Reddit post - How can I justify spending money on things I enjoy in the face of

[IowaStache]

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[r3dt4rget]

I have a lot of debt. Some of it I'm ok with, like Student Loan debt. Some of it I'm ashamed of because I had poor money management skills but have since learned better, like Credit card debt. Not to mention car payments.
My question is, how can I justify buying things I like while facing all of this debt? I enjoy video games, but I've gotten pretty good at limiting game purchases to Christmas and birthdays. I also enjoy boardgames with my wife, going out to eat once a week or so, the occasional movie when we're really excited to see it. Also there's stuff I'd like to have for the betterment of my home, like a new couch. We don't need it, but it would be nice to have.
I now follow a payment plan I've made myself, that basically is just paying bills and throwing everything else at the credit card debt. Any extra money I get is what I scavenge from my grocery budget that we don't need, but that really just pays for occasionally going out to eat or a movie.
So how do you do it? How can I justify spending $30 on a boardgame or something fun while dealing with all this stuff? Or do you not justify it and keep a pretty tight belt?

[MoneyCat]

Back in my Pre-Mustachian days, I was similar to that Reddit guy.  I was patting myself on the back for using coupons and then wasting lots of money at Taco Bell and buying accessories for my car.  Some people never reach that point in their lives where they realize that it actually makes them happier to keep the money in the bank account or invested so they can say "No" to people without facing financial ruin.  Not everyone learns that possessions actually own you and freedom comes from a lack of desire for material things.