Jesse shares a trick for improving your Rule Two planning (Embrace Your True Expenses), and better prepare for the next unexpected expense.
Jesse suggests pulling your last six months of bank statements, and quickly scanning them for large expenditures. Look at the number of digits, and flag the transactions that have a large number of digits (to you). This should only take a few minutes. Note the payee. This exercise is the first place to look when planning for future unexpected expenses. Did you get in a fender bender and end up with a $1,000 bill from the body shop? Did you hire a plumber to fix some leaking pipes in your basement? These are possible future expenses you can use Rule Two to plan for.
Now, hopefully you won't be getting into fender benders on a regular basis! But that auto shop expense might trigger you to think about upcoming regular car maintenance that you haven't yet budgeted for. Likewise, owning a house means regular maintenance, so at some point you're probably going to call a plumber out again. Time to assign money in your budget and plan for that!
This is a good, easy strategy for improving your Rule Two thinking, and put future you in a better financial position.
Got a question for Jesse? Send him an email:
askjesse@ynab.com
Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
Ask Jesse: Still Catching Up
Ask Jesse: Catching Up
An Experiment Made Permanent
When Expenses Rise: Ben Rolls With the Punches
Money Stress
Rules Changes: A Quick Trip Through YNAB History
How to Talk to Your Partner About Budgeting
Managing Vacation Transactions
How Often Should You Reconcile?
Leaving Margin for Life
One Easy Trick to Boost Your Retirement Savings
This Question Doesn't Have to Be Scary: Can I Afford This?
A Different Take on Credit Cards
Paying Off Debt the Sustainable Way
Rule Four Reviewed
Rule Three Reviewed
Rule Two Reviewed
Rule One Reviewed
A Mother's Method for Living Well (Contest Announcement!)
What's In Your Financial Shovel of Dirt?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network
Money Girl
So Money with Farnoosh Torabi
Money Tree Investing
The Disciplined Investor