Set out to make a budget, and you’ll quickly discover that there’s no such thing as a perfect month. Instead, there are usually unplanned expenses galore — at least at first.

Your kid comes home and needs $20 for a field trip, or your car starts making a funny noise. Then next month, the cat exhibits mysterious symptoms and requires a trip to the vet. The month after that, there’s a series of shower and wedding gifts. » Read more

Ask folks creating a budget to list the categories they intend to use, and they’re almost certain to include one category that should NOT be on the list.

That category doesn’t usually even have a single name, despite the fact that it could eat up anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars each month.

So what is it? » Read more

The holidays seem to sneak up on us, and then all of a sudden they’re everywhere we look. And they often seem to end up costing more than we thought.

I suspect this is because we often forget to account for all of the little details that might be involved with a holiday. Take Christmas, for example. Depending on how you celebrate, it could involve a variety of purchases. (There’s everything from a gingerbread house kit to travel expenses.)

So what does a holiday budget include? » Read more

I have two spending plans — one that amounts to a bare bones budget, and another that’s what I really typically spend each month.

Why do I have a bare bones budget that I don’t use? (And why do I think you should give creating one a try too?) Three reasons. » Read more