Question

Hi!  I use a 0 dollar based budget meaning all my money is pre designated some where.Hi! I use a 0 dollar based budget meaning all my money is pre designated some where. Where we start messing up is when the school sends home a letter saying our kids have to wear dr Seuss related costume for the school parade and they need it the following week. How do you guys budget/plan for unexpected expenses?  

Answer 1

I keep a cushion (small) like 150-200 in my checking for these kinds of things.  

Answer 2

I put money into a sinking fund for Misc. expenses (savings account that I can easily pull from and accrues interest and I also have a variable misc. cash envelope I keep a little in every paycheck. Additionally, I have $1k that just sits in my checking account as a cushion. I always want be to be prepared for the unexpected!  

Answer 3

We have a kids sinking fund orrr call a grandparent  

Answer 4

Misc . I keep a school envelope sinking fund and have it in cash at home for the school store, lunches and all their one week notices for money

Answer 5

Miscellaneous or clothing sinking fund. Or your cushion. Maybe start a school envelope?  

Answer 6

We have a misc fund that we do 100 a month. We have 3 kids and something pops up with them every month. end of the year is especially costly as they all have some type of field trip. Next year I am going to have an envelope designated to school. like pictures, school shirts, school fun stuff.  

Answer 7

I have a school envelope, I use it for field trips, uniforms, book fairs, extra lunch $, School fees, spirit shirts, pictures, anything that she may need during the year and I add in extra during the summer months getting ready for back to school

Answer 8

I would start a sinking fund for stuff like this. Estimate how much that kind of stuff will cost over the course of the school year and divide it by the number of paychecks in the year. I would just put a little bit back each paycheck.  

Answer 9

I have an envelope for each kiddo, allot about $100/month and it gets used when the teacher asks for a donation of supplies, or they need a quick costume, school photos I forget about, etc. The leftover money gets saved for bigger purchases or if they want a new something!  

Answer 10

Thrift stores and consignment sales for sure. I just went to a consignment sale over the weekend and found a Thing 1 shirt for like $2 that my daughter will wear this week. Obviously it’s all luck on what you find, but you can find stuff that would at least work in some way even if you don’t find something specific.  

Answer 11

Misc fund! And I go to 99cent store or dollar tree and try to use what we have at home. We have so many weeks were its wear xyz everyday. Red ribbon week, dr. seuss week, etc. Everyday it's something. I seriously dont do everyday