Analysis: 2026-04
Last updated: 2026-04-21 — through April 20 (one paycheck still pending; Amazon card state confirmed from statement)
Summary
Three of four April paychecks are in ($10,370), against $14,724 in spending and $10,947 in debt payments. Net checking movement is -$4,354, but this is a debt-payoff month, not a deficit month — Chase was paid off in full and Amazon is down to the final stretch. With Chris's 04/24 paycheck (~$4,306) still to come, the month is tracking close to plan.
Spending Highlights
- Housing/Mortgage — $3,522 — Normal. LoanDepot posted 04/02, $78 under budget.
- Education — $3,247 — SLUH tuition. Expected once-per-semester hit; right on target.
- Debt — $1,285 — Scheduled payments (Nelnet, Wells Fargo auto, Citi). Spot on to budget.
- Groceries — $1,061 — Under the $1,500 budget; back to normal after March's $1,632.
- Miscellaneous — $1,000 — Cash for Charlie's birthday (04/11 ATM withdrawal). One-time.
- Home Improvement — $993 — Nearly all Menards (7 trips in two weeks) plus a U-Haul rental. A project is clearly underway; this is ~4× the $250 budget.
- Shopping — $597 — Over the $400 budget by ~$197, but well below March's $1,006.
- Dining Out — $554 — Strong improvement vs. March ($1,256). Under the $800 budget.
- Uncategorized — $873 — 17 descriptions need rules added (see below).
Uncategorized to resolve
PayPal/GitHub, PayPal/NY Times, Supabase → Subscriptions. Love's, Pilot, Kwik Shop, MPC 94 → Transportation (road trip gas). Hogtown/Pharaoh's/Bite Me BBQ/Andy's/Urzi's → Dining Out or Groceries. Harbor Freight/Pub Decor/Silver Lady → Home Improvement or Shopping. KeyMe Locksmiths/Scantifix → Miscellaneous.
Debt Progress
| Action | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon minimum autopay | $169 | ✅ 04/06 |
| Chase statement payoff (from Capital One Savings) | $6,624 | ✅ 04/09 |
| Amazon interest charge (last statement's carried balance) | -$117 | ✅ 04/10 |
| Amazon payment (from Credit Union) | $4,781 | ✅ 04/15 |
| Wells Fargo auto | $57 | ✅ 04/13 |
| Refunds/returns applied to BofA | +$502 | ✅ |
Amazon card: balance essentially cleared. Only a $30 purchase and a $5.65 pending charge remain, with automatic payment scheduled for 05/02 — so the card is now in "pay in full each month" mode and the $117 interest hit should be the last one. Chase is effectively paid off. With Chris's 04/24 paycheck, the remaining Citi balance should clear in May. Debt-free trajectory is on track for June 2026.
Note: Amazon's statement shows a $4,781 payment applied 04/15 while checking/Credit Union data show $4,598 out. The ~$183 delta may be another payment source or an internal credit — worth confirming against the May statement.
vs Last Month
| Category | March | April (thru 20) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | $7,338 | $10,370 | ↑ (2 paychecks → 3) |
| Groceries | $1,632 | $1,061 | ↓↓ |
| Dining Out | $1,256 | $554 | ↓↓ |
| Shopping | $1,006 | $597 | ↓ |
| Travel | $961 | $0 | ↓↓ (no trip) |
| Home Improvement | ~$0 | $993 | ↑↑ (Menards project) |
| Debt Payments | $10,494 | $10,947 | ≈ |
The Colorado-trip categories (Travel, Dining, Shopping) all normalized. The story this month is the Menards project driving Home Improvement well past budget.
Still Pending
- Chris 04/24 paycheck — ~$4,306
- Utilities — only $83 posted so far; AT&T/Ameren/Water usually add up to ~$1,000
- Insurance — State Farm $508 already posted ✅
- Any late April Menards runs
Watch Items
- Home Improvement — $993 vs. $250 budget. Is there a total project budget? Worth tracking separately if the project continues into May.
- Miscellaneous ran $800 over budget this month because of the $1,000 birthday cash — normal months should drop right back to the $200 baseline.
- Shopping — over budget two months running. Consider whether the $400 target is realistic, or set a firmer cap for May.
- Uncategorized $873 — a quick pass through
scripts/categories.csvwould reclaim most of this into real categories (likely Subscriptions, Transportation, Dining Out).