The sinking funds
$458 a month across eight pots. Balances as at Aug. 31, 2026.
Eight bills that arrive once a year, or once in a while, divided by twelve and set aside monthly. They appear on every issue page as a single $458 line, because from the twelve envelopes' point of view that is what they are: one fixed outgoing that never varies. The interesting part is underneath.
| Fund | Per year | Per month | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto insurance | 1,062 | 89 | 534 |
| Renters insurance | 228 | 19 | 114 |
| Car maintenance and tires | 1,320 | 110 | 186 |
| Registration and tabs | 186 | 16 | 96 |
| Dental, no coverage | 780 | 65 | 325 |
| Holidays | 600 | 50 | 400 |
| Travel, one trip | 900 | 75 | 525 |
| Dog, annual | 408 | 34 | 68 |
| Eight funds | 5,484 | 458 | 2,248 |
Where the money physically is
One savings account, one balance, and eight numbers in the spreadsheet that add up to it. We do not open an account per fund. The reconciliation on the first Sunday checks that the eight numbers still sum to what the bank says, and in sixteen months it has been out twice, both times by a transfer that had not cleared.
Notes on each
- Auto insuranceRenews in February, paid in one go.
- Renters insuranceRenews in February with the auto policy.
- Car maintenance and tiresDrawn down $402 in July.
- Registration and tabsDue in November.
- Dental, no coverageTwo cleanings and a contingency.
- HolidaysSpent almost entirely in December.
- Travel, one tripOne week, driving distance.
- Dog, annualVaccines and license, paid in May.
The balances are uneven by design, not by neglect. Holidays is at $400 in August because it fills all year and empties in one month; car maintenance is at $186 because it emptied in July. A sinking fund that always looks healthy is one you are over‑funding.
The two we do not have
There is no fund for a new car, discussed on the car page, and no fund for the vet beyond the $34 annual pot, which August demonstrated the limits of. The argument for adding a pet emergency fund is obvious and the argument against is that it would have to come out of the $1,100 savings transfer, and we would rather take a $214 hit twice a decade than move the transfer. That may be the wrong call. It is at least a call, made on purpose, and it is written down.