Another budgeting question related to utilities: do people have separate categories for the different types of utilities (gas, water, electric), or one big utilities category for everything? Also how do you deal with the fluctuations from the different seasons (high electric in summer, opposite for gas)?

i have one utilities category with the yearly average, so i build up a reserve in low months and deplete in high months. but this is personal. Do whatever granularity that will get you and your spouse to stick to the program

I have it separate for separate bills - so separate for water but gas and electric is billed together (same company) so I just put that in the same budget. In terms of fluctuation, the provider in Baltimore has an option for budget billing where they try to give you an average amount so you pay the same for the whole year. If there's a significant adjustment needed they'll adjust as necessary

I think I have that option for gas, not water and electric

budget billing? that's strange, I assume you barely use gas in the summer

My water is only billed quarterly

same, that you'd have to put aside monthly for

i really don’t like budget billing, because I lose insight into what I am doing. I’d rather feel the pain and make adjustments

@mysterious-tomato-10057 I've thought of that, but to me it's worth the headache lol

shared a GIF

lol. I should clarify, it's not like my bill is very high, I was just paying too much attention to the noise

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I have no response to this and will excuse myself from the conversation lol

I like to put my utilities budget at the high end, and then in the lower months view it as surprise extra money.