Ok I'll jump on the budget bandwagon

[Anonymous]

Nanny / Babysitting $3,000
Mortgage $1,600
Property Taxes $660
Car Insurance $100
Life Insurance $150
Home Insurance $80
Electricity $100
Heating $200
Internet $50 (fios)
Cell $100
TV $25 (netflix+hulu)
Food @ Work $320
Gas (Car 1) $150
Gas (Car 2) $125
Food (Groceries) $800
Haircuts $100
Clothes $100
Diapers/Kids Shit $200
Misc Expenses (fun, eating out, all that shit you don't expect) $500
----------------------------------
Total ~$8,400ish
Income: $10,800ish net monthly

Not sure where else to cut, but since people here seem happy to throw out vitriol and occasionally actual suggestions, I'll take em.

[Anonymous]

Jealous. So jealous.

[Anonymous]

How many in your family and ages for the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many in your family and ages for the kids.

Four people total. Kids are almost 3 and 4 yo.

[Anonymous]

I want a nanny. What are her dutties for $3000/month?

[Anonymous]

Is travel included in misc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want a nanny. What are her dutties for $3000/month?

Some drywall patching. Running the crematorium. Mowing the lawn..... Just kidding. Standard duties. Take care of the kids. Make their meals, do their laundry (not ours). Take them to do shit. Clean up after them in general. I'm dense: Are you saying we overpay or underpay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is travel included in misc?

No, good point. We don't travel that much cause with the kids its just a hassle, but I suppose a few grand a year on that gets blown.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you're doing fine since your HHI is much higher than your expenses. Does the rest go to savings? I'm assuming that your health insurance costs and retirement savings come out of your gross, so are already accounted for?

[Anonymous]

I would cut food at work, and I'm confused as to how you spend $100 on haircuts/month- do you have lots of boys?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you're doing fine since your HHI is much higher than your expenses. Does the rest go to savings? I'm assuming that your health insurance costs and retirement savings come out of your gross, so are already accounted for?

They do. We max out one 401K and do about 10% in the other - between company matches that's about 40-42K a year put away. I suppose we should be maxing out both now that I think about it. I wasn't saying we werent OK, we manage fine obviously, but I'm always open to suggestions on ways to improve the overall picture. Short of selling my children to a Chinese factory, I don't see obvious cuts, but people here are quite good at that....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would cut food at work, and I'm confused as to how you spend $100 on haircuts/month- do you have lots of boys?

Blame DW. $250 * 4 times a year ... Dont even ask me what she gets done. Some kind shampoo + cut + color job that presumably uses gold flakes and the tears of blind orphans given its price. The balance is my cheapo haircuts + the kids.

[Anonymous]

Please for the love of God max out your retirement savings.

[Anonymous]

Cut food at work!

Curious, how many kids do you have?

I think it looks good overall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I want a nanny. What are her dutties for $3000/month?

Some drywall patching. Running the crematorium. Mowing the lawn..... Just kidding. Standard duties. Take care of the kids. Make their meals, do their laundry (not ours). Take them to do shit. Clean up after them in general. I'm dense: Are you saying we overpay or underpay?

Not at all!!

Your kids are 3-4 years old, shouldn't they be in pre-K already or soon to be? I have an infant but my neices/nephews are.