Enormous debt and overwhelmed

[Gailete]

I think the only way to really look at things is to, at least on paper, combine income less expenses to get a true picture of where you are now and where you are going. In your monthly expenses, you mentioned your school loan payments, but not the CC payments, or do those come out of hubbies pay?

I obviously don't know your situation, but it seems like you two should be talking to each other and coming up with a list of income and outgo so the little things don't get left behind and ignored. Since you mentioned that you had both agreed to no eating out or purchases, it does seem like you are talking, but need to combine things at least for figuring out a workable budget for paying off debt. Does he have student loans as well?

[disneysteve]

May I ask why you and your husband keep your finances separate? I know it works for some couples but it does make planning more complicated.

[Snowy]

May I ask why you and your husband keep your finances separate? I know it works for some couples but it does make planning more complicated.

It's just how we've always done it. We talked about merging accounts when we first married, but we never did it. Then I started worrying about him being stuck with my debt with no way to pay it off with his salary and just decided to not put his name on the CC and keep our accounts separate.

The leftover money each month goes toward both CC bill and student loans. My husband has no student loan debt. He finished undergrad 15 years ago and paid off his college loans.