Anonymous wrote:Four hundred dollars monthly on food? I don't see how she gets any lower...

Yeah, seriously. I aim for that and am not hitting it with regularity.

Good job.

Four hundred dollars monthly on food? I don't see how she gets any lower...

Since you own your home, on the occasions that you do go out of town to visit family or camping, you can rent your place out via air bnb.

Wow, you are doing awesome!

Maybe your food budget can get a little lower? Shop the sales only. Change your menu on the fly when there's meat expiring that day and on sale for super cheap. Drink inexpensive wine/beer (Trader Joe's $3 Chuck is the way to go!).

Unplug appliances when you're not using them.

I have the same Target issue. Stick to your list! Do you have the Cartwheel app and the Target app from Target? They offer lots of special coupons. Just don't get sucked into buying what you don't need!

Can you get pull ups delivered from Amazon? They might be cheaper there, and could delay your Target trip so you don't need to go every week/every other week.

Good luck!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your mortgage is way too high. How much equity do you have and can you sell and move to a cheaper rental?

What? If they live in this area, it's incredibly low.

OP, can you cut from your household expenses? Diapers should cost less than $100/mo so what else are you buying that is $100/mo? I switched to the cheapo $3 shampoo and I clean with vinegar and baking soda (which is also better for everyone's heath in our household).

I think you're doing pretty good, though. Any way you can make some money on the side?

She won't find a cheaper rental for a family of four unless they move to WV!

Anonymous wrote:OP-You are doing great. One tip: google "Katie Beckett waiver" ASAP!!! If you have a disabled child, you can get medicaid despite your income level. This will pay for many medical expenses. I know you have a relative paying, but wouldn't it be nice if that relative could fund the 529 instead?

OP here! We a definitely know about the Katie Beckett waiver and have been denied. However, we have some additional "diagnoses" this year and plan to reapply. Thanks!

OP-You are doing great. One tip: google "Katie Beckett waiver" ASAP!!! If you have a disabled child, you can get medicaid despite your income level. This will pay for many medical expenses. I know you have a relative paying, but wouldn't it be nice if that relative could fund the 529 instead?

Anonymous wrote:OP, you're young, and I hope still have potential for your income to grow
I would revisit pension contribution amounts - 14% seems high, especially with very tight budget on everything else.
You need a bit more room for yourself to live now - vacation budget/eating out/hobby etc.
It is easy to get burned out with all challenges of raising special need kids on budget, you need a to find a way and resources to recharge.

OP here. We upped the 401k contributions from 10 to 14 when I had to quit my job. DH is essentially saving for both of us right now so I still feel its generally low? (Would prefer 9-10 percent saved for each of us?) It is only matched up to 6 percent so perhaps there is a more productive way to save the remaining 8? Thanks for your imput

Don't stress too much about saving for college. I'd use the money for your spinning and your husband's softball. Happy parents come first! There are always loans, scholarships, etc.

OP, you're young, and I hope still have potential for your income to grow
I would revisit pension contribution amounts - 14% seems high, especially with very tight budget on everything else.
You need a bit more room for yourself to live now - vacation budget/eating out/hobby etc.
It is easy to get burned out with all challenges of raising special need kids on budget, you need a to find a way and resources to recharge.

Anonymous wrote:How long till you pay off the car?

+1 I'd stop the extra savings and get the car paid off ASAP.