by Ashley
Disclaimer: I hate to always bring up Dave Ramsey because I feel like a broken record and I don’t agree with everything he says, but….
One thing I always hear from people who call the Dave Ramsey Show is that when they started budgeting they feel like they “got a raise.”
I never understood that. I’ve always had a general budget, but since I’ve really been strict about budgeting, if anything it has felt more like a restriction! It has certainly NOT felt like getting a raise! What are these people talking about?
Well….I get it now.
This month I had in my planner that I needed to go get a teeth cleaning. I searched around for Groupons (which I’ve always used in the past), but none were anywhere remotely near my area so I decided to just call the local offices and ask if they were having any specials for cleanings. I was in luck – the third place I called was having a special for a free, X-ray and exam, and only $39 for the cleaning (this is about the same rate as the Groupon deals I’ve always used in the past). So I snagged an appointment!
Then, I go to my budget spreadsheet I keep (its an excel file on my computer tracking budgeting and current debts), and at first I’m a little bummed. Even though $40 is a great deal for teeth cleaning, x-ray and check-up, its DOUBLE my monthly “personal maintenance” budget (budget is $20). BUT….then I realized I’ve been saving $50/month for dental and vision purchases (my annual vision exam comes up in August). For the first time, I didn’t feel inconvenienced by this purchase and I didn’t have to worry about busting my budget for a necessary health-related expense! I’m so glad I decided to set up my budgeting system in a way where I was putting a little money aside every month for these irregular expenses!
So, we’ll see what happens when I get to the dentist, because I haven’t been in almost a year and I was warned that if my teeth needed “periodontal” something-or-other it would cost more. I’m a little worried, but glad that (1) I took the time to call around and find a great deal, and (2) I actually have money for this expense!
It’s the first time that it really did kind of feel like I got a raise simply by budgeting smartly. Wahoo!
Do you set aside money for these types of “expected” irregular expenses? What expenses do you set aside money for?
I remember Adam one time having this conversation in regard to setting aside money throughout the year for Christmas, but I could also think of many such “expected but irregular” types of expenses that one could budget for in this way.
