Compare total spending to last month

Open your expense tracker or bank statement. Is total spending up or down? By how much in dollars and percent? This single number sets the frame for everything else.

Identify your top 3 categories by amount

Housing, food, and transport typically dominate — but if 'dining out' or 'entertainment' break into your top 3, that signals exactly where the month drifted.

Find your biggest merchant surprise

Which single merchant did you spend more than expected with? Look for any merchant appearing more than 4 times — frequency usually reveals a habit, not necessity.

Audit for ghost subscriptions

Scan every recurring charge this month. Cancel any subscription you have not actively used in the past 30 days. Not 'intend to use' — actively used.

Calculate your savings rate

Savings rate = (income – total spending) ÷ income × 100. If the number is below 10%, identify one specific category to cut before next month begins.

Check every category that exceeded your target

For each category with a budget, compare actual vs. target. Flag any that went over by more than 15% — these get your focused attention next month.

Set one focus category for next month

Choose a single category to actively reduce next month. Trying to cut everything at once fails. One specific target, written down, works.

Schedule next month's review right now

Set a recurring calendar reminder for the first weekend of next month. A review not scheduled is a review not done. This is the highest-leverage 30 seconds of the entire review.