More info. on our trainwreck of 2014.
Income: 71900 gross, 12000 from overtime. (Husband made 20,000 of overtime in 2013, so this year was tight.)
10% to 401(k) no match 7190
Minus 5920 taxes/SS/disability, 7240 to healthcare premiums!, 2500 FSA contributions
Net pay: 49050
Healthcare premiums are even more this year.
We have so far only been able to claim myself and the 2 kids as tax deductions. Even adding a 10% tithe and one year I bothered to add up all the medical expenses beyond the FSA fund and still the child deductions give us more back than itemizing.
2014 Spending
Dwell: 12973
rent: 9600 (50% of going rate in our neighborhood)
util.: 2351
cell: 410
basic cable/internet/netflix: 612
Give (10% tithing, PTA): 7388
Eat: 8748 (YIKES)
cook: 6447 (some allergy-free foods)
dine: 2301 (some days no energy to cook)
Heal: 6677 (autoimmune disease, special needs child)
Dr. co-pays/labs: 5079 (used 2500 FSA)
Rx: 1280
fitness: 318
Go: 5073 (husband bikes to work most days)
gas: 2400
car ins.: 590
reg.: 131
parking: 71
bus: 430
car maint.: 1287
bike maint./clothes: 207
Used car downpayment: 8470 from savings
Owe: 3494 (will be 325/mo. or 3900/yr for 2015)
BS/BFA loans $8157@1.5%: 2410
used car loan $9685@2.74%: 1084
Travel: 2023 (road trip to relatives, activities, food, first kid-free trip on a weekend)
Learn: 895 (school field trips, summer swim lessons, kid dance)
Buy: 3505 (replaced broken laptop, toiletries, toys, books, library fines, crafts, life ins., Christmas)
Style: 4028 (clothes/shoes, hair, make-up, Christmas) ACK! Ummm...fluctuating weight needed a size-up wardrobe, replacing husband's worn work clothes, various weather shoes, too many kids clothes
Do: 1020 (National Parks, camping, hunting, zoo, family outings, babysitting)
Work: 668 (classes, prof. org. fees, career coach)
Grand total: 64962 (overspent by 13412, dipped into savings)
For years I've asked husband to get a better job in our tech-city metro saying that our basic needs of medical & allergy-free food raises our baseline, and we are behind on goals of house and retirement, but he hasn't budged. He has zero confidence and feels he needs to get training to move from running computer programs to being able to write code.