Date Night Club (July 2021): Enjoying Your Money Together

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The personal finance industry talks A LOT about ways you can save money. Whether it's socking money away for retirement, building a solid financial foundation with an emergency fund, or learning how to spend less on everyday purchases, it all seems to come back to spending less and saving more. But here's the thing - a balanced financial life should include spending, saving, AND giving. This month we're focused on ways you can have fun with your money together.

Take a Bite:

  • What's the most fun you've ever had with money?

DATE NIGHT MATERIALS LIST:

  • Pen and Paper for both partners

  • Stopwatch

  • Copy of your budget

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15 MINUTE SNACK: CARNIVAL OF FUN

Step right up. It's time for the fun money carnival.

Our first stop is the cartoonist:

  • Share how old you were when you had your first kiss, whoever was youngest when they had their first kiss will be Partner A and the other will be Partner B. Same age? Play a game of rock, paper, scissors. The winner is Partner A.

  • Partner A will have 1 minute to describe the way they'd like to treat themselves on their perfect day if money was no object. Where would you be? What would you do? What would make the day special? As Partner A talks, Partner B will draw the scene.

  • Switch roles!

Our second stop is the wheel of fun. Fun with money shouldn't be limited to just spending, you can also have fun while you're saving and giving money away as well.

You'll each have 30 seconds to list out as many examples as you can of ways you've had fun spending, saving, and giving money away. These have to be real stories from your life. Begin with 30 seconds for "spending", 30 seconds for "saving", and end with 30 seconds for "giving." Once you've finished your list share them with one another cross any memories you both listed. Whoever listed the most examples across the three categories wins!

Our last stop is the fun scale. Use the following quiz to measure the amount of fun you're having with your money. Give yourself 1 point for each "yes" answer to the questions below.

1. In the last month, have you treated yourself to a special treat just because?
2. In the last month, have you treated your partner to a special treat just because?
3. Does your budget currently include any space for fun?
4. In the last month, have you kept all of your fun purchases within budget?
5. In the last month, have been able to have fun while also contributing towards long-range goals (retirement, emergency savings, paying off debt, etc.)?
6. Do you feel you're leaving enough space for fun in your current budget?

5-6 points: Reigning Ruler of Fun You know how to have fun and keep working toward your other goals.
3-4 points: A Little Joy Ride You've gotten a taste of having fun with your money but it's not a perfect fit for your budget or life. Use the "Make it a Meal" Section to make a few small adjustments.
0-2 points: No Treats for You What is "fun?" You struggle to bring fun into your financial life. This may be because your budget is too tight or you feel too guilty about having fun with your money. Use the "Make it a Meal" Section to begin stepping in the direction of fun.

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If you like, you can take this month's topic deeper ...

MAKE IT A MEAL: APPLY WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

As you went through the activities above, it's likely that one or more of these things came up for you:

  • Guilt over having fun: Whether your budget is tight or you're naturally a frugal person it's possible you may feel guilt over having fun with your money. If that's the case, use these blog posts to help you deal with that guilt and develop a case for fun.

  • A little too much fun: You may have realized one or both of you are prioritizing fun a little bit too much and putting your longer-term goals at risk. If so, you may want to try a system of budgeting that allows you to include fun on the list without going overboard.

  • Tug of war: You may find that you have different ways that you like to have fun with your money and you may not always agree with all of your partner's decision. If so, this might be a good time to take a Yours, Mine, and Ours approach to your money.

MONTHLY BUDGET CHECK-IN

Take a moment to look back at last month's budget together.

  • Did you stay on track?

  • If you got off track, what 1-2 steps can you each take to get back on track again?

  • Did any surprises come up - positive or negative?

  • Take a look over the expenses, did the way you used your money align with your values?

  • What changes will you make for next month?