Need advice on wife vs cutting expenses and debt

[snafu]

If your wife is a vissual learner, I suggest using the back of a poster to show jiM's outline for expenses and pay-out order.

Can you re-consider moving to an apt. if money tightens? Do you already have furniture ? If your hours/trips get cut back what PT work can you do? Are you handy? Are you willing to do small household repairs or painting, or sm. household moves? If your wife does dog grooming on her day off what would you do to increase income... pizza delivery to make money?

[maat55]

Can't she take them in the truck? I know some truckers and they take their dogs with them.

I would do this, we sleep with our boxer, especially if it brought in more income.

[veronak]

I wouldn't get rid of the only CC I had but if you could get rid of one the cars or both and maybe get a used one. I agree with Scfr you'll definitely need to have patience debt is so easy to get into very quickly but is a long slow process when trying to get out. Just remember it's worth it in the end

[vole]

My solution to budgeting and saving money was to put my high school age son in charge.

I gave him a lump sum of money for the month and told him he could keep anything left over after giving my wife shopping money. He reviewed what my wife's shopping list and approved all purchases.

Worked great.

[nitemarecooper]

If you have control of where money goes that is good.
If I knew the cc terms (you have not disclosed that yet) I might make a different suggestion.

The terms of the loan are simple. 8.95% interest with minimum 190/week payment. I am free to set the payment to anything I feel like after that and pay off anytime with no penelty. That is an easy loan. I don't remember the original time frame to payoff (5 years I think) but I was paying much more than minimum for long enough, I would even at minimum now pay off much sooner than originally needed. I think about 2-2.5 years to payoff at current balance if I remember my original math from last time I figured it out.

That budget is definitely better than mine and is definitely doable. I think I will change mine to adopt yours. I just want to say thanks a lot for the direct help. You have given me a great deal extra to think about and a different approach with which to get started paying off this debt.


Nitemarecooper

[nitemarecooper]

I think you've gotten lots of great advice so far. I only wanted to add that I was able to bring my husband over from "the dark side" by having him listen to Dave Ramsey audiobook CDs in the car (Total Money Makeover). That was all it took and we've been on the same page ever since (4+ years).

Since your wife obviously spends a lot of time driving, this might work for her as well...

What makes this advice not just great, but even a little funny is that I already have Dave's book "Total Money Makeover" in audiobook format. She just has never listened to it. I'll have to try and push her to listen to it then. Thanks.

Nitemarecooper