Ask:
Do you have in your spending/budget. After you have paid all your bills for the month, how much do you have left over. I'm averaging about 100 a month, just as a cushion. I know that's pretty bad, so I'm cutting back on alot or trying too.
Answer:
That is not bad- the important thing I believe is that you are saving- any amount is good.
It really depends on how much you make. It is important to watch were you over spend but I always think- you have to "live" some too.
Answer:
That isn't bad, I'm left with almost no wiggle room, but I have started paying myself first...meaning right now I put $100 a month in Chrisimas fund, and whatever I can towards our next tax bill (I already have the amount so the extra is just ...well...extra) By the time DH gets paid again I am usually just under $100 in the account...sometimes as low as $50. What I need to do is start a real 'savings' account...nope, don't have one, just specific accounts.
Answer:
We barely ever have any wiggle room more like a juggling act in our case. In my opinion we don't even spend foolishly no eating out, only buy things on sale or clearance, we don't have fancy vehicles. Life is just hard with 6 of us and a budget is only stretchable so far before those penny scream.
Answer:
we also have barely any wiggle room but our bills are paid on time and we have a roof over our heads and food on the table. next month i should be able to start putting away a little even if its only 1-15 a week it is better than nothing. we don't ever get to eat out unless the inlaws take us we just don't have that luxury.
Answer:
Right now there isn't any wiggle room for us. We went from me working part time before DS to not at all for the last nine months. For some reason it seems like the last couple of months have gone worse than the first few even though it feels like we have cut back even more. Our car insurance and home owners insurance are due this month. When we pay then it will take more then half of our meager savings. DH car needs new tires also. It is only be God's grace that he hasn't gotten a flat because they are so bald (sp). I don't know why we haven't gone and gotten them. I think it just feels defeating to have to take $ out of savings for them so we keep putting it off hoping that maybe next month there will be a little extra for tires. It hasn't been happening though. The last two months we have had to take out of savings just so we were not in the red in our checkbook at the end of the month. God has always provided though and I know that He will always take care of the future too.
Answer:
Honestly, for us it just depends on what is going on each month, we budget but something ALWAYS comes up. I think $100 a month is great, that is right about where we are too, I'd like it to be more though
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We try to have $500 left every check, meaning I don't budget that, but something always comes up so we normally only have $2-300 left. Some months none, others more.
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I also only have like $100 left for 2 weeks or next paycheck, it stinks because that's used to buy gas in the car as well, I am trying to cut costs with our utilities so this paycheck we actually had about $125 left over.
Answer:
No wiggle room. Our spending exceeds our income each month by $2,500 to $3,000. We have been relying on savings to close that gap for a year.... which is why I have just found this site so we can try to turn things around. We are getting very scared that we could actually (eventually) lose the house.
Kelly