Rent or Mortgage

• Apartment dwellers and homeowners share a common typical household expense, which is housing. Whether you're renting or buying the place you and your family stay, you likely pay a monthly rental fee or a mortgage payment. Move, a website which provides education on moving, cites that families shouldn't spend more than 25 to 30 percent of their incomes on rent.
  
  

Utilities

• Utilities are a typical household expense that can drive your monthly expenses up or down, depending on the season. Utilities include heating, electricity, water and sewage, and are usually paid monthly. In some instances, the cost is included in the rent, or the landlord may cover the cost of one or more of your utilities. If you own a home, it's up to you to pay each of these expenses separately.
  
  

Phone

• Whether cellular phones or landlines, phones are important to help keep family, friends and colleagues connected. While some households pay monthly bills for both, others are reducing their monthly budgets by eliminating their landlines. CBS News reports that as of May 2010, one in four households has a cell phone, but no landline.
  
  

Cable

• Cable television provides households with a wide range of television programs to watch; from movies and documentaries to music videos and home improvement programs. Cable packages vary from basic to premium services, so the pricing of this monthly household expense may vary by family and usage.
  
  

Groceries

• Families grocery shop regularly to ensure that the members of their households have food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. As the size of a family increases, including adding pets, so does its monthly grocery bill. Families save money on groceries by menu planning, clipping coupons and shopping during sales.
  
  

Transportation

• Household members need transportation to get to and from work and school, and to run errands and travel for leisure. Some transportation options, such as taking public transportation or carpooling, may not impact a family's household budget as much as the monthly expense of a car payment.
  
  

Insurance

• Protect your home and family by adding insurance to your monthly household budget. Families typically pay for car, life, medical, car and homeowner's insurance as a part of their monthly budgets.