Personal Expense Categories

My breakdown of personal expenditure into thirteen (13) categories and eighty-two (82) sub-categories in order to better understand where money is being spent.

All categories and sub-categories are organised alphabetically.

Education

Sub-category	Description
Books	Audio, digital or physical books
Courses	Online or in-person courses
Seminars	Online or in-person seminars
Subscriptions	Subscriptions for services or products
Supplies	Products for education e.g. stationary, paper etc.
Tuition	Online or in-person tuition including tutoring

Food and Drink

Sub-category	Description
Drinks	Coffee, water, smoothies etc. ordered on-the-go
Groceries	Food, toiletries, laundry, kitchen, cleaning etc.
Restaurants	Sit-down dining
Snacks	Snacks on-the-go
Supplements	Diet supplements (protein powder, vitamins etc.)
Takeaway	Food ordered to-go

Giving

Sub-category	Description
Birthdays	Presents, events etc. for birthday celebrations
Christmas	Presents, events etc. for Christmas
Donations	Donations to particular causes
General	General instances of giving
Special Occasions	Anniversaries, Father's/Mother's Day etc.

Health

Sub-category	Description
Medications	Prescribed or other medications
Non-Planned Care	General illness, accidents, emergencies etc.
Physical Therapy	Physio, chiropractic etc.
Special Care	Dental, optometry etc.
Supplies	Medical supplies etc. not incl. medications

Insurance

Sub-category	Description
Vehicle	Cars, motorbikes, boats, trailers, campervans etc.
House	House, home and contents etc.
Professional	Indemnity and liability
Health	Hospital and specialised healthcare

Also see insurance considerations.

Interest

Sub-category	Description
Credit Cards	Interest and fees paid on credit cards
Personal Loans	Interest and fees paid on personal loans
Real Estate Loans	Interest and fees paid on real estate loans
Student Loans	Interest and fees paid on student loans

Personal

Sub-category	Description
Care	Toiletries, cosmetics, fragrances, products for personal use etc.
Clothing	Clothes, shoes, watches, wearable accessories etc.
Equipment	Technology, tools etc.
General Items	Consumables, small items etc.
Hair	Hair cuts, colouring, styling etc.
Home Furnishing	Furniture, decor, linen, pillows etc.
Official Docs.	Licenses, permits, passports etc. (excl. driver's license and other category specific documentation)
Professional	Fees for professional memberships, events etc.

Pets

Sub-category	Description
Care	Grooming, cleaning etc.
Equipment	Toys, beds etc.
Food	Food, treats etc.
Insurance	Veterinary service insurance
Accommodation	Accommodation for holidays, moving etc.
Veterinary Services	Healthcare rendered

Real Estate

Sub-category	Description
Improvements	Minor upgrades (beyond general up-keep)
Loans	Loan interest and fees paid
Maintenance	General up-keep
Renovations	Major upgrades (beyond improvements)
Utilities	Electricity, gas, water, sewerage

Recreation

Sub-category	Description
Activities	Entertaining activities (min-golf, bowling etc.)
Books	Audio, digital or physical books
Events	Shows, festivals etc.
Gambling	Casinos, general bets etc.
Games	Digital or physical games
Hobbies	Regular activities for passion or interest
Holidays	Vacations, road trips etc.
Movies	Cinemas, outright purchases, rentals etc.
Music	Concerts, outright purchases etc.
Sports and Outdoors	Sporting activities, outdoor activities etc.
Subscriptions	Streaming services, magazines etc.

Taxes

Sub-category	Description
Council Rates	Levy for council services rendered
Emergency Services	Levy for emergency services (police, fire etc.)
Federal Tax	Income tax

Telecommunication and Postage

Sub-category	Description
Internet	Internet service provider charges
Phone	Mobile telecommunication provider charges
Postage	Postage costs, personal post office boxes etc.

Transportation

Sub-category	Description
Accessories	Sunshades, license plate holders and covers, decorative pieces etc.
Cleaning	Cleaning products
Driver's License	Driver's licensing fee
Fines	Traffic offences, late renewals etc.
Fuel	Fuel
Penalties	Parking fines, speeding tickets etc.
Parts and Consumables	Car replacement parts and consumables
Public Transport	Public transportation costs
Ride Share	Ride sharing costs (taxi/cab, Uber, Di-Di etc.)
Service Labour	Labour costs for servicing vehicle
Storage	Parking, long-term storage etc.
Tolls	Toll road usage fees
Tyres	Tyre, tyre change, puncture repair etc.
Vehicle Purchasing	Costs associated with purchasing (stamp duty, transfer fee etc.)
Vehicle Registration	Registration fee
Vehicle Selling	Costs associated with selling (advertisement, cleaning etc.)