Australians are spending more on their homes and cars at the expense of travel and children's entertainment, according to new data released by Australian money management app Pocketbook.
Mortgage or rent payments accounted for an average of 25 per cent of spending in January, up two percentage points on January 2013.
Car expenses such as petrol increased to 10 per cent of total spending, up from six per cent a year earlier.
This was the inverse of travel spending, which dropped to six per cent from 10 per cent the previous year.
Chilren's entertainment also suffered, dropping from three per cent of total spending to less than one per cent.
Pocketbook aggregates a user's bank accounts, credit cards and loans, providing a single view of spending.
This gives it a unique insight into the spending habits of its 50,000 Australian users. The new data was drawn from a sample of 19,766.
It showed bank fees accounted for four per cent of average total spending - more than the average spend on health insurance.
Pocketbook alerts users when they are slugged with bank fees, and several have claimed on social media sites that they have had incorrect fees refunded after being alerted by Pocketbook.
AVERAGE SPENDING IN JANUARY, ACCORDING TO POCKETBOOK
- Mortgage/rent: 25 per cent
- Utility, rates and telco: 12 per cent
- Petrol and car: 10 per cent
- Food and groceries: nine per cent
- Entertainment: nine per cent
- Travel: six per cent
- Car and home insurance: six per cent
- Clothing: five per cent
- Gadgets, technology and books: five per cent
- Home furnishings: four per cent
- Bank fees: four per cent
