I have different sub-groups but for our monthly "free spending" money we allow $2,000 a month and the way we have it broken down is below:
Food $541.00
Dining Out $433.00
Gasoline $200.00
Pharmacy/Dental/Glasses $400.00
Haircuts $55.00
Sub-Totals $1,629.00
Gifts/Clothes/Hobby Lobby $371.00
Total $2,000.00
We don't keep track of the sub-groups because it varies so much... one month we might have $75 in pharmacy while the next month we might be in at $500 glasses but that doesn't happen often.
To keep track most all purchases are made with our bank credit card which starts on the 12th and ends the 12 of every month so our cycle revolves are the 12th.
The $371 is for whatever we might want or need.
I have a spreadsheet on both my phone and laptop so we ALWAYS know exactly where we stand depending on the day of the month.
Here is where we are today
It is very rare that we run over budget, we did it just once last year in August when we flew to Idaho for a wedding, but month times we usually end up around $300 under budget spending and you can in the snapshot last month we we ended the month $531.22 UNDER budget spending which just happened to be more than usual but oh well.
So far we are 35.48% or 11 days into our spending and have spent $603.91. If we go to Amazon,Costco or use my American Express Card (Costco doesn't accept credit cards) we use our debit card but the amount is added so we can keep track.
So we are at $603.91 into our budget but under our spending by $105.77. We have $1,396.09 left until April 12th If we keep on the same track we are we would end the month at $1,893.23 or $106.77 under budget for the month.
Things not Budgeted? Very few go there just our cell phone bill which shows up on the credit card but ins included in the utilities monthly budget so it isn't counted here but is counted in the utility budget.
Most months we are about $300 under budget and we keep track of that too... been doing this for several years now and we have $8,575 hidden away (yep, it's taken about two and a half years to accumulate that amount) in case we every want to do something like take a cruise or go to Vegas for a long weekend. We won't do something like that but it is nice knowing we certainly could if we wanted to.
What I like about this is if we stay within the $2,000 budget limit we can still deposit $1,137.43 into our monthly savings account
But even on a trip I have this spreadsheet on my cell phone and between that and my bank ap I always know exactly where we stand on the budget within one penny.
But that is how I keep track.
Oh, and the Hobby Lobby expense is a joke to my wife. She loves Hobby Lobby!
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