Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

‘Big Expenses’ to budget for?

13 replies

Itsrebekahvardysaccount · 15/10/2019 22:36

What am I not thinking of?

So far got:

Christmas
Holiday
MOT
Car Insurance
School Uniform

There must be more?

OP posts:
Northernsoullover · 15/10/2019 22:38

Do you own your home? If so I'd be thinking boiler, roof...

wheresmyliveship · 15/10/2019 22:38

Birthdays
Car expenses unexpected
Pet expenses?

BertieBotts · 15/10/2019 22:41

Birthdays, especially children's parties.
Hosting visitors (if you get them)
House upgrades (replacing older appliances, new furniture as children grow, redecorating)
Winter coats and shoes for DC

Fatted · 15/10/2019 22:41

Birthdays
Anything like christenings, weddings, hen dos, stag dos etc for friends or family?
School trips

MrsMoastyToasty · 15/10/2019 22:51

Car servicing and new tyres.

Kaddm · 15/10/2019 23:01

Large things breaking eg washing machine

Other things breaking: car/car tyres

I feel like something is always fucking breaking in my house!

yoursworried · 16/10/2019 03:50

Washing Machine / Dryer
Boiler
Car service, tyres and general car repairs
Children's birthday parties

Kazzyhoward · 16/10/2019 11:31

Replacement car

hormonesorDHbeingadick · 16/10/2019 11:33

Decorating
New car

ChasingRainbows19 · 16/10/2019 11:35

Boiler breakdowns/replacement if getting older
Washing/dryer breaking
General house repairs/decor
Furniture replacement
Birthdays/parties
Car repairs/breakdown
Clothes

Itsrebekahvardysaccount · 16/10/2019 22:51

Great replies.

Some of these are very difficult to budget exactly for aren’t they? Mainly the repairs/replacement of appliances.

So much to think of. Am I better to take baby steps and not try to all of a sudden go from no real savings to 20 different savings categories with different amounts in each or this an all or nothing type thing?

OP posts:
OhioOhioOhio · 16/10/2019 22:55

Yes. Maybe have 3 pots.

Never touch.
Almost never touch.
Expect to use.

Never touch means to pretend you don't have it.

BarbaraofSeville · 17/10/2019 07:28

It's more important that you have the savings, rather than the amount is exactly right or split up into pots for specifics.

I like Ohios designations - 'expect to use' would cover MOT, insurance, Christmas, holidays, appliance repair/replacement, school uniforms etc, so you will probably need to put a few hundred pounds a month away for these things. I think that's where a lot of people's budgeting comes unstuck - they don't realise how much all these irregular but expected expenses add up to and don't put enough away and then look at the money they have after bills and think 'I have loads of money for eating out, clothes, lunches, days out, gadgets etc etc' when in reality, they don't.

Almost never touch would be loss of income, maybe major repairs, house moving? and never touch would probably be pensions?

Somewhere within the moneysavingexpert budgeting section, there's a comprehensive list of expenses that you can work through and identify the ones that apply to you, whether you have DC, pets, own or rent, have certain hobbies and interests, run a car, like to spend a lot on holidays, etc etc

www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/Budget-planning/#bplanner

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread