The other 30-40% of your salary —beyond rent/mortgage, food, transport, utilities— lives in money leaks: small monthly drains that add up to AUD 300-900 in the average Australian. That's AUD 3,600-10,800 annually evaporating.
The 10 most common categories
| # | Category | Avg monthly AUD | % affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subscription services | $58 | 79% |
| 2 | Coffee shops | $95 | 67% |
| 3 | Food delivery (Uber Eats, Menulog, DoorDash) | $145 | 71% |
| 4 | Café/lunch at work | $195 | 58% |
| 5 | After-work drinks | $135 | 49% |
| 6 | Uber/Didi | $48 | 41% |
| 7 | Account-keeping fees | $24 | 32% |
| 8 | BNPL late fees + impulse | $87 | 51% |
| 9 | Snacks, vending | $34 | 64% |
| 10 | Gym unused | $58 | 38% |
Average Australian total: ~AUD 879 monthly (AUD 10,548 annually).
The 3-audit method
Audit #1: Subscriptions (30 min)
Cancel anything not used weekly. Average impact: AUD 30-80/month.
Audit #2: Food + delivery (1 month)
Track 30 days. Average impact: AUD 200-450/month.
Audit #3: Impulse (21 days)
24-hour rule. Average impact: AUD 80-200/month.
What works
- Automate savings first (salary sacrifice or auto-transfer)
- Track without judgment
- Real-time alerts
- Substitute, don't eliminate
Based on ABS Household Expenditure Survey 2024 + sample 4,500+ Australians.
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About the author
Enrique 'Kike' Faúndez is an Information Systems and Management Control Engineer from Universidad de Chile, with master’s degrees in Finance from Universidad de Chile and Industrial Engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He has 15+ years of experience in regulated financial services across finance, operations, and digital product development. He founded CashControlly in Santiago, Chile, with the conviction that personal financial control should not be a privilege, but an accessible and well-designed tool.
- Master's in Finance, Universidad de Chile
- Master's in Industrial Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
- Information Systems and Management Control Engineer, Universidad de Chile
- AI and ITIL certifications
- 15+ years in regulated financial services
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