When you created your monthly budget (you can do so in the Saving for Disney course), you should have budgeted an average amount for your variable bills (I always recommend budgeting around the highest possible amount instead of the lowest). This includes gas, power, water, etc…any bill you have that can vary month-to-month base on your usage.
When the bill comes in and it is lower than you planned, take the difference between what you budgeted for and what you paid and put it into your Disney fund!
So if you budget $200 a month for your power bill and your bill was only $100, you’d put the $100 difference in your Disney Fund.
If your bill comes in and it is higher than you anticipated, you can redirect all of the Disney fund deposits towards the bill to cover it. Once you do, go back to saving for Disney.
Keep in mind that you should never budget more for a bill than what it usually averages. You wouldn’t want to set your power bill budget at $400 when you have never had a $400 bill. When I create my budget, I usually look at 12 months of power bills and choose an amount that it seemed to average in the winter/summer months.
If your utility company offers budget billing, this might be a better choice for your family’s budget. Contact the utility company to learn more about how it works and what your estimated monthly payment would be.
Be sure to take the time to catch up on theĀ Saving for Disney Challenge.