Expense Calculator
You can not fix what you can not see. This tool adds up all your costs so the truth is on one screen.
I run this sum every few months. There is always one box that grew with out me seeing it.
Add income to see each box as a percent of it.
Cut one small box by a third and watch what the yearly row does. Small sums grow fast.
How to use this tool
- 1All six boxes add up to your month total.
- 2Times 12 gives the year view.
- 3Split by 30 shows the daily burn.
The math behind it
Total expenses = sum of every line you spent last month
Rent 1,100, food 450, transport 120, fun 200, other 130.
That month cost you 2,000, which sets your freedom number.
Who this tool is for
I watch which tools folk open most, and this one gets used by the same kinds of people again and again. If any of these sound like you, you are in the right place.
- Folk who feel money leaks but can not find them
- Any one starting a budget who needs the truth first
- Couples checking the shared pot
I run this sum every quarter like a health check. The first time, the subs and phone box had grown to 95 a month and I could only name four of the eleven things in it. I cancelled six. The yearly row of this tool is the most honest row on my site, I think.
Tips from me
- Pull the numbers from a statement, not from memory. Memory forgets the small leaks.
- Split needs from wants as you list. The split is where the plan starts.
- Run it three months in a row. One month is a photo, three is a movie.
Mistakes I see with this sum
These are the three slips I made my self or watch folk make most. Skip them and your number will be closer to the truth on the first try.
- 1Being too proud in the fun box. Type the real sum.
- 2Forgetting yearly bills. Split them in to months first.
- 3Adding up once and never again. Costs creep every quarter.
Two words worth knowing
Fixed cost
Same every month. Rent type stuff.
Variable cost
Moves with your life. Food, fuel, fun.
That is the whole page. The tool does the math, and the words above give it a shape. If a number still looks odd, change an input and watch what moves. Playing with the boxes taught me more than any guide did.
Common questions
+What if I have more than six cost types?
Merge small ones in to Other. The goal is the honest total, not a perfect list.
+Why a daily view?
A daily burn is easy to feel. 150 a month sounds fine. 5 a day makes you think at the snack counter.
+What counts as an expense?
Every thing that left your account. Bills, food, fun, fees and the coffee you forgot by Tuesday.
+How do I find hidden expenses?
Scan a full statement for subscriptions and small repeats. They are the smoke, not the fire.
+Why track if I already know?
Because knowing is usually off by a few hundred. The gap between felt and real is where budgets break.