• About Me
  • Disclosure
  • Shop

Making Cents Matter

  • Home
  • Resource Library
  • Budget
    • Budgeting Tips
    • Our Monthly Budget
    • Meal Planning
    • Free Printables
  • Debt Free
    • Debt Free Tips
    • Our Debt Free Journey
    • Free Printables
  • Saving
    • Ways We Save
    • DIY
    • Free Printables
  • Recipes
    • Recipes
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinners
      • Instant Pot
      • Slow Cooker
      • Soups
    • Meal Planning
    • Preserving Food
  • Garden
    • Gardening Tips
    • Preserving Food
  • Shop

November 8, 2019 · Leave a Comment

November Budget Categories

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.
Click here to read my disclosure policy.

Budget· Budget Tips

24shares
  • 24

Every month there are predictable expenses, as well as expenses that only occur a few times a year.  No matter how long we’ve been budgeting, there always seems to be a category or two I forget in our monthly budgets. Here are 10 budgeting categories you probably forgot in your November budget.

10 categories you forgot about in your November budget.

Halloween Clearance

The beginning of November is the perfect time to pick up some Halloween clearance items.  Clearance costumes make great additions to any dress up clothes bin you may have around the house.

But costumes aren’t the only clearance Halloween items I think are worth picking up.  I like grabbing bags of clearance candy for lunch box treats, pencils for classrooms, and those little spider rings for sending home in kids’ reading bags through our elementary school.

Holiday Food

Between Halloween just ending, Christmas coming up, and Thanksgiving at the end of this month, holidays can take a toll on our food budget.

When we host Thanksgiving at our house, we divvy out who brings what. Since we host, we usually take care of the larger items, like the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy.  Then our guests bring any remaining sides, desserts, drinks and snacks.  It helps to offset how much we’re spending on a Thanksgiving dinner.

How I allot what we spend on Thanksgiving changes year to year.  Most of the time I will take what we spend on our portion of food from our Gifting sinking fund, but there have been years I set aside an estimate on food over the course of the month, or even slowly stocking up on food (mainly pantry foods) throughout the month.

Travel

If you’re travelling for Thanksgiving, don’t forget to include fuel, lodging and extra food costs you’ll encounter during your travels.

Pet Boarding

If you’re travelling too far, or your pet doesn’t travel well, you’ll want to include a budget line for boarding costs.

Christmas Savings

It’s not too late to set a budget and start saving for Christmas!  Any amount you can set aside now, and sticking to that budget, helps keep you debt free over the course of Christmas.  It also reduces the chances of overspending during the holiday season.

Shopping Sales

As we’re getting closer and closer to Christmas, store will be having numerous sales.  Don’t forget to make a list, set a budget and stick to it for major sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Nothing hurts your financial goals worse than going off the budget rails on your Christmas spending before you’re even into December!

Christmas Decor

I’m not one to set out a ton of decorations; I’m very minimal when it comes to that.  But I know some people love to decorate their house from top to bottom in preparation for Christmas.  If this is you, you absolutely can still have your house ready for Christmas on a budget! Set a limit, stick to the limit, and don’t be afraid to check out the after Christmas sales at the end of December and beginning of January.

Increased Utilities

With the colder weather comes increases in heating costs, such as natural gas or electric bills.  At our previous two houses, we had natural gas as our main source of heat.  Our bill was always higher by a few hundred dollars in the winter than it was in the summer, when the water heater and the stove were the only uses of natural gas.  Even after we were on a budgeting “pay-one-monthly-price” program, the bill would reevaluate in the winter based on our actual usage.

Home Maintenance

With the cooler weather on it’s way, the heat will be in constant use soon, an increased heating bill isn’t the only thing that should be in your budget for the month.  Make sure that you’ve got your heating system inspected and in top performing shape before it’s running all the time.

Entertainment

Indoor blues can cause to an increase in spending.  It is possible to have some frugal fun in the fall, but if you’re looking for something a little more, you can still have some fun while remaining on a budget!  For example, if you want to go to the movies, or out for a family dinner to help break the monotony, make sure that you set a line in your budget for it!

 

Looking to set up your budget for a different month?

  • October Budget Categories

Do you have any categories for your November budget that I forgot?  Let me know in the comments below and I’ll add them to the list!

10 categories you forgot about in your November budget.

Related Posts

  • Homemade Applesauce – With Canning TutorialHomemade Applesauce – With Canning Tutorial
  • Apple Peel JellyApple Peel Jelly
  • Roast Chicken in a Dutch OvenRoast Chicken in a Dutch Oven
  • Homemade GranolaHomemade Granola
  • Chicken Gnocchi SoupChicken Gnocchi Soup
  • 7 Steps To Get Your Budget Back On Track7 Steps To Get Your Budget Back On Track
24shares
  • 24
Previous Post: « How To Can Diced Tomatoes
Next Post: Chicken Tortilla Soup »

Reader Interactions

Want access to our resource library? Sign up for our free email list!

* indicates required

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Post Categories





makingcentsmatter

makingcentsmatter
Only you can determine what your financial goals a Only you can determine what your financial goals are. If that means you're adding money to your savings account, or contributing to your retirement, while you are paying off debt, then so be it!⁠
.⁠
Do what looks right for you and your personal finances.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#budget #budgeting #savingmoney #savings #cashbudget #cash #cashisking #frugalblogger #frugalmom #frugalliving #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogress #makingcentsmatter #financialfreedom #debtfree
The trick to meal planning is to make it predictab The trick to meal planning is to make it predictable. But predictable doesn't mean the same thing week to week. You could have a chicken meal, a soup meal, a pasta meal, a leftovers meal, a family favorite meal, and so on.⁠
.⁠
We always try to go with themed days, but some weeks are so hectic the theme is literally "fast". Thankfully that hasn't been the case lately.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#mealplanning #mealplan #budget #budgeting #monthlyincome #savingmoney #savings #cashbudget #cash #cashisking #frugalblogger #frugalmom #frugalliving #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogress #makingcentsmatter #financialfreedom #debtfree
I can only hear about my extended warranty I never I can only hear about my extended warranty I never purchased so many times. 😣⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#makingcentsmatter #budgets #monthlyincome #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #savingmoney #payingoffdebt #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #monthlyincome #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom
March Debt Paid numbers are in!⁠ .⁠ House: $51 March Debt Paid numbers are in!⁠
.⁠
House: $511.13⁠
Citi: $0 – this has a residual $3 in interest charges since payoff, due in April⁠
D NelNet: $100⁠
K NelNet: $100⁠
K Chase: $600⁠
Explorer: $336.27⁠
.⁠
Total Paid in 2021: $8,258.84⁠
.⁠
Extra Payment: There isn’t one this month since we were $25 away from zeroing out the budget for our February 15th monthly paycheck. That $25, and monies left from our January 15th paycheck, covered our OOP costs for Hubs’ filling. We also have some savings goals coming up that need to be met, making our debt payments a little lower for the time begin.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#makingcentsmatter #debt #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #savingmoney #payingoffdebt #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #monthlyincome #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom⁠
The battle for who can charge what tonight is abou The battle for who can charge what tonight is about to begin. 😬⁠
.⁠
My kids run off with my charger, plug it into one outlet 5 feet from where they found it like that particular outlet is the only one in this house, and then proceed to fight over who can charge their device first at night.⁠
.⁠
Then they get grumpy when it's their turn and it's not the proper input cable. #itwasmychargerfirst #dontlikeitgofindyourown⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#parentingteens #parentingtweens #momlife #realife #budget #budgeting #savingmoney #cash #frugalblogger #frugalmom #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogress #makingcentsmatter
A needs his wisdom teeth taken out. I've talked a A needs his wisdom teeth taken out. I've talked a bit in our February Budget Check-In about how much of this I think we'll owe, and you can check that out on my YouTube channel if you're interested, but I wanted to say here...⁠
.⁠
To the mother with little kids struggling to get your finances in order, it will get better. I wish I could have heard those words years ago.⁠
.⁠
Nearly 10 years ago we were facing a $1,400 out-of-pocket portion for A's Phase 1 orthodontic work (I looked it up after I uploaded the video... we had a $1,400 portion).⁠
.⁠
It was a lot of money for us at the time. Our kids were 6, 2, and 3 months old. I don't think we even had $500 in savings, and I just left a part-time teaching job because it wasn't paying the part-time daycare bill, so paying our portion in full was just a dream I didn't think was achievable.⁠
.⁠
I was even stressing about the monthly $100 payments. We were so strapped. It was our breaking moment to start cutting costs and budgeting more effectively. We've learned a lot in that time period.⁠
.⁠
What we've learned is that it does no good to stress about it all the time. Life happens. All you can do is try to plan ahead, and if it's something that's unplanned, readjust. It won't always be easy, especially at first, but it will be worth it.⁠
.⁠
Nearly 10 years later, we are still paying off our debts. Student loans suck. But I see this bill as a reminder of how far we have come. Seeing a bill like this doesn't stress me out like it used to, and I know we can easily create a plan that can get it done and out of the way.⁠
.⁠
Will it delay our debt-free date more? Yes. But it's not worth stressing over. Life happens, readjust, and continue on down the path. It's called a journey for a reason.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#wisdomteeth #personalfiannce #personalfinancetips #financialgoals #budgeting #budgets #savingsgoals #savings #cashbudget #zerobasedbudget #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress #adulting #lifehappens #realife #realbudget #makingcentsmatter
It's almost payday! Here's how our variable budget It's almost payday! Here's how our variable budgeting categories are working out for the pay month.⁠
.⁠
Food is looking good this far into our paycheck, probably because miscellaneous - which includes eating out - took a hit with unexpected purchases. Pet is low for this time of the month, and Household is spot on.⁠
.⁠
Fuel looks like it'll be lower than last month (yay for weeks of snow days & delayed school starts), and Therapy had one more appointment than initially planned.⁠
.⁠
Garden, Dental, Medical & Propane are not included in these estimates so far because those expenses are coming from sinking funds. Once we're done with the month and review the budget, I'll move over the total amount spent from those sinking funds.⁠
.⁠
How's your paycheck budget coming along?⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#realbudget #monthlyincome #monthlybudget #budget #budgetupdate #budgeting #savingmoney #variablecategories #savingmoney #savings #debtfreecommunity #debtfreejourney #cash #financialgoals #personalfinancetips #personalfinance #frugalliving #frugalblogger #budgetblogger #makingcentsmatter
Automating your finances makes saving money and bu Automating your finances makes saving money and budgeting more convenient, and therefore easier on you. Out of sight, out of mind, right?⁠
.⁠
What's one thing you can automate this week to make your finances easier?⁠
.⁠
Me? I'm going to set up our sinking fund transfers to automate every payday (the 15th of every month). Our bank set up a feature on their app where we can schedule savings transfers now, and I'm going to take advantage of it!⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#personalfinance #personalfinancetips #budgeting #budgettips #personalfinancemadeeasy #savingmoney #savings #sinkingfunds #cash #frugalblogger #frugalmom #frugalliving #debtfreejourney #debtfreecommunity #debtfreeprogess #financialfreedom #makingcentsmatter
Oh my word... our miscellaneous category has gone Oh my word... our miscellaneous category has gone a smidgen overboard this month!⁠
.⁠
I foresee a goal for March's paycheck to at out less than twice. That's where this category went awry. $99.16 of it went to eating out. 😑 Some of it was avoidable, but not all of it. Having to drive to multiple appointments in one day during snow squalls and rearranging our whole day was one of those unavoidable instances.⁠
.⁠
Tracking our expenses - much like a budget review - is vital to sticking to your budget!⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#makingcentsmatter #debt #debtfreejourney #debtfreeprogress #debtfreecommunity #realbudget #budgetcategories #monthlyincome #savingmoney #savings #frugalliving #frugalblogging #budgeting #zerobasedbudget #financialgoals #personalfinance #personalfinancetips #financialfreedom #expensetracking #budgetfail
Load More... Follow on Instagram


Copyright

I love it when you share our content! Please keep in mind that all content, images and text on this site are property of Making Cents Matter. Feel free to use no more than two photos on your own site, provided that a link back to my original post is included. Do not crop, edit, or remove any watermarks from any of my images without obtaining written permission from me first. Thank you!

Privacy Policy & Disclosures

MakingCentsMatter is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and other affiliated sites.

You can read more about our privacy policy and disclosures here.

Copyright © 2023 · Captivating Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in