Important Things Most People Forget to Include in Their Budgets

Most people want to become a bit more money conscious and save a few dollars. The problem is, that when preparing budgets, most people forget to include some vital things that can turn your money saving efforts sour by the end of the month. We’ve prepared a list of things not to forget when preparing your budget!

Annual Payments

Things like yearly home taxes, car registration and taxes are things most people forget to include in their budgets, until they’re presented with the bill. A great way to plan ahead for these type of items, is to divide the total you paid in the previous year and divide it by twelve. Make sure to set aside this amount each month so you’ll be prepared in advance. You should also include a ‘sundry’ category for irregular expenses such as friends weddings, birthdays etc.

Clothing

If you’re not a clothes lover then feel free to skip this section. However if you’re a shopaholic like many women (and men) then this is certainly a category to include in your monthly budget. If your main aim is getting out of debt/saving money then buying lots of clothes each month could certainly hurt your efforts. Instead, budget a small amount each month for clothes, so when you really need an item, you will have the funds to buy it.

Entertainment

 

Budgeting for things like nights out with your friends and movies etc is certainly a wise idea. Whilst most people on a tight budget would try to not do these things, it’s important to do some fun things once in a while so you don’t go crazy. A lot of people who try to cut these things out completely end up feeling very frustrated or will end up overspending. All work and no fun makes Johnny a dull boy!

Eating Out

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

 

Whilst groceries are things that most people include in their budgets, eating out at restaurants is something that is commonly forgotten. Even if you plan to eat out just once a month, it’s important to factor it in to your budget. Breaking down ‘food’ into separate categories (such as work lunches, dinners and groceries) will most likely make you notice how much you’re spending on each and where you can cut down. Maybe packing your own lunch for work will be worth it after all!

‘Pampering’ Expenses

Different people have different ideas of what ‘pampering’ spending would involve – for some it could be their daily coffee from their favourite cafe, a massage, chocolate bars. a book or a DVD. Whatever it is that you consider ‘pampering spending’ it’s important to include this in your budget – you may think that one chocolate bar every couple of days is not going to make a difference, but at the end of the month everything adds up. This type of spending does not need to be stopped completely, but it should definitely be added to your budget to make you aware of how much these things cost monthly.

What are some things you commonly forget to include in your budget?