Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

Yeah, but the OP is not barely on the median. Her/his income is double the DC area median. There's no "or" in her question. She's doing something wrong or leaving out a huge fixed expense.

The median is 100k and in many zip codes exceed 200k. #badatmath

Wrong asshole. The median income is 88K. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-r89.html
#imakeupmyownfactz

Yes shoot for below average at life

what is this supposed to mean? PP was just giving a source for what the median income is for the DC metro area. ???

It means they don't know the difference between mean and median, or can't read, or both.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

Yeah, but the OP is not barely on the median. Her/his income is double the DC area median. There's no "or" in her question. She's doing something wrong or leaving out a huge fixed expense.

The median is 100k and in many zip codes exceed 200k. #badatmath

Wrong asshole. The median income is 88K. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-r89.html
#imakeupmyownfactz

Yes shoot for below average at life

what is this supposed to mean? PP was just giving a source for what the median income is for the DC metro area. ???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

Yeah, but the OP is not barely on the median. Her/his income is double the DC area median. There's no "or" in her question. She's doing something wrong or leaving out a huge fixed expense.

The median is 100k and in many zip codes exceed 200k. #badatmath

Wrong asshole. The median income is 88K. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-r89.html
#imakeupmyownfactz

Yes shoot for below average at life

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I need to start keeping track of what we spend on what. My hunch is that we spend a lot on small miscellaneous expenses ( like books). Also I think the current crisis is because last month we had a lot of extra expenses (hosted a passover seder for 20 people, and went on what turned out a too-expensive weekend trip for which I thought we could pay from our budget but we clearly cannot). Another factor is that DH has a lot of job0-related unreimbursed expenses every month (in the hundreds of dollars) so after we subtract that the HHI is probably more like 145k. It still should be enough. I will run the numbers and come back to this thread for advice. Thanks.

Job-related unreimbursed expenses should be tax-deductable. I speak from experience.

They are, subject to the 2% floor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

Yeah, but the OP is not barely on the median. Her/his income is double the DC area median. There's no "or" in her question. She's doing something wrong or leaving out a huge fixed expense.

The median is 100k and in many zip codes exceed 200k. #badatmath

Wrong asshole. The median income is 88K. http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/american_community_survey_acs/cb13-r89.html
#imakeupmyownfactz

Op here. I need to start keeping track of what we spend on what. My hunch is that we spend a lot on small miscellaneous expenses ( like books). Also I think the current crisis is because last month we had a lot of extra expenses (hosted a passover seder for 20 people, and went on what turned out a too-expensive weekend trip for which I thought we could pay from our budget but we clearly cannot). Another factor is that DH has a lot of job0-related unreimbursed expenses every month (in the hundreds of dollars) so after we subtract that the HHI is probably more like 145k. It still should be enough. I will run the numbers and come back to this thread for advice. Thanks.

It does sound like you might have hit some unexpected bumps in the road -- it happens. But if you find that you are regularly feeling a little strained from paycheck to paycheck, than it is worth writing down your expenses for a month and taking a careful look at them.

Zero-based budgeting is also a good idea, though unlike the previous poster, I am not going to *command* you to do it because you are a grownup. I've had success with a program called You Need a Budget (YNAB); I like it because instead of it telling you what you spent, it gives you a road map for what you're GOING to spend. If you budget (for example) $500 a month for groceries, then that's all you have. And if you want to spend more on groceries that's fine, it just means that it comes out of another category (maybe your entertainment budget.)

Anyway, I'm so sorry about your health, and the best of luck to you. I've found that I spend much less now that I'm really thinking about what I'm doing (single mom, kid in daycare, every dollar has to be accounted for). And I bet that if you move away from spending on autopilot, you'll see an improvement in your cash flow.

Anonymous wrote:Op here. I need to start keeping track of what we spend on what. My hunch is that we spend a lot on small miscellaneous expenses ( like books). Also I think the current crisis is because last month we had a lot of extra expenses (hosted a passover seder for 20 people, and went on what turned out a too-expensive weekend trip for which I thought we could pay from our budget but we clearly cannot). Another factor is that DH has a lot of job0-related unreimbursed expenses every month (in the hundreds of dollars) so after we subtract that the HHI is probably more like 145k. It still should be enough. I will run the numbers and come back to this thread for advice. Thanks.

Job-related unreimbursed expenses should be tax-deductable. I speak from experience.

OP, this is ridiculous.

You need to IMMEDIATELY begin a "zero-based budget". At the beginning of each month, determine exactly what you can spend on each category in your budget and STOP when you reach it. If you're not saving 15-20% of your money it is because you don't really want to. Accept that and then move forward with a new determination.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

Yeah, but the OP is not barely on the median. Her/his income is double the DC area median. There's no "or" in her question. She's doing something wrong or leaving out a huge fixed expense.

The median is 100k and in many zip codes exceed 200k. #badatmath

Op here. I need to start keeping track of what we spend on what. My hunch is that we spend a lot on small miscellaneous expenses ( like books). Also I think the current crisis is because last month we had a lot of extra expenses (hosted a passover seder for 20 people, and went on what turned out a too-expensive weekend trip for which I thought we could pay from our budget but we clearly cannot). Another factor is that DH has a lot of job0-related unreimbursed expenses every month (in the hundreds of dollars) so after we subtract that the HHI is probably more like 145k. It still should be enough. I will run the numbers and come back to this thread for advice. Thanks.

Anonymous wrote:either we are doing something seriously wrong, or it's become impossible to live on a moderate income in this city. Our HHI is 160K (I know, it's ridiculous to even call it moderate but that's what it seems in this area). Mortgage etc 3K (high, I know, but we are not moving). Two paid-off old cars. Two kids in public schools. Minimal cable. Minimal college savings plan. Some medical bills. Don't really buy clothes (or rarely, and nothing extravagant). don't go out to eat very much, and when we do, it's to pretty cheap restaurants. We do spend a lot of $$ on groceries, but that's the only indulgence. After I paid all the bills (coming due on the first), we literally have nothing left for the next week until the next bi-weekly payment comes. It's so frustrating, and I honestly don't even know where to start trimming.

Groceries can be a HUGE overexpense. I know because I was there.

You have almost the same HHI as us and we have to spend about $40K/year on childcare (toddler and baby) so you should be able to make it.

- cut groceries. Make a list before and plan cheap meals a few times a week. Think vegetarian to save money, or pasta, etc.
- run your numbers (use mint.com or quicken or something) and make an optimal budget and STICK TO IT
- cut cable. Don't care if it's minimal, it's an expense you don't need. You can get just high-speed internet. Call and ask for the best price for this.

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

Yeah, but the OP is not barely on the median. Her/his income is double the DC area median. There's no "or" in her question. She's doing something wrong or leaving out a huge fixed expense.

Do you have a lot of premiums coming out of your salary before it comes into your account? Like life insurance, child care FSA, health care FSA, health, dental, and vision insurance, charity contributions . . . ?

My take home is half my salary because all the benefits are on my account and we have so many things automated to come out - the cash never enters our checking. So, my net contribution the monthly cash flow isn't much and I'm guessing that's how you have HHI of 160k and have nothing left over BUT if you've already paid into your savings, 529, retirement, insurance, etc, then what's the beef exactly?

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

And yet half the population is lower than the median, and many still manage to make ends meet.

Anonymous wrote:It's not easy making ends meat around here when you are barely on the median.

*meet