After a while, that can get old.

But working hard to reach your financial goals doesn’t mean you’re free to’t enjoy life.

You just have to find a balance.

Some argue that money goals are silly.

What if your scrimp and save for retirement only to meet an untimely, young death?

Overall, it’s just about finding a balance.

Prioritize Your Spending

When working toward your goal, you don’t want to deprive yourself completely.

A lot of people make this mistake and end upwrecking their budgetsand, in turn, their goals.

It’s helpful, in the long-term, to leavesomeroom for spending in your budget.

That being said, you don’t want to go completely nuts, either.

The key is to splurge wisely by prioritizing your spending.

List all the things you spend money on each month.

Determine your essential expenses.

Find ways to cut back on those essentials, if possible.

Of your non-essentials, determine what you enjoy spending money on most.

(Maybe it’s restaurants.

Or weekend road trips.

Lattes get a bad rap in the frugal world, but hey, maybe they’re your thing.)

Come up with a number for your spending/entertainment/splurge fund.

Focus your spending fund on the areas you enjoy.

If you could save money in those areas, even better.

That optimizes your spending budget.

What they really underestimate is how much monetary value they will get out of a life experience.

Keep this in mind when you prioritize your spending.

Chances are, experiences make you happier than things, too.

But, then again, fun experiences often cost money.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of fun ways toentertain yourself on the cheap.

Some of my favorite examples:

Go to the movies on discount days.

Take advantage of the public library.

If you have a college ID, use it to get discounts.

Catchfree movie screenings or live concerts.

Savers, on the other hand, settle comfortably into a lucrative overdrive.

The vertical line down the middle of the graph represents the present moment in time.

As writer A Noonan Moose puts it, a non-saver might dream of traveling to Paris someday.

Setsmaller milestonesso your goals are more accessible.

Then, maybe reward yourself with a small luxury.

Your luxury could even be a free onea day off, maybe.

Celebrating your milestones gives you something to enjoy, and it motivates you to keep going.