Cash Envelopes, Budgeting & Sinking Funds

I’ve been watching videos on budgeting and I’m curious about sinking funds. Specifically, do sinking funds get allocated after all bills are settled for the month? Also, what basic categories should I consider beyond essentials like food, utilities, and transportation? Where do I include things like medical bills, medications, emergency funds, and savings? I want to learn from your experiences. Thanks in advance! :blush:

Great question! I budget by dividing it into income, expenses, and savings. I don’t use sinking funds, but I keep 6 months of living expenses as an emergency fund.

For sinking funds, I have a few broad categories and deposit the estimated monthly costs into a separate account. My main sections are Fixed, Variable, and Cutable.

Yes, sinking funds are usually allocated after all bills are paid. Start with fixed expenses, then allocate funds for irregular costs like medical bills or a sinking fund for medications.

Create a category for anything you want to track or control spending on. If it’s important, fund it regularly as a sinking fund.

My budget changes over time. I prioritize bills first and then allocate leftover funds to savings or envelopes for specific expenses.

I focus on essential bills first and allocate any extra towards sinking funds after that. Keeping it simple helps me stay organized.

I organize my budget by putting automated bills at the top and savings at the bottom. I use a zero-based budget.

In YNAB, sinking funds are allocated when you set your budget. There are many resources available to help with budgeting effectively.

I budget to allocate specific amounts each month for categories like Christmas or family expenses. Find what works for you.

Sinking funds are allocated after expenses. I include groceries and gas in my budget and add to sinking funds based on deadlines.