Where might I find a complete budgeting list?

[Cheetahwoman7]

Hi everyone,

I found out yesterday that I probably won't have a job after the middle of June. In the back of my mind I knew it was coming to this, even though everyone else said I was crazy. Anyway, I sat down last night and tried to write down all of my bills and how they were paid (monthly, quarterly, yearly), but I think I'm forgetting something(s).

Where might I find a list that contains, not only all the categories for a budget, but the different things that can fit within that category? I need something to jog my memory so that I don't leave anything out.

Thanks in advance,
CJ

[sweeps]

http://www.consumercredit.com/budget-sheet.htm

[debtdude]

Great link.

A budget sheet like that in the link is a great place to START. After the first month, you'll find items that don't fall into any catagory or are better suited to their own catagory.

Start with the above link. After two months, evaluate your spending/expenses and expand that list so YOU can BEST track your budget. After six months you should have a good budget catagory listing.

You also might consider breaking some catagories into "un-necessary expenses." This will help you when money get's tight - it will be easy to see where you can cut back. If you pay for convenience for anything, this would be a good line item for "un-necessary"

[Cheetahwoman7]

Thank you Sweepsplayer and Debtdude. The budget list posted is alot like what I did on my own. I still think there's something I forgot but just can't put my finger on it. I'm sure it will pop up sometime before the 6th month that you mentioned.

As for cutting back unnecessary things, well, there wouldn't be much to cut back....I'm thinking my bimonthly visits to Goodwill to pick up books. The other thing would be my cell phone. I'm on a $25 a month plan with only 60 minutes (I don't use it much), but wouldn't mind getting a tracfone if I could "port" my number.

Anyone know if Tracfone will port existing numbers?

Thanks again for your help. I'll be reading through the forums trying to pick up some good ideas for cost cutting and saving. FYI, I'm single, my income is the only income, and my two big doggies eat way too much. (But I'm not willing to cut costs by getting rid of them!)

CJ

[sweeps]

Originally Posted by Cheetahwoman7

Anyone know if Tracfone will port existing numbers?

According to this page, yes.

[veronak]

here try this link but you can also google budgets and you'll get a ton of sites good luck:





http://financialplan.about.com/library/n_budget.htm

[PRICEPLUS]

Great sites!

[cbmeeks]

Sorry to hear about that.

Here is what I suggest:

1) Organize your expenses in most important to least important. ie, food/water, mortgage, electric, etc.

Car payments should be just above CC (if you have those...hopefully not) which be on the bottom.

2) Pay the minimums for now on until you find a job.

3) Turn off every light, make sure there are no leaks, etc in the entire house. You're not allowed to watch TV any more or play on the computer. Your next electric bill shouldn't be more than $30. Tell your kids you will beat their a$$ if they turn on anything.

4) RIGHT NOW, turn off cable, internet, and anything else you can turn off without having to pay termination fees.

5) you should try to keep ONE phone if you can. If you have a cell phone, turn off the house phone because you problaby can't turn off the cell without paying a fee. You will need a phone for when job offers are calling you. You are looking right now right?
If you only have a house phone, turn off call waiting, three-way and all that other garbage that is extra. Which includes TOUCH TONE. You can pulse dial with most phones.

6) Milk, water, bread, Ramen noodles, beans, rice will be your only source of food until you have a new job. This goes for your kids/wife too.

7) Call your CC companies or loan companies and see if they can defer anything without paying huge penalties. Explain the situation. At least you will have it on record.

8) Find a job. Any job.

9) Found a job yet?

10) Paying for a SUV? Sell it. Get a $1000 car you can drive for two years with no payments.

11) Find a job.

Good luck.

cbmeeks

[Cheetahwoman7]

Hi CB,

I really like your idea of prioritizing my bills. I've never even thought of that before.

I am, however, lucky in several instances you mentioned.

1) I don't have any kids, just dogs, and they're not too picky when it comes to eating. I'm thinking of getting a Costco membership because, even after the cost of the card, I can save over $200 a year buying their dog food.

2) I've always paid off my credit cards every month. I only have two: one for internet purchases, the other for everything else.

3) I'm good at turing off lights and such, even turn down the water heater after I've taken my shower for the day. Don't turn it back up until the next morning. My electric/gas bill runs $20-30 a month.

4) I pay about $10 a month for internet access and don't plan on cutting that off. If I did, how would I get to peruse all the great advice on this site?

5) I'm looking into getting a Tracfone instead of the T-Mobile I have. My plan is only $20 a month for 60 minutes, but if I go over...WHOA, the cost is $$$$ (no carryover minutes) I don't use it much and it doesn't seem worth the cost.

6) I'm a pretty good grocery shopper. Stock up when things are free/cheap. Love it when the butcher marks everything down! My freezer is in good supply with chicken, low fat hamburger and such. Also have plenty of pasta sauce and pasta.

I didn't go out to eat at all this week, which I usually do once or twice a week for lunch. I plan to keep packing my lunch. That will save me at least $10 a week. I also haven't gone out to dinner either. I don't do that as much as lunch, but when I do, it costs alot more!

7) I don't have cable, or fancy add-ons to my phone line, so no extra to cut there. My basic home phone is under $10 a month, so I'm keeping that too. Since my internet is dial up, I need my home phone line.

8) As for my car, it's paid off. I drive a 1995 "micro" van (Mitsubishi Expo Wagon) so I can haul my doggies around. It's in really good shape and has only about 93,000 miles on it. I keep the oil changed and tires inflated. I plan all of my errands together so that I don't waste gas on multiple trips.

I used some of the budgeting lists that I got from the wonderful people on this thread and this is what I've come up with (tell me what y'all think):

Monthly Costs:

gas/electric- $30
groceries/food/health & beauty- $100
gas (for car)- $120
water- $20
cell phone- $30 (looking into tracfone instead)
home phone- $7
credit card #1- $130 (usually for gas, dinners out, some shopping)
credit card #2- $10 (for internet and online purchases)

Quarterly Costs:

garbage- $50
sewage hookup- $27

Yearly Costs:

car insurance (on one car)- $565
home insurance- $722
house taxes- $1700
car registration- $60 (more every other year when I have to have a smog certificate)
AAA- $49 (like to have for towing, flat tire repair and ease of using their DMV office)

WHEW!!!! Well, I think that's it. Rounded up, I've calculated it to be $740 a month. This doesn't include any emergency costs or misc. stuff that I just can't think of at the moment. I know that I can cut down on the food and the cell phone. If you can see anywhere else to cut, let me know!

With the job...well, they told me to "wait and see" what might happen. I'm to the point now where I'm not sure if I really want to work there anymore. I've been cleaning out my stuff and hope to have it organized and boxed within the next three weeks.

I appreciate everyone's help with this. I'm more comfortable just knowing that I can take control of this situation.

CJ

[cbmeeks]

Well, you sound like you are doing well about keeping costs down.

The only thing I would change would be to go to one phone only. Why have two when it's just you??

Talk less. :-)

Oh, Tracphones (or any pre-paids) are NOT cheaper if you do any of the following: 1) Talk more than about 30 minutes a month and/or want to keep the same phone number.

Read the fine print. *IF* you want to keep the same phone number, you HAVE to put in minutes. Minute cards do not roll over and they expire in like 3-4 months. So, you have to refill 3-4 times a year. Minimum refill is usually 10 or $20 or more. Add it up and divide by 12. All of a sudden, that "cheap" pre-paid actually has a monthly charge.

good luck and keep us posted