It's Not An Exact Science So Relax.
Budgeting for home maintenance can be a bit tricky. Some things break down sooner than expected, while others seem to last forever, especially if you decide to join us in our premium course, Maintain.
It’s not an exact science so all you perfectionists can relax. There is NOT a right or wrong way to do it. If you are struggling with this, it is likely because you are waaaay overthinking it.
The key takeaway is you need to start saving intentionally for home upkeep; however, you decide to do that is less important.
The tl:dr version is this – open a separate savings account at your bank (most let you do this online). Start with sending some small amount over to it on a regular basis, even $10 a week is huge first step. Then as you can, dig into your budget and adjust it.
If you have a general savings account, you may be wondering why not just pull from that when needed. I have found that if you have a separate, dedicated account it does a few things. First, it helps you set intention. Second, it helps take the sting out of it if you need to use it. IDK, brains are simply weird that way.
First, Set Up a Savings Account.
Some recommend you do this after you have a number. I actually recommend to do this first. Like right now.
- You might be able to open an extra savings account when you log into your bank account. At my bank I just go to “Explore Products” in the top menu and agree to a few things and done! Took me 5 minutes – easy! If you cannot do it online, schedule a time to go to your bank this week. Like stop reading this and schedule it now.
- Set up an automatic deposit of some small amount, something that won’t hurt. DO NOT OVER THINK IT. $10 a week? good. You can reassess and adjust later.
Stop reading this, go do that, and come back.
The first step is the hardest and I promise, doing this now will make it much more likely you will save consistently.
Find Your Why.
Sweet, you have a savings account set up!
Get ready to roll your eyes for this next part. But, to be successful, we have to build our tenacity muscle. You have to know why you are saving this money SO THAT the reason, your why can be stronger than the urge to indulge in a weak moment. Your why is what keeps you steady when the temptation hits.
To help us find out why-
Pretend for a moment you have been keeping up with your home maintenance for about a year now.
Imagine the feeling of things feeling steadier. Quieter. More supportive – The hot water just works. The AC maintains that blissful temperature. The drip you used to ignore? Gone.
But more than that, you feel different in your home. There’s room to breathe. Your home feels like a soft landing at the end of the day. Your home starts to take care of you, because you’ve finally figured out how to take care of it…without the overwhelm, the guilt, or the guesswork.
This isn’t about becoming the perfect homeowner. It’s about feeling at home in your home.
To achieve this, you must accept that it will take some amount of work and money. You also must fight the urge to wait until things break – that costs more in both time and money. Humans tend to be more likely to be reactive than preventive so fight this urge.
Doing your home maintenance yourself can save you a lot of money, but you also need to have some savings to cultivate and maintain a calm and peaceful home.
Setting aside some money for routine maintenance and surprise repairs helps you move from feeling scattered and reactive to proactive and grounded.
To recap some whys –
- Unexpected repairs are less stressful
- Regular maintainance increases your home’s value
- You can update things when you have time and need
Figure out your home's needs and what your budget can handle.
Years ago, when I first sat down to create a budget for our first home, I was so overwhelmed by it all that I shut down. And when the first big repair came along, it was stressful and stupid. Don’t be like past me. Later, I tried again. This time, honoring more of what I felt our present selves could handle and what our future selves might need. It wasn’t perfect but that cushion brought us some peace.
We have two methods here. The first is basically picking a number and rolling with it. The second is a bit more detailed and helps you with planning out projects and if there is ever an insurance claim.
Option One:
Every home is different. Newer condos and older ranches won’t cost the same to maintain. You could just aim to save between 1%–4% of your home’s value each year— factoring in your home’s age, systems, and climate. Example: For a $250,000 home, save $2,500–$10,000/year.
Option Two:
In our free program, Prep, we have a spreadsheet that will help you walk through your home, assess it all from the appliances to the water heater and everything in between. This spreadsheet also serves as your household inventory so that if you have an insurance claim or need a model number, you have information you need.
If you find this to be a tall order right now –
Deep breaths. It’s okay. Like I said, even $10 a month helps because you WILL find ways to grow it as your whys grow stronger. Starting a savings habit is harder than growing it. So, pat yourself on the back! The first steps are the hardest.
Check in. Adjust. Repeat.
Life changes. So does your home. Review your savings plan once or twice a year to keep it realistic.
Feel the shift.
You’ll notice it one day when something breaks—and you don’t panic. You’ve got a cushion. You’ve got a plan. You’re ready.
You’ll notice less negative mental space is taken up by your home.
Come home to calm.
This is the real goal, a home that provides a restorative peace.
A home that takes care of you because you’ve learned how to take care of it.
Not perfectly. Not all at once. But steadily. Intentionally.
That’s the MainTenacious way.
Extra hints
Automate it. Tuck away windfalls. Build a habit that works for you, not someone else’s idea of “responsible.” You don’t need a complicated spreadsheet or a guilt-laden budget. You need a simple, doable plan that fits your income, season of life, and energy levels.
Want more help with budgeting in general? Check out YNAB.
So again, if you find out your home’s need is like $1,000 a month and you can do $20… DO NOT FREAK OUT. Instead, be proud of yourself for starting this journey, celebrate that $20. I think you rock. hard.
Want help getting started?
If you want help walking through these steps, consider joining our free program, Prep.
👉 Sign up for the free Main + Tenacious home maintenance course
Prep is filled with templates, encouragement, and real-world examples. If you’re ready to move from chaos to confidence, you’ll want this in your corner.
Your home CAN become a place of peace—not just one more thing to manage. Give us a year and see how different your home will feel. You’ve got this.
Here is some more thoughts from an old guy. Insurance companies make money when they sell you a policy. Yes, sometimes they pay out than they take in from a customer, but overall they make money. Once the account suggested here has some money in it maybe consider dropping home appliance insurance and adding those payments to the account. And, if you typically buy the extended warranties when you buy electronics, home appliances, etc. just ask the price and say no. Then deposit that amount into this account. Odds are you’ll come out ahead in the end particularly if you get skilled in making your own repairs.