What FixedCostReport analyses
FixedCostReport analyses recurring financial commitments that form part of your household's fixed-cost structure. You decide which costs to enter and how they are categorised.
The analysis is based entirely on the information you provide. FixedCostReport does not connect to your bank account or automatically retrieve financial transactions.
The analysis is based entirely on the information you provide. FixedCostReport does not connect to your bank account or automatically retrieve financial transactions.
How amounts are normalised
Costs can occur at different intervals, such as monthly, quarterly or annually. FixedCostReport converts these amounts to comparable monthly and annual values so that costs with different payment schedules can be analysed together.
These normalised values are used throughout the report for totals, category shares and other calculations.
These normalised values are used throughout the report for totals, category shares and other calculations.
How the analysis is built
FixedCostReport looks at your fixed costs from several perspectives rather than relying on a single score. The report analyses how costs are distributed across categories, when payments occur, which costs are harder or easier to change, how much of your income is committed to fixed costs and where there may be room to review individual commitments.
The resulting observations are based on the structure of the data you entered. They are intended to help you understand your own cost structure, not to prescribe what you should spend or which costs you should change.
The resulting observations are based on the structure of the data you entered. They are intended to help you understand your own cost structure, not to prescribe what you should spend or which costs you should change.
Benchmark methodology
The household benchmark is one part of the wider FixedCostReport analysis. It compares the structure of your fixed costs with published household expenditure statistics to provide an external point of reference.
The sections below explain how this benchmark is constructed and which limitations apply.
The sections below explain how this benchmark is constructed and which limitations apply.
Where the benchmark data comes from
FixedCostReport uses household expenditure data published by official statistical organisations. Depending on the country, these sources include Eurostat, Statistics Canada, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Office for National Statistics.
The source used for your comparison is shown directly in your report. The report also shows the reference year of the statistical data used for that comparison.
The source used for your comparison is shown directly in your report. The report also shows the reference year of the statistical data used for that comparison.
How your costs are compared
The benchmark compares the share of your fixed costs in each category with the corresponding share in published household expenditure data. The comparison is based on percentages rather than absolute amounts, because currencies, price levels and household spending differ between countries.
The benchmark is intended to provide context for the structure of your fixed costs. It is not a target or a statement about how much a household should spend.
The benchmark is intended to provide context for the structure of your fixed costs. It is not a target or a statement about how much a household should spend.
Mapping FixedCostReport categories
Official statistical datasets do not use exactly the same categories as FixedCostReport. We therefore map each FixedCostReport category to the closest relevant expenditure category available in the source data.
Where a comparison relies on an approximate mapping or data that is marked as estimated or less reliable, the category is marked with a † symbol in the report.
Where a comparison relies on an approximate mapping or data that is marked as estimated or less reliable, the category is marked with a † symbol in the report.
Household and area matching
Where the statistical source provides sufficient detail, FixedCostReport uses the household type and area type you selected to make the comparison more relevant.
If a category has to be compared using a different available household or area level, it is marked with a * symbol and the comparison used is shown below the table.
If a category has to be compared using a different available household or area level, it is marked with a * symbol and the comparison used is shown below the table.
Reference year and limitations
Household expenditure surveys are published periodically, so the benchmark figures in your report come from a specific survey or reference year rather than from live spending data. FixedCostReport uses the reference year available for the selected statistical source.
Definitions, survey years, sample structures and available levels of detail differ between statistical organisations. Benchmark results should therefore be read as context for how your cost structure compares with broader household spending patterns, not as a precise measure of what is normal or correct.
Definitions, survey years, sample structures and available levels of detail differ between statistical organisations. Benchmark results should therefore be read as context for how your cost structure compares with broader household spending patterns, not as a precise measure of what is normal or correct.