Since they are withheld, you have little control over them. But they must be calculated into your budget. The three largest expenses most families incur are the cost of housing, the cost of food, and in cold climates the cost of home heating. In some cases, there will be little left after these major items. Most families will find that food and housing consume a little more than half of the budget.
Most families have at least one automobile as a principal means of transportation.
Some families may be able to rely on public transportation such as buses or subway systems to provide a portion of their transportation needs. The transportation cost will also be a fairly fixed expense. A budget must be established for fuel and maintenance cost of an automobile or for the fares for transportation. Another fixed expense is insurance. Most families carry some form of life insurance, health and accident insurance, homeowners' or renters' insurance and automobile insurance.