Budgets

[wanting2010]

I hope I'm not being too nosy, but I was just wondering what your all's monthly budgets look like. My DH is very worried about finances which is part of the reason why he is wanting to put off TTC from June to October. I was just hoping for some comparisons. This is what our monthly budget looks like:

Mortgage: $450
Car: $360
Car insurance: $110
Cell phones: $100
Cable/Internet: $100
Electric: $50
Water: $50
Groceries: $250
Gas: $100
Total: $1570

We make about $2500/month after taxes... we aren't rich by any means but we live a pretty comfortable lifestyle. We don't have any debts besides our mortgage and car payment (just finished paying off our credit cards, thank God!). I have been at my job for 3.5 years and DH has been at his for 1 year, so we are stable in that area. We don't live paycheck to paycheck, we have about 3 months of living expenses in savings (and are working toward 6)...I just can't understand DH's constant worrying about money and why he thinks we couldn't afford to have a baby.

 

[4magpies]

Oh god let me think! Lol....

Rent: £260
Council tax: £100
Car insurance: £100
Water: £35 (but going down to about £15 soon)
Electricity & Gas: £80 max in winter, £35 in summer.
House insurance: £16
Electronics on 0% finance: £20
Sky TV/internet/phone: £40
TV licence: £11
Dog insurance: £15
BT line rental: £13

I earn on average about £1000 after tax at the moment. My other half about £1400.

So £2400 between us and we have... £690 going out. We spend the rest mostly on random crap at the moment. When we move it will go on the house.

When we move the mortgage is £420 which is more than we pay rent so our out goings go up to £842 which is still very comfortable!

xxx

 

[geordiemoo]

We have quite a bit in outgoings

Mortgage £550
Rent (as we part own) £100
Council Tax £100
Insurances (car and home) £50
Gas and Electric £80
Sky £40
Water rates £30
Mobile phones £60
Credit cards etc £300
TV licence £13
Contact lenses £13

So about £1340 before food, travel etc. I earn £1050 and DH earns about £1200 which will soon go up to about £1300 so about £2350 in total which leaves us a good amount. We have no savings and we do struggle some months but we are of the opinion that you could wait forever trying to make sure you were financially stable, like you say you have 3 months budget in savings but OH want's 6, if you had 6 you would probably prefer to have more iykwim.

 

[4magpies]

We are really gonna have to start to save some money before we move to pay off some lil bits we owe on the tele and stuff so we can buy a new fridge & other things.

Money makes my head hurt and I deal with all the house hold finances. If it was left to my OH we probably wouldnt have a roof over our head or food. He would be spending it all on fancy wheels and random stuff for the car!

xxx

 

[Lilly12]

Our monthly expenses are:

Rent - $600
Electric - around $50 in winter, and around $80 in summer (we live in Florida)
Internet - $50
Cellphones - $85
Car insurance - $65
Gas - $20
Groceries - $300
Misc - $120

Altogether is $1290

Our monthly income is in between $1800-$1900 after taxes etc.
My husbands been working for the same person for 11 years..so his job is very stable.
(I am a housewife (by choice) so my husband is the only income we have)

We save about $400-$500 monthly, we don't have any debt or any credit cards. we do everything cash.
We have around $12k saved up right now for the future (baby).
We'll owe 2 houses one day..so thats why we rent right now.

I think we are living it up right now, especially since we both grew up poor.
To be able to say we save money monthly is a huge blessing!
And that it is around $400 is AWESOME!

A baby can be as expensive/cheap as you make it.
I mean of course there are unexpected things, but when it comes to materialistic stuff, like clothing andtoys and the whole initial setup etc, you can buy everything new or you can go online and to thriftstores and stuff to get everything way cheaper.
I'll be a stay at home mom, and Im going to try my hardest to breastfeed, and I might even do the whole cloth diapering, but I'm not sure about that yet.
I think we'll do great..I mean as I said I grew up poor and so did my husband so we appreciate the little things..not brand names etc.


And Wanting2010 - I think your financial situation is fine. Your OH is just worried about $$,, thats what men tend to do..worry about $ and stuff.. I know we'll be fine , and I tried to tell my husband that, first he didn't understand then I broke all the cost that come with a baby down and now he understands that it doesnt need to be as expensive as he thought.