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100+ Budget Categories to Help You Create a Successful Budget

By Liv

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

Check out this list of over 100 budget categories! These budget categories will help you create a successful budget tailored towards your lifestyle.

*** Do you want a printable list?I have you covered! Click here to get your printable budget categories checklist! ***

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Check out this list of over 100 budget categories! These budget categories will help you create a successful budget tailored towards your lifestyle.

Creating a budget is critical for financial success. However, accounting for all the budget categories can be difficult.

A missed or forgotten budget category can derail your financial goals.

So let’s get you started on the right foot. Here is a list of over 100 budget categories to help you create (or improve) your budget.

List of Budget Categories

Select the budget categories that align with your lifestyle and spending habits.

If you are looking for a customizable budget worksheet, just enter your email in the box below. You’ll get three worksheets over three days that will improve your financial life.

Get your budget & finances in order!

Sign up to receive these 3 printables over the course of 3 days. Start fresh with a monthly budget, tracking your expenses with a spending log, and never forget a bill again with a bill checklist. 

Success! Check your email for your first printable.

Income

  • Salary (paycheck)
  • Side hustle
  • Bonuses
  • Reimbursed job expenses
  • Tips
  • Alimony (received)
  • Child support (received)
  • Gifts (received)

Housing

  • Mortgage
  • Rent
  • Home Owners Association (HOA) fees
  • Home maintenance/repairs
  • Home improvements/upgrades
  • Property taxes
  • Home warranty
  • Lawn care
  • Home security service

Utilities

  • Electricity
  • Internet
  • Cable
  • Phone
  • Heating
  • Garbage
  • Recycling
  • Water
  • Sewer
  • Natural gas

Food

  • Groceries
  • Restaurants
  • Fast food
  • Coffee shops
  • Alcohol

Transportation

  • Car loan
  • Fuel/gas
  • Car maintenance/repairs
  • Annual car fees (registration, inspection)
  • Oil changes
  • Parking fees
  • Property taxes
  • Public transportation (subway, taxis, Uber/Lyft)
  • Tolls (EZ Pass)
  • Roadside assistance (AAA)

Clothing

  • Adult clothing
  • Kids clothing
  • Dry cleaning

Kids

  • Extra-curricular activities
  • Toys
  • Kids sports gear
  • Allowance
  • Baby necessities (diapers, formula)
  • Tuition
  • School uniforms
  • School supplies
  • Babysitter
  • Child support

Personal care

  • Haircuts/barber
  • Hair coloring
  • Cosmetics (makeup, shower supplies)
  • Nail salon
  • Eyebrows
  • Massages/Spa

 Medical

  • Doctor visits
  • Dentist visits
  • Hospital visits
  • Prescriptions
  • Over the counter medication
  • Glasses, contacts, contact solution
  • Vitamins/Supplements

Insurance

  • Medical insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Mortgage insurance
  • Renters insurance
  • Car insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Property insurance (i.e. jewelry)
  • Disability insurance
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Pet insurance

Household supplies

  • Cleaning supplies
  • Paper products
  • Tools
  • Furniture
  • Home décor
  • Pool supplies

Subscriptions

  • Gym memberships
  • Magazines
  • Professional Society annual fees
  • Netflix/Hulu
  • Amazon Prime
  • Music (Spotify, Pandora)
  • Sports TV subscription (like ESPN)
  • Software subscriptions
  • Identity theft protection

Fun money

  • Bars/Going out
  • Movies/Concerts/Sporting Events
  • Hobbies/Crafts
  • Hosting parties
  • Books
  • New technology (phones, computer, TV)

Pet

  • Veterinarian visits
  • Pet food
  • Pet toys/beds
  • Pet medication (i.e. flea shots, heart worm medication)

Giving

  • Tithing
  • Charity/donations

Gifts

  • Holiday gifts
  • Birthday gifts
  • Wedding/wedding shower gifts
  • Baby/baby shower gifts
  • Service gifts (secretary, lobby man)

Debt

  • Credit card debt
  • Student loans
  • Medical debt
  • Personal loans
  • Auto loan payments
  • Alimony

Travel

  • Vacation
  • Trips to see family
  • Trips for weddings, bachelor/bachelorette parties
  • Souvenirs
  • Baggage fees
  • TSA Pre-check or Global Entry

Savings

  • College savings
  • Retirement savings
  • New car savings
  • Health Savings Account/Plan
  • Emergency Fund
  • Investments

Service

  • Financial advisor
  • Lawyer
  • Tax professional

Taxes

  • Federal taxes
  • State taxes
  • City taxes
  • Property taxes (or you can categorize this in “housing” or “transportation” costs)

Miscellaneous

  • ATM fees
  • ID renewal fees
  • Postage
  • Holiday spending
  • Family pictures

How Many Budget Categories Do You Need?

Did I overwhelm you with over 100 budget categories? I don’t blame you.

The thing about budgeting is that it’s highly personal. You can be as simple or complex as you want.

If you want to keep it simple, you can put some of the smaller budget categories into a larger umbrella budget category.

You have to find what works for you. I know from experience that it will take some trial and error. You aren’t going to create a perfect budget the first time. It will take some tweaking, simplifying (or making more detailed), and patience.

Related content:

  • 9 Simple Budget Rules to Help You Win With Money
  • The First 10 Things to Cut From Your Budget
  • How to Create a Bare Bones Budget (+ Free Worksheet)

How much do you allot for each budget category?

Now that you have chosen the budget categories that suit your lifestyle, you now must determine how much money you are going to allot to each category.

I suggest that you look at your previous spending history. Take the average of the last 3 or 4 months for that spending category and start there. After each month, evaluate your spending and decide if you need to increase or decrease your budgeted amount.

If you need more guidance on how to create a budget, I suggest checking out my post on How to Start a Budget That Actually Works (it’s basically Budgeting 101).

Take action now with a printable budget categories checklist

You have taken the time to read this entire article, so don’t drop the ball now.

It’s time to take action and I’ve made it incredibly easy for you (and free). 

I have create a one-page summary of over 100 budget categories (with room to add your own, if you have any specialized categories for your unique situation). This one page downloadable, printable page is made in a checklist form so that you can just place a check mark to the budget categories that you want to include in your budget.

Click here to grab your copy of the free budget categories checklist. 

How complex is your budget? Do you keep it simple (few budget categories) or detailed (lots of budget categories)?

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Budgeting Tips

Comments

  1. Marci says

    April 3, 2018 at 10:58 pm

    This is great!

    • Liv says

      April 17, 2018 at 8:08 pm

      Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  2. Cara says

    June 1, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    Thank you for this list!

    I’m going to add Pet Insurance to mine.

    • Liv says

      June 2, 2018 at 1:35 pm

      You’re welcome!

  3. Lindsey Chamberland says

    July 6, 2018 at 8:32 pm

    Stumbled on this post from Pinterest! Couldn’t help myself from saying how much I love your blog name! Will most certainly be following 🙂

    • Liv says

      July 13, 2018 at 6:49 pm

      Thanks Lindsey! 🙂

  4. DeAnna Lee Suesz says

    September 19, 2018 at 2:02 pm

    Thank you so much!! I feel like I can really make a realistic budget now! I can also share this with my dd who is a new to the adulting world.

    • Liv says

      September 20, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      You’re welcome! It is such a great idea to share with your dd – you are going to set her up for success!

  5. Ray Taylor says

    July 5, 2019 at 8:59 am

    Awesome List!!! Thank you so much. Did I miss “income taxes” for those of us lucky enough to pay City/State/Federal? 🙂

    • Liv says

      July 5, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      Ray, you’re welcome! And thanks for your comment – I just added taxes to the list!

  6. IncomeUnicorn says

    May 23, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    I love how detailed the list is. I used to add all expenses related to travel in a single category, but it never feels like I can really track how are those money spent.

    • Liv says

      July 11, 2020 at 12:15 pm

      I am happy you like the detailed budget category list! Some do and some don’t. I think it’s a personal preference on how detailed you want your budget to be, and it can change over time based on your financial situation and goals.

  7. Arleen says

    July 1, 2020 at 10:43 am

    Your list is very helpful but how do you categorize something like tax services?

    • Liv says

      July 11, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      I list tax services under “Tax Professional” in the “Services” section of my budget. The best thing about a budget is that you can personalize it however you like!

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Welcome, I'm Liv!

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