We budget in 'fun' money. I find that if we're doing it really tight to pay back a debt, after a few months we get depressed and end up splurging on something we don't really need. Instead of doing that, we actually budget a certain amount per fortnight that can just be blown, whether it's going to the movies together or going out for dinner or buying some dvds. So we don't feel like we're doing it so tough, and we can mentally adjust to living like this for another few years.