Community template
Functional View: budget categories for irregular income
Cody, a parent with irregular income, sorts costs by how much control the family has over them rather than by what was bought. Recurring and periodic costs sit apart from durable goods, nondurable goods and food, the family's biggest discretionary cost.
- 11 groups
- 55 subcategories
- Detailed (40–79)
- Family with kids
In their words
We're a family with kids and I have a job that has irregular income. I like this setup because it helps me think about i) spend I can't change (periodic, recurring, etc.) ii) how discretionary something is (e.g., a durable vs non-durable good - you'd spend more on a couch but that purchase is as infrequent vs items with a shorter shelf life) and iii) a separate category for Food as that is our highest "discretionary" cost, so I like a separate group to help measure our habits.
All 66 categories in Functional View
Income Income
- My Paycheck Income
- Spouse Paycheck Income
- My Bonus Income
- Other Income Income
Food
- Coffee
- Fast Food
- Alcohol and Bars
- Food Delivery
- Groceries
- Restaurants
Nondurable Goods (items with shelf life of less than 2 years)
- Home Supplies
- Clothing
- Child Clothes
- Child Supplies
- Child Toys
- Books
- Gifts
Durable Goods (items with shelf life > 2 years)
- Home Goods (couches, rugs, tables, chairs)
- Home Decor (stuff from Target)
- Electronics (laptops, phones, etc.)
- Child Gear (strollers, high chairs, etc.)
Periodic
- Taxes
- Property Tax
- Home Maintenance (this can be argued as "variable" but I fix things periodically)
- Home Insurance
- Auto Insurance
Recurring
- Mortgage
- Childcare
- Subscriptions
- Fitness
- Electric
- Gas
- Internet
- Waste
- Water
- Phone Bill
Variable Services
- Healthcare
- Child Activities
- Recreation
- Haircuts
- Beauty and Wellness
- Dry Cleaning
Transportation
- Gas
- Car Maintenance
- Rideshare and Public Transport
- Parking & Tolls
Travel
- Airfare
- Lodging
Irregular
- Cash Withdrawal
- Bank Fees
- Professional Fees
- Governmental Fees
Transfers Excluded from budget Excluded from totals
- Payment Excluded from budget Excluded from totals
- Sweep Excluded from budget Excluded from totals
- Reimbursement Excluded from budget Excluded from totals
How to use this template in Lunch Money
Click Copy entire setup at the top of this page, then paste it into Lunch Money as a preset. See the import steps.
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