Let's get naked! (financially)

[wanderlusting]

Student loans: $18,500 (but for my entire Ph.D., thus far)

And that's pretty much that!

Wow! You're student loan is so low! I accrued that much in a year of my undergrad studies!

[JustJoy]

MONTHLY NET INCOME: $3604.00 (After taxes, health ins, 401K and child support)

EXPENSES:
Mortgage: $896.00
Association: $255.00 (covers water, garbage, lawn maintenance, snow removal, etc)
Car payment: $358.00
Food: $575.00 (includes NutriSystem which is a BIG expense, H&B, paper goods, dog food, etc)
Electric: $50.00
Gas: $50.00
Car ins: $65.00
Phone: $32.00
Cell phones: $76.00
Internet & cable: $142.00
Gas: $70 (cars)
RX & copays: $60.00
Cigarettes: $70.00
Life ins: :65.00
B-day & Holidays: $50.00
Entertainment & spending money: $150.00 (DH and I get $75 each)
Savings: $50.00 (will up the amount when CC's are PIF)

DEBT:
Mortgage: $99,000
CC #1 (0% interest) $500.00 (2 more payments)
CC #2 (0% interest) $3500.00
Car: Can't find balance

ASSESTS:
DH's 401K: $87,000
My IRA: $4,500
Car: 3,500
Savings #1: $1600.00
Savings #2: $2250.00

[mom2hancj]

Ok here is the new plan and any feedback would be awesome....

Income: 5642.22

Expenses:

Mortgage $779.77
Cable $50
Tivo $14
Water/Gas $165
Power $100
Insur. Car $141
Kids Acti. $120
Tithe $450
Pet Food $40
Meds. $60
Groc/WM $500
Gas $200
Phone $177


CC and loan minimum payments $684
Extra toward EF this month then debt in sub. months $1025 ($1225 this month the kids have a dentist appt so the extra $200 to pay for that)

Eat out $50
Crafting business $50


Debt
Sears $1788
Car Loan $2517
CC #1 0% interest for a year up in Dec. $4,475
CC #2 2% interest until Sept. $22,983
Mortgage $82,000 and some

If I can do less than $500 for groceries and Walmart in a month then that will go toward debt also. I am also selling lots on ebay and homeschool curriculum to put toward debt as well.

Any kideas on reducing phone or water and gas I would love to hear it.

[Buckeye5]

Here is ours:Low end: $2980 after taxes, medical premiums, 401k (6%) this is the very low end, which doesn't happen that often, overtime has picked up again high end $3450-4000

Mortgage: $823.40
doesn't include taxes or insurance
car:264.19
water $75-$80
garbage$14.00
newspaper:12.00
cable $20.00 for local channels
Dishnetwork $45.00
verizon phone and internet:$70.00
electric$85.00-$150.00
propane:$2000.00 we pay as we need it, usually not for 6 months during the summer
Auto Insurance:$196.00 monthly
House Insurance:$600.00 per year
Real estate taxes per year:$1500.00
Life Insurance $108 every 3 months


cell phones:$107 per month ending in May 2007 107 x 12=$1284 per year
medical: $700 will be paying off with tax refund 103 x 12=$1236 per year
school loan:$3925.00($52.00) per month
Misc. bills $1100.00 all will paid for from tax refund
Capital One: $4900.00 (147.00) per month (will begin debt snowball in March on this one) DH will get an incentive check, will pay some on this, save some for new windows and DD's graduation party in June, and put some away for savings
Capital One: $4900.00(147.00) per month

Whatever is left for groceries, ball games, misc., and gas is a big expense, not sure how much a month though, it varies because of going to DD's ballgames, musical compettions, etc.

Food$300 per month, I have been using my stockpile though because overtime had slowed down for about 6 weeks, now he is back at it working his buns off.

[Leahmom]

Well feeding/eating in our house is easy.... we eat alot of spaghetti with sauce, $1 for a box of noodles $1 for the sauce, add in some adobo and past spices and yummy, usually lasts us 2-3 days if not more.

Mac & Cheese with Sausage (the kids love this), approx. $4-$5 lasts us 2-3 days if not more.

Soup and sandwiches, 1 lb ham $3, 1 lb cheese $3, 1 loaf of bread 69cents, soups 4 big chunky cans for $5, plus I add more chicken broth and more noodles ($3), ok now averaging out this only costs us approx. $2 per person to make but lasts us 2-3 nights of food.

Kids get lunch at school for 40cents, weekends we eat leftovers, maybe I will add some sausage to the pasta sauce from the spaghetti. We do eat white rice, pink beans w/potatoes and baked chicken legs ALOT (it's our favorite meal) costs me around $5 to purchase, lasts us approx. 2-3 sometimes 4 days, I but the family pack chicken and although the chicken runs our first we still eat the rice and beans as is till that's done and then remake the whole thing over again.

DH eats leftovers for lunch as I do, we eat oatmeal for breakfast or cereal, sometimes eggs (I get my eggs free from a friend and milk too most times).

I have a stockpile of pasta, pasta sauces, tomatoe sauce, pasta seasonings, beans, rice, etc... most often I dont buy rice but once every 4 months or so, I buy the big bag (2 months ago a friend gave me a super huge bag of rice and it's still 3/4+ full.)

I am cheap when I shop, I dont mind buying store brand (except the oatmeal) and the kids dont mind as long as they have food in their stomachs.

Oops didn't mean to make this so long, Tracy could you email me the chicken/leg/rice/bean thingy you guys make. Chicken legs are cheap here and I would appreciate it much. Will trade you a Dafeena Recipe =Chicken/potato/rice/chickpea thingy
Thanks
Leah

[mom2three]

I am currently on mat leave and getting some pay. I am trying to budget on DH income alone:

Take home pay: 3587
Tithe: 360
Mortgage: 1224.54
Property Taxes: 395
Bank Fees: 5.15
RRSP Payback: 100
Water Heater rental: 19.63
Natural Gas: 119
Term life insurance: 27.67
House insurance: 71
Car insurance: 64
Satellite/Home Phone/Internet: 105
Electricity: 175
Credit Cards (slightly more than min): 440

Total 3106

Left for food/gas/allowances: 481 (that's why I want to get food budget to $300)

We do qualify for the Canaian Child Tax Benefit (currently 18.60/month) and the Universal Child Care supplement (currently 100/month), waiting on this for youngest - should add ~150-200/month - trying to save this at present

Debt: in signature

Assets: equity in house (had reassessed and value dropped which we expected - should decrease taxes): ~35000
RRSPs: 7375
RPP (me-inaccessible): 52, 750
RPP (hubby): 60, 900
Savings: 2557

Our van is a 1995 Dodge caravan - I do not think that is an asset!

[Jenna]

Net Income: $1760 base w/occasional chance at overtime (adds $100-200 a couple times a year)

I split costs with my SO, so here's my portion of

monthly bills:

rent: $650
Netflix: $10
Cable/internet/phone/long distance package: $52
trash: $10
gas/electric: $75 on average (lowest $38, highest $113)
water: $20
cell: $ 25 every three months, Cingular Prepaid
loan: $250 - paid in full!

Debt:

c/c: about $450 @ 0%, generally PIF before interest is added.
loan: $2000 - PIF

Assets:

About $26k in 401k
About $17k in ROTH
Paid for 2000 car, probably worth $3-$4k


I don't really budget my food expenses. I just try to make my ROTH goals, and keep dining out to a minimum.
I use the c/c for most of my monthly purchases, and just PIF before interest hits.

I've updated my financial picture.

My income has increased just a bit.
I'd like to start saving $600 a month.