Entertainment Budget

[kaudrey]

I'd say between 3-5% for meals out and entertainment. I would consider most of $ spent on meals out to be entertainment, because the bulk of the $ are spent out with friends - either happy hours or dinners. We usually cook during the week; but if we get take-out, that's much cheaper than our weekend spending.

 

[Mulligan]

It doesn't appear many people spend that much of their budget on entertainment, except for eating out. I imagine people spend more on trips and vacations than they do on entertainment. Of course it might be just how it's budgeted. For example, I budget $400 a month, but it is mostly for hockey, baseball games,and dining, and I count the $20 in gas to get there and back as part of the entertainment budget, not the gas budget. People who golf or have season long membership to theatre, etc. may just cut the check, but not consider it a monthly budget item. I amortize my ticket costs over a year long budget.

 

[W2R]

It doesn't appear many people spend that much of their budget on entertainment, except for eating out. I imagine people spend more on trips and vacations than they do on entertainment.

I think that may be true for many of us. I know that travel always seems to cost more than I expect. We have been thinking of going on another "road trip" (our favorite version of travel) but haven't quite fleshed out a plan. We haven't been on one for about a year and a half and we are still grappling with the concept of a vacation within the eternal vacation of retirement.

As I understand it, entertainment was defined for this thread as movies, shows, and dining out, not regular bills like internet, digital TV, and iPhone.

I "give myself permission" to spend as much as I want on movies and shows (whoopee! ), and so far this year that has added up to $0.00 . Guess they just don't float my boat. I get bored and restless.

Since we eat at restaurants every day, we can't eat as much or spend as much as someone who is eating as a special occasion (as travel sometimes can be). We usually split the healthiest, most low calorie dish on the menu between us at one of New Orleans' many inexpensive hole-in-the-wall neighborhood restaurants. It isn't much more than groceries. Today? Our meal came to $15.58 for two, so with tip that came to $9 each. It will be my main meal, and I will eat one other smaller meal today.

 

[unclemick]

Hmmm handgrenade wise I kinda SWAGE'd things like cable, internet, the room remodel for nothing but entertaining guests - food and or TV and DVD. Also grey areas - like how much is my vehicle choice part entertainment? Speaking adult toy wise.

When I was in my 'cheap SOB' period nearing and in the early stages of ER my spending patterns were quite different. Entertainment was often a Seafood boil and everyone brought a side dish. Followed by a game of cards or swimming at the camp depending on the time of year.

So I'm thinking things like food, vehicles, and to some extent utilities can serve dual roles - necessities and entertainment.

heh heh heh - hence my very squishy number.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

W2R brought up the point as to what you include in "entertainment". I added cable, internet, etc. because it is what we do for entertainment. DW does the BlueRay thing. I think the last movie we saw was Titantic.

I do like your idea of eating out every day for about $20 total. Someone else posted that they always have salad on hand. For the most part, we do bagels about five days a week at home with our orange juice. I'm going to talk to DW about eating our main meal around 4PM because she has to eat early. Then have the salad thing available for later if you get hungry (I always do). I do think you can spend as much on purchasing groceries as you can eating out. Got to mull this over.

 

[W2R]

Also grey areas - like how much is my vehicle choice part entertainment? Speaking adult toy wise.

That's a good point! Most days we go for a long pleasure drive through New Orleans. We find it very entertaining, and gas isn't cheap these days.

 

[Moemg]

. I imagine people spend more on trips and vacations than they do on entertainment..

Absolutely I spend twice as much on travel as I do on eating out . I was surprised this year that our Alaska trip can in under budget and we skimped on nothing .

 

[freebird5825]

If that's what I have to do to be frugal, sign me up!

I have no idea what we spend. We are currently trying to get a handle on that and develop a budget. I would guess maybe $300-$500 a month, which includes extra fuel for my fishing trips. We live in the middle of nowhere so eating out going to the movies is a big deal and usually includes running errands or picking up some groceries.

I'll leave some room on the frugal bench for you.

We live 10 miles from a small size town with very few cultural events, 25 miles from next biggest with some limited culture, and over 50 miles from Syracuse, which has "normal" cultural events for a city of its size.
Gas prices and laziness are the main reasons we keep to very simple things (Legions, VFWs, ethnic clubs) for socializing and food/beverage consumption. These groups are very friendly, with some internal politics of course, but we are actively meeting people from all walks of life. A lot of the food is homemade or cooked on premises that day, so the quality is very good.
We are volunteering for most of the events, so we are both getting exercise on a moderate level, and a heck of a lot of "feel good" satisfaction as volunteers. Neither of us has any family in the area, so we are being included in an extended "family" by default.
All good stuff.

 

[Meadbh]

I don't consider eating out to be entertainment, unless there's a show, or at least a Japanese restaurant where they throw your food up in the air while cooking it. Why is it entertainment simply because someone else cooks and serves your food?

Would it count as entertainment if you went to a friend's house and they served you dinner?

OTOH - unkind onlookers might find entertainment in the occasional spills and disasters in my kitchen....skillet caught on fire once...

Amethyst

How would you account for a potluck supper? You are invited for entertainment, but you have to bring something you've made, and that means spending on groceries!

Too much accounting for my taste!

 

[SecondCor521]

$4715 over the past six months on "Recreation", which includes vacations, movies, golf, swimming, etc., but not eating out, which goes in a separate category under "Food" ("Food:Groceries" and "Food:Eating Out").

About $4k of that was for a single week long vacation with my son to Olympia National Forest a week or two ago, but that (and the two next year for his siblings" are specifically described as one-time events.

So with the exception of "special trips", about $1500 per year maybe out of about $60k in annual spending.

2Cor521

 

[obgyn65]

I don't have an entertainment budget per se as I have been working a lot in the last few years. I guess Netflix, cable TV, newspaper delivery, and eating out sometimes represent about $100-$200 a month. If I include trips abroad (either to visit friends or to help patients in poorer parts of the world), then the budget is between $1,000 (one trip) and $20,000 (several trips).

 

[Gone4Good]

About 47% of my budget is 'entertainment' with campground fees consuming about 24% of the total.

I'm a little distraught that I'm spending 53% on things that aren't entertaining. I'll have to see what I can do about that.

 

[Sarah in SC]

About 47% of my budget is 'entertainment' with campground fees consuming about 24% of the total.

I'm a little distraught that I'm spending 53% on things that aren't entertaining. I'll have to see what I can do about that.

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.

 

[Katsmeow]

This is the kind of thing I have trouble with. Some things are clear cut entertainment. My World of Warcraft subscription is definitely entertainment. To me Netflix is entertainment. But then it gets grayer.

Internet service? Is that a utility or entertainment? Some years ago, definitely entertainment. Now? It is really a blend. I would have it even if I didn't use it for entertainment.

Computer? Again, sort of a blend. I use it for many, many things that aren't entertainment related. However, I have a computer that allows me to do more entertainment related things that costs more than a basic computer would cost.

Dining out? Sometimes it is entertainment, but other times may be that we were out doing errands and became hungry and didn't want to drive home to eat and then have to leave to do more errands. Even when it is entertainment I would have spent something to eat at home so maybe that should be deducted.

Membership to the Y? Is that entertainment? What if I have a personal trainer? If that it is fitness and not entertainment, what if I decide to sign up for karate lessons? Is that entertainment?

 

[ERD50]

About 47% of my budget is 'entertainment' with campground fees consuming about 24% of the total.

I'm a little distraught that I'm spending 53% on things that aren't entertaining. I'll have to see what I can do about that.

This is the kind of thing I have trouble with. Some things are clear cut entertainment. My World of Warcraft subscription is definitely entertainment. To me Netflix is entertainment. But then it gets grayer.

Internet service? Is that a utility or entertainment? Some years ago, definitely entertainment. Now? It is really a blend. I would have it even if I didn't use it for entertainment.

Computer? Again, sort of a blend. I use it for many, many things that aren't entertainment related. However, I have a computer that allows me to do more entertainment related things that costs more than a basic computer would cost.

Dining out? Sometimes it is entertainment, but other times may be that we were out doing errands and became hungry and didn't want to drive home to eat and then have to leave to do more errands. Even when it is entertainment I would have spent something to eat at home so maybe that should be deducted.

Membership to the Y? Is that entertainment? What if I have a personal trainer? If that it is fitness and not entertainment, what if I decide to sign up for karate lessons? Is that entertainment?

I think that everything above enough food & water to keep us healthy, enough shelter to avoid dying from exposure, medical/dental and taxes can all be called 'entertainment'.

I seriously don't get the point of this thread.


-ERD50

 

[happy2bretired]

I seriously don't get the point of this thread.


-ERD50

It's FUN...and entertaining!!

 

[W2R]

It's FUN...and entertaining!!

FREE entertainment, too!

 

[bbbamI]

That's Entertainment - The Band Wagon (1953) - YouTube

 

[KingB]

I think that everything above enough food & water to keep us healthy, enough shelter to avoid dying from exposure, medical/dental and taxes can all be called 'entertainment'.

I seriously don't get the point of this thread.


-ERD50

So can "entertainment" be defined as anything that is non-essential?

 

[GregLee]

So can "entertainment" be defined as anything that is non-essential?

Anything that's fun is entertainment, unless it's w*rk.

 

[ERD50]

So can "entertainment" be defined as anything that is non-essential?

It can. Whether that is useful or not is debatable. But that is what I wonder about this thread. I simply don't get the significance of what someone else spends %-wise on 'entertainment' esp with all the different definitions.

Do what makes you happy, if you can afford it. If you can't, you got some thinking (or working) to do.

Example - one person might have planed their ER budget around very frequent and expensive shows, concerts, nights out, vacations, etc. If that is what they love, they should plan accordingly.

Another person might be perfectly happy with local activities that cost little - maybe they are in their church choir, and have a bunch of low cost hobbies that keep them fulfilled and challenged. If that is what they love, they should plan accordingly.

I don't see where either should change based on the others spending habits. Or, as I've said more generally - don't retire on someone else's budget.

-ERD50

 

[Moemg]

It can. Whether that is useful or not is debatable. But that is what I wonder about this thread. I simply don't get the significance of what someone else spends %-wise on 'entertainment' esp with all the different definitions.



-ERD50

I get that everybody will not get it . Frankly I don't get some of the semi political topics or the endless annuity discussions but we are on page 4 of this thread so some people found it relevant or just were amused by it and that's enough . As they say " Don't rain on my parade ".

 

[ERD50]

I get that everybody will not get it . Frankly I don't get some of the semi political topics or the endless annuity discussions but we are on page 4 of this thread so some people found it relevant or just were amused by it and that's enough . As they say " Don't rain on my parade ".

Sorry - not trying to "rain on any parade", I'm just honestly curious about what it is the question is trying to accomplish. Or what the responses are intended to convey.

I often find that someone asks a question, but it turns out it's really something else they are looking for.

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

 

[SecondCor521]

Sorry - not trying to "rain on any parade", I'm just honestly curious about what it is the question is trying to accomplish. Or what the responses are intended to convey.

I often find that someone asks a question, but it turns out it's really something else they are looking for.

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

Someone on this thread said they would use the responses to evaluate whether or not they were spending too much or too little. It sounds like this is something you don't get or agree with. I don't get it or agree with it either, but such [-]stubborn[/-] [-]obnoxious[/-] individualistic thinkers as ourselves are rare gems of this universe.

There are other uses for the data, however.

1. Personally, I really enjoy these budgeting threads and reading about how much people spend on what, how they pay their bills, etc. So it is free entertainment for me to read and reply to these threads.

2. Occasionally I will gain a new insight into financial stuff by reading about how other people do things. (This doesn't happen as much any more, but it still does happen on occasion.) Either I will read about a new tool (like Mint), or a new bank (like PenFed) or a new way or method to do something (like how I handle my passwords, or how I pay my bills) or new concepts (4% rule, buckets of money, investment allocations, Bogleheads, etc.). These insights either lead to better (more efficient time-wise, or cheaper, or more fully-featured) ways to do things, or they lead me to a better understanding and acceptance of myself and my financial situation.

3. I figure if someone else is asking me for the data, and I enjoy sharing some of my data, it may help them out...so I share. I like thinking I help people out here sometimes just a little.

HTH,

2Cor521

 

[Moemg]

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

Someone on this thread said they would use the responses to evaluate whether or not they were spending too much or too little. It sounds like this is something you don't get or agree with. I don't get it or agree with it either, but such [-]stubborn[/-] [-]obnoxious[/-] individualistic thinkers as ourselves are rare gems of this universe.

There are other uses for the data, however.

1. Personally, I really enjoy these budgeting threads and reading about how much people spend on what, how they pay their bills, etc. So it is free entertainment for me to read and reply to these threads.

2. Occasionally I will gain a new insight into financial stuff by reading about how other people do things. (This doesn't happen as much any more, but it still does happen on occasion.) Either I will read about a new tool (like Mint), or a new bank (like PenFed) or a new way or method to do something (like how I handle my passwords, or how I pay my bills) or new concepts (4% rule, buckets of money, investment allocations, Bogleheads, etc.). These insights either lead to better (more efficient time-wise, or cheaper, or more fully-featured) ways to do things, or they lead me to a better understanding and acceptance of myself and my financial situation.

3. I figure if someone else is asking me for the data, and I enjoy sharing some of my data, it may help them out...so I share. I like thinking I help people out here sometimes just a little.

HTH,

2Cor521

Perfect answer ! Thank you !