conversation: User (rofflehouse): "Over the summer I made a steadfast commitment to getting my 3 month emergency fund built, which is only about 15k. I'm saving $750 a month, which is exactly 15% of my family's post-tax income. In the 3 months since I made that change, I've had $1.8k in car repairs, $600 in vet bills, and $250 to cover a friend who got towed from our guest parking (our fault). Needless to say, the needle hasn't moved as I wanted it to, and I have to keep reassuring myself that, had I not made this commitment, I'd be in real trouble covering these costs. The end goal will come eventually. \n\nEDIT: Just to clarify - this is a two person budget!"
  Self: "May help to budget for car and pet care you could factor that into your savings or keep it in your checking account. We have an emergency fund but we only use it like when it’s beyond what our budgeted amount is for annual expenses/maintainence. "
  Dont_tip_me_BTC (Dont_tip_me_BTC): "Yep, came here to say this. While not going into debt for emergencies is great, the only one mentioned above that can be claimed as unexpected is the guest parking fine. Pets and car maintenance are expected items that should be on a budget. \n\nI have a friend who always complains every December/January that they had unexpected (Christmas presents) expenses pop up which is the reason they can't pay off their credit card. This happens every year, so after the couple of times, you would think that it would have been included on a budget earlier in the year to account for it."
  new2bay (new2bay): "I don't think this is a fair criticism given the available information.  You have no idea whether the car repairs or vet bills were unexpected or not.  Sometimes things just happen, even with a relatively new car or a young, healthy pet. "
  Dont_tip_me_BTC (Dont_tip_me_BTC): "Car maintenance and pets should still be budget items. Something will always go wrong with those, no matter what you do to prevent them. It's fair to say that sometimes your budget won't be enough. For example, nobody is going to realistically budget $5,000 for a new puppy's medical bills. However if that does occur, the designated pet fund should be used first, then the emergency fund. The point being, you should still expect and plan for some issues even if not all are predictable. \n\nPlus I can say from personal experience that $600 is not an abnormal amount to spend on a vet trip for an older dog. I think I get close to that just buying annual flee &amp; tick / heartguard, let alone any actual surgeries."
  new2bay (new2bay): "Yes, it should be a budget item. I’m just noting that a $600 expense could have been an unexpected emergency. We don’t know anything about OP’s pet, so nobody here can say.\n\nBTW, if that $600 is for parasite control for one dog, you might be getting ripped off. I pay $300/year for my 50-lb dog, and I’ll be paying less at my next refill."
  Dont_tip_me_BTC (Dont_tip_me_BTC): "We do buy the more expensive chewables, as my bigger dog is a furball and the sticky flee stuff is a real pain. I think I got close to ~$500 with a years supply of heart guard &amp; flee and tick for an 80 lbs. I know not everyone goes with the year supply though. That was also at my old vet that we left for good reason, so I wouldn't be surprised if they were overcharging."
  