#SAMPLE PERSONAL BUDGET ITEMS HOW TO#
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#SAMPLE PERSONAL BUDGET ITEMS TV#
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It’s everybody’s favorite thing-taxes! Okay, you know I’m joking. That way, you’ll always have money ready for presents. Make sure you’ve got all those upcoming holidays, birthdays, weddings, baby showers and all other special occasions in your budget. Surprise parties are fun, but not when it’s, “Surprise! It’s your anniversary!” And for the complete surprises, well, that’s what your emergency fund is for! Don’t forget the stuff like gutter cleaning and HVAC inspections. Home expenses don’t stop at utilities and mortgages. And for those annual checkups or specialist appointments, don’t forget to budget for the copays! No amount of laughing gas will ease the pain of an unbudgeted dental cleaning. If you’re in a club that has annual membership fees or your kids are in sports, don’t get blindsided by those seasonal expenses! Get them in the budget. Whether it’s once a quarter or once a year, call in the professionals or do a DIY job to get your home protected from termites and pests.

Here are a few forgotten or overlooked expenses to think about:

#SAMPLE PERSONAL BUDGET ITEMS FREE#

Then look at your calendar when you make your budget! (Also, if you’ve got our free budgeting app, EveryDollar, you can always peek back at last year before you make each monthly budget!)

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So, take some time to update your calendar with any renewal or appointment dates. When does the Amazon Prime membership renew? What about the car tag renewal? And when is your pet’s annual checkup?Įven though these expenses only pop up every once in a while, you don’t want them to surprise you and throw off your monthly budget. But if a certain expense keeps falling here, it’s time to give it a special budget line all its own. All these forgotten extras won’t send you into panic mode because you can just slip them into your miscellaneous category. The haircut appointment you forgot about. The last-minute goody bags for a school party. Plan how much you can spend each month on all these extras. It all comes down to this: When you’re budgeting for all the fun stuff, don’t let FOMO take over and tempt you to say yes to all the things. Your money goals are too important for that.

#SAMPLE PERSONAL BUDGET ITEMS HOW TO#

Others are a yearly subscription, and we’ll talk about how to cover those in a minute.

#SAMPLE PERSONAL BUDGET ITEMS TV#

If you pay for any TV or music streaming services to avoid the ads, get those in the budget too! Some of these are a monthly expense, so they need a budget line every month. It’s great to spend money on things you enjoy-if it’s in the budget! (Because you can have plenty of fun without spending a single dollar, you know.) But it’s just a season, and it’ll be totally worth it. Here's an important callout, though: If you’re in debt, your fun or personal money will be pretty small until the debt is gone. And really, that’s what budgeting is all about! I don’t have to check in when I see something in the $5 Target bin I want, as long as there’s still $5 left in my line! It keeps us accountable to our budget and to each other-but it also gives us freedom to spend. My husband Winston and I each have our own fun money lines-and you should too if you’re married. Planning this amount ahead of time helps you spend guilt-free and avoid overspending on impulse buys. I want you to put aside some money each month to spend on whatever you want. Fun and Entertainment Fun (or Personal) Money If you need to free up cash for one of the Baby Steps or get more margin in your budget, this is a great place to cut spending and save money!ġ0. That’s right: Restaurants fit nicely under your food budget category, but they aren’t an essential and they aren’t one of the Four Walls. Because you have to eat-but you don’t have to eat out. Make sure groceries and restaurants each have their own budget lines.

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Pro tip: If you’re having trouble taming this budget line, check out my free meal planner to help you get that number down. 1 Yeah, inflation has done a number on food costs. A thrifty single adult is spending somewhere around $224.50 to $311.30. If you’re wondering, the average family of four in the “thrifty” range spends $975.80 a month on groceries. Those are food, utilities, shelter and transportation. Now let’s start talking about those monthly expenses! The first ones to cover are what I call the Four Walls-which are the basic necessities you need to survive.

Sample personal budget items