Preparing for the “Unexpected”
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Preparing for the “Unexpected”
Kelli
I’m also trying to save money for Shaela’s college while living on a sustainable budget. This is the part that gets so frustrating for me. I set up a budget for the month, and it seemed manageable. But it feels like something always comes up that is “unexpected.” I say “unexpected” because I hadn’t planned for it—although in hindsight, I should have.
This month, the “unexpected” included co-pays for medical appointments for Shaela, car repairs for Hayden, and a gift for Shaela’s graduation. I wasn’t prepared for all of this to come at once. I don’t want to go into debt, but I already budgeted each dollar this month for something other than these expenses. So, what do I do?
One small celebration: I had a hair appointment and an oil change this week. Because I had been saving a little money each month for these expenses, I was prepared! It felt good to just transfer the money to my account and pay right away without affecting my budget. This is how I want it to feel for all my expenses.
The lesson I learned is that I have to plan ahead. I’m always going to have “unexpected” expenses. I need to save money each month for categories like medical, car maintenance, and gifts so I can avoid frustration and stay on track with my goals.
What expenses do you have coming up in the future that you should start saving for now? It’s much easier to put away $20 each month than to come up with $240 all at once.
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