Anonymous wrote:We net $12.5K post taxes.
PITI + HOA 3450
Student Loans (undergrad, grad, law for husband; law for wife) 1350
Gas/Electric/Phone/Cable 450
Life insurance/fund for parents 500
Groceries/Eating out for lunch 800
Average Monthly Cost for Hard Costs (bday gifts, bar dues, Xmas, holiday gifts, license renewal, AAA, etc.) 775
Miscellaneous Spending (fun stuff, donations, pol contributions, dinners out) 1200
Savings 4100
I feel like quite a few folks who posted on here have no student loan payments -- these payments are soul-crushing! We also need to take care of our parents (immigrant parents who didn't save much during their lives) but hopefully can get their help with child care -- that seems like a doozy too!
I've sometimes wondered whether what we'd do with the extra money if our parents were well off (so they paid for our schooling and didn't need us to take care of them). I look at other people's expenses and they have stuff like dog walking or house cleaners or private school for kids or day care. Interesting to compare. I bet we'd do similar things -- save a little more, pay off a little more debt, maybe have house cleaners, or consider day care.