Do you plan "treats"?

[Jacklad]

I find that there is a lot of similarity between budgeting and dieting. It may be good for us, but it isn't always in line with what we'd "like" to do.

A lot of dieters have found that they are more successful when they plan their treats or splurges. The thinking is that, if they know that they can have a rich dessert on Saturday night, it's easier to do without in the meantime. It's a strategy that works well for some people.

I'm not a big spender and don't even really enjoy shopping normally, but about twice a year I'm struck with an urge to buy "something". For the last year, what I've done is take $50 and head for the thrift and dollar shops. I find I normally spend about $30 after hitting three or four different shops in our town and that the urge is gone.

What I'm wondering is if any of you do something similar with your money? Do you budget in a little "mad money"?

Jackie

[cschin4]

That is a good idea. If you don't budget, I think it is harder to remember when and where you "splurged". I find that splurging sometimes isn't a bad thing and I do make some impulse puchases as well. Self- denial isn't the "in thing" right now. So, it is sometimes pretty hard to do!

[Fizgig]

Yup, I have a splurge account and money is transferred to it weekly (just like the transfers to the emergency fund and the house account). My monthly budget is pretty bare bones and I usually don't feel like splurging, so I prefer to have the money accumulate rather than have extra left over in the budget every month. Right now I'm only stocking it with $10/wk because I'm still focusing on the emergency fund, but when that's fully funded in a few months I'll start transferring more. It'd be nice to buy some furniture next year, and maybe go on a real vacation.

[PrincessPerky]

splurge account, or treat money sure does sound alot more fun than allowance!

I do plan some, but not as disciplined as I would like. I just told my husband we are spenders, if we have it, which means in general we do not go into debt, but we also do not seem to be getting out of the house payment, or saving as fast as we could.

[Great to be Debt Free]

Ok, some of you ar going to think DH and I are crazy, but we have a budget for our "incentive sheet" money. Every week we track things on our incentive sheet -- things that are good habits for us for one reason or another. And we earn different amounts of $$ for each item.

For instance, Dh hates to call people on the phone, but we've moved and we want to encourage him to keep in touch with friends back home. So he gets $.50 for each "friend" he speaks to on the phone each week (don't worry, we don't have too many friends to start with). We earn $.25 for writing down everything we eat and another $.25 for verifying the weight watchers points for everything each day. $.25 for putting things directly into the dishwasher, $.25 for me not biting my fingernails, $.10 for him if he manages to put the toilet seat back down every time.

Some things are daily, some things are weekly, some things, like our monthly weight watchers weigh in ($12 if we don't have to pay the monthly fee for being lifetime members at goal weight, another $1 per pound lost) are monthly.

Then that becomes our individual "mad money". We've been doing this since about February and I have spent a lot of mine (E-bay Ginny dolls, vintage linens, etc. and a massage or two), but DH hasn't spent ANY of his. And that's fine with me, but this way, I don't feel guilty when I want a "treat".

You'd think we were your 9 y.o. kid, though, getting paid for doing things we should be doing already, but it does help us keep on track with things. And it means I can treat myself, if I have enough in my jar!

[LuxLiving]

GTBDF - that sounds like a grand game you are playing amongst yourselves. I can picture me tho...I'd be raising and lowering that toilet seat like mad. Ka-ching, Ka-ching, Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching, Ka-ching. Okay that's 50 cents. I'll be back in 10 minutes. I think I'd earn frequent flyer miles on that bad-boy!!

[Great to be Debt Free]

LOL-- he only gets $.10 for the DAY if he manages to put it down every time! We were ready to take this one off the list until I realized he'll be living by himself in an apartment for a while, and without me there, he could slip back into the old habit. So we left it on there.

We raise and lower the price depending on how frequently we do something. Like for me, I was HORRIBLE about flossing and hardly ever got the $.10 for that, so we upped mine to $.25. For DH, he gets $.50 for calling friends, but chatty me, I only get $.10 -- and I only get credit for the person once during the week. Otherwise I'd be RICH!!! I talk to my Best friend and my mom practically daily! GOtta love free mobile to mobile minutes!

[tabbycat31]

I budget "Blow money" (about $40 per paycheck) and whatever treats I have, I take out of that money.

I haven't spent any of that in awhile so it's just sitting in my wallet now.

[Ima saver]

We both get an allowance. Of course at the price of gas, most of my husband's allowance goes for gas, but he can spend the other anyway he wants. Usually he will buy himself a bag of chips or something! He is not a big spender.