An expense declaration is not a contest to produce the smallest number. If it leaves out costs that reliably return, the apparent surplus may never exist in an ordinary month.
Start from transactions
Review several months of bank activity rather than one unusually quiet period. Group housing, groceries, utilities, transport, communication, insurance, school or dependant costs, medical spending and current credit repayments. Convert annual and quarterly bills into monthly provisions.
Cash withdrawals need honest treatment too. If they routinely pay for commuting, lunches or family support, calling them “miscellaneous” does not remove the commitment.
Leave room for the vehicle itself
The finance instalment is only one motoring cost. Insurance, fuel, tyres, servicing, licence renewal and parking belong in the decision. The purpose of an affordability audit is not to judge reasonable household choices; it is to stop predictable costs from being ignored.