The Difference Between Fuck It Money & Fuck You Money

Lessons were learned.

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I recently discovered a small cache of Christmas money sent to me via Apple Pay.
I don't use Apple Pay often and forgot the money was there.
A few gifts from last year had been dropped into my Apple Pay account, which I had forgotten about.

It wasn't recorded into my budget and, therefore, ceased to exist.

So when I discovered it by accident, I had built up a small fortune, and suddenly, I had money that wasn't budgeted, earmarked, or accounted for.

I had a kid in a candy store money - I had FUCK IT MONEY!!! 

Not to be confused with “Fuck You” money which is the money you keep on hand to walk away from any situation that becomes intolerable. 

No, no, Fuck IT, money is fun time, good time, party time money! 

I was positively drunk on Fuck It money!

I don't remember the last time I wasn't budgeted to the cent. 

FREEEEE money!!! 

Even just talking about it makes my head swim with wild delight.

So there I was, high as a kite on free money, and it was my day in Corvallis to attend meetings for my day job. Hello, Trader Joe's snack aisle! I also invited a few coworkers out to lunch, which by the way, without fuck it money, I wouldn't have even taken myself out for lunch, let alone two other people!?! 
That's how stingy and tightly budgeted I usually am. 

In the course of things, I had to convince these coworkers to allow me to pay for their lunch.
I had to convince them that it was not a burden on me. Prove to them I had a wild amount Fuck It money at my disposal, and only then did they allow me to buy them lunch. 

When I purchased their lunch, and we all sat down in our individual states of euphoria for going out to lunch unplanned and unbudgeted, I experienced a different high.

The high of generosity.

It felt so good to do something kind and unexpected for someone else.

It’s not that I’ve never bought lunch for a friend before, but it has generally been in the context of your turn, my turn.
Rarely have I been in a financial situation that I didn’t need or want to be paid back.

Among their protests and the fact that one coworker was set against me buying them lunch, I swiftly learned a second lesson.
Accepting generosity is its own skill set, and allowing others to feel joy at giving is worthwhile. 

On my way back to the coast, I listened to an Oligies podcast. The episode was about Eudemonologies, the study of happiness.

In the episode, real scientist-y people stated that humans enjoy spending money on other people more than they do themselves.

Had I not just experienced the phenomenon, I may not have believed it because I get a lot of joy from buying myself tacos.
Still, I was living proof that spending my Fuck It money on others brought me an immense amount of pleasure.  

So, while it might tighten the rope in other areas, I will create a line item in my budget under “Art Supplies” for “Generosity.”
A category for the joy that I can't get from buying myself tacos. 

I want to be able to take people to lunch or buy a coffee for a friend without needing, expecting, or wanting to be paid back.

Have you experienced this specific joy?
Follow-up question and the harder question IMHO - when was the last time you accepted the generosity of another?