Don't forget to treat yourself. Financial expert suggests carving out budget for your 'wants'

RETURN IT TO THE STORE TO GET YOUR MONEY BACK. SO UTILITIES, CAR PAYMENTS, MORTGAGES, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT YOU PROBABLY MARK DOWN IN YOUR BUDGET OR YOU SHOULD BE. YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT VACATIONS, CONCERTS OR MAYBE EVEN GIFTS FOR YOURSELF? WELL, THIS MORNING, BEING JOINED BY FINANCIAL ADVISOR PAM RODRIGUEZ TO DISCUSS TREATING YOURSELF AND WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO ADD THIS TO YOUR YEARLY BUDGET AND AGAIN, REALLY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S IMPORTANT DESPITE WHAT YOUR SALARY MAY BE. ABSOLUTELY. WHETHER IT’S, YOU KNOW, 40,000 A YEAR, 200,000 A YEAR, IT SHOULD REALLY BE PART OF YOUR BUDGET. IF IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU. YEAH. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO TREAT YOURSELF? WELL, IT’S VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, I WOULD ARGUE. YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE CLIENTS THAT I WORK WITH WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT TRAVEL IS PART OF THEIR BUDGET BECAUSE TRAVELING KIND OF LETS YOU RESET AND GET OUT OF YOUR, YOU KNOW, REGULAR DAY TO DAY. SO IT’S JUST VERY HELPFUL. SO OF COURSE, WE’VE GOT TOP PRIORITIES. THERE IS A DELICATE BALANCE BETWEEN SPLURGING AND THEN ALSO PAYING YOUR BILLS. ABSOLUTELY. SO THERE’S A QUICK LITTLE BUDGETING GUIDE THAT YOU CAN GO BY, WHICH IS SAVE 20%, SPEND 50% ON YOUR NEEDS, AND THEN 30% ON YOUR WANTS. SO THAT’S A REALLY EASY AND SIMPLE WAY OF KEEPING THIS TOP OF MIND. AND THEN OF COURSE, DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF PERSON YOU ARE, OUT OF THAT 30%, SOME PEOPLE LOVE GOING OUT TO EAT, SOME PEOPLE LOVE GOING ON TRIPS. SO THAT’S WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF SPLIT THAT UP. OF COURSE, SOCIAL MEDIA HAS MADE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT OVER THE YEARS WHEN YOU START SEEING EVERYBODY ELSE SPLURGING ON CERTAIN THINGS. WHAT IS A RESPONSIBLE WAY FOR FOLKS TO LOOK AT OR PLAN VACATIONS? YOU CAN STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE ME. NO. GOOD ONE. YEAH. NO, ABSOLUTELY. I TRY. YEAH. I TRY NOT TO. I DON’T REALLY SCROLL SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THAT REASON BECAUSE I THINK IT’S VERY TEMPTING TO WANT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE WHEN IT’S CONSTANTLY IN YOUR FACE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, PUTTING MAYBE TIME LIMITS ON ON THE TIME THAT YOU ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR ONLY FOLLOWING CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT WOULD RESTRICT THE THINGS YOU’RE YOU’RE LOOKING AT. AND OF COURSE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A TIGHT BUDGET, KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET AWAY. SO YOU DON’T WANT TO DEPRIVE YOURSELF IF YOUR SALARY MIGHT NOT BE THAT BIG. ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM A BIG PROPONENT FOR IS DICTATIONS OR TAKING LITTLE SMALL TRIPS AROUND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN SACRAMENTO, YOU HAVE TAHOE, YOU HAVE SAN FRANCISCO, YOU HAVE MONTEREY. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO IN 1 OR 2 DAYS. AND SO BEING ABLE TO PUT A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS TOWARDS THAT IS VERY DOABLE. I KNOW YOU AND I WERE TALKING A LOT OF FOLKS, WHENEVER THEY GO OUT TO WORK, THEY EAT, THEY PAY FOR FOOD OUTSIDE OF THAT, THEY’LL BUY FOOD EVERY DAY. MAKE A SANDWICH AT HOME. EXACTLY. MAKE A SANDWICH AT HOME OR. I KNOW I’VE EVEN SEEN PEOPLE BUY, LET’S SAY, LETTUCE BAGS AND THEN A COUPLE OF INGREDIENTS AND THEY MAKE THEIR SALADS EVERY WEEK AT WORK. SO VERY, VERY SMART. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. PAM RODRIGUEZ, THANK Y