As you strive to pay off those credit cards, save to get that new car or house, stuff money away for the emergency fund and retirement, don’t forget to enjoy yourself a little bit. It is easy to get caught up in the joys of paying off that debt and saving for the future all the while forgetting about enjoying a little bit of today.

Most of us have read that one of the first rules is to pay yourself. This usually means taking 10% or so and putting it into a saving account. Charles Givens called this the “feel good” money. His idea was to never touch it and as it that money grew it would become your emotional cushion when things weren’t going well. In other words, you would feel good because everything would be fine as you had plenty of money, even if you didn’t use it. Others use this 10% rule to apply to medium ticket items that you want. That new plasma screen you were eyeing, vacation, etc. are all relatively short term goals that this money could be used for.

While you are doing all of that though, don’t forget about the little pleasures you can take while you are mastering your financial destiny. Depending on your disposable income, this may be a dinner with the significant other at a nice restaraunt once a month, going to the movies, or something as simple as buying a new book or having a weekend cookout with friends. Back when I was a single parent and was making about $11 an hour, our luxury item was renting a movie once every two weeks. It wasn’t much, but it was a simple joy to look forward to and it made all of the difference. These days my wife and I go to the movies, go to dinner or take a little money and go play slots (we live in Vegas for some entertainment; OK, I mostly watch her play, but you get the idea. Sometimes my son and I will go into the garage and work on one of my many woodworking projects.

So while you are making those big financial goals, don’t forget about yourself. Have a little fun, go buy yourself something inexpensive — just not on that high interest credit card! — and enjoy life. Sure there are plenty of things you can do that don’t cost anything, but sometimes it is good to know that you still can buy something if you want to, and you don’t feel like a prisoner of your own financial planning.

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