Quote:
Originally Posted by irmanator
I don't see where you find 600 though. If you trusted my math about the 1453 then I realize I didn't include the 70 mon pmt on root canal or gas n groc in that total.
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First you said your bills are $1,453.
Then you listed the bills and your list actually totals $1,723.
You said income is $2,304.
$2,304-1,723=$581. I rounded that off to $600. So that's how I came up with that.
If your husband is spending another $160/month (what is that spent on by the way), that lowers the surplus to $581-160=$421. That still isn't bad as it represents over 18% of your income so you are far from being paycheck to paycheck.
So I'm still not sure where the problem is. A family that is able to save over 18% of income (in addition to 401k and FSA contributions) should be doing just fine. If you're not then there may still be spending that you haven't accounted for in the numbers you've posted so far. Paying a $160 orthodontist bill when you have a monthly surplus of over $400 should be simple. Buying a new tire or having an alignment done also shouldn't stress the budget with that kind of monthly surplus.
I'd suggest that both you and your husband keep a detailed spending log for the next month or two. There is probably money leaking out that you aren't aware of. If so, you need to plug those leaks and reclaim that $421/month surplus.