How Much Should A Couple Budget For Entertainment?

June 1, 2020

When I was a child, my mother always told me about the importance of budgeting. I should pay my rent, my bills, buy food, and everything else will take care of itself. I’ve been renting for years and I always focused on paying my rent and bills first. Then, entertainment. I was an avid collector of DVDs, CDs, and comic books. In hindsight, I should have budgeted better. So, if you’re struggling with bills, I have tips on how much should a couple budget for entertainment.

Honestly, I’ve only gotten better at budgeting in recent years. In my 20s and 30s, I allotted too much money towards entertainment and hobbies.

I was married at the time and my insistence on indulging in entertainment hobbies annoyed my ex to no end.

This is article is being written from the standpoint of a reformed budget writer urging you to recognize the need to prioritize need over want.

Understand, I’m not preaching to you or wagging my finger at you.

I am stressing that in these hard, economic times, budget prioritization is a skill that must be honed.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, most American households spend at least $3,226 annually on entertainment.

Before I explain how much should a couple budget for entertainment, let me use myself as an example.

As an example of what not to do.

Burning Money as a Sacrificial Lamb to Entertainment

I am now in my early 40s. Burning money on entertainment doesn’t have the same appeal it did when I was younger.

I was married for almost a decade. Budgeting must be a 2-way street for couples. But I was so obsessed with entertainment.

In the 1990s and 2000s, I was obsessed with the rock band The Flaming Lips (still am, actually).

They released an experimental 4-CD album called Zaireeka in 1997.

Zaireeka was designed to be played on four separate stereos simultaneously.

I never bought the four stereos, but I considered it. (My ex always told me I was weird. Now I think I understand what she meant.)

Whether young or old, there must be bigger finance priority concerns in life than purchasing 4 stereos to enjoy a gonzo album. (Please appreciate I am making this point within the context of obsolete music tech of the 1990s).

How much should entertainment matter when you have limited finances?

I owned 4,000 comic books, collected over a lifetime, but later gave them away.

My CD and DVD collections numbered in the hundreds.

I was obsessed with films and international cinema. Before CDs and DVDs became obsolete I would visit retail stores to find international, hard-to-find, and unique items. I lost the plot when it came to budgeting finances and didn’t prioritize my financial future.

Then I lost my job, got divorced, and lost my apartment.

I was penniless and had to move back home with my ailing mother.

Before I moved back home, I had to throw away most of my CDs, DVDs, and prized entertainment possessions.

I adopt a minimalist lifestyle now when it comes to living and entertainment. It’s easier on my budget.

My minimalist lifestyle reminds me that if I’d saved more money long ago, I might have more life options now.

I prioritized entertainment too much back then.

We all need entertainment in our lives. It’s shouldn’t come at the expense of achieving financial security.