• Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Saving Cent by Cent

Helping Families Save Money Cent by Cent

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Finances
    • Saving Money
    • Budgeting
    • Buying Groceries on a Budget
    • Debt
  • Frugal
    • Frugal Ideas
    • Grocery Tips
    • Meal Plan
    • DIY
  • Family & Home
    • Travel & Vacation
    • Organization
    • Cleaning
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Main Dish
      • Chicken
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Slow Cooker
      • Other
    • Desserts
    • Breakfast
    • Soups
    • Side Dish
    • Bread
    • Canning & Preserving
    • List of Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Contact
    • Media & Features

Why It’s Important to Include Sinking Funds as Part of Your Budget

September 29, 2017 by Lisa Park + Leave a Comment

Why It's Important to Include Sinking Funds as Part of Your Budget

If you are wondering, “What is are sinking funds?” and “Why do I need to include it in my budget?” then here is some beneficial information that will help you to become more financially prepared for upcoming expenses.

What are Sinking Funds?

A sinking fund is a fund where you set aside money for expenses that are predictable. You know the expense is coming up and instead of waiting until the expense is due and there isn’t room in your budget to pay for it, you plan ahead for the expense by creating a sinking fund within your budget and set that money aside until you need to pay for that expense.

Many times when people start budgeting, there may be some expenses that they don’t anticipate such as an item in the home breaking that needs to be replaced or the car needing repaired. By creating a sinking fund, you’ll be able to spread out large expenses, or even smaller expenses, over time.  For many people this can be difficult to do because it requires patience and self control to plan ahead and to not spend money on other purchases immediately because they want those items right now.

Here is a list of expenses that you may want to create a sinking fund for and to consider including in your budget:

  • home repairs
  • new car or car repairs
  • family vacations
  • kids sports and activities
  • insurance
  • medical expenses
  • Christmas
  • subscriptions and dues
  • birthdays and gifts

 

How to Get Started on Sinking Funds

To get started on sinking funds, determine what expenses are coming up and which sinking funds you need. Calculate the total amount of money you will need in one sinking fund and what date you will need it. Then break it down into how much you need to save each month before the expense comes due. Begin saving that amount of money each month for the allotted time frame. For instance, if you know you want to save $1,000 to spend on Christmas and you begin saving in June, which leaves you about 6 months to save, then you need to put aside $166 each month (or $42 each week) to reach that goal before Christmas comes.

Another example is having a sinking fund for upcoming home repairs such as a water heater, A/C unit or appliances that may break down. For instance, a water heater usually lasts an average of 10-15 years. If you know your water heater is about that old and that it will cost $2,000 to repair it, then start a home repair sinking fund and set aside $50 to $100 each month so you have money to pay for a new water heater or other items around the house that begin to break and need replaced. Right now, our house is 12 years old and we haven’t had to replace our water heater yet, so this is a sinking fund we have begun to save for. We know our water heater will eventually break. We don’t know exactly when, but when it does, we will have saved enough money to pay for it because we have started saving for it now.

 

You could also create a sinking fund for those variable utility bills. A few of the hot summer months where the A/C unit runs more often, and a few of the cold winter months when it takes more to heat the house, are the months that the utility bills are higher. Instead of stressing if you’ll be able to pay the utility bill, plan ahead and create a sinking fund. Review last years’ utility bills and add up how much you paid out the entire year, then divide that by 12 to determine how much money to set aside each month.  For instance, if you spent $1,000 on heating and air conditioning bills last year, then divide that by 12 months, and you’ll know you need to set aside $83 each month in a utilities sinking fund.

You may think to yourself that you need a lot of sinking funds in order to pay for everything throughout the year. But start off by prioritizing which sinking funds are most important and which ones will come due first. Then focus on building sinking funds first for those items. Once you have those sinking funds funded, then you can re-prioritize and focus on the next sinking funds that are important.

A sinking fund is not to be confused with an emergency fund. An emergency fund is money set aside for the unknown. But a sinking fund is money set aside for an expense you know is coming and the time frame you know will need to use it. Head over here to learn more about building an emergency fund.

 

Where Should you Keep a Sinking Fund?

Sinking funds need to be in a location that is easily accessible. If it is a smaller expense that is coming, it’s okay to keep it hidden in an envelope in your home. But if it’s a larger expense such as for your home or car, it’s better to place it in a simple savings bank account. For our family, we have both envelopes for sinking funds, as well as a savings account for sinking funds. The envelopes are for our smaller expenses such as birthdays, mini-vacations and Christmas gifts. And for larger items such as home and car repairs, we place the money in a savings account. If you use a savings account, a good idea is to use a spreadsheet to keep track of each dollar so you know where the sinking funds should be allocated.

 

Our Family’s Experiences with Using Sinking Funds

Our family tries to plan ahead for upcoming expenses, and we regularly discuss what items we need to save for. For instance, in December our family has two birthdays and Christmas all within eleven days of each other. To take away the financial stress in December, around March or April we calculate how much money we need to set aside for December, then we break it down per month and place money aside in a sinking fund. Now when the holidays come around, we aren’t stressed about purchasing both birthday and Christmas gifts on top of our regular monthly bills and expenses. And we don’t have the burden of needing to pay off a credit card debt come January.

Another example is we create a sinking fund for our family vacations. Any time we decide to go on a vacation, we figure out how much it will cost and when we would like to go on the vacation. We then break it down to how much we need to save each month in order to reach our goal. For instance, our family was able to go to Disneyland last year. A few years before we went, we researched about how much it would cost our family ($2,500), we decided when we wanted to go on the trip (within 2 years), and then determined that we needed to set aside about $100 every month for the next two years in order to save enough money to go to Disneyland. It felt so great to pay for our vacation in cash! You can read the post and get more details of How to Vacation at Disneyland on a Budget.

Before we had our third child, we knew that we would need a new vehicle that would easily hold three car seats in the back. We set a budget of how much we could afford for a vehicle, then researched the types of cars we wanted, and set up a sinking fund for it. We saved for years and constantly watched for good deals on vehicles. Finally, when we had enough money saved, we were able to purchase our vehicle with cash, and we knew it was a good deal because we had been watching for deals on vehicles for more than a year. Head over and read 5 Tips How to Buy a Car + How We Paid Cash for a New-to-Us Car. It felt wonderful to not have a car payment each month and to not be in debt.

These are just some examples of how our family has utilized sinking funds.

 

Why is It Important to Have Sinking Funds?

Having money set aside for those expected expenses takes stress off you and your family, and it creates a peace of mind and security. It feels great to know you have enough money to pay for the expense rather than needing to use credit cards to pay for it. If you use credit cards to pay for these expenses, then you may end up paying interest on it, and you end up paying more for it than if you had planned ahead. And having debt can be a burden and be stressful.

I encourage you to start with a plan, develop self control and patience with your spending habits and create sinking funds to develop that financial peace of mind and security.

Have you started using sinking funds? What sinking funds do you have? And what experiences have you had by using sinking funds?

Related articles
  • 6 Ways to Save Money & Increase Your Savings This Year

Filed Under: Budgeting, Finances, Saving Money

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Hello, I'm Lisa

I enjoy teaching people how to live frugally so they can live within their means while still enjoying and doing the things in life that matter most to them. I'm here sharing tips about budgeting, saving money, meal planning, simple recipes, and more.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Subscribe!

Sign up below to receive money-saving tips, frugal ideas, family-friendly recipes, and more.




Thank you for subscribing!


Archives

Archives

Categories

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Lisa Park is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Staying on a grocery budget can be challenging, bu Staying on a grocery budget can be challenging, but your monthly grocery budget has an impact on your overall financial situation, so it’s important to learn how to stay on a grocery budget.

1. Determine a grocery budget that will work for your family.

A recommended starting point for a grocery budget is $125 per family member per month. But take into consideration your family situation, where you live, and your dietary needs. Every family is different and will have a different grocery budget.

2. Break your monthly grocery budget down into how much you can spend each week.

This makes it easier to know how much money you can spend weekly when you go into the grocery store.

3. Use cash to control spending

You are less likely to add extra items to your shopping cart and are more likely to stick with the items on your list so you have enough cash to cover the purchases.

4. Keep track and review spending

Keep your receipts and write down how much money you spend. Keep track of purchases either every time you go to the grocery store or at the end of each week.

5. Keep trying, keep practicing, and adjust as needed

Staying on a grocery budget takes work every month, so keep trying, keep working at it, and adjust things as needed.

For more tips to stay on a grocery budget, use the link below or message me.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2021/02/03/9-tips-how-to-stay-on-a-grocery-budget/

#grocerybudgeting #groceriesshopping
#groceryshop #groceryshoppingtips #grocerybudget #grocerytips
This Strawberry Shortcake recipe is perfect for Mo This Strawberry Shortcake recipe is perfect for Mother's Day or during the summer months. It's a recipe that has been a part of my family for years. My mother would make this homemade strawberry shortcake every summer. It's so good! 

Message me for the recipe or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2020/04/22/easy-homemade-strawberry-shortcake-recipe/

#strawberryshortcake #strawberryshortcakecake #strawberries #strawberrycake #shortcake #homemadestrawberryshortcake #homemadeshortcake
Having freezer meals on hand for busy days is so n Having freezer meals on hand for busy days is so nice. Many times, while I am making dinner, I'll double the batch and eat one meal for dinner and then freeze one meal for later. This Spaghetti Casserole is one of those meals.

I don't always have one day where I can make 10+ freezer meals at one time. I found it's easier and more manageable for me to double the batch of a meal that I'm already cooking for my family and to freeze that second meal that I know would be a good freezer meal too.

Use the link below or message me for 7 freezer meals that my family loves.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2017/03/03/7-make-ahead-freezer-meals/

#freezermeals #freezermeal #freezermealprep #freezermealsmadeeasy #makeahead #makeaheadmeals #dinnerideas
Mother's Day is coming up, and these Tissue Paper Mother's Day is coming up, and these Tissue Paper Flowers are a sweet and thoughtful gift to give to a mother or grandmother. These flowers also make great party decorations for upcoming baby showers, bridal showers, and summer gatherings. And it doesn't cost too much to make them.

Message me for a link to the tissue paper tutorial or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2017/03/27/tissue-paper-flowers-tutorial-video/

#tissuepaperflowers #tissuepaperflower #tissuepaperflowertutorial #mothersdayflowers #mothersdayflower #mothersday #flowers #fakeflowerslastforever
A budget app is a great tool for managing your mon A budget app is a great tool for managing your money, sticking to a budget, and reviewing your spending habits to identify where money might be wasted. Try one of these budget apps to get a better handle on your finances:

Mint
EveryDollar
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
GoodBudget

For more info about these budget apps, use the link below or message me, and I'll send you the link.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2018/01/19/9-best-budget-apps-keep-track-finances/

#budgetapp #budgetapps #personalfinances #keeptrackoffinances #finances #financegoals
These Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are delicious These Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are delicious and are another easy recipe to add to the slow cooker quickly. 

On busy days, I'll put this in the crock pot, set it, and leave it until we get home for dinner. All I have left to do before we eat is shred the beef and cut up tomatoes and lettuce.

Message me for the recipe, or use the link below.
 https://savingcentbycent.com/2019/09/26/the-best-crock-pot-shredded-beef-tacos/

#crockpot #slowcooker #shreddedbeef #shreddedbeeftacos #crockpotshreddedbeef #easydinner #easydinnerrecipes #easydinnerrecipe
Staying on a grocery budget can be challenging, bu Staying on a grocery budget can be challenging, but your monthly grocery budget has an impact on your overall financial situation, so it’s important to learn how to stay on a grocery budget.

1. Determine a grocery budget that will work for your family.

A recommended starting point for a grocery budget is $125 per family member per month. But take into consideration your family situation, where you live, and your dietary needs. Every family is different and will have a different grocery budget.

2. Break your monthly grocery budget down into how much you can spend each week.

This makes it easier to know how much money you can spend weekly when you go into the grocery store.

3. Use cash to control spending

You are less likely to add extra items to your shopping cart and are more likely to stick with the items on your list so you have enough cash to cover the purchases.

4. Keep track and review spending

Keep your receipts and write down how much money you spend. Keep track of purchases either every time you go to the grocery store or at the end of each week.

5. Keep trying, keep practicing, and adjust as needed

Staying on a grocery budget takes work every month, so keep trying, keep working at it, and adjust things as needed.

For more tips to stay on a grocery budget, use the link below or message me.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2021/02/03/9-tips-how-to-stay-on-a-grocery-budget/

#grocerybudgeting #groceriesshopping
#groceryshop #groceryshoppingtips #grocerybudget #grocerytips
This Strawberry Shortcake recipe is perfect for Mo This Strawberry Shortcake recipe is perfect for Mother's Day or during the summer months. It's a recipe that has been a part of my family for years. My mother would make this homemade strawberry shortcake every summer. It's so good! 

Message me for the recipe or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2020/04/22/easy-homemade-strawberry-shortcake-recipe/

#strawberryshortcake #strawberryshortcakecake #strawberries #strawberrycake #shortcake #homemadestrawberryshortcake #homemadeshortcake
Having freezer meals on hand for busy days is so n Having freezer meals on hand for busy days is so nice. Many times, while I am making dinner, I'll double the batch and eat one meal for dinner and then freeze one meal for later. This Spaghetti Casserole is one of those meals.

I don't always have one day where I can make 10+ freezer meals at one time. I found it's easier and more manageable for me to double the batch of a meal that I'm already cooking for my family and to freeze that second meal that I know would be a good freezer meal too.

Use the link below or message me for 7 freezer meals that my family loves.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2017/03/03/7-make-ahead-freezer-meals/

#freezermeals #freezermeal #freezermealprep #freezermealsmadeeasy #makeahead #makeaheadmeals #dinnerideas
Mother's Day is coming up, and these Tissue Paper Mother's Day is coming up, and these Tissue Paper Flowers are a sweet and thoughtful gift to give to a mother or grandmother. These flowers also make great party decorations for upcoming baby showers, bridal showers, and summer gatherings. And it doesn't cost too much to make them.

Message me for a link to the tissue paper tutorial or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2017/03/27/tissue-paper-flowers-tutorial-video/

#tissuepaperflowers #tissuepaperflower #tissuepaperflowertutorial #mothersdayflowers #mothersdayflower #mothersday #flowers #fakeflowerslastforever
A budget app is a great tool for managing your mon A budget app is a great tool for managing your money, sticking to a budget, and reviewing your spending habits to identify where money might be wasted. Try one of these budget apps to get a better handle on your finances:

Mint
EveryDollar
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
GoodBudget

For more info about these budget apps, use the link below or message me, and I'll send you the link.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2018/01/19/9-best-budget-apps-keep-track-finances/

#budgetapp #budgetapps #personalfinances #keeptrackoffinances #finances #financegoals
These Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are delicious These Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are delicious and are another easy recipe to add to the slow cooker quickly. 

On busy days, I'll put this in the crock pot, set it, and leave it until we get home for dinner. All I have left to do before we eat is shred the beef and cut up tomatoes and lettuce.

Message me for the recipe, or use the link below.
 https://savingcentbycent.com/2019/09/26/the-best-crock-pot-shredded-beef-tacos/

#crockpot #slowcooker #shreddedbeef #shreddedbeeftacos #crockpotshreddedbeef #easydinner #easydinnerrecipes #easydinnerrecipe
Staying on a grocery budget can be challenging, bu Staying on a grocery budget can be challenging, but your monthly grocery budget has an impact on your overall financial situation, so it’s important to learn how to stay on a grocery budget.

1. Determine a grocery budget that will work for your family.

A recommended starting point for a grocery budget is $125 per family member per month. But take into consideration your family situation, where you live, and your dietary needs. Every family is different and will have a different grocery budget.

2. Break your monthly grocery budget down into how much you can spend each week.

This makes it easier to know how much money you can spend weekly when you go into the grocery store.

3. Use cash to control spending

You are less likely to add extra items to your shopping cart and are more likely to stick with the items on your list so you have enough cash to cover the purchases.

4. Keep track and review spending

Keep your receipts and write down how much money you spend. Keep track of purchases either every time you go to the grocery store or at the end of each week.

5. Keep trying, keep practicing, and adjust as needed

Staying on a grocery budget takes work every month, so keep trying, keep working at it, and adjust things as needed.

For more tips to stay on a grocery budget, use the link below or message me.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2021/02/03/9-tips-how-to-stay-on-a-grocery-budget/

#grocerybudgeting #groceriesshopping
#groceryshop #groceryshoppingtips #grocerybudget #grocerytips
This Strawberry Shortcake recipe is perfect for Mo This Strawberry Shortcake recipe is perfect for Mother's Day or during the summer months. It's a recipe that has been a part of my family for years. My mother would make this homemade strawberry shortcake every summer. It's so good! 

Message me for the recipe or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2020/04/22/easy-homemade-strawberry-shortcake-recipe/

#strawberryshortcake #strawberryshortcakecake #strawberries #strawberrycake #shortcake #homemadestrawberryshortcake #homemadeshortcake
Having freezer meals on hand for busy days is so n Having freezer meals on hand for busy days is so nice. Many times, while I am making dinner, I'll double the batch and eat one meal for dinner and then freeze one meal for later. This Spaghetti Casserole is one of those meals.

I don't always have one day where I can make 10+ freezer meals at one time. I found it's easier and more manageable for me to double the batch of a meal that I'm already cooking for my family and to freeze that second meal that I know would be a good freezer meal too.

Use the link below or message me for 7 freezer meals that my family loves.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2017/03/03/7-make-ahead-freezer-meals/

#freezermeals #freezermeal #freezermealprep #freezermealsmadeeasy #makeahead #makeaheadmeals #dinnerideas
Mother's Day is coming up, and these Tissue Paper Mother's Day is coming up, and these Tissue Paper Flowers are a sweet and thoughtful gift to give to a mother or grandmother. These flowers also make great party decorations for upcoming baby showers, bridal showers, and summer gatherings. And it doesn't cost too much to make them.

Message me for a link to the tissue paper tutorial or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2017/03/27/tissue-paper-flowers-tutorial-video/

#tissuepaperflowers #tissuepaperflower #tissuepaperflowertutorial #mothersdayflowers #mothersdayflower #mothersday #flowers #fakeflowerslastforever
A budget app is a great tool for managing your mon A budget app is a great tool for managing your money, sticking to a budget, and reviewing your spending habits to identify where money might be wasted. Try one of these budget apps to get a better handle on your finances:

Mint
EveryDollar
You Need a Budget (YNAB)
GoodBudget

For more info about these budget apps, use the link below or message me, and I'll send you the link.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2018/01/19/9-best-budget-apps-keep-track-finances/

#budgetapp #budgetapps #personalfinances #keeptrackoffinances #finances #financegoals
These Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are delicious These Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos are delicious and are another easy recipe to add to the slow cooker quickly. 

On busy days, I'll put this in the crock pot, set it, and leave it until we get home for dinner. All I have left to do before we eat is shred the beef and cut up tomatoes and lettuce.

Message me for the recipe, or use the link below.
 https://savingcentbycent.com/2019/09/26/the-best-crock-pot-shredded-beef-tacos/

#crockpot #slowcooker #shreddedbeef #shreddedbeeftacos #crockpotshreddedbeef #easydinner #easydinnerrecipes #easydinnerrecipe

Copyright © 2023 · Daphne · Designed by Designer Blogs