381. Why Having Fun Can Actually Help You Get Out of Debt

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In this episode of the Debt-Free Dad podcast, host Amber shares why overly strict budgets often fail and how incorporating planned fun into your budget can lead to better financial outcomes. Learn practical steps to include joy in your financial plan without derailing your debt-free goals. Discover how flexible, enjoyable budgeting can help you build consistency, avoid burnout, and achieve long-term financial freedom. Join us to find out how getting out of debt doesn't have to mean sacrificing all the things you love.

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Episode Transcript

Amber (00:00):
Let me say something that might surprise you.

(00:03):
If your plan to get out of debtrequires you to cut out
everything that makes lifeenjoyable, that plan is probably
going to fail.
Not because you're bad withmoney, not because you lack
discipline, but because no onesticks to misery long term.

Announcer (00:23):
You're listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast with
Brad Nelson.
Brad and his co-hosts experiencethe anxiety of living paycheck
to paycheck before learning thefundamentals of financial
success.
They are now on a mission toempower regular people to pay
off their debt for good andenjoy happier, less stressful
lives.
Keep listening for inspirationalinterviews, tips, tricks, and

(00:46):
practical advice to gainfinancial freedom.

Amber (00:50):
And today I want to talk about why having fun on purpose
might actually be the thing thathelps you finally get out of
debt instead of the thing thatholds you back.
Thank you for listening to theDebt Free Dad podcast, where we
help normal, everyday peoplelike you take control of your
finances and live a happier,less stressful life.

(01:11):
I'm Amber, your host for today'sepisode.
Myself and my husband saved andpaid off over$54,000 in just 20
months and have been living debtfree outside of our mortgage
since 2018.
Now, after listening to thisepisode, if you're ready to take
things to the next level, you'resick of living paycheck to
paycheck, you want to reducefinancial stress in your own

(01:32):
life, you want to build savingsthat are there for all of life's
emergencies, and you finallywant to pay off your annoying
debt for good.
Maybe you're like most people,including me at one time, you're
not sure where to start.
Well, we've created anincredible free resource for you

(01:53):
here at Debt Free Dad, and I'llbe sharing some details on how
you can get those later on intoday's episode.
Let's talk about something I seeoften, especially when we start
to see brand new people hoppinginto roots.
Someone decides they're finallyserious about money, they're

(02:14):
motivated, they're fired up, andthey go full scorched earth.
No eating out, no trips, nohobbies, no fun, no life.
And at first it feelsempowering.
You feel disciplined, you feelfocused, but then a few weeks go

(02:35):
by, life happens, stress pilesup, you get tired, and suddenly
the perfect budget feelssuffocating.

Here's the problem (02:45):
a budget that feels like punishment
creates rebellion.
And I am testament to thatbecause this is how I started
when I started paying off mydebt.
And I was like telling myhusband, we are not eating out,
we're not doing this, we're notdoing that, we're gonna have
this paid off in 12 months.

(03:06):
That is it.
We are focused.
Anyways, it took us 20 months,which isn't anything bad, but we
realized pretty quickly thatthings weren't gonna work out as
strictly as we planned.
It just wasn't feasible, and wedidn't want to fail.
Now, there's research showingthat overly strict budgets make

(03:29):
people less likely to stick totheir financial goals long term.
With flexible budgets, the onesthat allow you for some
enjoyment are easier to maintainand lead to better outcomes over
time.
This isn't about being weak,it's about being human.
Let yourself have a little fun,plan it out, budget it in.

(03:53):
So let's look at what actuallyis happening with Americans and
their money.
According to bank rate surveys,about 68% of Americans skip
recreational activities, thingslike concerts, movies, dining
out, because they feel theycan't afford them.
But at the same time, aboutone-third of Americans still go

(04:15):
into debt for entertainment,travel, or experiences.
That tells us somethingimportant.
People don't stop wanting joyjust because they're in debt,
they just stop planning for it.
And when fun isn't planned for,it tends to show up later on a
credit card with interest.

(04:36):
So the issue isn't that fun isirresponsible, the issue is
unintentional fun spending.
Let's clear something up.
Fun does not have to make senseto anyone else.
It doesn't have to be flashy, itdoesn't have to be expensive, it
doesn't have to be social mediaworthy.

(04:58):
Fun is personal for some people.
Your budget doesn't need toimpress anyone, it needs to

(05:22):
support you, your values.
When you plan for things thatgenuinely refill your cup,
you're far less likely toemotionally spend later.
Here's the part I really wantyou to hear.
Budgeting for fun does not slowdown the debt payoff.

(05:44):
What actually slows people downis quitting.
And people quit when they feeldeprived.
When you give yourselfpermission to enjoy life within
limits, something powerfulstarts to happen.
You stop resenting your budget,you stop feeling behind all the

(06:08):
time.
You build consistency, andconsistency beats intensity
every single time.
I would much rather see someonepay off debt steadily for two
years than sprint for two monthsand burn out completely.
Trust me, I've been there.

(06:28):
It happened to us where we wereon the verge of quitting, and my
husband and I just finally satdown and said, you know what?
We need a vacation and we'regonna plan for it and we're
gonna budget it.
And it's okay if we slow down onour debt for a while.
And that's exactly what we did.
So let's make this actionable.

(06:48):
Here's how to add fun withoutderailing your goals.
Step one, decide what fun meansto you, not your friends, not
social media, you.
Step two, add a fun category toyour budget, even if it's small,
$10,$20, start somewhere.
Step three, treat the fun moneylike a rule, not a reward.

(07:13):
When it's gone, it's gone.
And that's okay.
Because here's the truth if youdon't plan for fun, you'll still
spend just without intention.
And unplanned spending is whatkeeps people stuck.
So before we wrap up, I justwant to say this getting out of
debt is not about proving howmiserable you can be.

(07:35):
It's about building a life thatyou actually want to show up for
without money stress constantlyhanging over you.
You don't need perfection, youdon't need to cut out everything
you love.
You just need a simple plan thatmakes sense for real life.
And if you're sitting therethinking, okay, I get it, but I

(07:56):
still don't know where to startor how to put this together.
That's exactly why we've createdthe free tools and resources we
have here at Debt Free Dad.
Maybe you want to break freefrom paycheck to paycheck.
Heck, that's probably why youlisten to this podcast.
We've got you covered.
Simplify My Money is sent everySunday to your inbox.

(08:18):
Simplify My Money is really yourstep-by-step roadmap to better
financial control.
You're also gonna get someeasy-to-follow strategies to
manage your money moreeffectively, like you've
discovered and learned on thispodcast.
We're gonna help you makestress-free money decisions that
help you simplify your financiallife with proven tips that

(08:40):
actually work for normaleveryday people, just like you.
You're gonna gain the tools andconfidence to tackle your
financial goals head on.
You can sign up for Simplify MyMoney by clicking the link at
the top of the show notes.
Thanks for joining me on today'sshow, and we will see you guys
on the next episode.

Announcer (09:05):
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(09:26):
Catch you next week.