We spend around 18K a month, where does it go?

[Anonymous]

Wow. Big mortgage and crazy housekeeper bills. Maybe a smaller or less expensive or easier to maintain home would get you the most savings.

Also that is a lot for clothing. Every month? Plus all the time wanted to shop for them. Maybe more quality and more classic items. Cost more at first but you can wear for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents - personal care is low; my highlights are $300/month add botox, fillers, skincare etc. Clothes $ super high; food about right. House cleaning about right. Cars high but I HATE spending $ on cars and cars in general.

Fascinating... hot mom?

More likely a self-proclaimed hot mom who actually resembles a Frankenstein-inspired science project gone awry...

PPs, please stop. $500 per month for self-care for a family of five IS low. Just look at how outrageously expensive a hairdresser in DC is. And yes, add to that botox, fillers, microderm abrasion, laser, etc. And you know what? Almost every woman (and man) with a decent income is doing it. The "science project gone awry" is seldom and a sign of bad workmanship. My husband is a dermatologist, so I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents - personal care is low; my highlights are $300/month add botox, fillers, skincare etc. Clothes $ super high; food about right. House cleaning about right. Cars high but I HATE spending $ on cars and cars in general.

Fascinating... hot mom?

More likely a self-proclaimed hot mom who actually resembles a Frankenstein-inspired science project gone awry...

PPs, please stop. $500 per month for self-care for a family of five IS low. Just look at how outrageously expensive a hairdresser in DC is. And yes, add to that botox, fillers, microderm abrasion, laser, etc. And you know what? Almost every woman (and man) with a decent income is doing it. The "science project gone awry" is seldom and a sign of bad workmanship. My husband is a dermatologist, so I know.

DP. I think your husband's professional may give you a skewed perspective on how many women are doing this all of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Troll AF.

PP, just because you don't have OP's budget, it does not mean that she is a troll. There are people with more assets than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents - personal care is low; my highlights are $300/month add botox, fillers, skincare etc. Clothes $ super high; food about right. House cleaning about right. Cars high but I HATE spending $ on cars and cars in general.

Fascinating... hot mom?

More likely a self-proclaimed hot mom who actually resembles a Frankenstein-inspired science project gone awry...

PPs, please stop. $500 per month for self-care for a family of five IS low. Just look at how outrageously expensive a hairdresser in DC is. And yes, add to that botox, fillers, microderm abrasion, laser, etc. And you know what? Almost every woman (and man) with a decent income is doing it. The "science project gone awry" is seldom and a sign of bad workmanship. My husband is a dermatologist, so I know.

But us not just the money. All that time to sit there for hair, nails, etc. I would go bananas and not enjoy that at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow. Big mortgage and crazy housekeeper bills. Maybe a smaller or less expensive or easier to maintain home would get you the most savings.

Also that is a lot for clothing. Every month? Plus all the time wanted to shop for them. Maybe more quality and more classic items. Cost more at first but you can wear for a long time.

I guess what I would find unpleasant about buying this much clothes/stuff is the prospect of getting rid of the old clothes/stuff. When I am out shopping now this is actually a bigger consideration than cost- “what does this replace? What will I have to get rid of?” Often the work aspect of this keeps me from buying anything.

[Anonymous]

The op likely has life insurance through work that work pays for.

[Anonymous]

OP, we are kind of where you are. We spend a lot in a lot of the same categories as you - clothing may be higher than yours, groceries/eating out probably averages around yours but is higher when we travel, housekeeper is 1200/month, etc. I think the most important question is whether you are saving enough (we are). Past that, I totally understand the “existential” concerns about spending too much and the tension between we can afford it vs we can afford it but do we need it. We have definitely seen lifestyle creep as our income increased, and have decided we are ok with it as long as we are saving. We have no interest in foregoing benefits now that we can afford so that we can spend it all in a retirement that isn’t even guaranteed (though we are financially prepared for it to happen!).

[Anonymous]

Unless you are so deep in the bubble that you have lost all perspective, you know exactly where your luxury costs are as opposed to most families that spend their budgets on necessities.

Do what you want but do you really not understand which things on your list are luxury items and which are not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents - personal care is low; my highlights are $300/month add botox, fillers, skincare etc. Clothes $ super high; food about right. House cleaning about right. Cars high but I HATE spending $ on cars and cars in general.

Fascinating... hot mom?

More likely a self-proclaimed hot mom who actually resembles a Frankenstein-inspired science project gone awry...

PPs, please stop. $500 per month for self-care for a family of five IS low. Just look at how outrageously expensive a hairdresser in DC is. And yes, add to that botox, fillers, microderm abrasion, laser, etc. And you know what? Almost every woman (and man) with a decent income is doing it. The "science project gone awry" is seldom and a sign of bad workmanship. My husband is a dermatologist, so I know.

Then I must be doing something wrong. I have no interest in any of that. Absolutely none.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2 cents - personal care is low; my highlights are $300/month add botox, fillers, skincare etc. Clothes $ super high; food about right. House cleaning about right. Cars high but I HATE spending $ on cars and cars in general.

Fascinating... hot mom?

More likely a self-proclaimed hot mom who actually resembles a Frankenstein-inspired science project gone awry...

PPs, please stop. $500 per month for self-care for a family of five IS low. Just look at how outrageously expensive a hairdresser in DC is. And yes, add to that botox, fillers, microderm abrasion, laser, etc. And you know what? Almost every woman (and man) with a decent income is doing it. The "science project gone awry" is seldom and a sign of bad workmanship. My husband is a dermatologist, so I know.

Then I must be doing something wrong. I have no interest in any of that. Absolutely none.

Same. I would resent every minute I have to sit there paying someone to fuss about my skin and hair and nails. I have I patience for it. I make sure to be clean and presentable but the rest of that time is mine and I will not spend it the groomer.

[Anonymous]

Meant I have no patience for it.

[Anonymous]

Try $500 a quarter. Not EVERY MONTH.

[Anonymous]

I literally laughed at how I cannot even fathom any of this. Shopping, housekeeper, gifts, clothes for the children.

I spent $1000/year on clothes and shoes for two kids.
$135/month on lawn service for 1 acre
Gifts? Idk $0-50 unless we have a wedding I guess

[Anonymous]

It is strange. It would be relentlessly time consuming to spend that much money every month... especially the clothing, shopping and personal expenses stuff. Doesn't this consume a lot of time or do you pay someone to spend that for you?