How Can I Budget for Short-Term Expenses and Long-Term Goals?

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Updated December 10, 2021

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The first step in setting long-term goals is to determine how much you spend on short-term expenses. Once you know how much money you need for the here and now, you can assess how much you can put into investing for your future.

Regular monthly expenses such as cable and cell phone bills are easy. But don’t overlook less frequent expenses, like insurance co-pays and vacations.

These lump sums can be prorated over a number of months. For example, if you’re creating your budget in December and you know that a $2,000 insurance premium is due at the end of next October, put aside $200 per month for the next 10 months. This is a good way to take care of occasional expenses large and small, such as family gifts and charitable donations.

After you determine your monthly expenses, including those prorated annual expenses, subtract the total from your monthly income. That’s how much you can devote to meeting your long-term goals.

Key Takeaways

List all of your routine nonnegotiable expenses.
The amount of your income that’s left is available for investing in your future.
Set down your goals with an estimate of their costs.
Choose investments that will help you get there.
Figure out how much you need to put aside monthly.

Defining Long Term

For most of us, a long-term goal is anything that is more than one year in the future and isn’t a routine expense. It could be buying a home, sending a child to college, or saving for retirement.

Your long-term goals should come with a solid cost estimate. Start by writing down several long-term goals along with a best guess of how long it will be before the money will be needed.

A sample list might look something like this:

College expenses: Child 1 (current age 8); $25,000/year for four years beginning in 10 years
College expenses: Child 2 (current age 3); $27,000/year for four years beginning in 15 years
New car purchase: $30,000 in two years ($4,000 up front + $485/month for five years, assuming a 4.5% interest rate)
European vacation: $6,000 for a two-week vacation within three years

Once you’ve jotted down your goals, you can use a spreadsheet or other software program to figure out how much you need in total.

The next big step is identifying investments that will help you reach these goals in the time frame that you’ve set while still matching your personal risk tolerance. Historical asset returns can be used to estimate how much the investments will hopefully appreciate in the time frames that you’ve set.

Adjusting Your Budget

Using the spreadsheet, you’ll be able to determine how much you have to save monthly to achieve each of your goals.

If the numbers don’t work, you need to adjust your goals, cut your expenses, or earn more income.

And remember, your circumstances will change. When you get a raise or some new expense comes out of the blue, revise your plan to reflect it. That’s vital to keeping on track to meet your goals.

Advisor Insight

Nick Bradfield
Divvy Investments LLC, Cary, N.C.

I think a lot of people overcomplicate budgets, and the term “budget” is perceived as a bad word, like the word “diet.” Being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have things; it means you know where your money is going. The key, like dieting, is to not yo-yo back and forth between good and bad habits. And you have to include some fun things in your budget or it won’t last long. It won’t become a habit. Here are four steps to a budget you can keep:

Record all of your spending for 30 days.
Review fixed expenses. Can any be removed or renegotiated?
Review variable expenses. Can any be removed or reduced?
Reallocate any newfound funds to your biggest priorities.

Rinse and repeat the above periodically.

How do you budget for future expenses?

To achieve long-term financial goals, you need to determine how much you have available to put aside each month. This can be achieved by calculating all your expenses, including prorated annual expenses, and subtracting the total from your monthly income. Whatever you are left with could be invested to reach a future goal.

Remember: The amount that you can save this month may not be the same as what you can save at this time next year. That’s why it’s important to stay on top of your budget and make revisions when necessary.

Which is the best way to achieve long-term goals?

First of all, be realistic about how much you can put aside. If you’re overambitious and devise a plan that has you living in extreme austerity for years, chances are you’ll become miserable and give up before achieving your goal. Come up with a reasonable monthly savings figure, be disciplined, and make sure that the money you have allocated for future use is working hard and not being eroded by inflation.

Where should I invest my savings?

There are many places to put savings, depending on such factors as when you’ll need the money and how much risk you are willing to take on. Do some research, think carefully about your options, and if you need further assistance, consider speaking with a financial advisor.

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