Skip to main content
_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_new_FB_2018-Icons-finalized-cleaned-up_newGroup 9
Find Your Local Branch
Back
Scroll to top

Budgeting 101: Personal Budget Categories

Personal Finances 2 min read

Ready to talk to an expert?

Find A Location Get In Touch

When it comes to creating a personal budget, it can feel like there are a million financial categories to consider. In order to create a successful budget, everything should be accounted for, from large expenses like your mortgage and car payment to smaller expenses like your gym membership and Netflix subscription.

A list of recommended personal budget categories is a great place to start when creating a budget. Here are two ways you can get the most out of the list:

  1. Go through the list and check off each category that applies to you, then add those categories/items to your personal budget spreadsheet.
  2. Create a comprehensive list of everything you spend each month, then go through the categories list to see if there is anything you might have forgotten and need to add to you personal budget spreadsheet.

Recommended Budgeting Categories

Consider including these categories when you create your own budget:

Housing

Transportation

  • Car payment
  • Car warranty
  • Gas
  • Tires
  • Maintenance and oil changes
  • Parking fees
  • Repairs
  • Registration and DMV Fees

Food

  • Groceries
  • Restaurants
  • Pet food

Utilities

  • Electricity
  • Water
  • Garbage
  • Phones
  • Cable
  • Internet

Clothing

  • Adults’ clothing
  • Adults’ shoes
  • Children’s clothing
  • Children’s shoes

Medical/Healthcare

  • Primary care
  • Dental care
  • Specialty care (dermatologists, orthodontics, optometrists, etc.)
  • Urgent care
  • Medications
  • Medical devices

Insurance

Household Items/Supplies

  • Toiletries
  • Laundry detergent
  • Dishwasher detergent
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Tools

Personal

  • Gym memberships
  • Haircuts
  • Salon services
  • Cosmetics (like makeup or services like laser hair removal)
  • Babysitter
  • Subscriptions

Debt

Retirement

  • Financial planning
  • Investing

Education

  • Children’s college
  • Your college
  • School supplies
  • Books

Savings

  • Emergency fund
  • Big purchases like a new mattress or laptop
  • Other savings

Gifts/Donations

  • Birthday
  • Anniversary
  • Wedding
  • Christmas
  • Special occasion
  • Charities

Entertainment 

  • Alcohol and/or bars
  • Games
  • Movies
  • Concerts
  • Vacations
  • Subscriptions (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, etc.)

Get Professional Personal Finance Advice

Give First Bank’s free MyMoney tool in online and mobile banking a try to get started on your budget or to calculate your net worth. If you need guidance from a professional when creating your budget, find a First Bank near you. You can also learn more about different types of banking services, personal budgeting, saving money, investing and more using First Bank’s online Financial Education Center.

Ready to talk to an expert?

Find A Location Get In Touch
Share:
First Bank’s Good To Know Logo
Sign up for our newsletter and be the first to know about new tips, insights, and products from First Bank.
First Bank may use this email address to contact you about products, services, and promotions.

You may be interested in...

Image for tile. Fraud Protection: 5 Reminders to Avoid Smishing and Vishing Scams Use these five helpful reminders to stay safe: Stay on alert for suspicious SMS text messages stating payments have been made using your account or Zelle information. These types of messages are called smishing. Phishers send a text, supposedly from your financial institution, asking you to confirm transactions made from your account by responding with a simple “Yes” or “No”, prompting a possible phone call from them immediately after. Do not respond to these types of messages. Instead, call your financial institution directly to confirm they have sent you a message about your account or to make sure there are no actual unknown transactions. When calling your financial institution, always call the number from the institution’s website or the number found on the back of your debit/credit card. If you feel you have been a victim of an SMS text messaging scam, call your financial institution for immediate assistance. Find more on smishing, voice phishing, and Zelle fraud explained by Brian Krebs, author of Krebs on Security, using the links below: SMS About Bank Fraud as a Pretext for Voice Phishing – Krebs on Security The ‘Zelle Fraud’ Scam: How it Works, How to Fight Back – Krebs on Security Need extra information on how to protect yourself and your information? Check out our free online course on Identity Protection. Identity Protection – First Bank 2 min read
Row of cars in a car sales lot Buying Your First New Car: What to Know It’s a moment to savor: getting your first vehicle, enjoying the new-car smell, taking pride in ownership. Here are some things to consider before you sign on the dotted line. 3 min read
Image for tile. Learn How to Be A Phishing Attack Detective With a number of people relying heavily on online services and communication for work and personal life, cybercriminals have increased their volume of attempts to acquire personal information. One of the most common ways they may try to gain access to this secure information is through phishing attacks. This causes problems for both individuals and companies when they are trying to keep information safe. What is phishing? As described by phishing.org, “Phishing is a cybercrime in which a target or targets are contacted by email, telephone or text message by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords. The information is then used to access important accounts and can result in identity theft and financial loss.” These attempts may look like someone posing as a coworker, asking for input, including links or attachments, among other things. Scammers attempt to gain access to user information every day, but when you know what to look for you don’t have to become a victim. Take a look at our playlist for a few tips to help you become a phishing email detective and use them in your everyday life. It is always a good idea to double check information before opening anything from unknown senders. In episode 1, you see Gil Ubble attempting to open an email from an external source. Upon further investigation, the domain name does not match and the email is not from someone at the company. Often times people are caught in these attacks because they aren’t paying close enough attention to who the email came from. If the email in question looks similar to something that provider would send, do not click on links or attachments. Instead, go directly to that company site or give them a call to make sure the information is accurate. If the email comes from someone who seems to work at your company, but you do not know the person, check to see if they actually work there. Even if the person’s email shows that they work at your company, check the email for other signs of false information. Scammers may go to extra lengths to spoof email addresses 4 min read
Best Local Bank in North Carolina For a local bank in North Carolina that puts your financial goals first, check out your neighborhood First Bank. Named one of the Best Banks in North Carolina by Forbes, we’re small enough to know you like a neighbor, and large enough to provide financial services that fit your needs. We offer personal and business banking solutions with tons of savings options and a generous rewards program. Visit your local First Bank today for more information— more than 100 locations across the Carolinas. Financial Services Offered at First Bank At First Bank, we pride ourselves on being able to provide our customers a local, community-centric, banking experience. In fact, First Bank opened its first branch to help a local NC community that lost its only bank at the beginning of the Great Depression. We understand that the needs of the customers in various communities vary. That’s why we offer a variety of banking services at each of our locations, including: Checking accounts and savings accounts Debit and credit cards Personal loans and home equity lines of credit Business banking Treasury and merchant services Online and mobile banking, including mobile check deposit Mortgages, wealth management, and insurance Visit Your Local First Bank Today Come see why families and businesses have trusted us for years. To learn more about First Bank and why we are the best option for local banking, contact or visit us today. For more information on First Bank, see our articles on small banks near me, mortgage loan basics, and best mobile credit card processing service. ——— Securities and insurance products are offered through INFINEX INVESTMENTS INC., Member FINRA/SIPC. INFINEX INVESTMENTS INC. and FB Wealth Management, a division of First Bank, are not affiliated Investment and insurance products and services are offered through Osaic Institutions, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. Osaic Institutions and FB Wealth Management, a division of First Bank, are not affiliated. We do not provide tax advice. Consult your tax advisor. Investment and Insurance Products are: Not Guaranteed by the Bank Not FDIC Insured Not a Deposit Not Insured by Any Federal Government Agency May Lose Value including Loss of Principal Sources: Investopedia: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mortgage.asp Troy, NC: http://troy.nc.us/  2 min read
First Bank logo
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website are the most popular and useful.