FerroxLabs 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
- Step 1: Collect 3 months of transaction data from bank and credit card statements
- Step 2: Categorize every transaction into needs, wants, savings, and debt
- Step 3: Calculate spending percentages and compare to benchmarks
- Step 4: Identify top 5 savings opportunities ranked by potential monthly impact
- 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
- Data availability: Do you have access to your last 3 months of bank and credit card statements? (Minimum 1 month, ideal 3-6 months)
- Income: What is your monthly take-home pay?
- Household size: How many people in your household?
- Location: What metro area or region do you live in? (Affects median spending comparisons)
- Financial goals: What are you trying to achieve? (Reduce spending? Find waste? Save for something specific?)
- Known pain points: Are there categories where you already suspect you overspend?
- Subscriptions: Can you list all your recurring subscriptions and memberships?
- Cash spending: Do you use cash frequently? (Cash is harder to track)
- Recent changes: Have you had any major lifestyle changes in the past year (new job, move, raise, baby)?
- 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:
- Spending summary -- Total spending, savings rate, income vs. expenses
- Category breakdown -- With percentages and comparison to medians
- Top 3 problem areas -- Categories most over benchmark or misaligned with goals
- Subscription audit results -- What to cancel, downgrade, or keep
- Quick wins -- Immediate actions with estimated savings
- Strategic recommendations -- Longer-term structural changes
- Monthly savings potential -- Total estimated savings from all recommendations
- 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.