How much does your husband make

[u/Consistent-Credit423]

Does anyone have any advice on how we can save money? We make 100k a year, but it feels like we're struggling to make ends meet while saving to purchase a house. Additionally, we need to kickstart a college fund for our child and plan to have another child in a couple of years.

[u/Mundane-Bass-2257]

Post your budget! Unless you live in California, you shouldn’t feel like you’re struggling.

[u/Consistent-Credit423 → u/Mundane-Bass-2257]

• Weekly food expenses: $300 - $400
• Hair care: $350
• Monthly nails: $120
• Rent: $2,500
• Monthly takeout: $250
• Housekeeping: $200
• Baby clothes: $200
• Monthly cleaning supplies: $200
• Miscellaneous expenses: $1500
• Phone bill: $150
• Credit card bill: $250
• car bill:500
• car inurance: unknown
• loan: unknown
• health insurance: 120
• My husband spends an unknown amount on his credit card bills but I know it’s quite high.

[u/ChillmerAmy → u/Consistent-Credit423]

A lot to unpack here. $300-$400 for food weekly plus $250 takeout is a lot. For my family of four our weekly grocery bill is closer to $125.

Can you simplify your beauty routine a little? $470 on grooming also has a lot of room to cut expenses. I don’t think I spend $470 a year.

Try a consignment store for baby clothes.

Honestly this budget just sounds like a ton of lifestyle creep. If you are serious about affording a mortgage you will have to make some sacrifices.

[u/Consistent-Credit423 → u/ChillmerAmy]

It's really tricky to trim down my weekly grocery expenses to $125. I've been making an effort to cut back on food costs, but it feels like such a challenge!

[u/Solid_Foundation_111 → u/Consistent-Credit423]

Yeah $125 is pretty low for a family of 3-4. I’d say $250-$400 if you’re eating well, but the $250 takeout is too much monthly on top of groceries. What’s misc expenses? That’s a big number for randoms. Anything you could cut out there? get an at home gel nail kit and start doing your own nails. Also monthly cleaning supplies seems like far too much when you also pay for housekeeping?

[u/sabdariffa → u/Solid_Foundation_111]

In my area I spend about $200 to $300 a week on groceries, but that’s with NO takeout at all. I get takeout maybe once a month, if that. I live in one of the highest cost of living cities in Canada.

$250-$400 a week on groceries PLUS takeout is excessive. Holy moly.

[u/ChillmerAmy → u/Consistent-Credit423]

I usually shop at Aldi for produce, metro Market (I think it’s called Kroger elsewhere) for more specialty stuff but I pretty much plan my meals around what’s on sale. I don’t buy a lot of candy or treats and I buy zero beverages other than milk and coffee. No soda, selzer, etc.

[u/faithle97 → u/Consistent-Credit423]

I can agree that depending on where you live $125 may be hard to budget on. I live in a medium cost of living area and just for our family of 3 it’s difficult to stay under $200 per week for groceries, however we do limit our takeout expenses to compensate and try to eat as many home cooked meals as possible. We only do takeout maybe twice a month and that’s only maybe $50 each time (so about $100/month on takeout food). Not sure if you have freezer space but I find buying bulk (especially meats/seafood) then vacuum sealing and freezing saves us a TON of money. For example, 4 times a year I do a big meat haul and spend about $100-125 on meat/seafood that’s on sale and portion it out then freeze it.

[u/kreetohungry → u/Consistent-Credit423]

Family of 3, our monthly food budget is $800 including eating out. We live in a VHCOL area. We typically shop at Costco every other week and spend ~200 and then alternating weeks we do regular grocery between $150-$180. For what it’s worth, my husband makes over double yours and i spend zero on any personal grooming, we spend $60 or less per month on baby clothes, and have zero debt. It is BECAUSE my husband is so diligent with keeping track of finances and we keep spending down to true needs that we are able to be in the financial situation we’re in, own a home, etc. we bought our home when our incomes combined were lower than his is now.

I am also curious what falls into “misc spending” because aside from rent it is the largest thing in your monthly budget.