One thing that's hung me up is where to put non-discretionary expenses like groceries, auto gas/service, restaurants, even utilities (prefer not to lump them with the property since they'll always be a thing...). We have a Discretionary tab but not a Non-discretionary tab. Do folks just put that in Miscellaneous like I do, or is there a better place?
I think items like groceries and restaurants go on the Discretionary page and gas/service and utilities go on the Property page. Here's why: Yes, gasoline, car maintenance and utilities generally go on forever but they are very definitely a function of the associated property. For example, a Volkswagen and a Chevy Suburban have very different gasoline costs, and an old car will probably have higher maintenance expenses than a new car. Similarly, the utilities for a 4000 sqft home for a family of five will likely have higher utility expenses than a 1500 sqft retirement home for empty nesters.
I think items like groceries and restaurants go on the Discretionary page and gas/service and utilities go on the Property page. Here's why: Yes, gasoline, car maintenance and utilities generally go on forever but they are very definitely a function of the associated property. For example, a Volkswagen and a Chevy Suburban have very different gasoline costs, and an old car will probably have higher maintenance expenses than a new car. Similarly, the utilities for a 4000 sqft home for a family of five will likely have higher utility expenses than a 1500 sqft retirement home for empty nesters.
That makes a lot of sense!
