Just to 'round out' my suggestion about the simpler code gained ...

when 'traversing data elements' in a loop ...

(when all the data elements are of the same type, as in this example),

and to show something of the power and facility that can be gained in C++ by using 'overloaded operators' ...

you may like to see (or keep for later) ... this next little example of a solution to a 'problem' very much like yours.

// traverseStructBudget.cpp // 2013-03-06 //

#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
using namespace std;

struct Budget
{
public:
	// ctor ...
	Budget( double h=0, double c=0, double f=0, double p=0, double m=0 ) : 
		house(h), car(c), food(f), phone(p), misc(m) {}
	// overloaded [] ...	
	double operator [] (int i) const // read only ...
	{
		if( i == 0 ) return house;
		if( i == 1 ) return car;
		if( i == 2 ) return food;
		if( i == 3 ) return phone;
		if( i == 4 ) return misc;
		return 0.0;
	}
private:
	double house, car, food, phone, misc;
	static const string items[];
	static const int num_items;
	friend void report( const Budget& ref, const Budget& act);
} ;

// define here ... (outside) ...
const string Budget::items[] = { "House", "Car", "Food", "Phone", "Misc" };
const int Budget::num_items = sizeof(Budget::items) / sizeof(Budget::items[0]);

// definition of friend function ...
void report( const Budget& ref, const Budget& act )
{
	double grand_surplus = 0.0;
	double grand_budget = 0.0;
	
	cout << setprecision(2) << fixed; // show 2 decimal places ...
	
	for( int i = 0; i < Budget::num_items; ++i )
	{
		double surplus =  ref[i] - act[i];
		grand_surplus += surplus;
		grand_budget += ref[i];
		cout << left << "For " << setw(10) << Budget::items[i] + ", " 
			 << right;
		if( surplus < 0 ) 
			cout << "     over budget of " << setw(8) << ref[i] << "  by " 
				 << setw(8) << -surplus << endl;
		else
			cout << "under     budget of " << setw(8) << ref[i] << "  by " 
				 << setw(8) << surplus << endl;

	}
	
	cout << string( 55, '=' ) << endl;
	cout << string( 14, ' ' );
	if( grand_surplus < 0 ) 
		cout << "     Over budget of " << setw(8) << grand_budget << "  by " 
				 << setw(8) << -grand_surplus << endl;	
	else
		cout << "Under     budget of " << setw(8) << grand_budget << "  by " 
				 << setw(8) << grand_surplus << endl;
}



int main()
{	
	Budget target(850, 250, 250, 125, 150);
	Budget actual(850, 350, 100, 140, 100);
	//for( int i = 0; i < Budget::num_items; ++i ) cout << target[i] << ' ';
	report( target, actual );
}

Quote

Yes, you display whether the amounts are over or under, but not by how much.

Quote

You could use a few functions then ... with prototypes like ...

void takeIn( MonthlyBudget& nextMonth );
void show( const MonthlyBudget& month );
void compare( const MonthlyBudget& cmp, const MonthlyBudget& ref );

Yes I did something like that, giving both functions the structure variables as arguments per instructions. I only used two functions: one getter, and one display as that is what the instructions told me. Here is my completed code, it compiles and runs correctly. Like I told #define, would there be anything that you would have done differently, without using arrays of course?

// A student has established the following monthly budget:

// Housing 500.00
// Utilities 150.00
// Household expenses 65.00
// Transportation 50.00
// Food 250.00
// Medical 30.00
// Insurance 100.00
// Entertainment 150.00
// Clothing 75.00
// Miscellaneous 50.00

// Write a program that declares a MonthlyBudget structure with member variables to hold
// each of these expense categories. The program should create two MonthlyBudget structure
// variables. The first will hold the budget figures given above. The second will be passed
// to a function that has the user enter the amounts actually spent in each budget category
// during the past month. The program should then pass both structure variables to a function
// that displays a report indicating the amount over or under budget the student spent in each
// category, as well as the amount over or under for the entire monthly budget.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct MonthlyBudget
{
	double housing,
		   utilities,
		   householdExpenses,
		   transportation,
		   food,
		   medical,
		   insurance,
		   entertainment,
		   clothing,
		   miscellaneous;

	MonthlyBudget(double h= 0, double u= 0, double he = 0, double t= 0, double f= 0, double m= 0, double i= 0, double e= 0, double c= 0, double misc= 0)
	{
		housing = h;
		utilities = u;
		householdExpenses = he;
		transportation = t;
		food = f;
		medical = m;
		insurance = i;
		entertainment = e;
		clothing = c;
		miscellaneous = misc;
	}
	 
};

void getAmount(MonthlyBudget &);
void displayAmount(MonthlyBudget &, MonthlyBudget &);

int main()
{
	MonthlyBudget utlty(500.00, 150.00, 65.00, 50.00, 250.00, 30.00, 100.00, 150.00, 75.00, 50.00);
	MonthlyBudget user;

	getAmount(user);
	displayAmount(user, utlty);

	system("pause");
	return 0;
}

void getAmount(MonthlyBudget &user)
{
	cout << endl << "Please enter your monthly expenses:\n";
	cout  << endl << "Housing: ";
	cin >> user.housing;
	cout << endl << "Utilities: ";
	cin >> user.utilities;
	cout << endl << "Household Expenses: ";
	cin >> user.householdExpenses;
	cout << endl << "Transportation: ";
	cin >> user.transportation;
	cout << endl << "Food: ";
	cin >> user.food;
	cout << endl << "Medical: ";
	cin >> user.medical;
	cout << endl << "Insurance: ";
	cin >> user.insurance;
	cout << endl << "Entertainment: ";
	cin >> user.entertainment;
	cout << endl << "Clothing: ";
	cin >> user.clothing;
	cout << endl << "Miscellaneous: ";
	cin >> user.miscellaneous;
}

void displayAmount(MonthlyBudget &user, MonthlyBudget &utlty)
{
	cout << endl << "Here are your individual totals for the month:\n";
	cout << endl <<  "Housing: " << "$ " << user.housing << endl;
	if (user.housing > utlty.housing)
	{
		cout << "Your housing expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your housing expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Utilities: " << "$ "<< user.utilities << endl;
	if (user.utilities > utlty.utilities)
	{
		cout << "Your utilities expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your utilities expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Household Expenses: " << "$ " << user.householdExpenses << endl;
	if (user.householdExpenses > utlty.householdExpenses)
	{
		cout << "Your household expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your household expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Transportation: " << "$ " << user.transportation << endl;
	if (user.transportation > utlty.transportation)
	{
		cout << "Your transportation expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your transportation expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Food: " << "$ " << user.food << endl;
	if (user.food > utlty.food)
	{
		cout << "Your food expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your food expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Medical:: " << "$ " << user.medical << endl;
	if(user.medical > utlty.medical)
	{
		cout << "Your medical expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your medical expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Insurance: " << "$ " << user.insurance << endl;
	if (user.insurance > utlty.insurance)
	{
		cout << "Your insurance expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your insurance expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Entertainment: " << "$ " << user.entertainment << endl;
	if (user.entertainment > utlty.entertainment)
	{
		cout << "Your entertainment expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your entertainment expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Clothing: " << "$ " << user.clothing << endl;
	if (user.clothing > utlty.clothing)
	{
		cout << "Your clothing expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your clothing expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Miscellaneous: " << "$ " << user.miscellaneous << endl;
	if (user.miscellaneous > utlty.miscellaneous)
	{
		cout << "Your miscellaneous expensees was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your miscellaneous expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	double userBudget = user.housing + user.utilities + user.householdExpenses + user.transportation + user.food + user.medical + user.insurance + user.entertainment + user.clothing + user.miscellaneous;
	double utltyBudget = utlty.housing + utlty.utilities + utlty.householdExpenses + utlty.transportation + utlty.food + utlty.medical + utlty.insurance + utlty.entertainment + utlty.clothing + utlty.miscellaneous;

	cout << endl << "Total expenses for the month: $ " << userBudget;

	if(userBudget > utltyBudget)
	{
		cout << endl << "Your expenses exceed your monthly average budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << endl << "Your expenses are under your monthly average budget\n";
	}
}

	

Although this could work :

54	MonthlyBudget getAmount();

the question asks for a structure to be passed to the get from user function.

So could be :

MonthlyBudget getAmount(MonthlyBudget user);
// or
void getAmount(MonthlyBudget &user);

To compare the structures fields you could do :

  if (user.housing > expense.housing) {
    cout << "housing spend is over budget" << endl;
  }

Well, this is what I came up with. I used your idea with the two functions taking a reference of the structure variable, per instructions and then implementing the rest.It compiled and ran calculating correctly. Anything you would have done differently(without using arrays)?

// A student has established the following monthly budget:

// Housing 500.00
// Utilities 150.00
// Household expenses 65.00
// Transportation 50.00
// Food 250.00
// Medical 30.00
// Insurance 100.00
// Entertainment 150.00
// Clothing 75.00
// Miscellaneous 50.00

// Write a program that declares a MonthlyBudget structure with member variables to hold
// each of these expense categories. The program should create two MonthlyBudget structure
// variables. The first will hold the budget figures given above. The second will be passed
// to a function that has the user enter the amounts actually spent in each budget category
// during the past month. The program should then pass both structure variables to a function
// that displays a report indicating the amount over or under budget the student spent in each
// category, as well as the amount over or under for the entire monthly budget.

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

struct MonthlyBudget
{
	double housing,
		   utilities,
		   householdExpenses,
		   transportation,
		   food,
		   medical,
		   insurance,
		   entertainment,
		   clothing,
		   miscellaneous;

	MonthlyBudget(double h= 0, double u= 0, double he = 0, double t= 0, double f= 0, double m= 0, double i= 0, double e= 0, double c= 0, double misc= 0)
	{
		housing = h;
		utilities = u;
		householdExpenses = he;
		transportation = t;
		food = f;
		medical = m;
		insurance = i;
		entertainment = e;
		clothing = c;
		miscellaneous = misc;
	}
	 
};

void getAmount(MonthlyBudget &);
void displayAmount(MonthlyBudget &, MonthlyBudget &);

int main()
{
	MonthlyBudget utlty(500.00, 150.00, 65.00, 50.00, 250.00, 30.00, 100.00, 150.00, 75.00, 50.00);
	MonthlyBudget user;

	getAmount(user);
	displayAmount(user, utlty);

	system("pause");
	return 0;
}

void getAmount(MonthlyBudget &user)
{
	cout << endl << "Please enter your monthly expenses:\n";
	cout  << endl << "Housing: ";
	cin >> user.housing;
	cout << endl << "Utilities: ";
	cin >> user.utilities;
	cout << endl << "Household Expenses: ";
	cin >> user.householdExpenses;
	cout << endl << "Transportation: ";
	cin >> user.transportation;
	cout << endl << "Food: ";
	cin >> user.food;
	cout << endl << "Medical: ";
	cin >> user.medical;
	cout << endl << "Insurance: ";
	cin >> user.insurance;
	cout << endl << "Entertainment: ";
	cin >> user.entertainment;
	cout << endl << "Clothing: ";
	cin >> user.clothing;
	cout << endl << "Miscellaneous: ";
	cin >> user.miscellaneous;
}

void displayAmount(MonthlyBudget &user, MonthlyBudget &utlty)
{
	cout << endl << "Here are your individual totals for the month:\n";
	cout << endl <<  "Housing: " << "$ " << user.housing << endl;
	if (user.housing > utlty.housing)
	{
		cout << "Your housing expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your housing expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Utilities: " << "$ "<< user.utilities << endl;
	if (user.utilities > utlty.utilities)
	{
		cout << "Your utilities expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your utilities expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Household Expenses: " << "$ " << user.householdExpenses << endl;
	if (user.householdExpenses > utlty.householdExpenses)
	{
		cout << "Your household expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your household expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Transportation: " << "$ " << user.transportation << endl;
	if (user.transportation > utlty.transportation)
	{
		cout << "Your transportation expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your transportation expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Food: " << "$ " << user.food << endl;
	if (user.food > utlty.food)
	{
		cout << "Your food expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your food expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Medical:: " << "$ " << user.medical << endl;
	if(user.medical > utlty.medical)
	{
		cout << "Your medical expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your medical expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Insurance: " << "$ " << user.insurance << endl;
	if (user.insurance > utlty.insurance)
	{
		cout << "Your insurance expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your insurance expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Entertainment: " << "$ " << user.entertainment << endl;
	if (user.entertainment > utlty.entertainment)
	{
		cout << "Your entertainment expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your entertainment expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Clothing: " << "$ " << user.clothing << endl;
	if (user.clothing > utlty.clothing)
	{
		cout << "Your clothing expenses was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your clothing expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	cout << endl << "Miscellaneous: " << "$ " << user.miscellaneous << endl;
	if (user.miscellaneous > utlty.miscellaneous)
	{
		cout << "Your miscellaneous expensees was over the budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << "Your miscellaneous expenses was under the budget\n";
	}

	double userBudget = user.housing + user.utilities + user.householdExpenses + user.transportation + user.food + user.medical + user.insurance + user.entertainment + user.clothing + user.miscellaneous;
	double utltyBudget = utlty.housing + utlty.utilities + utlty.householdExpenses + utlty.transportation + utlty.food + utlty.medical + utlty.insurance + utlty.entertainment + utlty.clothing + utlty.miscellaneous;

	cout << endl << "Total expenses for the month: $ " << userBudget;

	if(userBudget > utltyBudget)
	{
		cout << endl << "Your expenses exceed your monthly average budget\n";
	}
	else
	{
		cout << endl << "Your expenses are under your monthly average budget\n";
	}
}

	

This type of program lends itself to using arrays of values ... To facilitate looping though all the values and comparing them to a reference value.

const int numVals = 3;
const double refVals[] = { 33.1, 22.1. 131.2 };
const double compVals[] = { 33, 22, 132 };
const string stuffs[] = { "Astuff", "Bstuff", "Cstuff" };

for( int i = 0:  i < numVals; ++i )
{
   cout << "For " << stuffs[i] << ":  ";
   if( compVals[i]  > refVals[i] ) // then handle
}

I cannot use arrays as this was a project before learning arrays. I have already taken this class, but I want to follow the directions as is.