Full Disclosure

The following is a guest post by my husbands Woodsrunner.



OK, I suppose I should reveal the expenses I pay out of pocket.

To start health and dental insurance set us back around $390 a month.

Another $12 a paycheck goes into a legal fund in case we ever need legal assistance.

I get paid every two weeks. On pay week I put between $35 and $40 worth of gas in the car, on the off week I add another $25-$30.

$15 a paycheck goes into a savings account to cover car repairs and emergency expenses.

$26 a paycheck goes into a checking account at a separate bank, most of this goes to cover prescription co pays that I am required to purchase mail order. This account also pays my Dr visit co pays which recently were increased As pelenaka wrote our ER co pay is now $750, our routine office visit is $55 up from $35.

$10 a payday goes into our land fund account.

3% of my gross pay goes into my 401k, that's the amount my employer will match.

I do give myself $75-$90 a week walking around money. Some weeks $30 of that buys the family a pizza or Chinese takeout for a treat. I buy my morning coffee,bread and cold cuts for lunch, lunch out once a week and a daily diet soda.

The pocket money also covers the occasional misc grocery expense or repair materials for the house which will now be paid with the Lowes gift card.

The $38 a month basic cable and Internet bill also comes from this money.

I do have one credit card. It's balance has never exceeded $350 (our utility trailer). Current balance is a whopping $28 and will be paid off next paycheck.

I empty my change into a jar at the end of each day. Saturday mornings I put the jars contents into my "hobby" account. this week it was $9 worth of change, some weeks it has been as much as $20. Any bonuses that work pays out goes into this fund along with payouts for unused vacation time, etc. This money buys my collector guns, pays our $135 a year club membership, along with hunting & fishing licenses and stuff like that.

Personally I think we do really well managing our money.

Woods



Few points that I'd like to make -

Gas allotment - it's been a colder winter than normal so we all don't walk as much as we could. Coupled with extra trips to pick up daughter from work & nightly med runs for my mother (I'm everyone's medical officer). I'm just not comfortable with either of us walking at night. Bike weather soon. Woods also drives into Rochester a twice a month to visit with his grandmother. He has also attended a few of my daughter's track meets @ RIT. There is also the occasional event (gun show) that he goes to.
Take out food, I got nothing, it's wrong. More so if I write that I all most always have the ingredients to make pizza or stir fry. Eggs rolls not happening.After months of searching for the best deal we could get on wifi the basic cable package +internet was it.


Utility trailer - the most outstanding benefit is that we can haul firewood without scheduling around a friend's truck not to mention the gas money or obligatory thank you pie. There are also the times that opportunity meet chance. Driving along and oh there's a down tree and it's Oak ... We have also hauled away building debris instead of renting a dumpster. Trailer is a much cheaper alternative to purchasing a truck. The credit card was a no interest for a year deal not sure though if he has paid it off in the year time frame but he's close. It is also his one credit card.
Club membership is a Gun & Rod club where we target range, hike, hunt, and take advantage of sportsman classes and events. Cheaper than a closed gun range not to mention it's family time. It's also where Woods goes to get away from city sidewalks.


~~ pelenaka ~~