Here are 101 budgeting categories so you never forget a budget line item ever again!
Now I know that sitting around and writing out a budget categories list sounds about as thrilling as watching paint dry BUT believe it or not, it is THRILLING! Well, I should say what you get out of it is thrilling; you get a budget that works! That working budget allows you to save for the big things your heart sings about, like a trip to Walt Disney World!
So, in essence, making a budgeting categories list = Walt Disney World. See what I did there? Nicey nice, huh!
Okay, it’s a stretch, I know, but making those connections (no matter how broad) in our brain will keep us invested in the budgeting process, and that is the most important thing! So what is something that you really want to buy or do? If you budget effectively and save your money, you can have those things! Yes, it may take a while to save up, but you will get there!
So let’s dig into all the possible budgeting categories and build a failproof budget that works for you and your family! Because it’s a great working budget that will make your dreams possible!
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Why you need budget categories
Everyone’s financial situation is different, and what makes sense to one person may not make sense to you. 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. Neither of us wants that!
The main reason for going through this budget category list is to help you remember what you spend/buy. There’s nothing worse than building what you thought was the perfect monthly budget and then realizing that you forgot 8 different things after the fact. Then you totally busted your monthly budget, got pissed off, then depressed, and are tempted to quit.
Seriously, when I started budgeting, I forgot so many different things, and it made me so mad at myself (that’s the worst kind of mad!) I got so fed up with it that I wrote out anything and everything that could come up, and now here’s that list for you 🙂
Besides, 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.
How to build your budget categories list
You can easily split your budget into a few sections; budget categories for household and personal budget categories.
Some people really like a lot of detail, and some people like more general budget categories lists. Build your categories for how it will work best for you. Just make sure you are consistent with them from month to month. (This is easy with fixed expenses but it’s the variable expenses and the unexpected expense that can be tricky).
Instead of writing out your own, you can grab a copy of these but getting your free Better Budget templates right here. Just print and highlight which categories you want to include! There’s also a simple budget sheet for you to transfer them to build your own budget!
Categories for household budget
- mortgage/rent
- HOA dues
- property taxes
- home insurance
- utilities – cable, internet, trash, water & sewer, electricity, gas, cell
- lawn care
- gardening supplies
- home repairs & appliance replacement
- tools & supplies
Budget categories personal use
- makeup
- hair products
- hair cuts
- vitamins & supplements
- clothing & shoes
- exercise
- self-care activities
- hobby stuff
- side hustle supplies & costs
- fun money
Budget categories for kids
- clothes & shoes
- haircuts
- school supplies
- school lunches
- daycare
- lessons & clubs
- summer camps & programs
- fees & registrations
- subscription boxes
- babysitters
- fun stuff – toys, art supplies, hobby stuff, books
- Holiday stuff – Easter outfit, Halloween costumes, Christmas pictures with Santa, etc.
Budget categories list for medical care
- health insurance premiums
- health insurance deductible
- prescriptions
- eye care & glasses
- dental & orthodontics
- co-pays
- first aid supplies
- medical equipment
- therapy
- life insurance
Budget categories for work
- uniform or professional clothing
- dry cleaning
- lunches & snacks
- coffee
- transportation & parking fees
- professional fees & licensing
- after-hours events
- work equipment, tools & supplies
Budgeting categories for transportation
- gas
- car payments
- car insurance
- toll road fees
- public transportation costs & passes
- car repairs
- regular maintenance – oil changes, services, new tires, etc
- parking fees
- car registration
- DMV fees
- DEQ fees
- Hobby transportation (i.e., bike costs, etc.)
Budgeting categories for family
- basic groceries
- splurge groceries
- restaurants & fast food
- meal kits
- subscriptions – Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, etc.
- household supplies – cleaners, soap, paper goods, etc.
- tax prep & legal fees
Budget categories for pets
- purchase price of pet
- veterinary care
- lessons & training
- licenses
- pet food & vitamins
- toys, cages, etc
- grooming
Budget categories list for gifting
- birthday presents
- anniversary presents
- holiday presents – Christmas, Easter baskets, Valentine’s Day treats, Halloween candy
- graduations
Budgeting categories for events & fun
- family reunions
- holiday BBQ’s
- Christmas events
- spring break vacations
- summer vacations
- winter break vacations
- weekend getaways
- day trips – entry fees
- concerts & festivals
- airfare
- trip insurance
- road trips – gas, snacks & supplies
Budget categories for savings
- retirement contributions
- emergency fund
- sinking funds – vacations, home repairs, holidays, etc.
- college fund for kids
- charitable giving
Budget categories for debt
- minimum payments
- fees & charges (i.e., late fee, overdrafts, etc.)
- personal loan debt
- student payments
- HELOC repayment
- credit card debt
- car debt
Don’t forget that you can grab all of these bullet points printed out (and a budget worksheet to lay it all out in) and ready by grabbing your free budgeting templates right here!
Simple budgeting categories
Holy cannoli! That was 101 budgeting categories list! Whew! As I said above, all of these bullet points might be overwhelming; I get it. In that case, you may want to stick to simple budgeting categories, say maybe 10 or less. This would work best with a flexible budgeting method, such as the 50/30/20.
This budgeting method has three main categories
- needs = 50% of spending – (i.e. housing, utilities, etc)
- wants = 30% of spending – (i.e. discretionary spending – aka personal budget category)
- savings = 20% of income gets saved – (all savings goals)
If you want to see it laid out (I’m a visual learner, so I like to “see it” to help me understand. You can see it here.
Irregular expenses
When filling in your budget worksheet, don’t forget about the irregular expenses; you know those once every 6 months, or once a year type of spending. Think Amazon Prime subscription, Annual HOA dues, etc. Those are typically larger charges that can throw your monthly budget out of whack in an instant!
If you buy stuff for work and then get reimbursed for it, you may need to float that business expense for a month or two. So be sure to add a business expense category on your budget spreadsheet. Just be mindful of what you buy, and complete your reimbursement claims regularly.
At the end of the day
I know I just delivered a ton of items on this budget category list, and you absolutely shouldn’t use all of them (too overwhelming). Just choose the ones that make the most sense for your situation and build a successful budget.
The biggest benefit of doing this is that you plan ahead for expenses, then nothing comes up unexpectedly, throwing your budget completely off track! Because when that happens, you either go into debt for the expense or take money from your Walt Disney World vacation fund! GASP! Anything but that!!!!! 🙂
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Source: moneyforthemamas.com