Calculator
Where Did My Money Go?
Last month's real spending, ranked: the 10-minute forensic that finds the leaks.
This is a backward-looking exercise, not a plan. Take last month's statements and sort the real transactions into categories, because the gap between what people believe they spend and what the statement says is usually concentrated in two or three lines.
Sort by total rather than by how the spending felt. Frequent small charges add up quietly, and a single large one can dominate a category without being a habit worth changing.
Results
Your results will appear here.
Type your numbers on the left and press Calculate. Nothing you enter is saved.
See a worked example
Example figures
- Money that came in last month$3,200
- Housing (rent/mortgage)$1,150
- Utilities$230
- Food & groceries$610
- Transportation$280
- Insurance$180
- Childcare$0
- Debt payments$180
- Subscriptions$62
- Entertainment & dining$340
- Other spending$190
Example results
Income$3,200
Tracked spending$3,222
Left over on paper-$22
Biggest line: Housing (rent/mortgage) at $1,150 (36% of income). Big lines move budgets; small lines move moods; optimize in that order.
Top three categories are $2,100: 65% of tracked spending. One change in a top-three category outweighs five small vows.
| Category | Last month | % of income |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent/mortgage) | $1,150 | 35.9% |
| Food & groceries | $610 | 19.1% |
| Entertainment & dining | $340 | 10.6% |
| Transportation | $280 | 8.8% |
| Utilities | $230 | 7.2% |
| Other spending | $190 | 5.9% |
| Insurance | $180 | 5.6% |
| Debt payments | $180 | 5.6% |
| Subscriptions | $62 | 1.9% |
Your results will appear here.
Type your numbers on the left and press Calculate. Nothing you enter is saved.
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