Family Budget Categories Amounts

I have a ton of budget posts talking about how great a budget is, how it can free you from feelings of financial guilt.  I even posted my family’s actual budget.

But that’s me, and it’s not you.  It’s so hard to just stare at a bank paper and then try to make a budget out of it — one that you can live by.  The living by it is the thing that you need to emphasize.  There is NO REASON to make a budget that you literally can not do.  Check out my post about advice for that one.

First off, I thought this post that shows a lot of different advice on budget percentages.  I compared it to my own budget, and it comes out pretty similar.

Our own budget is pretty hard to do because our income varies so much.  Do the rest of you have pretty consistent income, or does it vary a lot?

For us, it’s really important to have a good budget that allows all our needs (and a few wants), so that we can flux when the income is high (put money in savings because we’re not over-spending) and stay strict to the budget during lean times (and possibly withdrawing from savings).

For us — ours looks like this:

• Mortgage & HOA 29%
• Utilities (which includes cell, water, trash, internet, TV (Netflix, Electric) 10%
• Insurance (includes car, life and health) 21% {sigh}
• Charity 10%
• Health Savings 3%
• Groceries 15%
• Household needs 1%
• Gas 5%
• Dating 2%
• Personal Money/Allowance 3%
• Wiggle Room 1%

I tend to fund the month (because we pre-fund our budget) a little over what we ACTUALLY need in the budget.  I feel a little less tight that way.

And somehow, when I feel less tight I think I spend less.

But, that’s me.  You’ll have to decide if you just want to fund that account to the dollar.

Again, I think it’s SO important to be honest about what we’re spending.  It’s important to be honest with YOURSELF and I’m happy to share with you what we spend.  Between my data and the %’s listed in that post above, it should give you a great idea for yourself.

Make a budget, it will free you.

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