budget percentages

90+ Budget Categories to Organize your Money

To effectively manage your money, you must have a budget. But, getting started with budgeting can be a bit confusing if you don’t know what budget categories to include to track your spending.

Determining what budget categories to include can be personal. However, there are some budget list items that should be standard for every budget.

It all can be overwhelming, but once you have a comprehensive list of things to budget for, tracking your funds can be a breeze.

In this post, I’ll share must-have budgeting categories that you need to organize and track your spending.

If you want to learn more about creating a budget, I recommend reading our ultimate guide for creating a family budget.

Must Have Budgeting Categories

The categories listed below aren’t in any specific order and are by no means all-inclusive. Again, budget categories are specific to your personal finances. Feel free to add more categories and items as needed.

Income

Income should be the first time that is listed on any budget.

After all, if there is no money coming in, you won’t be able to pay for any of the items listed in your budget categories. There are various ways to generate income. Here are a few that you should note on your budget:

  • Salary/Wages
  • Bonus Income
  • Passive Income
  • Alimony/Child Support
  • Dividend Income
  • Rental Income
  • Interest earned
  • Miscellaneous Income (Gifts, refunds, etc.)

How to Group Your Budget Expenses

Your expenses can easily be divided into 15 larger groups. Putting your budget list items into groups allow you to total up expenses for that group at the end of the year to determine where the majority of your money is going.

Organizing your finances this way enables you to easily see where you can possibly cut expenses to save more money to allocate elsewhere.

15 Expense Groups for your Budget

  • Giving
  • Saving
  • Housing
  • Utilities
  • Food
  • Insurance
  • Personal Development
  • Personal Care
  • Debts
  • Children
  • Clothing
  • Transportation
  • Medical/Health
  • Household Items
  • Recreation/Fun

90+ Budget Categories

Once you outline the groups to be included in your budget, it’s time to start adding the spending categories. Below are 90+ money spending categories that you can use to create your budget. As you spend, you should document how much you spending in each category.

I wrote a post on how much you should allocate for each category. You can read that here.

Giving
Tithes
Offerings
Charity
Miscellaneous
Giving
Gifts
Birthdays
Wedding
Baby Showers
Christmas
Other holidays/occasions
Saving
Emergency Fund
Retirement
Travel/Vacation
Car Replacement
College Fund
Long Term Goals
Short Term Goals
Housing
Mortgage/Rent
Repairs/Maintenance
HOA Dues
Property Taxes
Decor/Furniture
Lawn care
Utilities
Electricity
Heat/Gas
Water
Trash
Phone/Mobile
Internet
Cable
Sewage
Alarm System
Food
Groceries
Fast Food
Dining Out
Pet Food
Clothing
Work
Athletic/Leisure
Dry Cleaning
Alterations
Transportation
Fuel
Oil Changes
Repairs/Maintenance
Tires
License/Taxes/Registration
Toll Fees
Parking Fees
Public Transportation
Medical/Health
Medications
Doctor Bills
Dentist
Optometrist
Vitamins
Gym Membership
Insurance
Life Insurance
Health Insurance
Homeowner/Renters
Auto Insurance
Disability Insurance
Identity Theft
Long-Term Care
Pet Insurance
Household Items
Toiletries
Cleaning Supplies
Laundry Supplies
Tools
Postage
Appliances
Computer/Technology
Personal Care
Cosmetics
Hair Care
Grooming
Spa Services
Pocket Money
Debts
Car Payment(s)
Credit Card(s)
Student Loan(s)
Personal Loan(s)
Children
Daycare
Babysitter
Clothing
School Activities
School Supplies
Tuition
Allowance
Personal Development
Books
Coaching
Conferences
Recreation/Fun
Entertainment
Subscriptions
Sporting Events
Concerts
Hobbies

Final Thoughts on Budget Categories

This list may not capture all of the expenses that you may incur within your personal finances.

It also may include things that don’t apply to you, such as debt or children. Only use this as a guide for creating your budget.

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