How to Use AI Advisor to … Identify Your Spending Patterns
Ever stare at your transactions wondering where all your money went? You’re asking the right questions — and we can help you get the actual answers.
Understanding your spending patterns is the foundation of every financial goal, whether you're trying to save more, pay down debt, or just stop that end-of-month panic. Origin users ask questions about their spending habits three times more than any other topic. So to show you exactly what AI Advisor can do, here are three examples of questions you can ask to understand your spending habits (and opportunities for saving!) in just a few minutes.
Pinpoint where your money is going by asking, “Where am I overspending?”
You're overspending primarily on shopping — averaging $2,504 monthly against a $1,200 budget, putting you $1,304 over each month. Beyond that, you have three large unbudgeted categories draining your funds:
- Groceries: $2,166/month with no budget set
- Household: $1,093/month with no budget set
- Auto & transport: $1,200/month with no budget set
Overall, you're spending about $9,229 monthly against your $8,500 budget, or $729 over target. The combination of shopping overspending and unbudgeted essentials is pushing you past your limits.
TLDR: With this breakdown, you'll know exactly which categories need attention and can prioritize the biggest opportunities first.
Model different scenarios, for example, “What happens if I reduce my monthly expenses by $1,000?”
Reducing your monthly expenses from $9,409 to $8,409 would significantly improve your financial trajectory.
Key improvements:
- Net worth at 90: Increases from $12.5M to $14.6M — a $2.1M gain
- Success rate: Rises from 99.8% to 99.9%
- Annual cash flow: Improves by $12,000 yearly during working years
- Retirement cushion: Extra savings compound over time, providing more security
The $1,000 monthly reduction translates to $12,000 more saved annually. Over your 58-year projection, this compounds significantly through investment growth. Your pre-retirement average cash flow would jump from $76,494 to $88,494 annually.
Given you're already overspending on shopping by $1,304 monthly, cutting $1,000 from that category alone would still leave you with reasonable spending flexibility while dramatically improving your long-term wealth.
TLDR: Now you can test different spending cuts before making them, understanding exactly how each decision impacts your long-term financial picture. Visual forecasting transforms abstract trade-offs into concrete outcomes you can actually see and plan around.
Spot patterns to stay ahead by asking, “What's my spending trend over time?”
Your spending spiked dramatically this year, though it’s now trending downward.
The pattern:
- Late 2024: Averaging $9,867
- 2025: Jumped to $11,520 average
- Peak period (February to August 2025): Averaged $12,532 monthly
- Recent decline: Last 3 months averaged $10,241, with November at just $7,967
Your current spending appears to be moderating after the 2025 peak, though you're still well above your late 2024 baseline. November shows encouraging improvement — your lowest month since the surge began.
TLDR: Instead of relying on gut feeling, you can spot concerning patterns early and track whether your changes are actually working.
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Ready to understand where your money is really going? Get started today.
Answers to your questions
Yes. Origin offers partner access so you can manage your finances together at no additional cost. You’ll be able to filter transactions by member—making it easy to see which spending is yours and which belongs to your partner.
Yes. You can edit existing transactions and add new ones directly in Origin, so your records stay accurate and personalized.
Origin connects securely through trusted partners including Plaid, MX, and Mastercard.
Yes. Origin supports CSV uploads. You can upload a .csv file of your transactions, and we’ll import them into your account.
Yes. Your data is protected with bank-level security and advanced encryption. When you connect accounts through Origin, your login credentials are never shared with us. Instead, our partners generate secure tokens that let Origin access only the data you authorize—keeping your personal information private while enabling personalized insights.
Yes. You have full control to organize your spending in Origin. Transactions are automatically categorized by Origin, but you can always edit categories, add your own tags, and filter transactions however you like—so your spending reflects the way you actually manage money.
