Biggest budget spending categories

[coolpix]

What are the three biggest spending categories in your budget?

[disneysteve]

Off the top of my head I'd say probably:

Savings
Housing
Taxes and Insurance (ok, that's 2 categories)

[lamar411]

Savings
Taxes
Food


No mortgage, yay.

[moneybags]

Is savings a spending category? I assume not: college tuition, taxes, not sure about the 3rd, it depends on the year (could be a car or house remodeling, etc.).

[kork13]

Savings, by a long shot (35-40%)
Housing (16%)
Tithing/offerings (12%)

Honorable mentions go to Taxes/FICA (11.5%) & Debt (11%, car loan, making double-payments)


ETA:

Is savings a spending category? I assume not

If savings were an afterthought, then I might agree with you. However, I do consider it a spending category, because savings is: (1) more like an imperative to me; (2) it comes off the top before any other spending, and my money available for spending is based on how much I choose to save; and (3) I intentionally save way more than I necessarily NEED to (I view the excess, above a 10-15% absolute minimum, as an expense). For those reasons, I consider savings as just another line item in the budget.

[kaysmom]

25.80% Income Taxes (State and Fed)
17.06% Gifts
16.29% Vacation Fund

When I was working, savings topped the list.

--Edited to add percent signs.

[corn18]

Taxes by a very, very large margin
Mortgage
Food

I had savings in the expense line of the budget and moved it up into my deductions section in the budget. Minor change but now I pay myslef first.

[hamchan]

Rent
Healthcare
Taxes

[leeluu86]

50% Savings
38% Taxes (Income and Uni Debt - I live in Aust, its calculated at tax time and paid back to the government)
2.5% Car expenses (Petrol, Parking, Maintenance etc., but not including insurance)

I don't pay anything for housing yet (including utilities etc), but this will change when I buy a place later this year/early next year.

[HappySaver]

I choose to consider this question in terms of take-home pay. After taxes and retirement, since those are required expenses that I have no control over, unless I plan to end up in jail or eating cat food in my old age:

- Mortgage (PITI) and Savings are a tie
- Food
- Heating oil. Yes, that's how expensive heat is in New England.

[MonkeyMama]

#1 - Medical (17%)
#2 - Housing (17%)
#3 - Groceries/Household (4 people + 1 pet) (8%)

#4 is auto (6%), and absolutely none of our other expenses are in the realm of the top 4. (Not even income taxes. But obviously FICA/payroll tax is more than auto, at 7.65%).

Of course, savings is our true #1. (20%+)

(I put medical #1 because it is an increasing expense. It was kind of a tie last year but expect to be #1 for the foreseeable future).

[feh]

food
taxes (property taxes only; I'm excluding payroll/income/etc taxes)
donations

(we don't have a mortgage, and I don't consider savings a spending category, otherwise it would be #1)

[figuringmoneyout]

1. Taxes.
2. Housing.
3. Food.

Eh.

[scfr]

1: Income Taxes
2: Housing (Property Taxes + Homeowner's Insurance + Maintenance & Repairs + HOA Dues)
These are the 2 "biggies."

Then for number 3 it's very close between "Transportation" (Next Car Savings + Car Insurance + Gas + Maintenance & Repairs + Tolls) and "Food & Beverage" and "Medical/Dental/Vision" (which is mostly insurance premiums) and these will shift in ranking depending on the year.

I did include next car savings as I see that as an alternative to a car payment or (I'm currently driving so I'm wearing down an asset that will need to be replaced eventually). I did not include retirement savings as I see that as future spending.

[snafu]

Taxes... income, municipal, property, sales tax, licences, the government has it's hand in my pocket every step I take
Condo fees, lots of services so I don't complain
Travel...new experiences, nice people make it all worthwhile