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July 12, 2019 · 1 Comment

July Budget Categories

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Budget· Budget Tips

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It’s so hard to believe that half the year has passed!  As you’re prepping your July budgets, keep these categories in mind!

July Budget Categories

Fourth Celebrations

Fourth of July celebrations are something I bring up in our June Budget Categories, but if you’re just getting started, don’t worry!  Even though the holiday is really close to the beginning of the month, you don’t have to go over-budget just to have some fun.  If your plans are finalized, determine how much money you’ll need and start figuring out where you can squeeze that extra money from.  If you just can’t swing it, there’s nothing wrong with staying home or having some frugal fun!

Lawn Care

Depending on the weather in our corner of the northeast, July is when our grass starts to slow it’s growth and the weeds kick their growth into high gear.  Whether you pay someone to care for your lawn, or you do it yourself, it’s not free.  Look at your lawn expenses in the past to get an idea of how much you’ll be spending throughout the growing season.

Allergies

My allergies run year round.  Nothing is weirder than having to be that one person that buys OTC allergy medicine in the middle of December.  But my kids allergies kick it into high gear this time of year between the grass and ragweed.  This results in buying our allergy meds more often than I do throughout the rest of the year.  If this is your prime allergy season, don’t forget to budget for it!

Increased Utilities

For us, the July and August are our peak electric bill months.  It’s solely because our pool filter is running 16 hours a day, and we use of our air conditioners during a heat wave or when I’m taking a day to can.  Either way, be sure to budget for an increase in these utility bills during the summers.

Pool Care

July is when stores start to change their seasonal sections to back to school items.  July also is the time we run low on chlorine tablets, water test strips and pool shock.  By August it’s hard for me to find any of it without having to go to a specialty store and pay an extra premium.  So in our July budget, I make sure to save some money aside for shock and chlorine tablets to get us through closing our pool for the season in September, and then reopening it again next year in May.

Back To School

Since July is when stores start setting up their back to school merch, July is also the perfect time to start making the list of necessary back to school supplies and start watching those sales.  Even if you don’t have kids in school, if you know you need items for your home office or business, now is the time to purchase items.

Garden

Since we have short growing season on my mountain, July is when we start to do the majority of our harvesting can preserving.  Whether your season is just starting, or you’re in the midst of it, or your at the tail end, make sure to set a budget, and stick to it!  Don’t be afraid to get creative too!  Some of the best results we’ve had in the garden over the years have been from things we’ve had to come up with on the fly.

Farmer’s Market / You Pick Farms

Our farmer’s markets started in May, so June through August are the main months for going to the markets.  I really enjoy going to the Farmers Market for fruits and veggies that I don’t, or can’t, grow.  It’s a favorite place for plums, and peaches too.  We love to eat our fruits and veggies fresh and in season, but we also preserve a lot of food this time of year to eat through the winters.  Either way, don’t forget to budget for the expenses for fresh fruit, veggies, herbs and flowers, whether you incorporate the cost into your weekly grocery budget, or you have a separate envelope for it.

Library Fines

We don’t visit the library much during the school year since we’re busy doing all sorts of other things, but when school is out, we go multiple times a week.  It never fails that our first time back at the start of the summer we owe some sort of library fine for a late book the summer before.  {True story… Bookworm owed a $10 fine.}

Vacation / Travel

Summer time is the perfect time to travel with the kids, so whether it’s fees for the local campground, lodging at the hotel near the amusement parks, and amusement park ticket costs, don’t forget about the other expenses that may come up.  These can include pet boarding, parking fees, beach day passes and so on.

Miscellaneous Summer Costs

Between admission to the community pool, sunscreen, sandals, bug spray, and so on, there are small expenses that can eat up a good chunk of your budget when they’re all added up.  Be sure to have a miscellaneous category for these itemss.

Extracurricular Fees

Between youth camps in the summer, sports, marching band and theatre league, funding all the extra curricular activities isn’t cheap.  Make sure that you budget for, and save for these expenses ahead of time.

Also, be sure to budget for any uniforms, pictures and fundraisers that may come up.

Instrument Care

For those band mom’s, summer is the perfect time to get that instrument for a cleaning and see if there are any repairs that need done.  While I cringe at the bill, I know from personal experience that getting it in for routine maintenance will help keep the cost of emergency repairs and instrument replacement rentals down.

Sports Physicals

Summer time is the perfect time to get those annual checkups in!  Plus, if your child is playing school sports, they’re going to need a current physical on file.  If you need to pay a co-pay, don’t forget it in the budget.

Eye & Dental Exams

Just like wither annual physicals, summer is a great time to get the kids in for their exams.  Every spring and fall we have our semi-annual dental exams, and the summer is our annual eye exams.  If it’s been a while for either, you may want to get yourself in for a checkup.  Better to be on top of your health than have to play crisis management later on.

Sinking Funds

July is an excellent time to review your sinking funds.  How are the ones you’re doing now?  Well on your way to your goal, or do you need to reevaluate how much to save?  And don’t forget to add in any extras for items coming up.  I know that once our back to school shopping is done, I’ll have a smaller school sinking fund for all those small costs that come up throughout the school year such as science projects, etc.

Christmas

It’s July, and that means Christmas is coming.  Best to get started on saving up now so you know your budget when December comes.

Car Maintenance

If you’re planning any major family road trips, it’s always a good idea to get your car checked out before taking it on the road.  Changing your oil, checking your brakes and tire tread, while it may seem like a financial inconvenience now, can save you from a bigger bill down the road.

 

Looking to set up your budget for a different month?

  • June Budget Categories
  • May Budget Categories
  • April Budget Categories
  • March Budget Categories
  • February Budget Categories
  • January Budget Categories

Are there any other budget categories you included in your July budget that I aren’t on this list?  Let me know in the comments below and I’ll be sure to add them!

July Budget Categories

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  1. Holly says

    July 29, 2019 at 3:16 pm

    Great tips! I definitely want to start budgeting for Farmer’s Markets. It’s a great way to get veggies into my kids diet.
    Holly recently posted…The Best Unassembled Beehive KitsMy Profile

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makingcentsmatter

makingcentsmatter
Payday is today! Actually, payday was Friday the 1 Payday is today! Actually, payday was Friday the 12th because we completely forgot today is a bank holiday in the US. The feeling of being paid and not needing it is a nice one.⁠
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Here's what our paycheck needs to get us through for bills until March 14th. For a full look at our budget over the next month, head over to my budget with me on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rb8uyi1-rNc⁠
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#monthlyincome #monthlybudget #monthlybudget #zerobasedbudget #payday #budgetwithme #budgeting #budgettips #budgetcalendar #frugalliving #savingmoney #paycheck #makingcentsmatter #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress
This weekend was focused on a pantry shop and meal This weekend was focused on a pantry shop and meal plan creation! This meal plan to get us to our February payday. We also picked fast meals, because it's a busy two weeks between doctor's appointments,. Academic Decathalon, dance, and drama. I'm unsure we'll be able to shop on payday, hence the extras.⁠
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Total spent: $112.39 for items to get us through this and lunches.⁠
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Keep in mind, just over $112 for 12 meals isn't sustainable for our family, just in times when we need to stretch the last bits of our monthly income. I really wish $112 was enough to feed two teenaged boys in our household.⁠
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The point being... do what works for you, and your situation based on your location. Don't try to fit yourself into someone else's situation!⁠
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#mealplan #mealplanning #frugalliving #frugalmom #makingcentsmatter #savingmoney #monthlyincome #budgeting #budgetmom #groceryshop
January's real numbers:⁠ .⁠ House: $511.13⁠ January's real numbers:⁠
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House: $511.13⁠
Citi: $720⁠
D NelNet: $100⁠
K NelNet: $100⁠
K Chase: $150⁠
Explorer: $343⁠
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Extra Payment to Citi: $500⁠
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Noteworthy... our car payment had a late fee assessed because the mail was SLOWED down over Christmas. Three headaches later, and we potentially have online banking finally set up with them. It is still a headache. And we are never taking another car loan out with this bank!⁠
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How was January?⁠
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#makingcentsmatter #debt #debtfreejouney #debtfreeprogress #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #savingmoney #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #monthlyincome #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom
Sometimes in order to see progress, you need to ta Sometimes in order to see progress, you need to take a step back.
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I'll be honest, I didn't think that we got this far in 2020. With everything going on - and more importantly, everything NOT going on - we didn't keep up with this every month. We just threw what we could at our goal. I'm simply amazed at how far we came.
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Things are still hectic, and I'm simply mentally exhausted between remote learning, extended remote learning, offset quarantining children... it goes on and on.
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But I also cannot wait to see what strides we will make in 2021.
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#makingcentsmatter #debtfreejouney #debtfreeprogress #savingmoney #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #monthlyincome #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance
This is what school looks like when it's a hybrid This is what school looks like when it's a hybrid model, and your house does not have unlimited space. I was standing in our kitchen when I took this picture, the kids behind me making lunch.
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Our district is carefully monitoring our local infection rates, and we are currently in a hybrid form. That means they divided the district into two groups; half are in school on Monday and Tuesday, the other half on Thursday and Friday. They are offering an all remote option, but Verizon for some reason supplies our house with speeds so slow that it would shock a tortoise. Remote was a no-go.
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This set-up has taken some trial and error to get to where we currently are. Because no matter how prepared you are and how much you've planned, once you're in the weeds, actually doing it, there is no telling how your best-laid plans will work.
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Our home is a 1800sqft one-story, open living area, 4 bedroom, 1 bathroom, ranch-style house in a very rural area. It has no home offices. No guest bedrooms. Yes, that is a desk in the corner of our dining room. 🤣
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Each kid gets their own color bin for their school work. This includes school-issued Chromebooks and other standard items they need to get work done - headphones, pencils, and so on. When we are done for the day, we clean up everything, place them neatly in these bins, and place them in cubbies (on my current left) at night while the Chromebooks charge.
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I do NOT bother to clean up at lunchtime. It would take us more time to clean up and reset everything than it takes us to eat lunch. So we only pack it all up for the day and call it done.
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During the day, I sit between my younger two and field any questions they may have, troubleshoot technical issues we all have, and be the overall bouncer when things get off-topic. My high schooler will occasionally emerge from his bedroom, which opens to the kitchen. So he is close by when he has questions.
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Please remember that with all things in life, you need to work with what's available to you. And there is no shame in that. Don't ever feel like you're not doing good enough because it's not picture perfect. Work with what you have available to you, and you'll do amazing things.
School is in session, the garden is slowing, and I School is in session, the garden is slowing, and I’ve finally realized I haven’t shared our payoff numbers for July or August. Yeah……
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Please keep in mind, we are paid monthly on the 15th, but we don’t go by a “monthly” budget. So I have to go back and look at these numbers based off their due dates in the calendar. Because our pay falls in the middle of the month, I can’t tell you what portion of our income went to debt. It’s going to vary paycheck to paycheck anyways because our priorities vary with each check. Nothing is ever the same month to month, and pay to pay.
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That said, inJuly we paid off $2,694.43.
In August we paid off $1,673.40.
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The difference here is that our priorities shifted between the two months.
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During August, we were doing more prep for whatever school would look like this year, and we had some savings goals make their way to the top of the list as well.
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Of those goals, in August we made progress!
EF Reimbursement: $146 / $1,200
Checking Buffer Reimbursement: $227 / $500
Vet Sinking Fund: $40 / $200
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Remember this is a journey, not a race. There is no point wearing yourself ragged and still making no progress. Make progress where you can, and celebrate it. Even if it’s $5.
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It’s progress, and that’s what matters!
While I wait for the canner to finish the last rou While I wait for the canner to finish the last round... I rearranged our recipe binder. It's only taken me 8 or so years. 🤣😶😭
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I miss the days when zucchini was my problem. Now it's tomatoes. I can only find so many ways to use up spaghetti sauce! So the next 50lbs or so will be chili base and unseasoned sauce.
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On top of this school is starting with a hybrid in building & online system. And I'm seriously slacking on some things I need to do. I'm not good at juggling multiple things and the balls are falling. But I keep reminding myself... be patient. This too shall pass. This is only a phase. So I pick and choose what's the most important, focus on that and go from there.
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So if you feel overwhelmed with your current phase, remember, this too shall pass. It's okay to rearrange priorities. It's okay to take a breather.
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This too shall pass.
If you didn't start finding interesting ways to ge If you didn't start finding interesting ways to get rid of the squash, can you say you even planted any?
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Good news, I'm almost caught up! Bad news, the garden has more.
Super busy here... but I wanted to share that wins Super busy here... but I wanted to share that wins can come in super small packages. I thought I'd spend $380 to clean the band instruments in this house. I ended up spending $234. So the remaining $146 can go to reimbursing what I pulled from our EF.
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No matter the win, celebrate it!
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What are some wins you have had lately?
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