Do you budget with your sig other ?

[max225]

Curious if ya'll do monthly budgets or not... I did... for a few years but every time I do an annual true up there is always some sort of surprise... wedding ... house repair... watch... car shit... car purchase etc...

So it is super tough to know where all the money is going... SO what say ye? And if you do, do you use software of sorts to help?

Like I found out we spent well into 5 figures on restaurants... I budgeted $1000 a month... but it's $1500

Also somehow we spent $6500 at costco in the 2022... that's what happens when every trip is $250 to that place... ugh. I have to tighten the belt.... A LOT

[Huckleberry]

We don't sit down and do budgets. We keep separate accounts and split the bills 50/50. As long as the bills get paid each month, we don't concern ourselves with what the other spends money on.

[max225]

We don't sit down and do budgets. We keep separate accounts and split the bills 50/50. As long as the bills get paid each month, we don't concern ourselves with what the other spends money on.

Interesting …. We do 50/50 as well …

[SAWCE]

We don't sit down and do budgets. We keep separate accounts and split the bills 50/50. As long as the bills get paid each month, we don't concern ourselves with what the other spends money on.

This has been what Michelle and I do, but we are planning on a joint account for the mortgage/utilities/general ownership expenses.

[wap]

We're also in the no budgeting camp. However, we don't keep separate accounts. All of our earnings go into 1 checking acct that our bills get paid from, and a money mkt acct for our most liquid savings, again combined. We also give ourselves a weekly cash allowance to spend on whatever we want, or save for bigger personal wants. We also don't deny ourselves anything. If she wants to buy clothes or whatever, or I want to buy 2.5 tons of gravel, we each and pay for such out of our chkg acct. We do discuss any bigger purchases and make joint decisions on them, however. Every few weeks as the checking acct grows I'll slide some $ over to the money mkt.

[Johnny_P]

We true our budget up occasionally. We are pretty close so I said within $500. Single source of income and joint accounts.

But like WAP we don’t really deny ourselves anything because we don’t have a mortgage.

[wap]

We true our budget up occasionally. We are pretty close so I said within $500. Single source of income and joint accounts.

But like WAP we don’t really deny ourselves anything because we don’t have a mortgage.

Yeah, paying off the several years ago was pretty financially liberating.

[MexicanYarisTK]

and I discussed about having a joint account where we can enjoy things together, that starts when we're gonna move in the upcoming fall, and separate account to enjoy our things. I'm stingy with things I but basically on things I really want, exception to

I even told I refuse to call movers unless we decided to buy a frame for our king bed, cause I ain't spending my money on some brehs to only a few items that's doable for me to move, but it will definitely be a challenge.

[Valkyrie]

Curious if ya'll do monthly budgets or not... I did... for a few years but every time I do an annual true up there is always some sort of surprise... wedding ... house repair... watch... car shit... car purchase etc...

This is us. We have an (estimated) budget that seems to always be way too low because of random 1-time expenses.

Having roughly equal spending desires with absolutely NOT equal incomes means that any sort of "50/50" type of arrangement would lead to total failure. We'd never do anything and fucking hate each other for trying to suggest that we waste limited resources...

How the fuck do apparently almost all of you people have thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars just sitting there doing nothing to go out traveling all over hell? We have zero extra money and make about $150k a year. We deny ourselves almost everything. Hell I denied myself basic healthcare for 20 years. I still feel like it's a extravagance that I am actually seeing doctors these days and I literally feel bad about myself on a daily basis for spending this much money on my own stupid healthcare crap that no one else has to do. What the fuck did I do to deserve this shit?

[golftdibrad1]

I said yes within 500.

On a 6 month basis, savings def goes up. some times we have expensive months and it goes down a bit. I'd like to be able to save more and we are getting there.

Last year was particularly expensive with 4 vacations one of which was also a wedding.

This year we are doing 1.5 (just a beach and my dragon trip for me only which is cheap) and hope to stack away some cash. BUT, we also probably need to do HVAC for the whole house so that will probably knock our financial dick to the dirt.

[D Griff]

I don't budget at all, I never have. I've always just been pretty naturally frugal and can live within my means without fussing with spreadsheets. isn't too bad but she's certainly gone down the lifestyle bloat path a bit, as have I. We generally spend 'extra' money on stuff like trips, hobbies, etc. but put max into 401Ks, I put 15% into my company stock buying program and sell it when it releases each six months, that is the main contribution to cash savings and/or larger expenses (the last batch plus selling the BMW will pay for almost all of the new car for example). If the cash savings get too big, I'll have to figure out somewhere to park it, but for now as it grew I'll just put it into a depreciating car I don't need

We also have a 15 year mortgage... I am not really compelled to save more beyond that, what is the point? May as well send it and be happy.

I guess I'm pretty lucky to have the privilege of but , even as a single person making $50K I didn't budget at all and always ended up in the black. The few years I had salaries in the $30-40K range shortly after college plus student loans, I was pretty poor

[wap]

I wouldn't mind trying to create a budjet, just for . I tried once several years ago, but had trouble building a spreadsheet from scratch that was worth a damn. Anybody want to share theirs, or know of a free one somewhere I could copy?

[wap]

I don't budget at all, I never have. I've always just been pretty naturally frugal and can live within my means without fussing with spreadsheets. isn't too bad but she's certainly gone down the lifestyle bloat path a bit, as have I. We generally spend 'extra' money on stuff like trips, hobbies, etc. but put max into 401Ks, I put 15% into my company stock buying program and sell it when it releases each six months, that is the main contribution to cash savings and/or larger expenses (the last batch plus selling the BMW will pay for almost all of the new car for example). If the cash savings get too big, I'll have to figure out somewhere to park it, but for now as it grew I'll just put it into a depreciating car I don't need

We also have a 15 year mortgage... I am not really compelled to save more beyond that, what is the point? May as well send it and be happy.

I guess I'm pretty lucky to have the privilege of but , even as a single person making $50K I didn't budget at all and always ended up in the black. The few years I had salaries in the $30-40K range shortly after college plus student loans, I was pretty poor

is pretty much us, too. Makes living well pretty easy when you're not burdened by expensive tastes or addiction to retail consumption.

[Valkyrie]

My post was unnecessarily harsh but factual so I guess I'm leaving it. I really don't understand how I feel poor when we make so much.

[golftdibrad1]

How the fuck do apparently almost all of you people have thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars just sitting there doing nothing to go out traveling all over hell?

IIRC, we went over this and concluded you were and oversaving.

we live alright because i only do company match in 401, no where near the 20% or whatever of pretax that is recommended.

[max225]

I think we're sort of going off track as expected I suppose. I was mainly curious if y'all set a number and then actually hit it.. Like I am going to go and spend 2k a month on "life". It seems like no one is doing it because and i know what I have.

[golftdibrad1]

I think we're sort of going off track as expected I suppose. I was mainly curious if y'all set a number and then actually hit it.. Like I am going to go and spend 2k a month on "life". It seems like no one is doing it because and i know what I have.

welp, like i said we try to save about 1k a month and on average its 500-600, so to answer your question yes we have a budget and no we dont hit it often.

what really happens is some months we hit it and save 1k, and some months we have un accounted for incidentals ( i try to account for reoccurring ones in my budget SS) and save nothing or have a slight draw. On average, 500 or so a month.

I don't care to go into further deets on actual spending.

[D Griff]

I think we're sort of going off track as expected I suppose. I was mainly curious if y'all set a number and then actually hit it.. Like I am going to go and spend 2k a month on "life". It seems like no one is doing it because and i know what I have.

So much Why suffer if there is no need to do so? What is to be gained (assuming we're not coming out in the red each month/year)?

My wife likes budgeting/spreadshitting. She sometimes will create something and then always just goes over... so why bother?

We live in a cheapass tiny house, have no other debt, have made responsible choices and are cogs in the corporate wheel, I don't really want more pain if I don't need it. If say one of us lost our job or something it would be a different story.

[Valkyrie]

I think we're sort of going off track as expected I suppose. I was mainly curious if y'all set a number and then actually hit it.. Like I am going to go and spend 2k a month on "life". It seems like no one is doing it because and i know what I have.

We have a detailed budget but it has become a lot harder to hit anymore. The "fun" line item has been zero for years. Now we're taking from savings to pay for increased spending on taxes, insurance, healthcare, and food. Everything keeps going up so fast that I have stopped bothering to update the budget recently.

[Desertbreh]

I think we're sort of going off track as expected I suppose. I was mainly curious if y'all set a number and then actually hit it.. Like I am going to go and spend 2k a month on "life". It seems like no one is doing it because and i know what I have.

So much Why suffer if there is no need to do so? What is to be gained (assuming we're not coming out in the red each month/year)?

My wife likes budgeting/spreadshitting. She sometimes will create something and then always just goes over... so why bother?

We live in a cheapass tiny house, have no other debt, have made responsible choices and are cogs in the corporate wheel, I don't really want more pain if I don't need it. If say one of us lost our job or something it would be a different story.

Yeah the real question here is whether the budget guy/spreadsheet guy/bean counter/LIFE IS DEPRECIATION guy here, Marshal Zhukov, is really gaining anything by a budget. Because errbody pulls their weight at Chez Zhukov, the AZN ain't eating Bon Bon's and driving a Range Rover to buy Gucci bags, she's driving her BEATR Acura to her techbro manager jerb and pulling it. If putting her on a budget is like putting her in the stockade and then she divorces you, was the budget effective?

On a personal note I spent way too much money last year on.........shit. I have actually reached that point in my life where some of my peers are starting to have health problems and a couple died last year. So I've glanced at some of my purchases and wonder if I really needed to add that to the estate sale. I am going to try and live life a lot cleaner this year.

[Valkyrie]

What's to be gained is simple: freedom.

[max225]

So much Why suffer if there is no need to do so? What is to be gained (assuming we're not coming out in the red each month/year)?

My wife likes budgeting/spreadshitting. She sometimes will create something and then always just goes over... so why bother?

We live in a cheapass tiny house, have no other debt, have made responsible choices and are cogs in the corporate wheel, I don't really want more pain if I don't need it. If say one of us lost our job or something it would be a different story.

Yeah the real question here is whether the budget guy/spreadsheet guy/bean counter/LIFE IS DEPRECIATION guy here, Marshal Zhukov, is really gaining anything by a budget. Because errbody pulls their weight at Chez Zhukov, the AZN ain't eating Bon Bon's and driving a Range Rover to buy Gucci bags, she's driving her BEATR Acura to her techbro manager jerb and pulling it. If putting her on a budget is like putting her in the stockade and then she divorces you, was the budget effective?

On a personal note I spent way too much money last year on.........shit. I have actually reached that point in my life where some of my peers are starting to have health problems and a couple died last year. So I've glanced at some of my purchases and wonder if I really needed to add that to the estate sale. I am going to try and live life a lot cleaner this year.

I look at life through so to me it is important. Budgets are important. They got me where I am. And I am trying to stay here.

If say I set target for ourselves and then blow past it (which is happening). It warrants a lifestyle change/adjustment. One thing I realized is how much we spend on restaurants... I think we will cut that back as spending a midwest mortgage on take out food is

There is a debate on future cars/houses etc. How the F do you fit that into life without having a budget? do you know how much your car/house etc is TRULY costing you. Or do you wake up one say and say... omg my savings is negative every month how can that be?! For example... I have a line item for house repair... $200 a month, does it get hit every month? no... but it sure as hell does over the course of the year. And this way I don't have a "surprise furnace repair" guess what... I budgeted for it.

That's the idea... I get it the average american loves to play four square at the dealer and shop payments but that's not how I or most of you here operate so I was trying to align and see if y'all are doing budgets at home.

[D Griff]

Yeah the real question here is whether the budget guy/spreadsheet guy/bean counter/LIFE IS DEPRECIATION guy here, Marshal Zhukov, is really gaining anything by a budget. Because errbody pulls their weight at Chez Zhukov, the AZN ain't eating Bon Bon's and driving a Range Rover to buy Gucci bags, she's driving her BEATR Acura to her techbro manager jerb and pulling it. If putting her on a budget is like putting her in the stockade and then she divorces you, was the budget effective?

On a personal note I spent way too much money last year on.........shit. I have actually reached that point in my life where some of my peers are starting to have health problems and a couple died last year. So I've glanced at some of my purchases and wonder if I really needed to add that to the estate sale. I am going to try and live life a lot cleaner this year.

I look at life through so to me it is important. Budgets are important. They got me where I am. And I am trying to stay here.

If say I set target for ourselves and then blow past it (which is happening). It warrants a lifestyle change/adjustment. One thing I realized is how much we spend on restaurants... I think we will cut that back as spending a midwest mortgage on take out food is

There is a debate on future cars/houses etc. How the F do you fit that into life without having a budget? do you know how much your car/house etc is TRULY costing you. Or do you wake up one say and say... omg my savings is negative every month how can that be?! For example... I have a line item for house repair... $200 a month, does it get hit every month? no... but it sure as hell does over the course of the year. And this way I don't have a "surprise furnace repair" guess what... I budgeted for it.

That's the idea... I get it the average american loves to play four square at the dealer and shop payments but that's not how I or most of you here operate so I was trying to align and see if y'all are doing budgets at home.

I do look at our CC statements each month and try to keep things in check, making sure to avoid subscriptions that are redundant, over indulgence on food/drink, etc. I'm not living life one cell at a time though, that is the OPPOSITE of freedom, IMO.

[Tar]

Hey all!

Budgets and spreadsheets don't work for us whatsoever. We both try to restrain our spending, but the savings trickle between our fingers as we try to hold on to any of it. We have two kids that have extra-curricular activities which cost money, wifey likes her beauty/health services, doggy grooming, car repairs/maintenance, home repairs, and I occasionally splurge on a gift to myself (like a vintage watch). I could probably keep going, but the point is, that we have chosen to live a life that includes a family structure, multiple investments which require upkeep, etc., so the cash flow remains high.

Getting out of the budget annihilating cash spending cycle requires us BOTH to work full-time, and me to work over 40 hrs each week. We simply need to earn more then we spend. I am pleased to know that our net worth goes up, so there's eventually going to be something to show for it. But no way am I able to beat the more then I already do to stick to a budget. I gave up trying, and it feels pretty dece to just .

[wap]

I'm sure we're doing it , but we just make sure we have enough cash reserves so that any surprise like an expensive repair will not impact us.