Allowances for Yourself
Give yourself an allowance. You know you deserve it!
What is an allowance? It is a set amount of money that one can spend anyway they chose.
Children are often associated to this wonderful concepts, while adults forget to pay themselves. Wait! We get up early, get dressed against our inner will, drive to work in questionable conditions, earn money and then don't pay ourselves?! That is backwards right? (I can hear the peanut gallery now..)
A great tip for everyone is to pay themselves. Hubby and I carve out $40 a month in our budget for ourselves. We buy whatever we want or save it if we please. Can you say coffee on a lazy Saturday afternoon or lunch out with my friends? An allowance is freedom to enjoy things when life is on a strict budget. It's freedom to enjoy spontaneous activities and events without regretting it the next month.
This amount is not a set percentage of our income and it changes when we redo our bills biannually. At the end of 2015, it was only $25 each. But the best part is, it MINE, ALL MINE. I don't ask my hubby what can I do with it or when or where I can spend it. He doesn't bother running anything past me either.
Now, if you are in the beginning of your Dave Ramsey journey, dissing debt is your number one priority. We have often taken our allowances and paid a bill or purchased non-fun items such as cough medicine when the toiletries envelope was empty. Don't feel obligated to save a certain amount just to play with. Think of it as a luxury item that can be placed on the budget. If you are heading for a change in the budget, like we are this summer, perhaps an allowance will have to take a backseat. Just remember that you earned your income and you are the one (with your spouse, if married) that can determine the best use of it.
I hope you keep your eyes on the ultimate prize, but just don't forget to throw in a little fun here or there.
Until Next Time,
From Maruki
What is an allowance? It is a set amount of money that one can spend anyway they chose.
Children are often associated to this wonderful concepts, while adults forget to pay themselves. Wait! We get up early, get dressed against our inner will, drive to work in questionable conditions, earn money and then don't pay ourselves?! That is backwards right? (I can hear the peanut gallery now..)
A great tip for everyone is to pay themselves. Hubby and I carve out $40 a month in our budget for ourselves. We buy whatever we want or save it if we please. Can you say coffee on a lazy Saturday afternoon or lunch out with my friends? An allowance is freedom to enjoy things when life is on a strict budget. It's freedom to enjoy spontaneous activities and events without regretting it the next month.
This amount is not a set percentage of our income and it changes when we redo our bills biannually. At the end of 2015, it was only $25 each. But the best part is, it MINE, ALL MINE. I don't ask my hubby what can I do with it or when or where I can spend it. He doesn't bother running anything past me either.
Now, if you are in the beginning of your Dave Ramsey journey, dissing debt is your number one priority. We have often taken our allowances and paid a bill or purchased non-fun items such as cough medicine when the toiletries envelope was empty. Don't feel obligated to save a certain amount just to play with. Think of it as a luxury item that can be placed on the budget. If you are heading for a change in the budget, like we are this summer, perhaps an allowance will have to take a backseat. Just remember that you earned your income and you are the one (with your spouse, if married) that can determine the best use of it.
I hope you keep your eyes on the ultimate prize, but just don't forget to throw in a little fun here or there.
Until Next Time,
From Maruki
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