It’s unfortunate that the majority of the thoughts we have about money seem to circulate around two things: how to make more of it and how to spend less of it. While these are assuredly worthwhile things to consider, I think we tend to overlook the important “fun factor” with money.

So I’ve made a little list of totally un-essential things to spend your hard-earned bucks on. Don’t hate me because this list seems monetarily frivolous – that’s the point! These things are not necessarily essential to your life but, come on, if you’re not doing at least a few things you enjoy in life, what’s the point of making money at all?

Pay your bills, save for retirement, take care of your family – and then, at the end of your super-responsible day, be a little self-indulgent. Here are some suggestions for lovely ways to spend so that you won’t feel guilty later:

Travel

Without a doubt, I’m going to have to say that traveling is my number one pick for splurge spending. I could go on and on about the ways to save money when you’re traveling, but the truth is you’re going to end up spending more than you’d planned, and probably more than you’d have liked.

Unlike a debaucherous night of pricey partying or a $3000 handbag, you’re pretty much guaranteed to not regret traveling; even if you go somewhere and you don’t love it, or it rains the entire time, at least you had the adventure. In general, people tend to regret experiences they didn’t have, even if some of the ones they did have were laughably bad. And on the other hand, you might fall in love with a new place, or have your eyes opened in unexpected way. The possible benefits are really quite endless. Travel is good for you, plain and simple; you learn (about new places, cultures, food, people, how annoying airports can be, etc.), and taking a break from your normal routine gives you a refreshed energy when you get back. If we’re not working in order to spend money on new experiences, then I don’t know what we’re working for at all.

Education – and I don’t just mean school

It’s sad that with the rising cost of education, the increased unemployment rates all over the country, and people making (and spending) not so very much money these days, higher education actually has become something of a luxury. While I would definitely encourage smart school saving tactics like attending a state school for undergrad studies (seriously, it’s, like, the same… save your cash for a specialized grad school), my vote is to suck it up and commit to paying off those student loans if that’s what it takes.

Being well-educated will serve you well in life, both personally and professionally. Even outside of the classroom, throwing cash at books, good magazines, and art/exercise/continued education classes will improve your quality of life. Also, it is worth considering that investing in your education has a high probability of paying off in the end; more education equals better job opportunities in this job market.

Liquor

Okay, okay – out of all of these, this is perhaps the most foolishly indulgent, but hear me out. Having a home bar stocked with really nice cocktail components has infinite practical applications; maybe your boss and his/her significant other come for dinner (for some reason, it’s always fun to be fancy for the boss), you bring a date home (shaken, not stirred, baby), or some family stops by and you want to share a good scotch together… the list could go on. It’s a little thing that could potentially give you endless little moments of pleasantness. And to me, that’s absolutely worth spending money on. Plus, if you spend your whole life drinking the cheap stuff, it’s going to show on your face. Hangovers you can feel in your teeth. Trust me.

The best of its kind

One way that a lot of people save money is to still buy the things they need or want, but to buy the less expensive version of those things. For example, I love to sail. Every year or two, I need to buy new boat shoes (yes, you have to have special shoes on sailboats!) And typically, I’d go for the less expensive, non-designer label shoes. But then, after years of doing this, I splurged and bought the super fancy ones. And yes, it didn’t change the state of the Union, and my bank account took a little hit – but there’s something wonderful about buying the best of something. Just every now and then.

Think of something you love to do. And then think about what thing exists that enables you to do that thing, or to do it better. And then go out and buy the coolest, greatest, newest, best, most expensive one. No, I’m totally serious. For example, if you’re into riding your bike, go spend the extra money for an amazing set of new tires to make your ride that much smoother. If you’re into running, go buy the Cadillac of running shoes, and so on. Outfitting yourself with the best there is to do the thing you love will make you do it better, with more ease, or more comfort. Whatever effect it ends up having, if you’re going to do something, it’s worth doing it well.