1. Transportation. It's easy to budget for things like your car payment, and fuel costs, because you have these things on your mind a lot. However, what about oil changes? Do you think about things like tire rotation and other maintenance type items? The occasional expenses like new tires, or getting the car cleaned after your child pukes all over the interior are what throw budgets for a loop, so try and account for some of these.

You will also want to consider costs like driver's licenses if you move, or if yours expires, car registration, and inspections. Depending on where you live, you may need to consider the costs of tolls and parking meters.

The thing with transportation is most people do not add in these little things because in and of itself it does not cost much. $20 every three months for an oil change hardly seems worth including in a budget, however, when you add in the $15 dollars for carwashes and vacuum, the $10 in tolls or parking, $35 for a new license, $100 for registration, $25 for a tire rotation, etc. the cost starts to really add up.

The annual expenses of transportation that are not considered in your budget typically add up fast, so to get a more accurate view of your spending, make sure you think about these.

2. Subscriptions and other yearly paid items. When you have a budget you usually only think about the monthly expenses, so anything that you pay yearly gets lost in the budget. However, you should think about how many of these there are, and how much they accumulate. A couple of subscriptions, and a few insurance premiums you only pay years can be a few thousand dollars, that $100+ a month makes a major difference in your budget. Along these same lines, don't forget your annual computer costs, like software upgrades. Other annual memberships, like those for AAA, Costco, etc. Most of these types of items probably weren't figured into your budget calculations.

3. Gifts can be a huge budget oversight. We are not talking about holiday gifts. We are talking about birthdays, baby showers, wedding presents, missing you, get well, and the numerous other gifts you give year-round. There are always plenty of opportunities to give your friends and family gifts. So, this can be a huge budget category if you know a lot of people or have a large family. So, think about graduations, the collections at the office for this or that event, etc, and start giving yourself a little room in your budget for this inevitable spending.

4. Travel is another often overlooked expense. Not huge family vacations but the little here and there trips where you go visit friends from out of town, or camp for a few days. You can spend several hundred dollars in a small trip that if not planned for, will throw your budget for a loop.

5. Personal Care is the next category. Think about things like dry cleaning, getting your nails down, having a massage, tailoring, make-up, lotions, waxing, weaving, dying, etc. the list is extensive and expensive, so keep tabs.

6. Fees are another area to consider. How often do you use the wrong ATM because it is convenient? What about paying bills late, or making the minimum payment and having to pay finance charges monthly? These add up.

Of course there are other areas, but these areas will get you started in thinking about your budget and getting a better picture of where your money is actually going. Keeping these tips in mind will help you budget better.