You're right, I was off a bit in saying it was taxes. I bring home about $6400 a month net, after fed/state taxes, health and vision insurance, disability contributions, I have a flexible spending account (my son and I have asthma, plus husband's issues), plus I'm trying to put $100 a month into a new Susie Orman Save Yourself account, and 1-2% into 401K depending on how desperate i feel each month.
I do NOT account for every penny, and that's a problem. But I am trying the envelope thing, $200 for groceries every paycheck, reducing phone and cable bills, etc. I have some student loan debt ($390/mo)and a car loan ($320, high interest), small credit card ($600) which I just paid off. but our expenses - heat, cable, phones, water - eat up another big chunk. These would go down in a smaller house. I'm about barely breaking even.
Also, because in working 2nd job at home, I am spending some cash, a little, on business needs, like writeable CDs, web hosting fees, some minor advertising $20/mo, must have hi-speed cable internet, etc.). I do bring in about $400 a month extra, but now I'm beginning to work a lot harder, more hours each night, and that should cause income to go up for may and beyond.
I do categorize everything in quicken so I know where it WENT but i never know where it will COME FROM next month
