--- name: expense-analyzer description: | Spending pattern identification and expense optimization through subscription auditing, fixed vs variable cost analysis, cost-per-use calculations, lifestyle inflation detection, comparison to median spending by category, and savings opportunity discovery. Use when the user asks about expense analyzer, or needs help with spending pattern identification and expense optimization through subscription auditing, fixed vs variable cost analysis, cost-per-use calculations, lifestyle inflation detection, comparison to median spending by category, and savings opportunity discovery. Do NOT use when the request requires professional financial advice or falls outside the scope of expense analyzer. license: Apache-2.0 metadata: author: foundry-skills version: "1.0.0" tags: "personal-finance expenses guide" category: "personal-finance" subcategory: "budgeting" depends: "" disclaimer: "educational-finance" difficulty: "intermediate" --- # Expense Analyzer > **Disclaimer:** This skill provides educational information about financial concepts and general guidance for personal financial planning. It does NOT constitute financial advice, investment recommendations, or tax guidance. Individual financial circumstances vary significantly, and the information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional counsel. Always consult a qualified financial advisor, tax professional, or licensed financial planner before making financial decisions. ## When to Use **Use this skill when:** - User wants to analyze their spending patterns and find savings - User needs help categorizing and understanding where their money goes - User wants to identify unnecessary subscriptions or spending leaks - User needs a spending audit to prepare for budgeting **Do NOT use this skill when:** - User wants a budget built -- use budget-builder after the analysis - User needs investment analysis -- use investment-related skills - User wants business expense tracking -- use business accounting skills ## Process 1. **Step 1:** Collect 3 months of transaction data from bank and credit card statements 2. **Step 2:** Categorize every transaction into needs, wants, savings, and debt 3. **Step 3:** Calculate spending percentages and compare to benchmarks 4. **Step 4:** Identify top 5 savings opportunities ranked by potential monthly impact 5. **Step 5:** Produce spending summary with actionable recommendations ## Purpose This skill helps users understand where their money goes, identify wasteful spending, find optimization opportunities, and make informed decisions about their expenses. It goes beyond simple tracking to provide analytical frameworks that reveal hidden patterns and actionable savings. --- ## Questions to Ask the User First 1. **Data availability:** Do you have access to your last 3 months of bank and credit card statements? (Minimum 1 month, ideal 3-6 months) 2. **Income:** What is your monthly take-home pay? 3. **Household size:** How many people in your household? 4. **Location:** What metro area or region do you live in? (Affects median spending comparisons) 5. **Financial goals:** What are you trying to achieve? (Reduce spending? Find waste? Save for something specific?) 6. **Known pain points:** Are there categories where you already suspect you overspend? 7. **Subscriptions:** Can you list all your recurring subscriptions and memberships? 8. **Cash spending:** Do you use cash frequently? (Cash is harder to track) 9. **Recent changes:** Have you had any major lifestyle changes in the past year (new job, move, raise, baby)? 10. **Willingness to change:** Are you open to making significant changes, or looking for small optimizations only? --- ## Step 1: Comprehensive Expense Categorization Have the user log or report all spending from the analysis period: ``` EXPENSE CATEGORIZATION TEMPLATE (Monthly Average) ================================================== HOUSING Rent / Mortgage: $__________ Property tax: $__________ Home insurance: $__________ HOA fees: $__________ Maintenance / Repairs: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) TRANSPORTATION Car payment: $__________ Gas: $__________ Insurance: $__________ Maintenance: $__________ Parking / Tolls: $__________ Public transit: $__________ Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) FOOD Groceries: $__________ Dining out / Takeout: $__________ Coffee shops: $__________ Alcohol: $__________ Work lunches: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) UTILITIES Electric: $__________ Gas / Heating: $__________ Water / Sewer: $__________ Internet: $__________ Cell phone: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) INSURANCE & HEALTH Health insurance premium: $__________ Medical / Dental / Vision (OOP): $__________ Prescriptions: $__________ Life insurance: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) SUBSCRIPTIONS & MEMBERSHIPS Streaming (Netflix, Spotify, etc.): $__________ Gym / Fitness: $__________ News / Magazines: $__________ Software / Apps: $__________ Amazon Prime / Costco: $__________ Other memberships: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) PERSONAL & LIFESTYLE Clothing: $__________ Personal care / Beauty: $__________ Hobbies: $__________ Entertainment (events, movies): $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) DEBT PAYMENTS Credit card minimums: $__________ Student loans: $__________ Personal loans: $__________ Other debt: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) MISCELLANEOUS Gifts: $__________ Pet expenses: $__________ Children expenses: $__________ Charitable giving: $__________ Education: $__________ Other: $__________ SUBTOTAL: $__________ ( ___% of income) TOTAL MONTHLY SPENDING: $__________ MONTHLY INCOME: $__________ SURPLUS / DEFICIT: $__________ SAVINGS RATE: ____% ``` --- ## Step 2: Subscription Audit ### Full Subscription Inventory ``` SUBSCRIPTION AUDIT ================== Service | Monthly Cost | Last Used | Usage Frequency | Keep? ---------------------|-------------|------------- |-----------------|------ ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | Daily/Weekly/ | Y/N | | | Monthly/Rarely | ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N ___________________ | $__________ | ____________ | ____________ | Y/N TOTAL MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTIONS: $__________ ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION COST: $__________ Subscriptions to cancel: 1. ______________ -- saves $__________/month 2. ______________ -- saves $__________/month 3. ______________ -- saves $__________/month Subscriptions to downgrade: 1. ______________ from $____ to $____ plan TOTAL MONTHLY SAVINGS: $__________ ANNUAL SAVINGS: $__________ ``` ### Subscription Red Flags - Not used in the past 30 days - Duplicate services (two streaming, two cloud storage) - Free trials that converted to paid - Annual renewals you skipped about - Price increases you accepted passively --- ## Step 3: Fixed vs. Variable Cost Analysis ``` COST STRUCTURE ANALYSIS ======================== FIXED COSTS (same every month, hard to change quickly) Housing: $__________ Car payment: $__________ Insurance: $__________ Debt minimums: $__________ Phone plan: $__________ Internet: $__________ Subscriptions: $__________ TOTAL FIXED: $__________ ( ___% of income) VARIABLE COSTS (change monthly, within your control) Groceries: $__________ Dining out: $__________ Gas: $__________ Entertainment: $__________ Shopping: $__________ Personal care: $__________ TOTAL VARIABLE: $__________ ( ___% of income) TARGET: Fixed costs should be under 50-60% of take-home pay Current fixed cost ratio: ____% If over 60%: You have limited flexibility. Focus on reducing fixed costs (refinance, move, sell car, switch insurance, renegotiate). If under 50%: Good structure. Optimize variable costs for additional savings. ``` --- ## Step 4: Cost-Per-Use Analysis For major purchases and memberships, calculate cost per use: ``` COST-PER-USE CALCULATOR ======================== Item / Membership | Total Cost | Uses per Month | Monthly CPU | Verdict ------------------------|-------------|----------------|-------------|-------- Gym membership | $__________ | ____________ | $__________ | ________ Streaming service | $__________ | ____________ | $__________ | ________ Clothing item | $__________ | ____________ | $__________ | ________ Kitchen gadget | $__________ | ____________ | $__________ | ________ Car (vs. rideshare) | $__________ | ____________ | $__________ | ________ Formula: Monthly cost / Number of uses per month = Cost per use BENCHMARKS: Gym: Under $5/visit = good value; Over $15/visit = reconsider Streaming: Under $1/hour watched = good value Clothing: Under $1/wear for everyday items; Under $5/wear for special items Car: Compare total car costs/month to equivalent rideshare costs ``` --- ## Step 5: Lifestyle Inflation Detection ``` LIFESTYLE INFLATION CHECK ========================== Compare your spending when you earned less vs. now: When I earned Now I earn Spending Category $__________/yr $__________/yr Change Housing: $__________ $__________ +$__________ Car: $__________ $__________ +$__________ Food: $__________ $__________ +$__________ Entertainment: $__________ $__________ +$__________ Shopping: $__________ $__________ +$__________ Other: $__________ $__________ +$__________ Total spending increase: +$__________ Income increase: +$__________ % of raise consumed by lifestyle inflation: ____% TARGET: Keep lifestyle inflation under 50% of any raise. Invest/save the other 50%+ of income increases. ``` ### Lifestyle Inflation Warning Signs - Upgrading cars shortly after raises - Moving to more expensive housing without need - Increasing dining out frequency - Shopping as recreation - Normalizing premium everything (coffee, groceries, flights) --- ## Step 6: Comparison to Median Spending Compare user spending to Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey averages: ``` SPENDING vs. NATIONAL MEDIAN (approximate percentages of after-tax income) ========================================================================== Category | Median % | Your % | Difference | Status Housing | 33% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Transportation | 16% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Food | 13% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Insurance/Pension | 12% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Healthcare | 8% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Entertainment | 5% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Clothing | 3% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Other | 10% | ____% | __________ | Over/Under/Normal Note: Medians vary significantly by region, household size, and income level. Spending above median is not inherently bad if it aligns with your values. ``` --- ## Step 7: Savings Opportunity Finder ### Quick Wins (immediate impact, low effort) ``` SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES ===================== IMMEDIATE (this week): [ ] Cancel unused subscriptions: saves $__________/mo [ ] Call cell phone provider for better rate: saves $__________/mo [ ] Switch to generic medications: saves $__________/mo [ ] Cancel premium tiers you don't fully use: saves $__________/mo SHORT-TERM (this month): [ ] Shop auto/home insurance quotes: saves $__________/mo [ ] Switch to high-yield savings account: earns $__________/mo [ ] Meal prep 2 days per week: saves $__________/mo [ ] Set up automatic savings transfer: saves $__________/mo MEDIUM-TERM (next quarter): [ ] Refinance high-interest debt: saves $__________/mo [ ] Negotiate salary or find better-paying work: earns $__________/mo [ ] Switch to a cheaper phone plan: saves $__________/mo [ ] Reduce dining out by 50%: saves $__________/mo LONG-TERM (next year): [ ] Downsize housing: saves $__________/mo [ ] Eliminate car payment (buy used next time): saves $__________/mo [ ] Move to lower cost-of-living area: saves $__________/mo TOTAL POTENTIAL MONTHLY SAVINGS: $__________ TOTAL POTENTIAL ANNUAL SAVINGS: $__________ ``` ### The Latte Factor (Reframed) Small daily expenses add up, but do not obsess over them at the expense of big wins: ``` Daily expense | Monthly cost | Annual cost | 10-year cost (invested at 7%) $5/day coffee | $150 | $1,825 | ~$25,000 $15/day lunch | $450 | $5,475 | ~$75,000 $10/day misc | $300 | $3,650 | ~$50,000 BUT: One insurance renegotiation might save $100/month ($17,000 over 10 years) One salary negotiation might add $5,000/year ($69,000 over 10 years) Focus on big wins first, then optimize the small stuff. ``` --- ## Spending Alignment Check The most important question: Does your spending reflect your values? ``` VALUE ALIGNMENT EXERCISE ======================== List your top 5 values/priorities: 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________ 4. __________ 5. __________ Now list your top 5 spending categories: 1. __________ ($__________) 2. __________ ($__________) 3. __________ ($__________) 4. __________ ($__________) 5. __________ ($__________) Do these lists align? If your values say "family and health" but your spending says "dining out and subscriptions," there is an opportunity to realign spending with what truly matters to you. ``` --- ## Output Format When delivering expense analysis, provide: 1. **Spending summary** -- Total spending, savings rate, income vs. expenses 2. **Category breakdown** -- With percentages and comparison to medians 3. **Top 3 problem areas** -- Categories most over benchmark or misaligned with goals 4. **Subscription audit results** -- What to cancel, downgrade, or keep 5. **Quick wins** -- Immediate actions with estimated savings 6. **Strategic recommendations** -- Longer-term structural changes 7. **Monthly savings potential** -- Total estimated savings from all recommendations 8. **Value alignment note** -- Does spending match stated priorities? ## Example **Input:** "I feel like I am spending too much but I do not know where. My take-home is $5,000/month and I only save $200. Here are my main expenses: rent $1,400, car payment $350, groceries $600, dining out $500, subscriptions $180, utilities $200, gas $150, shopping $400, insurance $250." **Output:** ## Expense Analysis Report **Monthly take-home:** $5,000 **Current savings:** $200 (4%) **Total tracked expenses:** $4,030 **Unaccounted:** $770 (potential cash spending or missed categories) ### Spending Breakdown | Category | Amount | % of Income | Benchmark | Status | |----------|--------|-------------|-----------|--------| | Housing | $1,400 | 28% | 25-30% | OK | | Transportation | $500 | 10% | 10-15% | OK | | Groceries | $600 | 12% | 8-10% | HIGH | | Dining out | $500 | 10% | 5-7% | HIGH | | Shopping | $400 | 8% | 3-5% | HIGH | | Subscriptions | $180 | 3.6% | 1-2% | HIGH | | Utilities | $200 | 4% | 3-5% | OK | | Insurance | $250 | 5% | 4-6% | OK | ### Top 5 Savings Opportunities | Rank | Action | Monthly Savings | |------|--------|----------------| | 1 | Reduce dining out to $250/mo (cook 2 extra meals/week) | $250 | | 2 | Reduce shopping to $200/mo (30-day rule on purchases over $50) | $200 | | 3 | Audit subscriptions -- cancel unused (target $80/mo) | $100 | | 4 | Reduce groceries to $450/mo (meal planning, store brand staples) | $150 | | 5 | Track the $770 unaccounted spending | $200-400 | **Potential monthly savings:** $900-$1,100 **New savings rate:** $1,100-$1,300/mo (22-26% of income) ## Edge Cases - **Incomplete information:** Ask clarifying questions before proceeding. Do not assume details the user has not provided. - **Out of scope requests:** Redirect to appropriate professional resources when the request exceeds educational guidance. - **Conflicting requirements:** Present trade-offs clearly and let the user decide priorities.