Pay now, buy later: 3 tips to help take the surprise out of unexpected expenses
CNBC · Jason Stauffer ·
Everything from holiday gift shopping to car maintenance is a little less stressful when you plan ahead.
Many of life's biggest expenses don't have a due date — you don't know when your car battery will die or when a big storm will damage your roof. On top of that, it's easy to forget when irregular annual or semi-annual bills need to be paid.
But these costs don't have to catch you off guard and set your budget back every time they're due. At some point, you'll need to fix the car, maintain your home and pay those annual insurance premiums.
You can actually start paying for things you need to buy later. If you expect a new set of car tires to cost $1,200 and last four years, you'll need to save $300 a year or $25 a month to have what you'll need for your next tire purchase.