Financial Baseline v5 — Refined Budget
Final baseline after user clarification of all oddities. Real monthly spend picture.
Clarifications Applied
| Oddity | Confirmed | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Eats $1,649/mo | “We just eat a lot of takeaway” | Halved → $825/mo |
| Amazon $1,386/mo | Spikes are one-off purchases | Halved → $693/mo |
| Medical $316 + Pharmacy $276 | “Probably both” — regular monthly | Keep as-is |
| MOCA Health $344/mo | Medical marijuana, every 2 months | $318/2mo → $159/mo |
| Bunnings $398/mo | “Done for now” | Removed from baseline |
| Personal Transfers $286/mo | Only Upul (gardener) recurring | Upul $200/mo, rest removed |
| Childcare Treetop | Confirmed correct | $1,711/mo |
| Babysitting halved | Confirmed | $488/mo |
| Gaming $115/mo | “Will cut all gaming subs” | Removed |
| Council Rates | Quarterly | $770/quarter ($257/mo overhead) |
Final Baseline Budget
| Category | Monthly Avg | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Childcare (Treetop) | $1,711 | Fortnightly $568–$942 |
| Woolworths | $1,222 | |
| Uber Eats | $825 | Halved from $1,649. $27/day |
| Amazon | $693 | Halved from $1,386 |
| Dining | $554 | Restaurants, PayPal food merchants |
| Babysitting | $488 | Raw $975/mo halved. $320/week cash |
| Medical | $316 | Western Imaging, Dorevitch Pathology |
| Uber Trip | $285 | |
| Pharmacy | $276 | Includes occasional MOCA pharmacy $79 |
| Kmart | $253 | |
| Insurance (CGU/Allianz) | $230 | |
| Bupa (Health Insurance) | $227 | |
| Upul (Gardener) | $200 | Monthly gardener |
| Telstra | $196 | |
| Internet (Superloop) | $167 | |
| MOCA Health | $159 | Medical marijuana script, every 2mo |
| Coles | $149 | |
| Costco | $130 | |
| Vet | $122 | |
| Asian/Indian Grocery | $121 | |
| Cafe | $120 | |
| ASIC | $104 | Annual |
| Uber One | $96 | |
| Apple Subs | $86 | |
| Public Transport | $79 | |
| Pet Supplies | $70 | Petbarn |
| Fresha | $58 | |
| Fast Food | $58 | Domino’s, KFC |
| Other (Unmatched) | $48 | AMZNPRIMEA glitch |
| GitHub | $41 | |
| Convenience | $41 | 7-Eleven |
| Pet Insurance | $35 | |
| Netflix | $28 | |
| Google Workspace | $25 | |
| Google Play | $25 | |
| Physio | $19 | |
| Parking | $18 | |
| Uber Other | $15 | |
| Amazon Prime | $10 | |
| Total Baseline | $9,300/mo |
Removed from Baseline
- Gaming $115 → $0
- Bunnings $398 → $0 (done)
- Personal one-offs $86 → $0
- AI Subs $116 → $0
- Massage $388 → $0
Bottom Line
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Net Income | $11,282/mo |
| Total Baseline Spend | $9,300/mo |
| Surplus before HML | +$1,982/mo |
| Home Loan (HML) | $2,600/mo |
| After HML | −$618/mo |
| Council Rates (quarterly) | $770/qtr → +$257/mo overhead |
The structural deficit is −$618/mo after HML — much healthier than the original −$2,918/mo. The $1,982/mo surplus before HML covers most of the mortgage, leaving a manageable $618 gap.
Monthly Trend (Last 6 Months, Adjusted)
| Month | Adjusted Spend | vs Income | After HML |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | $9,085 | +$2,197 | −$403 |
| Jan 2026 | $8,180 | +$3,102 | +$502 |
| Feb 2026 | $6,777 | +$4,505 | +$1,905 |
| Mar 2026 | $10,941 | +$341 | −$2,259 ⬆ |
| Apr 2026 | $7,819 | +$3,463 | +$863 |
| May 2026 | $6,930 | +$4,352 | +$1,752 |
March is the outlier (Amazon spike, childcare high, babysitting heavy). Lean months (Feb, May) show comfortable surplus after HML.
Charts
Income vs Adjusted Spend vs HML
Monthly Spend by Category
Key Takeaway
You’re not bleeding — you’re $618/mo short after the mortgage. The real levers if you want to close the gap:
- Childcare $1,711/mo (life reality)
- Uber Eats $825/mo (halved already)
- Woolworths $1,222/mo (family groceries)
- Amazon $693/mo (halved already)
- Dining $554/mo
Halving Uber Eats again ($412/mo) + Dining ($277/mo) = $689 saved → would put you +$71/mo after HML. The gap is small.