Budgeting can take some work to get just right. One area that often trips people up is understanding exactly how much they spend each month. Figuring that out can take some trial and error as well as fine-tuning. And even if things are humming along well for a few months, you can suddenly get hit with a surprise bill or a colossal credit card statement that jeopardizes your finances.
To help avoid that scenario and make budgeting easier, it’s important to consider some of the items that are often omitted from the expenses list when people set up budgets. This can help ensure that your hard work managing your finances stays on track.
Read on to learn about commonly overlooked expenditures and how to work them into your budget. That way, you’ll know exactly where your money is going, which can help you avoid debt.
What Are Some Expenses That Are Commonly Budgeted For?
When thinking about a basic living expenses budget, some items are so major, recurring, and important that it would be hard to overlook them. These likely include:
• Rent or mortgage payments
• Homeowners association fees
• Utilities
• WiFi
• Cell phone bill
• Car and/or student loan payments
• Groceries
• Daycare or tuition
• Gym memberships
• Medical insurance and pet insurance premiums
• Transportation
Why Is It Important to Budget for Forgotten Expenses?
It’s understandable that some expenses may slip your mind when creating a budget. The typical person probably has dozens of things they are paying for in a given month. But these sneaky forgotten expenses can wreak havoc on your budget and prevent you from reaching your financial goals.
That’s why it’s important to pay close attention to your spending so you can adjust your budget as needed. These are some of the reasons why it’s important to budget for forgotten expenses:
• Creating a successful budget requires knowing what you spend each month.
• If you forget to add an expense and run out of funds to pay for it, you may end up pulling funds out of your savings account and sacrificing future goals to cover it.
• If you really overspend due to forgotten expenses, you may have to turn to high-interest credit card debt to make ends meet.
Recommended: How Much Should I Save a Month?
20 Commonly Forgotten Budget Items
If you are convinced of the importance of accounting for all of your expenses, then it’s time to move ahead. Let’s look at some commonly forgotten budget items to make sure they don’t fall through the cracks.
1. Home Maintenance
While it’s hard to forget about your mortgage payments, the other expenses of homeownership are easy to forget about and add up fast. From hiring a gardener to regular carpet cleanings to random handyman repairs, it makes sense to leave room in a budget for home maintenance as those charges tend to frequently pop up.
2. Vehicle Maintenance
Budgeting for a car payment is probably top of mind, since you likely don’t want to risk getting hit with late payment fees or losing your car. The same generally holds true for car insurance. But those aren’t the only car expenses worth planning for. Drivers also need to make room in their budget for such car-related expenses as tune-ups and repairs. You’ll also want to remember to include gas, insurance, parking and toll road fees; they also have a way of adding up.
3. Taxes
Income taxes may be withdrawn from your paychecks, but property taxes generally aren’t. Forgetting about these bills is a common budgeting mistake. Then, when the payment does come due, it’s a nasty surprise that can throw your budget out of whack.
4. Medical Expenses
It’s easy to forget about or overlook your medical expenses, including over-the-counter and Rx drugs, dental cleanings, regular checkups, or getting new glasses or contacts. These are all vital expenses worth planning for. Budgeting for medical expenses can help improve your financial health too by helping you avoid debt.
5. Donations/Giving
Perhaps you donate when you see a worthy cause on social media or sponsor a colleague who’s doing a charity walk. This kind of spending is easy to forget about, so make sure to put it into your budget so you don’t wind up short of funds when you want to help others.
Recommended: 15 Creative Ways to Save Money
6. Office/School Supplies
Items that keep your home office or study space up and running need a spot in your budget too. This means accounting for things like toner, paper, stamps, shipping supplies, and software subscription fees.
7. Renewals for Licenses (Insurance, Drivers, Etc.)
Some expenses only pop up once a year, or every few years, like driver’s license or insurance renewals, but it can be helpful to split up that expense into smaller chunks and save for it month by month.
8. Seasonal Maintenance
Some home-maintenance needs are ongoing, but others come around seasonally. Similar to license renewals, it can be helpful to save up for pricey seasonal maintenance needs, like gutter cleaning and snow removal, all year round. That way, you won’t come up short when a bill hits.
9. Items for Pets
Pets bring a lot of love into a home, but also a lot of expenses. From vet fees and pet insurance to toys, food, and doggie daycare, these expenses can be significant and deserve a place in your budget.
10. Personal Items (Hair, Nails, Etc.)
A bottle of shampoo here, a manicure there, plus regular haircuts — the myriad expenses that help us look and feel our best can add up quickly. They may only cost a few bucks a pop (hello, body wash) or only happen once in a while (that fresh set of highlights), but it’s wise to be prepared for the cost.
Get up to $300 when you bank with SoFi.
No account or overdraft fees. No minimum balance.
Up to 4.00% APY on savings balances.
Up to 2-day-early paycheck.
Up to $2M of additional FDIC insurance.
11. Lump Sum Bills
Some memberships and insurance plans may only renew once or twice a year. Many of them are lump sum bills, meaning you are expected to pay them in full, right away. Which is why it can be helpful to save money each month to make sure you have the funds to cover lump sum bills.
Recommended: 18 Common Misconceptions About Money
12. Ridesharing
If you rely on ridesharing apps to get around (whether it’s once a month or several times a week), it’s important to budget for that expense. The convenience can make it feel like a free ride…but it isn’t!
13. Delivery App Fees
Another app-based expense to look out for are the delivery fees that get added when you order dinner or groceries from the comfort of your home. Also, if you tip the driver, make sure to include that as well. These fees definitely add to the price of what’s being dropped off.
14. Business Expenses (Conferences, Trips, Etc.)
You may incur expenses related to work that aren’t reimbursed by your employer. These include such purchases as buying professional clothing, renewing professional licenses, or pursuing continuing education to further your career.
15. Entertainment
From travel to movies and concerts to museum memberships, there’s no shortage of entertainment costs that need to make their way into our budgets.
Recommended: Are You Bad with Money? Here’s How to Get Better
16. Subscriptions or Membership Fees
Speaking of entertainment, you may be paying for one or more streaming platforms, like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu. And you may have other subscriptions, like meal kits, personal-care supplies, gym memberships, or even a wine- or beer-of-the-month club. These kinds of one-click sign-ups may not make it onto your budget, but they should.
17. Gifts for Others
From swanky birthday dinners to holiday gifts to wedding presents, you may spend a chunk of change every year to make others happy. It can help to save for the costs of gifts all year round. You can do this by estimating how much you expect to spend in this category for the year and then break it down into a monthly expense by adding a “presents” line to your budget. That way, when these expenses do pop up, you’ll be prepared.
18. Coffee
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a pricey latte on the go now and then, as long as it finds a spot in your budget. These kinds of little treats can be an important part of self-care, and budgeting for them properly can be an example of financial self-care.
19. Roadside Assistance Costs
One extra that some drivers may find very worthwhile is roadside assistance service. Keep it in the budget, and stay safe.
20. Laundromat/Dry Cleaners
Whether you drop off your clothing at a laundromat once a week and have them washed and folded for you, or you DIY but occasionally drop clothing off at the dry cleaner, these are all costs that need to be considered in your monthly budget.
Why Are These Expenses Commonly Forgotten?
As you can see, the list of commonly forgotten monthly expenses is long. One key reason is that it’s relatively simple to remember to add the really big, recurring expenses — like rent or a car payment — into a monthly budget. But there are plenty of “invisible” expenses that we pay for with a simple click online (whether that means paying for a subscription service or a life insurance policy) that just don’t come to mind when setting up a budget.
There are also those very infrequent charges — say, an annual technician visit to clean your heating system — that we can overlook until they hit. It’s also easy to overlook small but relatively frequent purchases, such as laundry detergent or printer paper, that can add up over time.
Accounting for as many expenditures as possible will help you hone your budget and be as prepared as possible for the bills that come your way.
Banking With SoFi
Interested in opening an online bank account? When you sign up for a SoFi Checking and Savings account with direct deposit, you’ll get a competitive annual percentage yield (APY), pay zero account fees, and enjoy an array of rewards, such as access to the Allpoint Network of 55,000+ fee-free ATMs globally. Qualifying accounts can even access their paycheck up to two days early.
FAQ
What are common monthly expenses?
Common monthly expenses include rent or mortgage payments, utilities, food, cell phone bills, and loans or credit-card payments. Many of us also purchase clothes, meals/beverages away from home, personal care products, medical insurance, and have transportation expenses, which may or may not include car payments and insurance.
What are some hidden expenses you may have?
Some commonly forgotten budget items can include medical expenses, petcare costs, charitable donations, home- and car-maintenance charges, and subscription services, whether that’s a gym membership or streaming channels.
Will my budget be messed up if I do not add these forgotten expenses?
Yes, it’s possible to mess up a budget if you don’t include all of your expenses. You may wind up with bills to pay and not enough income to cover them. To resolve this, you might have to dip into your savings or start putting things on your credit card, neither of which is ideal. The good news is, each month offers a fresh start to make your budget work better.
Photo credit: iStock/staticnak1983
SoFi® Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A. ©2024 SoFi Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
The SoFi Bank Debit Mastercard® is issued by SoFi Bank, N.A., pursuant to license by Mastercard International Incorporated and can be used everywhere Mastercard is accepted. Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.
SoFi members with direct deposit activity can earn 4.00% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Direct Deposit means a recurring deposit of regular income to an account holder’s SoFi Checking or Savings account, including payroll, pension, or government benefit payments (e.g., Social Security), made by the account holder’s employer, payroll or benefits provider or government agency (“Direct Deposit”) via the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Deposits that are not from an employer or government agency, including but not limited to check deposits, peer-to-peer transfers (e.g., transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc.), merchant transactions (e.g., transactions from PayPal, Stripe, Square, etc.), and bank ACH funds transfers and wire transfers from external accounts, or are non-recurring in nature (e.g., IRS tax refunds), do not constitute Direct Deposit activity. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. SoFi members with direct deposit are eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.
As an alternative to direct deposit, SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits can earn 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Qualifying Deposits means one or more deposits that, in the aggregate, are equal to or greater than $5,000 to an account holder’s SoFi Checking and Savings account (“Qualifying Deposits”) during a 30-day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Qualifying Deposits only include those deposits from the following eligible sources: (i) ACH transfers, (ii) inbound wire transfers, (iii) peer-to-peer transfers (i.e., external transfers from PayPal, Venmo, etc. and internal peer-to-peer transfers from a SoFi account belonging to another account holder), (iv) check deposits, (v) instant funding to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, (vi) push payments to your SoFi Bank Debit Card, and (vii) cash deposits. Qualifying Deposits do not include: (i) transfers between an account holder’s Checking account, Savings account, and/or Vaults; (ii) interest payments; (iii) bonuses issued by SoFi Bank or its affiliates; or (iv) credits, reversals, and refunds from SoFi Bank, N.A. (“SoFi Bank”) or from a merchant. SoFi members with Qualifying Deposits are not eligible for other SoFi Plus benefits.
SoFi Bank shall, in its sole discretion, assess each account holder’s Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits throughout each 30-Day Evaluation Period to determine the applicability of rates and may request additional documentation for verification of eligibility. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking > Savings > Current APY or (ii) Banking > Checking > Current APY. Upon receiving a Direct Deposit or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits to your account, you will begin earning 4.00% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% on checking balances on or before the following calendar day. You will continue to earn these APYs for (i) the remainder of the current 30-Day Evaluation Period and through the end of the subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period and (ii) any following 30-day Evaluation Periods during which SoFi Bank determines you to have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits without interruption.
SoFi Bank reserves the right to grant a grace period to account holders following a change in Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits activity before adjusting rates. If SoFi Bank grants you a grace period, the dates for such grace period will be reflected on the APY Details page of your account. If SoFi Bank determines that you did not have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits during the current 30-day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, then you will begin earning the rates earned by account holders without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits until you have Direct Deposit activity or $5,000 in Qualifying Deposits in a subsequent 30-Day Evaluation Period. For the avoidance of doubt, an account holder with both Direct Deposit activity and Qualifying Deposits will earn the rates earned by account holders with Direct Deposit.
Members without either Direct Deposit activity or Qualifying Deposits, as determined by SoFi Bank, during a 30-Day Evaluation Period and, if applicable, the grace period, will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances.
Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 12/3/24. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at https://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
*Awards or rankings from NerdWallet are not indicative of future success or results. This award and its ratings are independently determined and awarded by their respective publications.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.
SOBNK-Q324-037