The categories you use determine what you can see. If you group all food spending into one "food" category, you can't tell whether your spending problem is groceries, restaurant meals, takeaway, or coffee. This list gives you 50+ categories organized by type, with sub-category options for more granular tracking where it matters.
The 10 Core Categories (Start Here)
If you're new to budgeting, start with these 10 before adding sub-categories. These cover 90%+ of most people's spending:
- Housing — rent/mortgage, utilities, maintenance
- Groceries — supermarket food shopping only
- Dining & Takeaway — restaurants, cafes, delivery apps
- Transport — fuel, transit passes, rideshare, parking
- Health — insurance, prescriptions, gym, medical appointments
- Personal Care — haircuts, toiletries, clothing
- Entertainment — subscriptions, events, activities, hobbies
- Savings — emergency fund, general savings, goals
- Debt Repayment — credit cards (beyond minimum), loans
- Miscellaneous — everything else initially (break this out as patterns emerge)
Housing Categories
- Rent / mortgage payment
- Electricity
- Gas / heating
- Water
- Internet
- Phone / mobile
- Home insurance / renters insurance
- Home maintenance & repairs
- Cleaning supplies
- Furnishings & appliances (large purchases)
- HOA fees / strata fees
- Garden / outdoor
Food & Dining Categories
- Groceries (planned shopping)
- Dining out (sit-down restaurants)
- Takeaway / food delivery
- Coffee shops
- Work lunches
- Alcohol (home)
- Alcohol (bars/restaurants)
- Snacks & impulse food buys
Why split food this finely? Most people who feel like they "don't spend much on food" actually spend $200-300/month on takeaway and coffee separately from groceries. Splitting these reveals where the money actually goes.
Transport Categories
- Car payment / lease
- Car insurance
- Petrol / fuel
- Car maintenance & repairs
- Parking
- Public transport (bus/train/metro pass)
- Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, Grab)
- Taxis
- Cycling costs (bike maintenance, purchase)
- Tolls & congestion charges
- Road tax / vehicle registration
Health & Wellness Categories
- Health insurance premium
- Doctor / GP visits (out-of-pocket)
- Dental
- Vision / optician
- Prescriptions & medications
- Vitamins & supplements
- Gym membership
- Fitness classes (yoga, pilates, etc.)
- Mental health (therapy, apps)
- Personal care products (toiletries)
Personal & Lifestyle Categories
- Clothing & shoes
- Haircuts & grooming
- Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
- Other subscriptions (software, news, apps)
- Hobbies & sports equipment
- Books & education
- Electronics & tech
- Gifts (birthday, holiday, wedding)
- Charity & donations
- Travel & holidays
- Entertainment (cinema, events, concerts)
- Pet expenses (food, vet, grooming)
Family & Children Categories
- Childcare / daycare
- School fees & uniforms
- School supplies & activities
- Baby supplies (nappies, formula, etc.)
- Children's clothing
- Tutoring & lessons
- Child sports & activities
- Family entertainment
Financial Categories
- Emergency fund contributions
- Retirement contributions (beyond employer auto)
- General savings
- House deposit savings
- Investment contributions
- Credit card extra payments
- Student loan extra payments
- Other debt extra payments
- Bank fees
- Financial advisor fees
Category Sets by Lifestyle
Use this as a starting point — add and remove based on your actual life:
Single renter (starter budget)
Rent · Electricity · Internet · Phone · Groceries · Dining Out · Takeaway · Coffee · Transport · Health Insurance · Gym · Clothing · Subscriptions · Entertainment · Savings · Emergency Fund
Couple — hybrid finances
Shared: Rent · Utilities · Joint Groceries · Dining Out Together · Transport · Joint Savings · Holiday Fund
Individual: Personal Groceries · Personal Transport · Personal Care · Personal Clothing · Personal Entertainment · Individual Savings
Family with children
Mortgage/Rent · Utilities · Groceries · Dining Out · Transport · Childcare · School · Children's Activities · Health Insurance · Family Entertainment · Emergency Fund · Retirement · Travel
International / expat
Local Housing · Local Transport · Groceries (local currency) · International Transfers · Home Country Travel · Visa/Documentation · Expat Health Insurance · Local Entertainment · Savings (which currency?)
Setting Up Categories in Pocket Clear
Pocket Clear lets you create fully custom categories — not locked into presets that don't match your life. You can:
- Create any category name that makes sense to you
- Add sub-categories under parent categories
- Set monthly budgets for each category
- See spending vs. budget by category in real-time
- No bank linking required — log expenses manually, with control over every entry
Recommended starting approach: import the 10 core categories, run it for one month, then look at what's in "Miscellaneous" and create new categories for anything that appears more than 3 times.
What Users Say About Pocket Clear
"Simple, Clean, and Great to Stay on Budget. Loved this app. The UI is clean, and it's genuinely easy to use—everything is explained in simple words with no jargon."
"Really helps me to know where I'm spending my money, which allows me to plan accordingly for the future."
"Has useful features that help me keep track of my expenses. Really like the intuitive and easy to read UI."
Set Up Your Custom Budget Categories in Pocket Clear
Fully flexible categories, monthly budgets per category, and a clear spending summary. Free, no bank linking, works offline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many budget categories should I have?
Most financial advisors recommend 10-20 categories for active budgeting. Too few (under 7) and you lose visibility into spending patterns. Too many (over 30) becomes tedious to maintain. Start with the 10 core categories, then add sub-categories only where you need more detail.
What are the most important budget categories?
The most important categories are: Housing (25-35% of income), Food (groceries + dining, 10-15%), Transport (10-15%), Savings (10-20%), and Debt repayment. These 5 typically account for 70-80% of all spending, so getting clarity here matters most.
What percentage of income should each budget category be?
Recommended guidelines: Housing 25-35%, Food (all categories) 10-15%, Transport 10-15%, Savings 10-20%, Personal care/clothing 5-10%, Entertainment 5-10%, Healthcare 5-10%, Utilities 5-8%. The 50/30/20 rule simplifies this: 50% needs, 30% wants, 20% savings + debt payoff.