<prompt> Human: Here is a brief overview of what I have been budgeting per month. My income is right around 2200 Post-tax per month. I have a 2500 emergency fund. It is a little small, I know but I plan to contribute more once my loans are paid off. I am contributing 5 for matching to my 457 plan which is about 76 dollars per month. The following are my YNAB categories:BillsGym: 29.99Spotify: 4.99Phone bill: 65.00Rent: 675.00Power: 70.00Water: 40.00CableInternet: 60.00Everyday ExpensesGroceries: 200.00Fuel: 125.00Spending Money: 100.00Restaurants: 50.00Clothing: 100.00 I almost never use this, I just keep it on hand if I need something for workI almost never use the entire budgeted amount for a category. I usually end up with about 1000 dollars left over after everything is budgeted and paid for the next month. I put whatever is left towards my student loans current balance is 11,941 across three loans with rates between 3.4-4.66 If you have stuck with me this long, thank you. I appreciate it. My question is, after seeing this, do you guys think I am using my money in a smart way? Is there something better I could be doing with it? Am I crazy for throwing so much at my student loans each month? Im not gonna lie, It would be nice to be able to do more and buy more, but Im trying to think about the long run. Thanks for any advice!Assistant: What do your parents think is ridiculous? With only 12k of loans youll have that paid of in a couple years and then allocate your money differently, it doesnt seem weird to me to want to be out of debt. Human: Yeah. At the current rate, I should have them paid off in 12-14 months. But they are worried that Im not living enough. For instance, I live in a very bare bones apartment. Super, old slow laptop. Barely functioning TV. They are trying to convince me that I could upgrade these things. I know I could, and I would like to, but I really hate the feeling of debt hanging over my head. They also feel lik I am depriving myself of fun. Which, they arent necessarily wrong in that aspect either. I got a job in a small town that I has no real entertainment for young people. I do not know anyone here. The only real fun Ive had since getting the job in October was a trip to Savannah to visit some college friends. That was pretty much completely free, however, aside from gas. Assistant: What the...Dont listen to them. Seriously. What kind of parents advise their kids to stay in debt and splurge on consumer goods? Maybe you should look into getting new parents?But of course that is the answer you would get on rpersonalfinance . But the real question is: are you happy?Human: Lol. I love my parents to death. They arent saying it in a malicious way. They just want me to be happy. As for the answer to that question, I am content. I think I will be truly happy once I dont feel like I owe anyone anything.  <response>: There you go. 