Can Grief Become a Disability?
Many people avoid budgeting like the plague. The reasons? “It takes too much time.” “Budgeting is too restrictive.” “I pay my bills on time, so I don’t need a budget.” “I don’t know how.” Nonetheless, not many financial experts would accept these excuses. Let’s assume you have started to budget. Now you must account for expenses many forget to budget.
Expenses People Forget to Budget
Car Registration
The yearly car registration stickers. Did you forget to budget those?
Automobile Oil Change
Penny wise and pound foolish. Many car experts agree that an oil change every 3,000 miles is one of the best car treatments an owner can perform. Mark your budgeting calendar.
Gifts
Birthdays, showers, and weddings are just a few of the celebrations for which you can expect to purchase a gift. Perhaps you need to make an annual listing so you do not forget to budget these expenses. While you are at it, don’t leave out postage stamps and shipping costs.
Personal Care and Non-Prescription Medication
Eye drops, aspirin, cold medication, and sleeping pills are a few expenses that can fly under the radar. With the exception of aspirin, cost of these other medicines can add up quickly. Other expenses purchased at a drug store—personal care items—toothpaste, shampoo, bandages, to name a few, also need to be accounted for.
Memberships
Do you have a gym membership? Do you pay dues to a hobbyist group? Perhaps you donate to your high school or college? If you have membership expenses, be sure to account for them.
Haircuts
There is a budgeter out there saying, “Darn, I forgot about haircuts.” Unless you have a chrome dome or give yourself a haircut, this expense can throw your budget out of whack every couple of months.
Safe Deposit Box Fees
Do you keep valuable paperwork in a safe deposit box? Don’t forget to budget for this.
Subscriptions
Fishing Hero, Bride to Be, Monster Trucks—all these publications dropped off at your doorstep shouldn’t be overlooked. The good news is the following tax tip: Some trade journals, if related to your work, may be tax deductible.
A Rise in Interest Rates
Have a mortgage? There is a chance your interest rate may increase by two per cent before your house is paid for.
The Good News
Budgets are not set in stone. Therefore, if you forget one of the above expenses you can always add it to next month’s budget. If you want to cut down on un-budgeted items, track your spending for a few months prior to your first budget. And along the way, make changes and update.
About Council for Disability Awareness
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