Lost track of your money? What a Norwegian study found, and what Europe's data shows
You pay what you know about. Then a bill turns up that you had forgotten, or a month costs more than the last one, and the sums stop adding up. It can happen even when you are trying to stay on top of things.
It sounds minor. A Norwegian study illustrates how much losing track can matter. When Norway's consumer research institute SIFO asked households with recurring payment problems what had caused them, "lost track of the finances" was the reason reported most often: 39 per cent. That was more than unemployment (35 per cent), too much debt (28 per cent) or illness (27 per cent). These are the households' own explanations, not documented causes.
What the Norwegian study found
The figures come from SIFO's report "Økonomisk utsatthet 2016" ("Financial exposure 2016", report no. 13-2016, by Christian Poppe), based on a survey of 1,764 Norwegian households. A household was counted as having payment problems if, in the past year, it had at times or often not had the money to pay bills or loans by the due date. In 2016 that applied to about 7 per cent of households, roughly 160,000 households and 355,000 people.
Among the 118 households in the sample that had such problems, the reasons they ticked (their own explanations) were:
- Lost track of the finances: 39 per cent
- Unemployment: 35 per cent
- Too much debt: 28 per cent
- Illness: 27 per cent
- Separation or divorce: 17 per cent
- Moving home, or retiring: 8 per cent each
Households with problems gave 1.9 reasons on average. The report describes the road into payment problems as complex: one route is taking on too much debt or losing overview, the other is a life event that overturns the budget.
Which payments were most often missed? Among households with payment problems, consumer credit led: consumer loans, credit card debt and overdrafts (36 per cent), then electricity (31 per cent) and the public broadcasting fee (30 per cent). Mortgages (12 per cent) and nursery fees (9 per cent) were missed least. The report notes that earlier surveys indicate that households under financial pressure tend to prioritise housing and children.
Is this just a Norwegian story?
We do not know of a European study that asked the same "lost track" question, so the 39 per cent is a Norwegian result and should not be read as a European statistic. What Europe's own data does show is that the underlying problem is widespread. Eurostat's EU-SILC survey for 2025 found that:
- 9.2 per cent of the EU population lived in households in arrears on mortgage or rent, utility bills or hire purchase payments (Norway 7.5 per cent, Denmark 6.2 per cent).
- 7.0 per cent were in arrears on utility bills alone.
- 29.2 per cent lived in households unable to face an unexpected financial expense (Norway 22.7 per cent, Denmark 20.1 per cent).
These figures do not tell us why people fall behind. They do show how little room many households have when an extra expense arrives.
There is also reason to think the pressure has not eased since 2016. SIFO's later "financial security barometer" found that the share of Norwegian households counted as secure fell from 65 per cent in June 2021 to 51 per cent in August 2023, and that one household in ten had had to contact creditors about payment problems. That is a different measure from the one above, and it concerns Norway, but it points the same way.
Why overview is so easy to lose
Most households do not lose track because they are careless. They lose it because money moves in more channels, on more dates, than anyone can hold in their head: salary on one date, card statements billed weeks after the purchase, subscriptions, annual insurance, a tax settlement, utility bills that arrive quarterly or in a single large invoice after winter. Your current balance alone does not tell you what will remain after upcoming bills.
That is the same reason checking the balance again never settles the worry. For the mechanism, see why you keep checking your balance.
What the study suggests looking at
SIFO also compared households with and without payment problems, controlling for income and age. Three things stood out, and each is something you can check:
- The direction of your budget. Households whose budget had worsened over the past 12 months, through lower income, higher costs or both, were more likely to have problems. Compare what comes in and goes out now with a year ago.
- Your buffer. Households without a buffer equal to one month's income were more at risk. SIFO used one month's income as its line; what is right for you depends on how stable your income is. See how to build an emergency fund.
- Debt in proportion to income. A heavier debt burden raised the likelihood of problems at every income level. Consumer credit (consumer loans, cards, overdrafts) was where payments were missed most often in the study, so it is worth keeping an eye on.
On top of those, look forward rather than back. List what will arrive and what will leave over the next weeks, including the rare items, and find the lowest point. The method is in can I afford this?.
What the research does not say
- The cause percentages describe a small subgroup of 118 households and should be interpreted with caution.
- These are the households' own explanations, not documented causes. That many said they lost track does not mean overview alone would have solved their problems.
- The report does not say how far in advance trouble can be seen. No single signal is known to warn reliably for every household.
- It is Norwegian, from 2016. The Eurostat figures are from 2025, describe the EU population and measure something different.
What ZivaFinance is built for
ZivaFinance projects your account balance forward from your actual bills and income. It shows the lowest expected balance over the next 90 days and when it occurs. The figures come from a calculation engine; the AI only explains them. Missing bills or changes in income can affect the forecast, so check that they are in place before a big decision. It does not predict whether you will miss a payment.
In short
- In a 2016 Norwegian study, losing track was the reason households with payment problems reported most often: 39 per cent. It is a Norwegian result, not a European one.
- Eurostat shows the wider picture: in 2025, 9.2 per cent of the EU population was in arrears and 29.2 per cent could not face an unexpected expense.
- The study points to three things worth checking: the direction of your budget, your buffer and your debt.
See what is coming in the next 90 days: try the demo
Sources
Frequently asked questions
What reason do households with payment problems report most often?
In a 2016 survey by Norway's consumer research institute SIFO, households with recurring payment problems named losing overview of their finances most often: 39 per cent. Unemployment (35 per cent), too much debt (28 per cent) and illness (27 per cent) followed. These are the households' own explanations, the figures rest on 118 households in the sample, and they concern Norway only.
Does the same apply in the rest of Europe?
We do not know of a European study that asked the same question, so the 39 per cent cannot be applied to Europe. Eurostat's EU-SILC survey shows that payment arrears and inability to absorb surprises are widespread: in 2025, 9.2 per cent of the EU population was in arrears on mortgage or rent, utility bills or hire purchase, and 29.2 per cent could not face an unexpected expense.
What counts as having payment problems?
In the SIFO study it means that in the past year the household had, at times or often, not had the money to pay bills or loans by the due date. In 2016 that applied to about 7 per cent of Norwegian households.
Which payments are most often missed?
Among Norwegian households with payment problems, consumer loans, credit card debt and overdrafts were missed most often (36 per cent), then electricity (31 per cent). Mortgages (12 per cent) and nursery fees (9 per cent) were missed least. The report notes that earlier surveys indicate households under pressure tend to prioritise housing and children.
How big a buffer should I have?
SIFO found that households without a buffer equal to one month's income were more likely to have payment problems. The right size for you depends on how stable your income is and what you have to pay each month. Our emergency fund guide shows how to work it out.
Can an app prevent payment problems?
No app can guarantee that. What it can do is show you what is coming, so that a bill is not a surprise. ZivaFinance projects your balance forward from your actual bills and income and shows the lowest expected balance over the next 90 days. Missing bills or changes in income can affect the forecast, and it does not predict whether you will miss a payment.