Now that I’ve been budgeting for a few months I’ve noticed that every month has unusual expenses. In May I had my oral surgery which was expensive and limited how much I could pay down my debt and contribute to my emergency fund. I figured that in June I’d be able to put a lot more money towards these since I wouldn’t have the oral surgery bill. However, things didn’t turn out that way. I had an unexpected car repair which took quite a bit of money. Also I had to pay for three months of health insurance when I thought I could pay one month at a time. I also had to pay my personal property tax, renew my license and registration on my car, and pay for the next six months of auto insurance. While those expenses were expected when combined with the unexpected expenses I didn’t have nearly the surplus I expected.
This month is starting off the same. I knew I would have some dental expenses but they are already higher than I thought they would be. I think I need to budget $100-$200 a month for unexpected expenses. If it turns out I don’t actually have any unexpected expenses in a month than I can go ahead and contribute that amount towards my debt or savings. I’m not sure if this is the best solution but it is what I came up with. I’d be happy to hear any suggestions any readers would like to contribute.