Instead, I treat my utilities like I would treat a fixed expense, because they are bills that come once a month and absolutely have to be paid before anything else. This is because the bills for these also usually change month-to-month. Some people also include utilities (like gas/heat and electricity), and car or house repairs/maintenance, in the “variable expenses” category. It’s tedious and annoying, and frustrating when you didn’t keep the receipt & can’t remember what you bought to put into the correct category.Įven when you have a budgeting app (I use Mint), the app rarely puts the entries in the right category, and you still have to review and split the entries by hand.īUT, I have a solution, and it’s these guys right here:ĭo Utilities Count as Variable Expenses for Your Cash Envelopes? We put it off for later, or don’t do it at all, because it means going through every single bank and credit card statement…įor every category of expenses that you are tracking. That second half is where EVERYBODY gets tripped up. Figuring out what you ACTUALLY spent at the end of each month.Writing out what you are planning to spend at the beginning of each month, and.Here’s the deal: There are TWO parts to monthly budgeting…
We all have to do it, it’s a pain in the butt, and we all don’t really do it when we’re really supposed to, right? Here’s Why You Need a Cash Envelope System….