The Grocery Problem
Budgets typically assign one number to
groceries. But that's rarely accurate.
Groceries fluctuate based on whether you're
hosting people, trying new recipes, or just
restocking basics.
We analyzed spending data from 150 households
over six months. Grocery bills varied by an
average of 34% month to month, even when
people thought they were shopping
consistently.
34%
Average monthly variation in grocery
spending
Seasonal Utilities
Energy costs spike in summer and winter.
Water usage increases when gardens need more
attention. These aren't surprises, yet many
budgets treat utilities as fixed costs.
The solution isn't complicated—calculate a
rolling three-month average instead of
budgeting based on last month's bill. This
smooths out seasonal peaks and gives you a
more realistic baseline.
Maintenance and Repairs
Car servicing. Home repairs. Medical copays.
These costs don't occur monthly, so people
often exclude them from budgets entirely.
Then they're caught off guard when the car
needs new tires.
Better approach: track these irregular
expenses over a full year, then divide by
twelve. That's your actual monthly cost, even
if you're not paying it every month.
$2,340
Average annual irregular expenses often
missing from monthly budgets
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