TIL most people forget to budget for their own birthday gifts from family, which is why they're always scrambling for cash in December.

I tracked my spending for a year and realized the $300 I get from my parents and in-laws every December for my birthday was always treated like a surprise, not the predictable income it is, so now I plan for it in November to cover holiday tips.

3 comments

3 Comments

mary61410d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, you guys plan for the weird little checks too?

milalopez18d ago

Oh that's smart. I read a blog post once that called this "lumpy income," like birthday money or a small tax refund. The writer said to list every single one of those predictable windfalls for the whole year in one go, so you actually see them coming.

sarahh8118d ago

So you're telling me I should write down that twenty bucks my aunt sends every February? @milalopez, my list would be so sad it would just make me depressed. It's like planning a party and the only guest is that weird check from overpaying the water bill. I guess it's better than being shocked by "free money" but come on, who gets excited about predicting a five dollar rebate? The whole point of a windfall is the surprise, isn't it? Now you're just turning a tiny joy into a boring line on a spreadsheet.