If you get too far behind logging stuff, you may find you’ve already spent everything allotted in that budget category.

Seriously, when I started budgeting, I forgot so many different things (mostly periodic expenses, such as the every 6-month auto-draft type), and it made me so mad at myself (that’s the worst kind of mad!)īesides, having a specific set of budgeting categories allows you to measure month-to-month how you are doing, see trends, and course-correct if need be.īudgeting Tip – be sure to log your purchases and the cost soon after buying it, so you still have time to adjust during the month. Then, you totally busted your monthly budget, got pissed off, then depressed, and are tempted to quit. If you have an expense that does not occur every month, put it in the Other expenses this month category. Some bills are monthly and some come less often. Then, use this month’s information to help you plan next month’s budget. There’s nothing worse than building what you thought was the perfect monthly budget and then realizing that you forgot 8 different irregular expenses. Use this worksheet to see how much money you spend this month. The main reason for going through this monthly budget categories list is to help you remember what you spend/buy.

So you must build a budget that works for you because if it’s too complicated or not really applicable to you, you may end up quitting on your budget. Everyone’s financial situation is different, and what makes sense to one person may not make sense to you.

Monthly expenses list printable