Where did the month actually go?

This article is general educational information for a Canadian audience. It is not individualized financial, legal, credit or tax advice.

Choose one recent month and group spending into a few broad buckets: home, food, transport, commitments and everything else. The categories only need to be useful to you.

Look for timing and repetition. A cluster of annual renewals or several small convenience costs may explain more than one dramatic purchase.

Pick one adjustment worth testing next month. The goal is to learn how your money moves, not to create a perfect historical record.