Most of us have been through the following story at some point in our lives: We resolve to “do better” with our money. That credit card company has taken advantage of us for the last time! We’re angry that we let ourselves get into such a vulnerable position and we’re angry that the credit card company hit us while we were down.
So, we get out the yellow pad or the computer spreadsheet and we get to work on a budget. We allocate our money carefully, taking our best estimate at what we’ll spend in the following month on groceries, gas, and utilities. Everything’s going fine until the 9th of the month…
On that day, two tires go flat on our usually-reliable family car. Your dentist sends you a second bill for the work done last month to resolve a clerical error. And your electricity bill is $30 higher than usual. What in the world is happening?!? Why is this all hitting at once???
Unfortunately, these unexpected things do seem to hit us just when we think we’re getting it all together. However, even though they seem like a string of improbable flukes, the root of the issue closer than the mechanic’s garage or the dentist’s office–the problem is us!
When we get used to living life without an advance financial plan (a budget), we quickly lose touch of what we really spend each month. Ask me before I started budgeting what I spent on groceries each month, and I would have said, “like $150 or so.” (reality = $400) Or ask me how much I spent on car repairs per year: “like $450 I think…” (reality = $60 per month)
The point is, our perception of reality is quite different than the truth of the situation, and we tend to underestimate how much we spend each month on these “unusual expenses.”
So be encouraged–you’re not alone when you’re hit by a “string of flukes,” in fact almost all of us have been there! If you’re starting (or restarting) budgeting for the first time, be generous with your grocery budget, and include $60 per month or more for car repairs. You may not need it in the first month, but soon you will, and having $180 sitting in your account waiting to be spent on car repairs makes that phone call from the mechanic a great deal less stressful!
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