Hi Ladies,

Here's a question: when all bills are paid (!) and essential groceries are bought, how much do you have left 'in the pot' for other expenses ? (gas, everything else you may need for the week)

Just wondered, as we've been really 'squeaking' by lately, so many broken car bills etc...we don't have much left at the end of it all.

Thanks for your inspiring posts.

Pam in Nova Scotia

Other than a headache?

Nothing! We follow Dave Ramsey's budget methods- so EVERY dollar has a name. We make a zero based budget every month. There is no money "leftover".

No real leftovers here either, all the extra (when there is any) goes to the mortgage but recently little things have been eating up the excess, vet bills, gas prices, etc.

I'm still working on the newer budget though with the mortgage refinance, it just about eats up every other paycheck, sigh.

kj

depends on the time of the month. The pay period on the 1st we have a little cushion, but on the 15th, not much. Things have been way to tight here lately.

Are you suppose to have something leftover???? Most weeks I seem to still have at least one bill that still needs to be paid. But thats the good news I used to have 3 and 4 bills leftover so I feel like I'm making some headway. Plus the balance on those I am paying are going down!

Laurie in Bradenton

On paper, we should have 758.00 left after all bills are paid, and groceries bought. But, lately things have been sooo hectic, and money has went like water that I'm stressing over money. Looks like I need to really reevaluate what we are spending, and get with it.

Just wanted to add that we do have money automatically deducted to several different savings accounts weekly (EF, truck fund and vacation fund) and we do contribute to hubbies 401k, between that and the bills it just about eats up every last penny here.

kj

Other than a headache?

Nothing! We follow Dave Ramsey's budget methods- so EVERY dollar has a name. We make a zero based budget every month. There is no money "leftover".

:yeah: If by some chance one of makes some money not included in the budget then it goes straight to savings. This way is a lot less stressful, once the "entertainment" money is gone, it's gone. If I have a little left in my groceries I can buy a few more things at the last of the month, etc.

None left over here. If there is, I usually buy groceries with it. My grocery budget is the variable. Bills first, then gas in the car, then whatever is left buys food. Sometimes it is as little as $15 for the week, but most weeks it is more like $50.

While I'm on maternity leave, there is nothing leftover. Once every bill is paid, we are at $0.

It varies. Some pays it's $150 and some it's less than $20 and that's grocery money too as I don't have money budgeted specifically that way. If we need something and we have the money, we'll get it. If we don't have the money, we find a substitute or change the menu. Lately gas has been running us $100 a month so there's not much for everything else. We're doing okay because dh has worked some side jobs and such.

In my budget, every dollar has a name and it balances to zero. If you are wanting to know specifically how much I put toward my EF after every bill is paid (used to be debt, of course) it averages 500/mo.

Yes. If it didn't have a category, it would go into the EF.

After all bills,savings, IRA contributions,christmas account, groceries and gas. I would have to say zero. The last few months the dollar has been really tugged at. With son graduating, Senior pics, prom and upcoming graduation party. I just went to the dollar store to get items that are basically cheap there. Dh was with me, I said I have $30 thats it and I have a list, so after I get whats on my list and I have something leftover and you want something you can get it. He knows I'm a tightwad, He was singing through the store, "My wifes a tightwad, and you know, clap your hands. I was laughing. He has a good heart.

Right now I am working Full time salary and we are paying $600 a month toward a debt (see below) so we have about $600 left a month after groceries and gas. We don't budget to the penny, although I know we could put more in savings if we did. When I cut my hours back to 25 hours per week, we will have about the same leftover as we do now. The loss in hours, and not paying $600 to debt will cancel each other out. So, I will be working 20 less hours a week and we will have the same income. Not to bad...

not enough !!lol
Some weeks just enough for gas and getting extra milk and bread, etc.
were trying to make sure theres enough to go to yard sales, I have lisr already made what i need for this and next years clothing list.

Nothing left here either! After I pay bills and take care of what needs to be done.....groceries, gas... anything left goes to savings or the EF:)

Usually I have about $200 left over, but that is to be used for groceries, gas and entertainment, as well.

Wow,

I've never had so many replies to a post anywhere, EVER ! You guys are SOOO inspiring, and I sure feel a lot less alone. We've had a lucky break this week from some angelic relatives, and a couple of weighty bills have been removed from our over extended budget. Ahhhh. Now we can at least get the car safety inspected !

We are expecting a boost in our income by the end of summer, and I'd like to set up an EF, which will mostly be for maintaining 2 old vehicles. (I know, I know, but we are majorly rural here, and need those 2 old beaters....)

Anyway, I feel much better now.

Thanks....

Big Hugs to all you gals xxxx

Pam

Hey nothing wrong with old vehicles, in fact car/truck payments are taboo on our farm!

So glad that you've had a positive happening with family helping out, you have wonderful family to have done this.

kj

On paper we should have around 400 a month extra, but something always seems to be coming up. I am just grateful that as of now we dont have to add any debt to the credit cards.

We're doing the Dave Ramsey way, too. So it's down to $0 always. When we get done paying everything there is around $1800 a month to pay towards debt, now that the car payment is gone.

we are moving and dh just got a raise so figuring the new budget we should have about 441.00 leftover.:coffee: which all will go to EF (gulp)
our rent is going from 630.00 a month to (gulp) 1300.00 a month!!!!! yikes!!!
and we are not moving to Beverly Hills either!!! these are Southern California prices!!!! right now we live in a tiny (and i meanTINY) apartment, the new place i will have a washer and dryer yahooooo and a backyard for my 3 boys to play in!!! living in this apartment with 3 kids i should be in a straightjacket with a constant IV drip going! not the easiest task but by the grace of GOD we are outa here! thanks GOD!!!!! sorry i went off subject!!!
btw i can have a veggi garden now too:lolli:

not a darn thing, after th bills are paid (usually only paying what we can afford to pay) we usually have about 115-150 left for groceries and gas for the two week period. IF I paid all the bills on time this month we wouldn't be able to buy gas OR groceries for over a month. sheesh, seeing it on screen is a little sad!

After everything is paid/bought there's $50-$100 left which goes into the EF. But this month nothing is going to the EF and I am dipping into it because DH's stepfather passed away so we are going to travel to go see his family next weekend.

After all my CC's are paid off I will have $400/month left which will go into the EF.

Utilities average out to $225cdn/mth. Groceries are $260. Mortgage is $600. Property taxes run about $250/mth. That's around $1400cdn. We have ~$1300 leftover. Right now $300 extra is going to the mortgage. $300 is going into long term savings. The rest goes into envelopes (house repair, clothing, car, insurance, etc.) and is being saved to pay for dd#1's university textbooks this fall. The car is running us about $120/mth. right now...as long as nothing breaks...knock on wood.

Jean

Utilities average out to $225cdn/mth. Groceries are $260. Mortgage is $600. Property taxes run about $250/mth. That's around $1400cdn. We have ~$1300 leftover. Right now $300 extra is going to the mortgage. $300 is going into long term savings. The rest goes into envelopes (house repair, clothing, car, insurance, etc.) and is being saved to pay for dd#1's university textbooks this fall. The car is running us about $120/mth. right now...as long as nothing breaks...knock on wood.

Jean

Jean --

I just wanted to remind you that Amazon.com is a great way to buy textbooks. You can even buy new ones there for the same (and sometimes lower) price as new ones. I just bought a new one yesterday for a Master's class that was over $20 cheaper than a used one would have been had I ordered it through Borders. And -- no tax, and just a $3.95 S&H fee. Maybe you'll find a better deal, but this is the third class for which I've found Amazon to have the best deals, beating ebay, bookstores, and other options.

Good luck!
Mary

Thanks Mary. I'll tell dd#1 that. It would be nice to save some money in that department. She usually buys secondhand anyways.

Jean