Budget Categories to Organize Your Personal Budget

Over 100 budget categories to Organize Your Personal Budget; person writing a budget; calculator
Over 100 budget categories to Organize Your Personal Budget; person writing a budget; calculator

Are you ready to start a budget, but are not sure where to start? Budgeting can be overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it will seem like second nature.

After a while, your budget will become your habit and your money goals will come out on top. As you read on, you will learn the most important personal budget categories and subcategories to help you create a budget and plan for your future.

What are personal budget categories?

First things first, you must take into account the money you have coming in. This is your income after taxes (net) and will help determine how much you can spend weekly, monthly, and yearly.

When you create a budget, there are some easy categories you must include to make sure you account for all of y our spending. These are your personal budget categories and usually include housing, transportation, groceries, childcare, and utilities to name a few.

Personal budget categories help you write down and visualize your spending habits and when you have more knowledge about your spending, you can then gain financial discipline and make sure you have enough to cover your most important bills each month and year.

What are the three main budget categories?

When creating a simple budget, you want to include your most important categories first. In short, you will want to start with your housing cost, whether that be a mortgage or rent, your transportation cost (because you will need to get to work to keep on paying those bills), and food. These three categories are what keep you thriving and must be accounted for first.

What are the seven categories in a budget?

Once you have your housing, transportation and food are accounted for, utilities are a must. Here are seven main budget categories you can break down and keep track of each month:

  • mortgage/rent
  • food
  • transportation
  • utilities
  • childcare
  • clothing
  • entertainment

These are the main categories you will want to focus on when creating your budget. Yet, these categories can be broken down further to make sure you are tracking all of your spendings and don’t have a surprise expense pop up and derail your budget.

Other Important personal budget categories

Since this is a barebones budget, we will also take a look at other categories that are suggested for you to thrive financially. If you are in debt and just getting by, make sure to plan for the above categories. If you have a good grasp on your money and want to set some financial savings goals, take a look at the following list of budget categories:

  • income
  • savings
  • investing
  • giving

Once you are on track with your budget, make sure to include these categories and set some financial goals each month, year, and create a five-year plan. Ask yourself where you want to be in a year from now. Do you want to pay off all of y our debt? Are you trying to save for a specific item such as a house or a car? Do you want to put money into a retirement account or Roth IRA?  These questions can help guide you to set some realistic money goals for yourself.

As to account for all spending, I will break down each budget category further. As you create your own budget, make sure to include any area you spend money or add categories based on your money goals.

Grab your budget freebie here:



 

Over 100 Personal Budget Categories and Subcategories

Income

  • salary
  • hourly wages
  • side hustle money
  • rental income
  • child support payments
  • alimony payments
  • pension benefits
  • bonuses from work
  • dividents
  • interest earned on stocks/bank account

 


Housing Costs

  • rent
  • mortgage
  • repairs
  • taxes
  • insurance
  • appliances
  • improvements
  • clearing service
  • snow removal
  • lawn care

 


Utilities

  • natural gas
  • electric
  • water
  • internet
  • cable
  • phone
  • garbage removal
  • sewer

Transportation

  • car payment
  • car insurance
  • oil change
  • license
  • tolls
  • registration
  • bus fair
  • uber/Lyft fair
  • gas money
  • car maintenance
  • City transportation fairs (subway/train line)
  • parking fees

 Food

  • groceries
  • eating out
  • meal delivery service
  • food delivery and tips
  • fast food
  • dining out
  • snacks
  • coffee

 


Childcare

  • daycare
  • babysitting fees
  • extra activities such as sports/classes
  • school field trips
  • school fundraisers
  • day camps
  • school supplies
  • school lunches
  • tuition
  • School pictures

 Personal Care Items/Household Items

  • toothpaste
  • toothbrush
  • paper products
  • shampoo
  • conditioner
  • soap
  • cosmetics
  • grooming/hair cuts
  • sunscreen
  • laundry detergent
  • dryer sheets
  • dish soap
  • dishwasher soap
  • cleaning supplies (bleach, toilet cleaner, glass cleaner, dusting)

 Health Care

  • Doctor’s visits
  • dental visits
  • medications

 


Special services

  • allergy
  • eye/vision
  • gynecologist
  • speech
  • other health concerns

 Clothing

  • Adult clothing (wear and tear)
  • kids annual clothing (shirts/pants/shorts)
  • shoes
  • boots
  • snow pants
  • gloves
  • hats
  • swimsuits

 Entertainment

  • movie tickets
  • streaming services (Netflix/Hulu/Disney+)
  • sporting events
  • holiday concerts/events
  • family outings
  • entrance fees (beaches/parks)

 Savings

  • bank account
  • sinking funds
  • annual vacation fund
  • college funds
  • down payments

Debt Payment

  • car debt
  • mortgage
  • personal loan
  • credit card

Investments

  • Retirement account (403b, 401k)
  • Roth (traditional, IRA, Rollover)
  • Real estate 98

 


Giving

  • church
  • organizations
  • gifts (family/kid’s birthday)
  • donations (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.)

 


 Holiday Expenses

  • Christmas/Hanaka Gifts
  • Thanksgiving dinner
  • Christmas dinner
  • Super Bowl Party
  • Valentines for kids/class/spouse
  • Halloween costumes/candy
  • child’s birthday expenses

 

Pet Care

  • veterinarian visits
  • pet medication (heartworm/flee)
  • food
  • grooming
  • insurance

 

Forgotten Budget Items:

Gifts

  • Teacher gifts
  • birthday gifts
  • anniversary gifts
  • holiday gifts
  • wedding gifts
  • family/friends
  • service providers (mail, trash, stylist)

Travel

  • airline fees
  • gas/car maintenance
  • lodging
  • food
  • entertainment
  • souveniers
  • Travel
  • Professional fees
  • tax professional
  • financial advisor

What Next…


If you are ready to save more, sign up for the 6-day money savings challenge here and get a free budget template in your class!!

 


Personal Budget Categories Final Thoughts…

Well, there you have it. Over 100 personal budget categories. Obviously, you may not spend money on all of these things, but it is important to add each item to your budget and plan ahead so you do not have a surprise bill such as auto insurance or medical that you did not plan for. A budget will help you stay on track to reach your personal money goals and use this list as a reference to help you create a budget that will work for you.

Related Budget Posts:

Pin me for later:

Over 100 Budget Categories for your Personal Budget: budget picture
Over 100 Budget Categories for your Personal Budget: budget picture

 

Budget Categories to Organize Your Personal Budget

Sharing is caring!