How much entertainment budget

This category includes streaming services, but you may have cable listed separately in your budget, especially if you have a bundle for phone, internet and cable. Additionally, some families opt to place vacations within their entertainment budget, while others list it separately. Quicken lists 5 percent as the norm for an entertainment budget in America.

Depending on your income and how many family members you have, you may wish to slightly increase or decrease this percentage. In fact, CreditLoan. This is just a sample budget based on hobbies and interests, but will vary from person to person. Your entertainment budget might be much smaller than that or might be larger.

If you do end up having money left over in your entertainment budget, consider using the rest of it to put toward debt or add as a buffer for saving. When I was aggressively paying down my debt, my entertainment budget was next to nothing. I paid for my needs and saved a little, but the rest went toward debt. That helped me put as much money toward my debt as possible. I started going to concerts again, dining out more, and overall l was just letting loose. It was fun to stop being stressed about debt and adding more fun and creativity to my life.

Though, I realized I started spending too much on entertainment after I was going to concerts nearly every week, all of which included alcohol and dining out beforehand. Cutting this part out of your budget or not being realistic and reasonable can lead to failure and misery. After all, money is a tool to do the things you want, so even if you are paying down debt or aggressively saving, you want to have money for some fun. On the other hand, if you feel like you are spending too much money on entertainment, get back to basics and look at your income and expenses.

Follow these tips to overhaul your entertainment budget and get back on track. Entertainment should definitely be a category in your budget — but it should be reasonable and realistic, taking into account your hobbies, interests, and other financial goals.

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Not to mention all the books, CDs, DVDs, periodicals and other entertainment that can be borrowed free of charge. According to Yelp and TripAdvisor reviews, they seem to be pretty good too. A ticket to a Staten Island Yankees game for example, can cost as little as ten bucks.

Sample the latest up and coming bands in bars around Brooklyn for the price of a drink or two. I know not everyone will consider volunteering a source of entertainment, but considering how much giving back is proven to increase happiness, I consider it one of the best forms of entertainment available.

It might not be your first choice, but it can save you a lot of money. And if you just like the excitement of live sports, check out local college basketball or baseball games. Tickets are usually really affordable and it can be a fun activity for the whole family. A few dollars here or there might not seem like a big deal, but they can really add up. If you regularly buy lottery tickets , play games on your phone, or purchase music, movies or TV shows, account for those in your entertainment budget.

Everyone loves to save money and get more bang for their buck. There are countless money-saving tips that can help you do just that. And in some cases, they […]. From group gifts to pre-approved credit card offers, it seems every day presents unexpected reasons to spend money. Most of us have rented cars or hotel rooms, but what about renting textbooks, fitness equipment or even a wedding dress?