spending can sometimes be a good thing. If you’re never having a little fun with your money, you’re missing out on a lot of life’s pleasures. You don’t have to buy things with your money. Consider treating your spouse to a nice meal at a restaurant, getting a pedicure, or buying that book you’ve had your eye on. As long as your finances are in order, there’s no reason not to.

Assignment: Figure out how much “fun money” your budget allows each month. Add this into your spending allowance and enjoy shopping without guilt. Be aware of any patterns or habits with how you spend your fun money. We’ll be analyzing this in a future step.

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I LOVE Fun Money!!! I have a problem keeping it in moderation ~ if I let loose a little bit, I say what the heck & go all out... Still something to work on

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"I want my children to have all the things I couldn't afford. Then I want to move in with them." ~ Phyllis Diller

There is where my budget is completely lacking. All my fun seems to be free fun! Even the movies we're going to on Saturday we have free tickets to.

I need to work at this but there just seem to be too many needs, especially with higher groceries and gas, and saving for a 2nd car to have any extra for fun.

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Mom to dd (age 9) and ds (age 11)
blogging daily about purpose and personal identity

Great...now I want nachos


Seriously though, like KH, this is where my budget is lacking as well....I never put the "fun" first. I do try and plan for it, but some spontaneity would be nice too...and to be able to feel secure knowing there was already $$ set aside for it

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Its not in the budget exactly but other things are Like
Annual Vacation
Weekly family coffee night and knitting
Monthly Date night.

We had done Fun Money for a while. But the big problem was that is dissapeared too fast when we were taking a set amount a week for fun stuff and personal spending. So now we budget in regular fun events and try to be frugal about them. A lot of times we will pull out just what we need for a event.
Like Kathryn mentioned we too do a lot of free fun.
For example in two weeks we are going to the zoo as a family. Since its a monthly free day our cost is nothing, we pack a lunch and we are set. Fun doesn't have to cost I much prefer good company then going out and doing something that costs. One of my favorite activities is hiking so other then gas, a sack lunck and some good shoes the costs are minimal.

I think if I started to budget more fun money I would spend more.

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006 &

Organizer of the Coupon Clippers of Tacoma

So...what do you think is a good percentage of your income to allow for fun money? I know many people who say you can never save too much, meaning it's hard to allow for fun. I know others who allot slightly over 10% of their income, which seems enormous to us now. (But when we were renting and didn't have any children, as they are, we also alloted a similar percentage. Now I just think of how much college or home improvements etc. 10% would pay for!) I think we allot about 1% of our income now, but sometimes I feel I'm being too severe.

I'm not including saving vacation money in the "fun money", is that right? I'm counting fun money as just that money you can spend on whatever strikes your fancy that month, not something you're saving for a later bigger thing, even if it's fun.

What do you all think is a reasonable amount?

I think it depends on a lot more than income. First of all, do you have any consumer debt? If yes, your amount of "fun money" should be minimal in order to pay it off. It also depends on the person and the lifestyle and what you've decided is appropriate for yourself. For some, "fun money" could be $5 a week... others $100 a week. Some people make the decision to put more into a mortgage payment but that is done at the expense of their "fun money" category. The point to remember here is to come up with a number that reflects your own budget, financial situation and lifestyle and still enables you to achieve your goals.

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