"My H makes between $70k-100k per year (means take home is what? $40k-$70k ?"<P>This seems like a question....do you NOT know how much your H makes....because that's just plain crazy. <P>Anyways, check out <A HREF="http://www.fool.com" TARGET=_blank>www.fool.com</A> - they have some great message boards...and one is called LBYM (Living Below Your Means) with literally thousands of idea on how to live on less). If you guys are in debt they also have a great board called something like credit cards and consumer debt or something.....<P>Good luck,<BR>LLL

Geeze, I get $2000/month to do everything. When I was working, combined with mine, it was more like $3K/m. This has been very hard for me to decrease though and I've screwed up a few times in the last couple of months. Made a major mistake in my checkbook 2 weeks ago and had 8 checks overdrawn when I thought I still had $200 left!!!!!!! H has been really good, he didn't say too much as I was really upset and he knows I didn't do it on purpose. So I went and called all these people and made new checks for them plus paid the bank fee. The grocery will have to be low for awhile. Wait till he gets the Dr. Bill for all the tests I had taken. He'll hit the roof in his mind anyway, but I'll be telling him that infidelity is expensive and I had to do it for my piece of mind. <BR> I could never do it for $600/month. That must not be housing and insurances. Before he got laid off from his other job, he paid nearly $350/m just in gas (60 miles one-way to work).<BR> My H is making around $56K and then some overtime. He still puts a percentage away for his retirement. I think $600/month is very unreasonable. Geeze, bread is up to $2.79 a loaf (I don't usually buy this but go to the bread store, but its outrageous!!!)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><B>This seems like a question....do you NOT know how much your H makes....because that's just plain crazy.</B><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Sorry that does sound stupid (or crazy) when the details are not filled in., My H is a sales manager who makes a base salary plus a 1% commission on all products sold. That is why there is a fluctuation in how much he might make in a given year..and as anyone in sales knows, there are many factors that can affect one's income. <P>If sales are down, and we just get base and a little bit more, it's a struggle, other times, sales are up and then we have plenty to live on. <P>Lisa<P>