Entertainment Budget

[SJ1_]

I tracked my expenses for many years but in the last two years I have been lax so I want to get back on track . What does everyone have for an entertainment budget ? That includes eating out , movies , shows, etc. not including travel as I have this categorized in a separate expense. Thanks ! I just want to make sure that I am not being too thrifty or too extravagant .

I never got into the details. For years I was happy to live on one paycheck. Now we save 47% of our gross and that is with a second home I am even happier.
On what we need to live on we do put aside $350 mo. for vacation.

 

[Queenie]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Moemg, [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I think this is a great thread, but a serious answer to your query would be, start keeping a budget of your monthly expenses, that way after a few months you will see what your spending on that line item. THAT should be your budget. Whatever it takes to keep you entertained. Budget keeping is a good idea for everyone. Since I started keeping a budget, I am spending even less on what I call frivolous items. You know, all those things ([-]crap[/-]) you never knew you needed? It is not that I need to keep a budget, as I already LBYM, but it does keeps me in check with accumulating all the [-]crap[/-] stuff that I worked so hard to get rid of when I downsized. No more [-]crap[/-] dust collectors for me and more $$ to invest! [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I don’t' know if your FIREd or not, but if you are, then most of your budget should be “entertainment”. I consider all kinds of things as entertainment that I would not have pre-FIREd. If you are not FIREd and are still struggling to LBYM then that is a whole 'nother issue. In that case you really need to budget, figure where the money is going and where you can cut back. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]To answer your question on how much I spend on Entertainment? I'd say almost everything... since retiring I find pleasure in just about everything I do and spend on, so am entertained from the moment I wake up. Each day can be an adventure and I am bless with good health, a loving family and the ability to do pretty much as I wish.[/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Queenie[/FONT]

 

[ERD50]

I'm not Moemg, but maybe I can try to answer your question. ...

I certainly understand the idea of just being curious, or that maybe the answers would trigger some new ideas for entertainment, or just sharing views on entertainment (which can be entertaining in itself). The only part I was questioning was the idea that one would change their amount of spending based on what others spend.

I asked Moemg this earlier, I guess she doesn't care to entertain me with an answer . OK.

So maybe you can help me out here - can you respond to my observations? Why should the two people in my scenario care what the other spends? Maybe your view of that would enlighten me (or others).

-ERD50

 

[Katsmeow]

I certainly understand the idea of just being curious, or that maybe the answers would trigger some new ideas for entertainment, or just sharing views on entertainment (which can be entertaining in itself). The only part I was questioning was the idea that one would change their amount of spending based on what others spend.

I asked Moemg this earlier, I guess she doesn't care to entertain me with an answer . OK.

So maybe you can help me out here - can you respond to my observations? Why should the two people in my scenario care what the other spends? Maybe your view of that would enlighten me (or others).

-ERD50

I can understand someone looking at other's expenditures to get ideas for things to perhaps cut back on and feedback on what is typical. That doesn't mean you have to do typical but it can give information. To give some examples.

I used to pay AT&T quite a lot of money a month for a landline phone with all sorts of features. On various forums I saw what others paid for phone and asked around and became aware of other options that were much cheaper. I first evolved to paying Vonage for VOIP for a couple of years and then ultimately to Skype with the ability to make calls to landlines. Had I not seen what others were paying for phone service I wouldn't have had those ideas.

On another forum people posted about their average grocery bill per month. Mine was much higher. I really looked at that to see why mine was so much higher and really examined whether I was spending more than I needed to spend. I ended up keeping most of my expenditures but switched to a less expensive grocery store.

On the other hand, I've can see being frugal on entertainment but realizing that people typically spend more and perhaps thinking I would loosen up a bit (assuming one wants to loosen up a bit).

 

[eytonxav]

Arguing with each other on this forum = entertainment

In fact some have turned this into an art form

 

[happy2bretired]

I actually think this might be male vs female thing here.... I just know how I used to interact with my late husband. He was black and white kinda guy and I was all-over gray and poka-dot in our conversations. He wanted to "fix" things all the time....and I wanted to ponder and talk and discuss where ever the discussion led. No concrete anything.... Yep...male/female....

 

[Mulligan]

It appeared that many people spent less on entertainment than I budget for. However this thread caused me to take a few minutes out of my never busy day to reflect. My budget is just numbers that weren't developed by actual expenses but perceived approximations. I have found out I really don't spend as much as what I budget. I over budget in entertainment and gas expenses (for me they go hand in hand, as if I go to city that is automatically $20 gas) which creates a surplus in my money at the end of the month. I guess it's better to spend too little than too much of a budget.

 

[oma]

One of our legendary posters, Jarhead, used to work pretty hard on his golf game. He felt that an hour on the course had to be backed by at least 1-2 hours on the driving range and chipping green.

The improvement in his "game" (really his passion and hard work) gave him many opportunities to defray his golfing expenses through local tournaments and overoptimistic young whippersnappers.

Wow -
I do the same thing - spend 1 1/2 hrs on short game, about the same on the full swing at our nearby range - and you're right, it does more for my game than hacking it around on the course.

 

[Meadbh]

I certainly understand the idea of just being curious, or that maybe the answers would trigger some new ideas for entertainment, or just sharing views on entertainment (which can be entertaining in itself). The only part I was questioning was the idea that one would change their amount of spending based on what others spend.

I asked Moemg this earlier, I guess she doesn't care to entertain me with an answer . OK.

So maybe you can help me out here - can you respond to my observations? Why should the two people in my scenario care what the other spends? Maybe your view of that would enlighten me (or others).

-ERD50

I think it's not always the quantitative answers (how much) that matter, but the qualitative (what people value, how they make decisions) that interests me. And this was a very interesting thread until it became a metathread (i.e. a thread about a thread).

 

[Nords]

Wow -
I do the same thing - spend 1 1/2 hrs on short game, about the same on the full swing at our nearby range - and you're right, it does more for my game than hacking it around on the course.

Jarhead had a pretty darn low handicap when he was posting here, perhaps less than 5 when he was in his 70s. I don't remember the exact number.

However he was very good at making sure he was partnered up with groups who had more money & overconfidence than betting sense.

 

[Moemg]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Moemg, [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I think this is a great thread, but a serious answer to your query would be, start keeping a budget of your monthly expenses, that way after a few months you will see what your spending on that line item. THAT should be your budget. Whatever it takes to keep you entertained. Budget keeping is a good idea for everyone. [/FONT]


[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Queenie[/FONT]

I did keep a budget for several years before retirement but I never listed what I see as entertainment expenses separately . I like to have an amount that I can spend on an item . My travel budget works like this . I have so much allocated to travel if I take a really big trip than any other travel I do that year is usually much smaller trips. So If I had an entertainment budget number that's how I would work it .I just need to find the number .

 

[youbet]

I'll try that out on DH. He's still mad that I include tools in the "Hobby" category, as he says that if he had his way, none of his hobbies would involve engines, transmissions, brakes, and their ilk.

I can identify with your hubby's POV!

Early in our marriage, decades ago, DW and I found ourselves doing chores one winter Saturday morning. She was doing laundry and house cleaning. I was in the unheated garage putting a new muffler on our VW Super Beetle. DW was working hard, although she had the benefit of being indoors on a cold winter day and had some music on to take some of the boredom out of folding clothes. I was doing the muffler job myself because we were saving for furniture as we had recently moved into our home owning very little. I was cold, stiff from laying on the fridgid concrete garage floor and had busted my knuckles numerous times trying to break bolts loose and blood was flowing freely. Around noon, DW called me in for lunch. Shortly after we sat down, she announced "This isn't fair. You're spending the day playing with your hobbies and I'm stuck in here working my butt off!"

I didn't know what to say. But in a brilliant move, unusual for me, I suggested I'd be happy to help her as soon as I was done "playing" in the garage!

Little has changed in 41 years. I'm still too frugal to pay others to do chores I can handle myself and DW still considers these chores to be "hobbies."

 

[KingB]

I didn't know what to say. But in a brilliant move, unusual for me, I suggested I'd be happy to help her as soon as I was done "playing" in the garage!

And as usually the case, the cars need repairs when the weather is at its worst.

You should have added:
"and to speed things up, why don't you join me in the garage".

Just so she knows how much fun you have "playing".

 

[Sarah in SC]

I can identify with your hubby's POV!

Early in our marriage, decades ago, DW and I found ourselves doing chores one winter Saturday morning. She was doing laundry and house cleaning. I was in the unheated garage putting a new muffler on our VW Super Beetle. DW was working hard, although she had the benefit of being indoors on a cold winter day and had some music on to take some of the boredom out of folding clothes. I was doing the muffler job myself because we were saving for furniture as we had recently moved into our home owning very little. I was cold, stiff from laying on the fridgid concrete garage floor and had busted my knuckles numerous times trying to break bolts loose and blood was flowing freely. Around noon, DW called me in for lunch. Shortly after we sat down, she announced "This isn't fair. You're spending the day playing with your hobbies and I'm stuck in here working my butt off!"

I didn't know what to say. But in a brilliant move, unusual for me, I suggested I'd be happy to help her as soon as I was done "playing" in the garage!

Little has changed in 41 years. I'm still too frugal to pay others to do chores I can handle myself and DW still considers these chores to be "hobbies."

You are a wise man indeed to have seen the benefits to agreeing with her!

I don't dare share this with DH, though, as it will be depressing for him to contemplate the next two decades as being just like the past two with me!
He still thinks that there will be some point in the future where he can hire people to fix things while he just watches. I don't have the heart to tell him any different.

A great story!

 

[SkisALot]

We don't have an entertainment budget, and now, after reading some of the posts, I feel kinda bad. Our entertainment is either long paid for or free: kayaking, skiing, sailing, hiking (although my 7 year old hiking boots are now causing blisters so that will be an expense.) We "do" picnics with wine alongside the lake for dinner out. But we do spend about $6.00 a week on lunch (with coupons) on our weekly grocery shopping town trip but that comes out of the food budget. Once in a while we will splurge on a better lunch in the $25.00 range. We haven't been to a theater in years and only go out to dinner when traveling. And we get books from the library.

 

[Moemg]

We don't have an entertainment budget, and now, after reading some of the posts, I feel kinda bad. Our entertainment is either long paid for or free: kayaking, skiing, sailing, hiking (although my 7 year old hiking boots are now causing blisters so that will be an expense.) We "do" picnics with wine alongside the lake for dinner out. .

That sounds like great entertainment .I enjoy all those things . We are getting back into kayaking . We usually go off our dock but now we are going to load it up to go to more remote locations .

 

[SkisALot]

We are getting back into kayaking . We usually go off our dock but now we are going to load it up to go to more remote locations .

You should have some great places in Florida to kayak.