We've talked about Monthly takehome. But let's put it in perspective....In Financial Peace, Dave Ramsey gives %%s that you should live within. Of course when you add yours up it should equal 100%. So like Housing should be 25-35% of your monthly takehome.

Charitable Gifts 10-15%
Saving 5-10%
Housing 25-35% includes mortgage, insurance, taxes maintenance
Utilities 5-10%
Food 5-15%
Transportation 10-15% (includes car payment and gas and maintenance)
Clothing 2-7%
Medical/Health 5-10%
Personal 5-10%
Recreation 5-10%
Debts 5-10%

Do you stay within the percentages?

no and that is probably why we are in such debt but hey we are trying to dig ourselves out with out adding to it...

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SILENCE IS GOLDEN BUT DUCK TAPE IS SILVER.

No we do not... and its mostly because of "surprises" like the car breaking down, or something else that comes out of the blue. That and trying to pay off CC's. but we try

we are pretty much on target. we have no cc debt, but that 10% you can atatch to the mortgage, we are abour 45-50% income on our mortgage, but since we have only car payment and mortgage, it is not bad. I have to concentrate on the 10% to charity, I am so cheap I harly give to charity and i know the more you give them more you get, so I need to work on that.

We are about right on the home but transportation, food, medical & debt is way too much. Desperately trying to fiqure out ways to cut costs.

Our transportation is insane. It is not car payments, but gas and tolls for DH. He has quite a commute. He is reimbursed for some travel, but not his commute into the office.

Our housing is ok, utilities last winter were over.

We try to cut from entertainment, shopping, etc.

We have some credit card debt, it will hopefully be gone in the next few months.

So, no, I guess we aren't following his suggested percentages. Although we aren't living the high life, it is just how the economy is right now. And it stinks...

We are high on some low on others. Thanks for posting this it was enlightening! Helps me figure where to target the overages!!
Our housing was a little bit higher, but we were much lower on transportation (no car payments on my van and DH has company car so they pay for everything on his car). I too need to work on the giving/titheing - I want to get to the 10% but not there yet!

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Debbie

"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." --Benjamin Franklin

unfortunately no. We are working on paying on all of our debt and hope to be debt free by 2010. It's slow going, but we are getting there!

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http://www.myspace.com/katherined1230

We do fine in all categories except health insurance. That comes in at about 28% of dh's take home pay. Insane! But what the heck are we supposed to do when dh's employer doesn't step up the the plate and pick up more of the cost of health insurance? Perhaps I should print out this post, circle the health insurance percentage, and have dh put it on his boss's desk. Yeah, I'm sure my dh's boss will just hop to and rectify that situation when he sees what David Ramsey says (sarcasm).

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You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.

Hah! Who can afford to tithe anymore? I don't have $500 laying around each month.