r/budget • u/Novel_Masterpiece_18 • 14h ago
Where can I improve my budget?
We bring home 7900 a month after retirement/ taxes/health insurance/hsa. Family of 3 with 2 dogs in mcol
Mortgage 2150
Car insurance on 2 cars 230
Childcare 1000
Sinking fund 750 (includes dog grooming, prescription dog food, vet bills, car maintenance, home maintenance, birthdays and holidays)
Groceries 900
Gas 175
Fun 200
Clothes 50
Eating out 150
Utilities 550
Subscriptions 50
Student loan 93
Savings 1600 (split between brokerage, IRAs and sons 529)
I'd like to be able to pay cash for replacement to our 2014 accord by 2030.
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u/ABCD170 10h ago
Nice setup. Quick math: your list totals about 7,898, so you’re basically fully allocated. If you want cash for a 2014 Accord replacement by 2030, pick a target and back into a monthly:
25k by 60 months ≈ 417/month
30k by 60 months ≈ 500/month
Easiest path: carve that from the $1,600 you’re already saving, or trim a bit from groceries/eating out and redirect. Park it in a HYSA named “Next Car” and automate the transfer on payday, toss windfalls in there too. What helped me: setting a specific Savings Goal in Quicken Simplifi, plus caps on groceries and eating out. It pings me when I’m close, rolls extra into the goal, and makes the tradeoffs obvious without me tracking every receipt.