Tired of Fighting About Money? Try This One Thing
- Jeannette Fennel
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
A package arrived at our house addressed to my husband.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“Oh, that’s a new mouse for my new laptop coming soon,” he said.
“New laptop???” I asked, eyebrows raised.
“Yeah,” he said casually, “I’ve been saving up my fun money for several months, and I also put aside my birthday and Christmas money to cover it.”
He even showed me the budgeting app we use. Sure enough, he was right. Since this was his fun money, it was totally okay. Any potential argument about the purchase ended right there.
How We Use Fun Money
This little moment perfectly sums up why we budget fun money each month. I’ve also heard it called pocket money, treat yo’ self money, or play money. In our house, we call it fun money.
I’m talking about those smaller, personal expenses we each make for things we genuinely enjoy.
For me, that’s:
Clothes
Shoes
Fly fishing gear
For him, it’s:
Tools
Technology
Gadgets he’s been researching for way too long
We each get the same amount every month, and if we don’t spend it, it rolls over. We’ve even used this for bigger things: I saved for a girls’ fly fishing trip, and he saved for a new laptop… yes, that laptop. The one that began with the mysterious mouse delivery.
Do we tease each other about what we buy? Absolutely. But we never say,
“I can’t believe you spent money on that.”
Because we each get to choose how we spend our fun money.
What If You’re Single?
Fun money isn’t just for couples.
Even if you’re not sharing money with a spouse or partner, fun money still plays an important role in your budget. It gives you permission to enjoy your money without guilt while still creating boundaries so you stay aligned with your goals.
Without fun money, it’s easy to swing between extremes: either saying yes to everything and wondering where your money went, or saying no to yourself so often that you eventually deprive yourself of the joys in life.
Fun money creates a middle ground.
You decide the amount ahead of time. You get to spend it however you want. And when it’s gone, it’s gone — no shame, no spiraling, no “I already blew it, so I might as well keep going.”
Whether it’s concerts, clothes, hobbies, travel, or spontaneous coffee dates, fun money lets you enjoy your life now while still building toward the future you want.
Conclusion
Fun money gives permission. It sets boundaries. And it removes judgment from spending.
It creates space for individuality inside a shared financial life or clarity and balance when you’re managing money on your own. When spending is planned and judgment-free, trust grows, guilt shrinks, and money stops feeling like a constant source of tension.
If your household (or your own inner dialogue) feels tight or reactive around small purchases, this might be the budget category that quietly changes everything.
How could giving yourself permission to spend actually improve your money habits?
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On my Substack, Financially Fluent, I write for Millennials who want to feel more confident with their money.
We cover budgeting, spending habits, and the emotional side of money. Plus the lessons I’ve learned the hard way and how I've work through them.
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