March: The Mad Money Month - Money Tip Tuesday

Does the winter blues have you down? March is the perfect time to do something fun, and today we’ll talk about why it’s okay to spend some mad money in March! 

• Check out Groupon for some travel and activity inspiration 

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Transcript:

Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast. 

If you’re like me, by March you have recuperated from the holidays—not so much because you went into debt buying presents, but you just got tired of buying things. I go into hibernation mode in January because that’s what most of us do in New England. February is my finance month and it’s short, so it doesn’t really count, and then there’s March—my mad money month! 

March is when you give yourself permission to spend a little money to celebrate the fact that you survived another winter! I definitely recommend you budget for anything fun that you have planned, but if you haven’t budgeted or don’t have the money right now, there is still plenty of free stuff to do—you just have to look a little harder for it. 

Here are my top three recommendations for March—all with a specific dollar allocation. I’ll start with the cheapest and free item first, then we’ll go up from there. 

At no dollar signs (meaning it’s free) you can (drumroll) take a walk on the beach with a picnic from whatever you have in your fridge. Ok, now I know some listeners don’t have a beach nearby so to you I say, “it’s time to move.” Actually, that might not be an option, so you’ll have to find another amazing destination: like a lake or park, somewhere cool nearby. The point is: it’s time to get out of the house and enjoy the great outdoors. I live about 45 minutes from the beach, so it does take some planning to get there, but I love the beach this time of year. No crowds, no issues parking, no problems! My only recommendation is to check the weather and pick a warm day—and not a windy day (after all, you want to be able to enjoy it). Bring a picnic basket—whatever you have from the fridge and have a good time! 

Ok, next is $ sign so this is not free, but affordable. This is an activity that will cost somewhere between $10 - $25 per person. So, what can you afford to do in that price range? A ton! You can go to the movies, a local see-science museum, a gallery, or dinner out with some friends. Now, the key is: if you have a family, you can’t take the whole family out for $20 so negotiate with your partner and have him/her watch the kids and you go out with your friends for some social time. 

Next is $$ signs, so this is a little more expensive—maybe in the $25 - $50 range. At this point, there’s even more to do, like attending a comedy night, local play, an escape room. Again, at this price point, it won’t be a family adventure, but it will be good for YOU to get out the house and enjoy some friend time. 

So, here’s my point. There is a ton of stuff to do, and you don’t have to break the bank to do it. So often we get caught up in budget-budget-budget, but you have to make room in the budget and take time out of your busy schedule to have some fun. There is no better time to do that than March! As soon as this podcast is over, make a note to text 3-4 friends and schedule some fun activity within the next couple of weeks. Oh, and if you’re having a brain block on what to do, check Groupon for ideas and discounts on all the fun stuff that is happening near you—you  might be inspired to try something new and save some cash doing it. 

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this episode—after all, I encouraged you to get out of the house and spend some money! If you like what you’ve heard, we’d like to hear from you about thoughts on this show or maybe you have some ideas on other topics we should cover,  email us at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org. Be sure to subscribe to the Making Money Personal podcast for our full episodes and weekly Money Tips wherever you listen to podcasts and follow us on Facebook for more great content. 

Thank you to our sponsor, Triangle Credit Union, and thank you, as always, for listening. 

Have a great day everyone!