National Database of Childcare Prices
U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau
County-level childcare price context by provider type and child age.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-24
Open source →Sources & assumptions
Outside facts support the inputs. They do not decide the verdict.
ShouldISpend uses outside sources when a page relies on market-cost benchmarks, consumer rules, definitions, or other facts that do not come from the user's own numbers. The pressure framework itself is explained in the methodology.
How sources are used
A source may support a cost range, a definition, or a rule used for context. It does not mean the source endorses ShouldISpend, and it does not turn a general calculator into personal financial, legal, medical, tax, or insurance advice.
Source dates are tracked so assumptions can be reviewed when underlying figures change. Calculator pages should identify the relevant source when a specific outside figure materially affects the page.
Baby & Parenting
Baby & Parenting source set
Groceries
Groceries source set
USDA Food Plans: Monthly Cost of Food Reports
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food-at-home budget benchmarks and monthly food-plan costs.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-23
Open source →Funeral Costs
Funeral Costs source set
NFDA Funeral Cost Statistics
National Funeral Directors Association
National median funeral and cremation cost context.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-23
Open source →Medical
Medical source set
Know Your Medical Bill Rights
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Good-faith estimates, billing protections, and dispute guidance.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-23
Open source →Rent
Rent source set
Rent Burden in the Housing Choice Voucher Program
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Housing-cost burden thresholds and the historical 30% benchmark.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-23
Open source →College
College source set
Financial Aid Dictionary: Cost of Attendance
Federal Student Aid
Cost-of-attendance and net-price definitions.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-23
Open source →Cars
Cars source set
How Much Can I Afford to Borrow for a Car or Auto Loan?
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Total vehicle cost, loan terms, insurance, maintenance, and monthly budget context.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-23
Open source →Emergency Savings
Emergency Savings source set
An Essential Guide to Building an Emergency Fund
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Emergency-fund purpose, examples of unplanned expenses, goal-setting, safe storage, rebuilding after use, and guidance that the appropriate amount depends on the household situation.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Preparing for Tax Season?
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Emergency-savings planning and the general three-to-six-month expense range, while noting that the appropriate amount depends on income, expenses, and household size.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Debt
Debt source set
What Is a Debt-to-Income Ratio?
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Debt-to-income definition and the standard calculation using monthly debt payments and gross monthly income.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Budget Rules
Budget Rules source set
Assess Your Spending
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Monthly spending categories, irregular-expense review, savings contributions, and comparison of spending with take-home pay.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Parental Leave
Parental Leave source set
Family and Medical Leave Act
U.S. Department of Labor
Federal FMLA eligibility context, up to 12 workweeks of qualifying job-protected leave, unpaid-leave rules, and continuation of group health benefits for eligible employees.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Adoption
Adoption source set
The Adoption Home Study Process
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Home-study process and cost context, including differences between foster-care adoption and private-agency or independent home studies.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Regulation of Private Domestic Adoption Expenses
Child Welfare Information Gateway
State-law context for allowable and regulated private domestic adoption expenses.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Flights
Flights source set
Average Domestic Airline Itinerary Fares
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
U.S. domestic itinerary-fare benchmarks, including ticket value and the distinction between mandatory ticket charges and optional service fees.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Buying a Ticket
U.S. Department of Transportation
Airfare comparison, total-price disclosure, baggage and optional-service fee context, fare restrictions, and ticket flexibility.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Rental Cars
Rental Cars source set
Renting a Car
Federal Trade Commission
Rental-car total-cost factors including taxes, airport surcharges, fuel, mileage, tolls, equipment, additional drivers, insurance options, and card holds.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance source set
Travel Insurance
National Association of Insurance Commissioners
Travel-insurance coverage context, common cancellation and delay risks, and an industry benchmark that policies generally cost about 5% to 10% of total trip price.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Road Trips
Road Trips source set
Choosing the Right Vehicle for Your Next Road Trip Can Save Fuel and Money
U.S. Department of Energy
Road-trip fuel-cost methodology using route distance, vehicle fuel economy, fuel prices, and city/highway driving mix through the FuelEconomy.gov Trip Calculator.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Travel Benchmarks
Travel Benchmarks source set
Per Diem Rates
U.S. General Services Administration
Location-specific official-travel lodging and meals-and-incidental reimbursement benchmarks for the continental United States; useful as a reference point, not a consumer-vacation price guarantee.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Meals and Incidental Expenses Breakdown
U.S. General Services Administration
Official meal-and-incidental reimbursement tiers and breakfast, lunch, dinner, and incidental component breakdowns for CONUS travel.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Home Maintenance
Home Maintenance source set
How to Build Your Maintenance and Repair Budget
Fannie Mae
Home-maintenance and repair reserve planning, including the 1% to 4% of home value annual rule-of-thumb range and higher reserve needs for older homes.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Fixing Up Your Home and How to Finance It
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Home repair and improvement planning, cost-awareness, contractor estimates, financing considerations, and the importance of regular maintenance.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Foreign Travel Benchmarks
Foreign Travel Benchmarks source set
Foreign Per Diem Rates
U.S. Department of State Office of Allowances
Official-government foreign travel reimbursement benchmarks with separate maximum lodging and meals-and-incidental components, updated monthly; useful as a destination cost reference rather than a consumer-vacation price guarantee.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Hawaii Travel Benchmarks
Hawaii Travel Benchmarks source set
OCONUS Per Diem Rates
Defense Travel Management Office
Official non-foreign OCONUS lodging, meal, and incidental reimbursement benchmarks, including Hawaii locality rates; useful as a planning reference rather than a leisure-travel quote.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Mold Remediation
Mold Remediation source set
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Residential mold cleanup and moisture-control guidance, including the EPA rule of thumb that areas under about 10 square feet can often be handled by homeowners while larger or extensive water-damage cases may warrant professional guidance.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Mold Cleanup in Your Home
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Residential cleanup scope, moisture-source correction, contractor experience, contaminated-material handling, and circumstances in which professional remediation should be considered.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Moving
Moving source set
Protect Your Move
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Interstate household-goods moving preparation, mover verification, required consumer documents, and rights and responsibilities when hiring a mover.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →What is a binding move estimate?
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Written interstate moving estimates, binding versus non-binding pricing, accessorial charges, inspection requirements, and the 110-percent delivery-payment rule for non-binding estimates.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Summer Camp
Summer Camp source set
How to Afford Camp
American Camp Association
Summer-camp price variation, typical weekly fee ranges, scholarship options, and the need to compare program type and family budget rather than rely on one national price.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Disney Vacation
Disney Vacation source set
Walt Disney World Theme Park Tickets
Walt Disney World Resort
Current official Walt Disney World ticket structure, date-based pricing, multi-day ticket options, taxes, special offers, and the fact that admission pricing varies by date and product.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Wedding Costs
Wedding Costs source set
The Average Wedding Cost, According to The Knot Data
The Knot
2025 U.S. wedding-spend benchmarks from the 2026 Real Weddings Study, including total cost and itemized averages for venue, catering, photography, planning, music, flowers, stationery, alcohol and other common vendors.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Wedding Budget Breakdown, Based on Real Couples Data
The Knot
Wedding budget-allocation benchmarks by category from a survey of nearly 11,000 U.S. couples married in 2025, with context that location, guest count and priorities materially change actual spending.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Destination Weddings
Destination Weddings source set
How Much Does a Destination Wedding Cost? Real Couples Share
The Knot
Destination-wedding vendor benchmarks including venue, planner, alcohol, flowers, rehearsal dinner, photography, catering and transportation, with domestic/international variation context.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Wedding Bar
Wedding Bar source set
How Much Does Alcohol Cost for a Wedding?
The Knot
Wedding alcohol and open-bar benchmarks from the 2025 Real Weddings Study, including guest-count and regional ranges plus service-style cost factors.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →Rehearsal Dinner
Rehearsal Dinner source set
Average Cost of a Rehearsal Dinner Today
The Knot
Rehearsal-dinner cost benchmark and cost drivers based on The Knot Real Weddings Study, including venue, invitations, catering and decor.
Verified for ShouldISpend: 2026-09-26
Open source →What a citation does not mean
National averages can differ from a local quote, insurance determination, school offer, or household budget. Use the cited figures as context, then replace them with the real numbers available for the decision whenever possible.