Treats etc

Bellie_2

I am trying to pay off debts but i can only pay a little each week as I dont earnt that much, Was just wondering, do any of you take a little bit of money out of your budgets to treat your selves with?? I am torn between wanting to put every penny that I can towards my debts with what my therapist advised me to do was to reward myself, and the physical act of buying something for my self would reinforce the good stuff I had achieved. Torn grrrrr!!!! what do you all do if you dont mind me asking???

Sammz

I'm not a hardcore DFW so still have a decent amount of money to myself each month. What some others do is use any vouchers or money from surveys etc to treat themselves. Maybe this would work for you?

sandralovescats

You do need to treat yourself otherwise your innerself will start talking about your being deprived, etc. That is what happens with folks when they start a diet too.

At the moment I am trying to find every freebie I can get my hands on - it gives me the satisfaction of getting something for nothing!

skintas_2

i treat my self, got some false nails £20 new years eve, felt nice to have manicure and have nails. i didnt get anything fir xmas from my oh, so treated myself. i did buy myself week before xmas a dress from the market for new years eve which cost me £5, its nice too!

Smashing

I think the odd treat is needed so you don't feel so deprived that you are inclined to think 'sod it' and have a blow-out. Getting out of debt requires a long term commitment and far better to give youself the best chance of staying on track with the old little treat - you can't put your entire life on hold until you are out of debt and you deserve to treat yourself well.

That said, it's also important to establish non-monetary ways to treat yourself so money doesn't become the be all and end all pick-me-up.

piglet6

I think its a good idea to build little treats into becoming debt-free - particularly if you know that getting to your DF date is going to take several months/years. It stops the deprivation feeling, which as others have said, can lead to the need to "binge" and fall off the wagon big style... :rolleyes: :eek:

I think Sammz has a very good idea, though - you should log onto the Freebies board and check out the Pigsback site (and other money-back sites). All of these little treats (and receiving something for free through the post, whether a sachet of hot chocolate/shampoo or a £10 voucher!) can certainly cheer up a "normal" day and make you feel a bit special!

Piglet

Hannah111

I think it is important to treat yourself, even if its just a choccie bar. I give myself 'pocket money'... £30 a week i can spend on what i want, if i dont spend it, i'll save it and put it towards my debt at the end of the month. If i spend it... its a treat... if i end up not spending it... then i feel better for paying off more!

angelatgraceland

Treats don't need to be expensive. If you don't get out much because of your debts, how about a girlie night in or something once a month. Maybe a pamper evening where you do each others hair/manicures-someone cooks you a meal-candles, the works-take in turn with your mates. An "american supper" where you bring a plate each for a party and maybe everyone brings a dvd. Try to do something once a month and set a date for it so that you have something to look forward to. If you fancy a cheap meal out, some places do an early bird" offer where its halfprice or something before 6pm(or 7 pm) Yes, treats are important but don't allow them to dent your budget too much.

mh1923

The important thing with treating yourself is that it be planned. It's the impulse treats that get us in trouble. If you budget a small amount for 'fun money', whether £5 or £50 a week, it will keep you from feeling deprived. But if you scrimp for weeks, you might suddenly find yourself buying something on impulse that you can't afford because 'I deserve it.'

Er, not that I've done anything like that myself.... :whistle:

HazelEyes_3

Since my LBM and working to a budget I have found it very helpful to include a small amount in my weekly cash budget which is not allocated for specific expenditure. Then if I have any of this left at the end of the week I put it into a "slush fund" which I can use to treat myself or for social occasions or to pay a debt. In my opinion the important thing is feeling that you are in control of your money not the other way around so, for me at least, it is much easier not to spend money that I have in my purse than to deny myself any fun because it isn't in the budget. I've found that using this method plus of course applying the MSE mantra of "Do I want it, do I need it, can I afford it, can I get it cheaper" means that I am spending almost nothing on non essentials.

halloweenqueen_2

What about a cheap (feelgood!!)dvd from tesco, they have some good titles - films you meant to go and see but never did! for about £5, you could have a good night in perhaps with it - invite some friends over, serve popcorn - nice and cheap! If you don't like the dvd or won't watch it again you could ebay it and get some of the money back. Don't forget to use money off vouchers when you buy something in tesco!