What is irregular expenses and how do you accommodate them in your budget

[Fidelia]

Irregular expenses are those spendings that do not happen often and don't have a fixed timeframe for it to occur. Like a light bulb might suddenly stop working in your house.

How do you accommodate them in your budget since they are not fixed?

 

[Augusta]

These are the expenses that falls under miscellaneous items or expenses when you are drawing your budget. They can come up or not but have spare money for them

 

[King Belieal]

These are the expenses that falls under miscellaneous items or expenses when you are drawing your budget. They can come up or not but have spare money for them.

That's true. You always need to make provision for all those miscellaneous based on your lifestyle, needs and financial level. Most people don't capture miscellaneous into budgeting though.

 

[Suba]

Irregular expenses mean expenses that are rarely done, such as hanging out at cafes, entertainment, shopping, donations, etc. I don't accommodate into the budget or don't make a super tight budget so that I torture myself, I just try to record and reduce frequency so that it will reduce costs.

 

[pousinha]

I'm afraid many of the so called irregular expenses, are in fact regular. Even if we don't exactly know when they will appear. But we know for sure that soon or later they'll appear. For ex.: as we can't expect our home appliances will last in perfect state forever, we know soon or later we'll have to call a technician to repair our fridge (it happened to my couple in the beginning of this year), our washing machine (it happened to my couple last year) or we'll have to substitute them when they definitively stop to work.

 

[Suba]

I'm afraid many of the so called irregular expenses, are in fact regular. Even if we don't exactly know when they will appear. But we know for sure that soon or later they'll appear. For ex.: as we can't expect our home appliances will last in perfect state forever, we know soon or later we'll have to call a technician to repair our fridge (it happened to my couple in the beginning of this year), our washing machine (it happened to my couple last year) or we'll have to substitute them when they definitively stop to work.

I agree with you, in this life there are many unexpected expenses that have to be incurred, so they are not listed in the budget, such as a broken washing machine, a broken door, a broken car and require large costs. That is why we need an emergency fund to finance something that is not expected.

 

[pousinha]

The mishap occurs when the salaries are too small to create emergency funds. It happened years ago to my best friend. Her family lost the fridge cause a breakage and they were forced to wait for 3 months to afford the purchase of a new one. The worst: it was Summer in a subtropical country when they lost their fridge and were forced to spend all the hottest season to purchase a new fridge.

 

[Fidelia]

Is it not better that we have a separate fund for it where we can draw from when there is need for it. Just keep a small part of your income for all those irregular small expenses.

I agree with you, in this life there are many unexpected expenses that have to be incurred, so they are not listed in the budget, such as a broken washing machine, a broken door, a broken car and require large costs. That is why we need an emergency fund to finance something that is not expected.

 

[neku]

Traveling to another state to meet elderly relatives who are not well is the largest irregular expense, and I have to use my savings for this. I have spent a large amount this year.

 

[King Belieal]

Traveling to another state to meet elderly relatives who are not well is the largest irregular expense, and I have to use my savings for this. I have spent a large amount this year.

That's a major irregular expense especially when it happens all of a sudden. Travel expenses that are not for business are huge irregular expenses.

 

[Stardom22]

The irregular expenses according to me are the kind of expenses that comes abruptly in my budget without having plans to that. I usually go for loans to sort that kind of expenses.

 

[Springtime]

I do not make a tight budget. I have a rough estimate of how much I need to spend every month for daily necessities, and entertainment. I love to travel. I have also included such occasional expenses in my estimate.

 

[freelancermaria]

I typically keep some money set aside for unexpected expenses so that I do not have to dip into my savings when I need to cover them. It is not a large amount, but it is better than having nothing at all.

 

[King Belieal]

A typical example of an irregular budget is the gifts that you have to give to your friends on their birthdays and wedding celebrations. You just put them in miscellaneous expenses and see if they come up each month.