Question: We’ve been on a budget for several months now, but invariably we have a problem when an unexpected expense takes away money that we allocated elsewhere. How do we handle these unexpected expenses? Response: I’ve found that in reality, there are very few unexpected expenses but rather expenses that have not been properly planned for. If you look at your budget on an annual basis, you will find the same “unexpected” expenses reoccur: cars break down, clothing wears out, teeth have holes in them, children get hurt and need medical care, etc. A workable budget must plan for these variables. For example, if you spend $1200 a year on clothing for your family, then $100 a month must be set aside for clothes. In the months you don’t spend that money, it’s not a windfall! It’s an expense that didn’t come due that month; the surplus must be saved for future use. At the end of the month, transfer budgeted but unspent money into a savings account. In any given month there may be unused money in a budget category. If you spend it on other things, your budget will never work. Budgeting is a process of sacrificing short-term spending to accomplish long-term goals. (www.christianfinancialministries.org)