When you’re a parent, money can often be a little right – raising a family comes with a lot of expenses, from diapers to daycare. The chances are that you carefully budget for every single expense that comes your way and set funds aside for each upcoming cost, so that you’re able to ensure that your finances are on track.
Of course, the issue is when an unexpected cost pops up – how do you cover the cost of that? This is the question that worries many families – there might be enough money to enjoy daily life and keep the day to day costs of family life on track, that doesn’t mean that you have access to extra funds for unexpected costs.
The idea of unexpected costs popping up can be scary, as it’s not always easy to determine how you will deal with them and ensure that your family’s finances remain on track. The good news is that there are steps that you can take to make sure that your family’s finances remain on track, even when unexpected costs arise.
Wondering what steps you need to take to do that? Have a read of our guide below for everything that you need to know!
Put insurance in place
One of the best steps that you can take to make covering unexpected costs more doable is to put insurance in place. Of course this comes with an additional monthly cost, but if it means making coping with an unexpected situation more affordable, then it’s most certainly worth it, isn’t it?
For instance, putting life insurance in place for yourself and your partner would mean that should the worst happen and one of you pass away, you would have insurance in place to cover everything from the cost of the funeral director service to the cost of your monthly home payments. This might not be something that you want to think about, but it’s important to take steps to protect your finances (and your family) from these kinds of unexpected and financial costs.
It’s worth taking the time to look at all of the insurance types available to you, from home insurance and health insurance to insurance for if you’re signed off work sick, so that you can ensure that you’re covered in any situation.
Save an emergency fund
It’s also a good idea to start building an emergency fund that you can build up over time and then dip into as and when you need it. This kind of fund can act as a buffer when an unexpected financial cost or issue comes along.
Aim to build a fund that has enough money in it to cover six months rent, bills and living costs. That way, you know that whatever happens, you’re covered for your most important living expenses, and don’t need to worry about them for a few months.
There you have it, a guide to how you can budget for the unexpected costs that might come your way.
BY TECHIE MAMMA