Thank you everyone!
I'm trying to track my spending first, and I'm not concerned about spending too much money or anything right now. I'm just trying to get a good handle on my finances and this seemed like a good place to start.
We do both monthly and annually. We do so even though our spending is pretty predictable, because things CAN change.
I have a Google Sheet budget, one per year: 2020 Spending Plan. Within that file, each month has a tab, from which I populate each month's income and expenses. I have headings for Income, Savings, Escrow deposit (for taxes and insurance that we pay wx per year), Housing/Utilities, cash, groceries, entertainment, Pet & Vet, House maintenance and repair, and Automotive.
The final Sub Heading is Miscellaneous Expenses for the month - and this is where budgeting annually helps. We have expenses that occur in various months that then are reflected in this tab.
In January, it might be firewood delivery.
In February, it's property taxes.
In March, it's getting our trees trimmed.
In April, it's insurance on the boat.
In May, it's auto insurance premiums for 6 months.
In June, it's travel to see my brother.
In July, it's a week of camping and boating.
In August, it's family birthday gatherings.
In Sept., it's getting the trees trimmed again. Plus smogging and registration for our van and my car.
In October, it's property taxes and auto insurance again.
In November, it's our anniversary trip, and Christmas gifts.
In December, it's our annual Christmas party, and holiday food for a family gathering.
Each of these are VARIABLE. But they are also PREDICTABLE. And when I lay them out annually, it helps me assign the savings and payments to specific months, so we're never caught "short of cash" for something we KNOW that we pay for.