Wednesday, January 15, 2025

45+ Things You Might Forget to Budget For

Have you ever wondered if there are things you are forgetting to budget for? If so, you're not alone! Check out this LONG list of ideas we complied from our readers -- things that are surprisingly easy to forget to budget for!
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Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

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45+ Things You Might Forget to Budget For

Have you ever wondered if there are things you are forgetting to budget for? If so, you’re not alone! (Psst! Need to set up a budget? Grab our FREE budgeting spreadsheets to get started!)

I recently polled my IG followers about common items people might forget to budget for. They came up with a HUGE list of great ideas!!

Health Care

  1. Insurance co-pays
  2. Prescriptions
  3. Haircuts
  4. Vitamins & supplements
  5. Pet meds & vet visits
  6. Dental & orthodontic work (this can really add up with a bunch of kids!)
  7. At-home medical supplies (bandages, gauze, over-the-counter meds)

Vehicles

  1. Irregular maintenance (new breaks, rotors, AC, etc.)
  2. Oil changes
  3. New tires
  4. Car inspections
  5. Taxes
  6. License and registration fees
  7. Car wash memberships
  8. Saving up for a new-to-you vehicle purchase

Kids and Family

  1. School supplies
  2. Teacher gifts
  3. Supplies or fees for hobbies
  4. Sports fees & equipment
  5. Music lessons and instruments
  6. Tickets for sport/music events and concerts
  7. Hot lunch and special snack money
  8. Back-to-school shopping
  9. Kids’ activities
  10. Family fun
  11. Family vacations
  12. College funds

Holidays and Special Events

  1. Christmas decor & wrapping supplies
  2. Christmas gifts
  3. Postage for Christmas cards
  4. Family photo sessions
  5. Hosting (in addition to your regular grocery budget)
  6. Anniversary and birthday outings / special meals

Home

  1. Home repairs
  2. Replacing home appliances
  3. New plants and flowers
  4. Tree removal
  5. Irrigation repair
  6. Natural disasters
  7. Pest control
  8. Saving up for a big home purchase like a new roof, HVAC, or septic system

Other

  1. Giving & tithing
  2. Unpaid time off work for sickness or family needs
  3. Annual subscriptions (Amazon Prime, Netflix, various software programs, online courses)
  4. Inflation on things you are saving for (they will be more expensive by the time you’ve saved enough)

Whew — that’s a lot!

Don’t panic though! Chances are, you won’t have all of these included in your budget, because everyone’s budget looks different depending on life circumstances, priorities, and goals. And if you use our FREE budgeting spreadsheet to set things up, most of these items fall under one of the fixed or variable expenses categories, so you’ll be set!

I would simply encourage you to nail down your financial goals and then set up a simple budget to track everything. Run through this list after you set up your budget to be sure you didn’t forget anything that’s important to you!

Did we miss anything? What else would you add to this list?

Want to make THIS the year you finally stick to a budget?!

 Tracking your budget doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated! Use these FREE Budget Spreadsheets to easily plan and track your spending each month!

   
 
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