You may have a good idea of where the money is going on a day-to-day basis, but before you start working on a spending plan or budget, it is important to call attention to the top budget breaker: periodic expenses. Periodic expenses are those that are not paid on a regular monthly basis. For example, both holiday and tax debts are periodic, meaning they are not part of regular monthly expenditures. In that regard, they join the ranks of other expenses such as auto registrations and vacations.