Anonymous wrote:We have a HHI between $150k and $180K depending on the annual bonus. Our budget is based on the $150k.

We donate 5%
We save 10% off the top and whatever is left (5-10% more).

Our Mortgage is low at $900 per month, but we pre-pay $700 and pay our taxes twice a year which equates to ~$700 per month. $2,250 total.

We spend around $1200 per month on food (groceries and eating out).
We spend around $500 per month on therapies for children, insurance covers some too. It used to be more, but we have graduated from a few.
Utilities are around $500 per month (water, sewer, electricity, gas, phone....)
Cars: gas and maintenance is around $300 per month and growing as our cars are aging. We may be adding a new car soon. I expect this to grow to $500 per month soon.

We have ~$1.5 million in 401ks/IRAs which will help supplement the pension
We have ~$250k in college savings (DCs are teens)
We have $70k in cash reserves

Anonymous wrote:No one has accounted for the summer months when thousands are spent on summer camps.

Anonymous wrote:175K HHI, DINKs

We average 8500/month after taxes, health insurance (~250/month), retirement contributions (~1700/month), union dues (honestly, don't know my guess is 30-40/month), and the office gym (~35/month)

mortgage: 2300 PITI
student loans: 840
home decor: 750
groceries: 500 (vegetarian, mostly organic and local food, cook most meals at home from scratch, pack lunch)
transportation: 290 (MARC, metro, gas, parking)
utilities: 200 (does not include internet, which is provided by my husband's work, or cable, which we don't pay for beyond netflix/Amazon Prime)
home supplies: 200 (the toilet paper, paper towels, Amazon Prime etc.)
personal care: 200 (Mostly my monthly massage, but also includes makeup and skin care.)
insurance: 150 (life, car)
clothing: 140 (capped at 2500/year)
gym: 130 (yoga studio, LA Fitness)
entertainment: 100 (includes Netflix)
cell phones: 90
cat: 75
dining out: 65

So far this year, our expenditures have averaged 6K/month. The savings go to irregular expenses (medical, gifts, charity, car and home maintenence and travel) as they come up. We make our charitable donations in November. We give large donations ($500+) to local charities that provide essential services to those in need (think Capital Area Food Bank, Legal Aid, etc); smaller donations ($100 or so) to neighborhood charities, arts organizations, and charities our friends run; and nominal donations($10-$50) to our alma maters and friends who ask us for donations.

We begin each year with a meeting on our financial priorities for the upcoming year and develop a monthly budget accordingly. This year, we're prioritizing decorating the home we bought last year. In previous years we've prioritized international travel (spent 6K), saving for a down payment (around 30-35K, as we only put 5% down because we were rushing to buy while we could still afford the neighborhood we wanted to be in), building professional wardrobes after grad school, and saving for furniture (spent 10k) after renting a furnished apartment.

We track our spending pretty closely as that's the only way I've found that we know where our money is going. And it's so easy to spend more money on certain categories (clothing, eating out, groceries, entertainment) than we're okay with. The one area I want to spend less in is groceries - I think we should spend closer to 400, but it's so easy to stock up on pantry items that just sit there. But we do consider healthy food (and gyms and massages) an investment in our health.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents are ~ 30 south of Willmington and ~30 miles north of Myrtle Beach. So we have a beach "vacation" that costs less than a normal week at home since gas used is cheaper than groceries my parents insist on buying. There is a cost though, no real recharging.

Not everyone has parents who live in vacation places (or for that matter, who can be visited at all).

That is true. My point was that it wasn't a restful recharging sort of vacation.

Our solution was to buy property in St Croix.

Anonymous wrote:LMAO. "Poor." We make $141K pre-tax. DH puts 11% of his $101K salary into his 401K and I don't save anything out of my $40K salary because I only work to pay for private school and groceries.

Mortgage is $950/month.
Healthcare, I think is about $400/month.
Childcare is $200/month.
Tuition for private school is $1600/month.
Groceries are $1200/month.
Phones (all mobile) are $180/month.
Internet $60/month
Gas is $400/month (we commute)
No gym, no car payments (both cars are luxury cars but are ten years old, bought new back then), no credit card debt or student loans. We're not saving for college; that's why they go to private school, so they can earn scholarships. We'd be comfortable paying the same tuition we do now or even a bit more when the time comes, but if they want to go to a $50K/yr school, they're going to have to help pay for it.

We shop and go out some but don't really keep track. We haven't taken a real vacation in 7 years but will be taking one this summer. We're not rich or anything but I think we're doing okay.

Anonymous wrote:We are at about $200k - 15% for 401k

Net about $10k

Mortgage $3600
Aftercare $400
Food $800
Savings $2000-2500
College $500
Activities/camps/insurance/vacations $815
Utilities $300
Misc $1000
Internet $77
Phones $100
Gas $150

I am sure I am forgetting something

Anonymous wrote:175K HHI, DINKs

We average 8500/month after taxes, health insurance (~250/month), retirement contributions (~1700/month), union dues (honestly, don't know my guess is 30-40/month), and the office gym (~35/month)

mortgage: 2300 PITI
student loans: 840
home decor: 750
groceries: 500 (vegetarian, mostly organic and local food, cook most meals at home from scratch, pack lunch)
transportation: 290 (MARC, metro, gas, parking)
utilities: 200 (does not include internet, which is provided by my husband's work, or cable, which we don't pay for beyond netflix/Amazon Prime)
home supplies: 200 (the toilet paper, paper towels, Amazon Prime etc.)
personal care: 200 (Mostly my monthly massage, but also includes makeup and skin care.)
insurance: 150 (life, car)
clothing: 140 (capped at 2500/year)
gym: 130 (yoga studio, LA Fitness)
entertainment: 100 (includes Netflix)
cell phones: 90
cat: 75
dining out: 65

So far this year, our expenditures have averaged 6K/month. The savings go to irregular expenses (medical, gifts, charity, car and home maintenence and travel) as they come up. We make our charitable donations in November. We give large donations ($500+) to local charities that provide essential services to those in need (think Capital Area Food Bank, Legal Aid, etc); smaller donations ($100 or so) to neighborhood charities, arts organizations, and charities our friends run; and nominal donations($10-$50) to our alma maters and friends who ask us for donations.

We begin each year with a meeting on our financial priorities for the upcoming year and develop a monthly budget accordingly. This year, we're prioritizing decorating the home we bought last year. In previous years we've prioritized international travel (spent 6K), saving for a down payment (around 30-35K, as we only put 5% down because we were rushing to buy while we could still afford the neighborhood we wanted to be in), building professional wardrobes after grad school, and saving for furniture (spent 10k) after renting a furnished apartment.

We track our spending pretty closely as that's the only way I've found that we know where our money is going. And it's so easy to spend more money on certain categories (clothing, eating out, groceries, entertainment) than we're okay with. The one area I want to spend less in is groceries - I think we should spend closer to 400, but it's so easy to stock up on pantry items that just sit there. But we do consider healthy food (and gyms and massages) an investment in our health.