The other 30-40% of your salary —beyond rent/mortgage, food, transport, utilities— lives in money leaks: small monthly drains that add up to CAD 350-900 in the average Canadian. That's CAD 4,200-10,800 annually evaporating.
The 10 most common categories
| # | Category | Avg monthly CAD | % affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subscription services | $52 | 81% |
| 2 | Coffee shops (Tim Hortons, Starbucks) | $85 | 71% |
| 3 | Food delivery (DoorDash, Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes) | $135 | 73% |
| 4 | Lunch at work | $185 | 56% |
| 5 | Convenience store impulse | $58 | 79% |
| 6 | Uber/Lyft when alternatives exist | $42 | 38% |
| 7 | Bank fees | $18 | 41% |
| 8 | Impulse online (Amazon.ca, Shein) | $82 | 47% |
| 9 | Snacks, vending | $32 | 64% |
| 10 | Gym unused | $48 | 38% |
Average Canadian total: CAD 737 monthly (CAD 8,844 annually).
The 3-audit method
Audit #1: Subscriptions (30 min)
Average impact: CAD 30-70/month freed.
Audit #2: Food + delivery (1 month)
Average impact: CAD 180-400/month freed.
Audit #3: Impulse (21 days)
Average impact: CAD 70-180/month freed.
What works
- Automate savings first
- Track without judgment
- Real-time alerts
- Substitute, don't eliminate
Based on Statistics Canada Survey of Household Spending 2024 + sample 5,000+ Canadians.
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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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