September 2025
Where our money went (and the $82 we'd like to un-spend 🫣)
💰 total spent
$0😬 categories
1 over avg
Scroll for the full breakdown... 👇
🏙️ How We Stack Up vs. Los Angeles
We're DINKs, so no childcare costs skewing the numbers. Here's how we stack up against BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey data for the Los Angeles metro area.
The Los Angeles metro area (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA) includes Orange County, where we live. Uses 2023-24 data because the 2024 release was delayed three times (data quality issues + appropriations lapse) and finally published Dec 19, 2025. MSA-level data uses 2-year averages for larger sample sizes.
| Category | Ours | Los Angeles Avg | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | 66% | 30% | yikes 🔥 |
| Groceries | 5% | 8% | slightly under 👍 |
| Dining Out | 3% | 6% | slightly under 👍 |
| Transportation | 7% | 16% | nailed it ✅ |
| Utilities | 2% | 7% | slightly under 👍 |
| Entertainment | 2% | 4% | slightly under 👍 |
| Shopping | 2% | 3% | ~average |
| Health | 2% | 7% | slightly under 👍 |
| Subscriptions | 1% | 3% | slightly under 👍 |
| Other | 10% | 16% | nailed it ✅ |
And now, the moment you've been waiting for...
🤦 Dumbest Purchases
Every month, we each confess our most regrettable spend. Public shame is free therapy.
His
Pour-over coffee setup
“An $82 pour-over coffee setup when we already have a coffee maker, a French press, AND an espresso machine. Apparently each brewing method creates a 'different experience.' They all create caffeine.”
That's a lot of damage. 💸
Hers
Crystal water bottle
“A $44 water bottle with a crystal inside for 'positive energy hydration.' The water tastes exactly the same. The positive energy remains undetectable.”
Could've been worse... barely. 😅