May 2026 Expenses
I review our finances at the end of every month. This post is focused on the expenses. I am curious to see how our May 2026 expenses compare to our May 2025 expenses and if we are sticking to our 2026 goals. Categories and differences are explained below the table.
Aprils are brutal for us with 9 family and close friend birthdays. There were a few big anniversaries.
Category
2026
2025
Change
Mortgage
$2,029.35
$2,139.75
-$110.40
Insurance
$575.34
$500.61
+$74.73
Household and House Maintenance
$218.54
$869.08
-$650.54
Property Taxes
-
-
-
Utilities
$299.85
$310.77
-$10.92
Cell Phones
$106.22
$90.40
+$15.82
Internet
$101.68
$137.80
+$36.12
Car Payment
$637.59
$637.59
-
Car Maintenance
$520.64
-
+$520.64
Streaming
$27.11
$53.09
-$25.98
Food
$813.70
$972.92
-$159.22
Fuel
$600.76
$865.86
-$265.10
Kids
$1,911.87
$1,718.99
+$192.88
Restaurants
$628.88
$969.21
-$340.33
Banking Fees
$18.24
$7.75
+$10.49
Fun Money
$734.68
$675.63
-$59.05
Clothing
$174.43
$86.47
+$87.96
Personal Care
$471.89
$101.69
+$370.20
Alcohol
$251.66
$285.04
-$33.38
Parking
$26.50
$21.35
+$5.15
Gifts
$229.22
$50.00
+$179.22
TOTAL
$10,378.15
$10,494.00
-$115.85
Let's explore what each category includes and some reasons for changes:
- Mortgage - we are on a variable rate and the interest rates went down in the past year.
- Insurance - insurance rates went up and we added a third vehicle.
- Households and home maintenance - we did some more landscaping.
- Property taxes - no taxes for the next few months.
- Utilities - gas, water and electricity.
- Cell phones - we had to travel and roamed, but not as much as we did last year.
- Internet - our low rate ended in May 2025.
- Car payment - no changes
- Car maintenance - 6-month maintenance.
- Streaming - Netflix. Others are paid annually and Apple TV is free for the next year or so thanks to a bunch of Apple gift cards I got 2 years ago.
- Food - more family gatherings and birthdays in May.
- Fuel - gas prices are high, but we travelled less than last year.
- Kids - paid for summer camps.
- Restaurants - had guests a few times, some birthdays, and my wife went away with friends for a weekend.
- Banking fees - my credit card stopped working so I had to use debit for about a week until a new one came.
- Fun money - coffee, books, games, etc. Small daily purchases and fun expenses. My wife went to a concert.
- Clothing - this is only for adult clothes. Kids' clothing is covered under the "kids" category.
- Personal care - self-explanatory. My wife had her hair styled for a party.
- Alcohol - self-explanatory
- Parking - decided to split parking out of "fun money".
- Gifts - had to go to a few kids birthdays.
Another expensive month but there was a slight movement in the right direction with a reduction of $115.85 in spending.
