Not on a Budget? Here’s How.

Paying the bills on a monthly basis is honestly a very draining process. While I know it’s almost impossible to do, it would be so much better if you could pay all of your bills at the end of the year. Think about how much less stressed you’d be throughout the other 11 months? The only downside? If you’re not great at budgeting, you could have a large and looming bill to pay at the end of the year.

So let’s go ahead and break down some of those bills you probably have and talk about the ones you really should have.

Food.

This is one of the hardest things to pin down when you’re trying to budget, but it’s almost always higher than you think simply because we all love to go to restaurants and eat other people’s food rather than make our own. Is it because we’re lazy? Maybe. Is it annoying and time consuming to make our own? Yes.

Entertainment.

This is what my brother likes to call “walkin’ around money.” This category is reserved for all of your alcohol, music, live events, tech, and any travel and trips you may take. Whatever isn’t essential (the activities mentioned above) falls into entertainment. This should be the last thing you throw your money at but will almost undoubtedly be one of the first you do anyways.

Rent.

Whether you’re actually renting or are paying for a mortgage, this is going to be one of the biggest things you throw your paycheck at from one month to the next. And not only will it be the biggest source of your bills, it will also be the most important.

Utilities.

Ahhh, how we love utilities. It would be nice if these were just bundled into the cost of rent or a mortgage so that another two to three hundred dollars weren’t constantly being siphoned from your bank account. (And so that you wouldn’t have to keep track of another bill or two.)

Insurance.

Here’s what you should really be focused on out of these items. This is a thing that should be at the top of your budgeting list, right alongside rent and utility. And yet it probably isn’t. You even likely forget to pay for your insurance, which is sad because you’re part of the norm.

Insurance can be further divided into renter’s/home insurance, auto insurance, health insurance, and life insurance. These are the top four types of insurance you should be holding at all times without question. While I know you likely have the first three, do you have a life insurance policy for yourself yet? If not, get around to doing just that while you can. The longer you wait, the more expensive it will be.