The Ten Worst Budget Destroyers

A lot of families struggle with low income and inflexible budgets. An emergency can quickly drain your savings and set you back several years paying off your credit cards. I've listed a few things that will absolutely destroy your carefully balanced budget but unfortunately are unavoidable and inevitable expenses.

1. Sickness and injury - If you or your young child are sick you can't go to work. Lost wages.
2. The death of a friend or family member - These situations usual mean you drop everything to be with family for a week or more. Travel, lost wages, funeral costs, you have to cover this somehow.
3. Broken eyeglasses - Eye glasses are expensive! If you lose them or drop them the wrong way, well you're out $200 or more.
4. Public service strikes - The recent Canada Post strike has resulted in delayed assistance cheques and late bill payment, Public transit strikes could mean you have to take a cab to work if you can't find a carpool.
5. Weddings - Your friend invites you to their wedding. Do you have extra money for a gift?
6. Birthdays/showers/parties - These come up several times a year, can you afford to go?
7. Car repairs and traffic tickets - Cars need regular maintenance and you can plan for that. A major repair can be a huge setback. Watch where you park and remember to feed the meter, it's way cheaper than a ticket.
8. A Massive Cell Phone Charge - We've all got horror stories of brutal phone charges. Get off a contract and onto a fixed monthly all inclusive plan as soon as possible to avoid these ridiculous fees.
9. Moving - This can be tough. If your apartment costs too much you can move to something cheaper but you'll need to pay for the moving costs and usually 2 months of rent up front. Calculate the costs, is it worth it?
10. Major Appliance replacement - Oven, fridge, washing machine, air conditioner etc. Who knows when they'll break down, when they do it'll hurt your budget.

There you have it. The Ten worst things to happen to your budget.
Got a good story about budget devastation? Let us know in the comments.