Adjusting Your Recreation and Entertainment Budget
The normal tendency is to escape problems—even if doing so causes financial problems to become even more acute. Put restraints on entertainment and recreation expenses.
Our country is a recreation- and entertainment-oriented nation. That is not necessarily all bad if put in the proper perspective, but those who are in debt should never use the money that rightfully belongs to creditors for entertainment.
The normal tendency for Americans in particular is to escape problems, if only for a short while—even if doing so causes financial problems to become even more acute.
We need to resist this urge and tendency and put restraints on entertainment and recreation expenditures.
Budget allocation
Entertainment and recreation should consume about 5 percent of allocated budget spending. This includes eating out, movies, sporting events, health clubs, golfing, vacations, weekend getaways, paying babysitters, and everything else that is considered recreation and/or entertainment.
If an average income American family wants to stay within its budget and spend only what is allocated for entertainment and recreation, they cannot go out to eat every day.
They most likely cannot go on an expensive annual vacation (although if they saved for a vacation, a lengthy and expensive one could be justified every four or five years). And the typical family probably cannot afford to join an expensive country club or tennis club, and they probably cannot afford annual major recreation purchases like boats, campers, or jet skis.
Families should save for and pay cash for these expenses—not charge or finance them—and there should be at least two or three years or more between each of these major recreational expenses.
However, many families choose not to save for entertainment, recreation, and vacations, opting instead to charge and use credit, thus receiving instant gratification. Unfortunately, the bills always come due and the final financial obligation generally far outweighs any and all instant gratification.
Budget abuse
Vacations and eating out are the primary sources of credit card debt accumulation.
Families overspend on vacations each year because they have not saved enough to go on a vacation. Therefore they must use their credit cards to supplement their budgets.Quite often, the previous year’s debt is not paid off before vacation time comes again. As the debts pile up, there is a greater tendency to want to “get away from it all,” which compounds the problem.
Families in which the mother/wife works a full-time job generally have problems with credit card and budget abuse when it comes to eating out.Because mothers or wives have worked all day, many times they just don’t feel like cooking for the family or, for that matter, fixing lunches for the following days.
Therefore, eating out for lunch and dinner would seem to be the “logical” conclusion and using a credit card the obvious solution to “stretching” to make eating out fit the budget.If a family had an annual spendable income of $50,000, the allocation for recreation and entertainment would be about $48 per week (all entertainment/recreation, including vacations). If the husband and wife spend $10 per day for lunch and another $25 for dinner twice per week, the total eating out bill would be $100, or $52 over budget.Needless to say, this balance would have to be absorbed by credit cards. Is this the type of stewardship of His money that God had in mind?
Alternatives
There are cost-saving alternatives available if families are willing to consider them and are serious about staying within the percentage allocation of their budgets for entertainment and recreation.
- Save for extended or expensive vacations.
- Plan vacations during off-seasons if possible.
- Consider camping vacations to avoid motel and restaurant expenses.
- Select vacation areas within a couple of hours driving distance.
- Consider swapping residences with a friend, relative, or Christian family in another locale to provide an inexpensive vacation.
- Consider taking a vacation with another family to reduce expenses.
- If flying, use the least expensive late night or early morning coach fare.
- Contact a church in the area where you want to vacation. Some may be willing to provide free housing in exchange for a week of voluntary work.
- Play family games in place of paid entertainment.
- When eating out, buy one entrée and one salad. Then husband and wife can share if the restaurant permits it.
- Take “brown-bag” or dinner leftover lunches as often as possible.
- Many times the special of the day is less expensive.
- Some restaurants have “early-bird” dinner specials from 4:00 to 6:00, which are far less expensive than menu items after 6:00.
There are many ideas if families are willing to look for them. The certainty is that God always has an alternative to debt.
Once families commit to living within the means that God has provided, He will open all kinds of less expensive alternatives.
God knows we need rest and relaxation, and He will often provide it from unexpected sources, once our attitudes are correct and our values align with His stewardship guidelines.
Every family, whether in debt or not, should seek to stay within the budget percentage parameters for entertainment and recreation.