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Preparing for the “Unexpected”

July 2, 2025 This month, I’ve been focused on saving money for our Alaska trip. I had saved and saved to pay off the trip in April. Now, I’m saving to spend money. My family always has a huge garage sale in the summer—it’s a great way to get rid of things we don’t use or need, and it also brings in some money. We weren’t as busy as we normally are, but I did sell about $280. I’m now listing items on Facebook Marketplace that didn’t sell at the garage sale in hopes of making more money for our trip. Every dollar counts!

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. You might also be interested in From debt reduction to smarter saving, Project Money transformed my finances—discover the lessons that changed everything... Financial freedom means control, not wealth. I’m guiding my kids early—open talks, goals, IRAs, and celebrating wins... Kelli’s prepping for retirement at 50 by boosting savings, opening a Roth, and learning to invest smart... Kelli’s mindset shift = power: she’s tackling surprise costs with strategy, not stress. Financial freedom starts with intention and control... Kelli shares how intentional budgeting brings freedom—not restriction. Saying no today means saying yes to your bigger goals tomorrow... Kelli revamped her budget by prioritizing needs, goals, and learning—turning mindful spending into meaningful financial progress... Learning to live debt-free, Kelli pays cash for college, budgets tightly, and uses envelopes to stay focused on her financial goals... Kelli got a glimpse of financial ease this summer—budgeting stayed strong, stress eased, and small, consistent steps proved key to lasting financial confidence... Kelli shares how working with her coach helped her reset her budget, stay flexible, and prioritize saving—all while celebrating a debt-free vacation...