2 Steps to Guilt-Free Fun

After taking steps to bring your needs spending under control, and putting away 20% for savings each month, whatever is left is fun money!

You don't have to feel bad about spending this money! Unlike desserts made without fat, guilt-free spending is actually more fun!

But, what if you are spending too much on your wants?

First, look at your monthly subscriptions. What do you pay automatically out of your bank account every month?

We sign up for streaming services or cable channels because it is only $7 or $12, but at the end of the year, that can add up to a lot of money.

Making things automatic, so computers save or spend money without you ever seeing it, is one of the most powerful tools. It can be used to help you save and invest. But it can also be used to keep you spending on stuff you aren't really enjoying.

Take 20 minutes to look through your regular monthly or annual subscriptions. Try cutting out the ones you don't use often.

Step 2: Pay only using cash for your wants.

Take your food, must-have money for the month (from your needs budget) out in cash along with the amount you have for wants (hopefully about 30% of your income.) Now you are free to spend that money how you like!

When the pile is gone, you are done spending until next month.

This is a nice idea, but, here at Cashtoons, we have never actually tried it. This week, we will give it a go! Come back next Saturday to find out how it went.

Sources

All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/thousands-americans-waste-364-subscriptions-090000514.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHTqOSIggkpuYzRShm_V9uW_lBCSjQQxo12zZLf3pMZg3pUGOdkwHBU1r9cnXsWFmRka8b8e1cHrGYboihjBdaTdjj_EgwhW9lJdT_nOpWshN5s_v3x9hq6RB02bTnQ8YNKCS9uZ5eldZ5dAgC6wUvfnneJmVoWbG3hSlMKskSZC

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/save-money/trimming-the-fat-forty-ways-to-reduce-your-monthly-required-spending/

https://newsroom.aaa.com/2015/04/annual-cost-operate-vehicle-falls-8698-finds-aaa-archive/

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-mortgage-insurance-and-how-does-it-work-en-1953/