With all this talk about recessions, debt and massive loans, it’s easy to convince yourself that students shouldn’t spend money on anything fun. Budgeting is great, but the whole point of it is to make sure that you can afford the things that you need.

You need fun. Everyone does, unless they want to become resentful and unmotivated. You need, therefore, to budget for fun.

How big your fun budget is depends, of course, on how much money you’ve got coming in. But everyone can afford to put a little aside each week. And no one should have to miss out on that long-awaited gig, that first Sevens weekend, or that summer road trip with friends just because they’re a poor student.

Budget for fun. And if that fails, beg, borrow or barter for it. Just make sure that it happens.