When you first start getting your budget together, one of the most important things you need to do is figure out what categories should be included.
If you don’t account for all of your expenses it could throw off your entire budget (ask me how I know).
So here’s a list of over 100 different budget categories you can use in your own budget. Maybe sure you double check this list and tweak your budget as needed.
Budget Categories
Make sure you check out your expenses from last month, this will give you a general idea of what categories you need to have in your budget.
Then you can come check out this list to see if there’s anything you missed, or if there’s any you want to add.
Income
You can’t budget for anything without first including your income, right?
It helps if you break your income into different courses. You can also include bonuses and other unexpected amounts of money in this category
- Paycheck
- Bonuses
- Side Hustle Income
- Investment Income (dividends, etc)
- Tips
- Alimony
- Child Support
- Gifts
Housing
This will probably bee the category where people spend the most money. This category isn’t just rent or your mortgage, this can also include the other expenses that come with your housing, like HOA, repairs, etc.
- Rent
- Mortgage
- HOA dues
- Household repairs
- Renter’s Insurance
- Homeowner’s Insurance
- Home warranty
- Property Taxes
- Large Appliance purchases
- Lawn Care
- Home Security
- Pool Care / Hot Tub Care costs
Utilities
This could technically be a part of the “housing” category, but I think separating the utilities section could help you dial in on the spending.
- Water
- Electricity
- Gas
- Trash
- Cable
- Internet
- Cell phone
- Home phone
- Garbage
- Recycling
- Sewer
Food
This is one of the bigger categories for most people (me included!).
- Groceries
- Restaurants
- Alcohol
- Coffee Runs
Want to save some money in this category? Check out out post featuring 15 Healthy and Budget-Friendly Meal Plans.
Transportation
Everyone needs to be able get around somehow, right?
- Car Loan
- Car Insurance
- Gas / Fuel
- Car Maintenance
- Car Repairs
- Yearly Registration
- Yearly Inspection
- Parking Fees
- Taxes
- Public Transportation
- Uber / Lyft
- Tolls
- Roadside Assistance (AAA)
Kids
For a lot of people this category will include daycare and possibly school tuition but don’t forget expenses related to their activities.
- College Tuition / Savings
- Private School Tuition
- Before School Care
- After School Care
- Daycare
- Summer Camp
- Registration Fees (school and activities)
- School Supplies
- Tutoring
- Babysitting
- Private Lessons
- School Field Trips
- School / Activity Donations
- Toys
- Allowance
- School Uniforms
- Child Support
Personal Care
- Haircut
- Waxing
- Hair coloring
- Makeup
- Skincare
- Nails
- Massages
- Other Spa Services
- Gym
Here are 10+ ways to get free makeup!
Clothing & Accessories
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Accessories
- Dry cleaning
Medical
- Doctor Visits
- Annual Checkups
- Dentist Visits
- Hospital Visits
- Prescriptions
- Urgent Care visits
- Over the Counter Medication
- Glasses / Contacts
- Eye Doctor Exams
- Vitamins and Supplements
- Braces / Retainers
Insurance
- Medical Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Accident Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Renters Insurance
- Homeowners Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Property Insurance
- Car Insurance
- Long-Term Care Insurance
- Pet Insurance
Household & Cleaning
- Paper Towels
- Toilet Paper
- Cleaning Supplies
- Tools
- Home Décor
- Pool and Hot Tub Supplies
- Furniture
- Laundry and Dishwasher Detergent
Pet
- Vet Visits
- Pet Food
- Pet Toys
- Pet Medication
- Grooming
Subscriptions
- Gym Memberships
- Video Streaming (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+)
- Magazines
- Amazon Prime
- Music Streaming (Apple Music, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora)
- Software Subscriptions
- Identity Theft Protection
Fun
- Eating Out
- Drinks
- Hobbies
- Movies
- Concerts
- Sporting Events
- Books
- Video Games
- New Phone
- New Computer
Gifts
- Birthday Gifts
- Christmas Gifts
- Wedding Gifts
- Engagement Gifts
- Baby shower Gifts
- Teacher Gifts
Travel
- Vacations
- Trips to special events (weddings, etc)
- Conferences
- Baggage Fees
Giving
- Regular Tithes
- Missions Donation
- Other Charity Donations
Saving
- College Savings
- Retirement Savings
- Car Replacement Savings
- HSA Savings
- Emergency Fund Savings
Debt Repayment
- Credit Card Debt
- Personal Loan
- Medical Debt
- Student Loan
- Car Loan
- Misc. Debt
Services
- Lawyer Fees
- Financial Advisor Fees
- Tax Professional
Miscellaneous
- Federal Taxes
- State Taxes
- City Taxes
- ATM Fees
…How Many Categories Do I ACTUALLY NEED?!
I get it, this was a HUGE list.
The good news is that you don’t need all of these in your budget!
For the actually number you need – well that depends on what you spend money on, so that’s up to you!
How much should I spend in each category?
Well… Once again that depends. There are some expenses that are fixed, like your rent and mortage and certain utilties, so you can’t really control spending in those categories unless you move.
And there are other categories that are variables or aren’t considered necessities, like subscriptions.
How much you spend in total depends on you and your families needs.
If you’d like some guidelines we have a post breaking down Dave Ramsey’s budget percentages.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this list gave you some ideas about what categories you should include in your own budget!
Did we miss anything?
Let us know!