Planning for future purchases

Dear Dave,

How far in advance do you recommend figuring future purchases into your budget?

Robbie

Dear Robbie,

I recommend starting to put money aside, and including it in your budget as soon as you know the need for an item is a real possibility. Waiting until things go wrong or something breaks down will leave you in a real mess, more times than not.

For example, if you’re pretty sure you’ll need another vehicle in a year or two, the smart thing is to start putting money aside now. Do some research on prices, then do the math to see how much you’ll need to set aside each month.

And remember, it’s a whole lot easier to save money when you don’t have things like credit card payments and other debt hanging around your neck. That’s one of the big reasons I want to help people learn to live debt-free!

—Dave

Photo by Austin Distel