We all feel like we have a million monthly expenses, am I right?  The money seriously just flies out the window every month with so many little things, in addition to our “maintaining our life” necessities.  Sometimes we don’t even know what our expenses are until we actually sit down, look at them and put them into the appropriate category.

When I first started budgeting, I had no freaking clue where my money was going.  I couldn’t have told you how much I spent on toiletries, food, heck! even the monthly cost of my cell phone was unknown to me.  

My husband and I just watched our bank account bounce up and down as we got paid, paid bills and spent money, the account would get low, we would panic and go on a spending freeze until the next payday.  As fun as that emotional rollercoaster was, something had to give. The financial stress we were facing was hurting our marriage.

What’s super dumb is, we were in complete control the entire time, but we were behaving as if the “money Gods” were determining how much money we would have every month.  It was pretty stupid now that I look back at it.

Don’t be like us!  Do better and start paying attention to what you are spending in your certain budget categories every month.  You will be better off for it, and you will spend less once you start paying attention to your monthly expenses.

NEW TO BUDGETING?  USE OUR FREE BASIC BUDGET SETUP SHEETS TO GET STARTED TODAY!  GET INSTANT ACCESS WHEN YOU SIGN UP BELOW!

What Monthly Expenses Should I Budget For?

There are fixed expenses or expenses that don’t change in an amount from month to month.  These bills are paid regularly (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.). Or, there are variable expenses, meaning purchases you decide to make on a daily basis (food, cosmetics, fun activities, etc.).

You will have a base of fixed expenses that are hard to cut without moving, selling a car, changing insurance, etc.  Then the rest of your budget will be comprised of variable expenses. These are things you will have more control over.  These are categories you can decide to spend less in if you want to by just spending less or finding a cheaper alternative.

Common Monthly Expenses to Budget For:

Giving/Tithing

Saving

• Emergency fund
• Maternity leave fund
• College fund
• Retirement fund

Housing

• Mortgage/rent
• Real estate taxes
• Maintenance & repairs

Utilities

• Gas
• Electric
• water/trash
• Phone
• Internet
• Cable
• Streaming service

Food

• Groceries
• Eating out

Clothing

• Adults
• Kids
• Laundry services

Transportation

• Gas & oil
• Tires & repairs
• Tax & license
• Car replacement

Medical/Health

• Prescriptions
• Doctor bills
• Dentist
• Optometrist
• Vitamins/supplements

Insurance

• Life insurance
• Health insurance
• Home/Renters
• Car insurance
• Disability

Personal

• Child care
• Toiletries
• Cosmetics
• Education
• Subscriptions
• Gifts
• Baby supplies
• Pet supplies
• Furniture
• Recreation
• Entertainment
• Vacation

Debts

• Car payment
• Credit card(s)
• Student loan(s)
• Personal loan(s)

These are the most common budget categories you should be paying attention to as you spend your money every month.  You may have some different categories depending on where you are in life.

When you go to set up your budget for the month, make sure you have every category you will be spending money in listed.  This is what makes up your “projected expenses” for the month. This is where you plan to spend your money in the coming month.  This is what your budget is created from.  

There are lots of expenses out there.  If you are just getting started with budgeting, or if you have been feeling totally unorganized with your money, this is where you should start.  The best way to predict your future spending is to look at your previous month.  Look at where you spend all of your money and make sure you include that category in the coming month (if you know you will have that expense again).

WANT A CHEATSHEET TO GET YOU STARTED?  USE OUR FREE BUDGET CATEGORIES CHECKLIST!  GET INSTANT ACCESS WHEN YOU SIGN UP BELOW!

Set your budget up for success by paying attention to where your money is going.  Use these budget categories to stay on track!

PIN FOR LATER!