Monthly Expenses

Mortgage: $1,331 (This includes our home insurance and property taxes. We also pay an additional $500 monthly toward the principal.)

Car Payment: $350 (We pay an additional $250-$350 monthly toward the principal. We own our second car outright.)

Student Loan Payment: $0 (C.: I received scholarships and grants for my undergrad, and my mom covered the rest. My grad-school tuition was cheap, so I didn’t need loans. J. received a full ride for his undergrad degree, and his PhD was covered in exchange for research and teaching.)

Utilities: $250

Internet: $67

Cell Phones: $60 for both of us

Netflix & Hulu: $24

Spotify Premium Family: $16

Security System: $15

New York Times: $13

Health, Dental & Vision Insurance: $100 for both of us

Parking: $34 for both of us

HSA: $35.83 for both of us

Life Insurance Premium: $31.08 for both of us

Retirement: $550 to C.’s Roth 403b and $1,200 to J.’s Roth 403b. Our employer contributes 8.9% of the first $64,000 of salary and 13.2% in excess of $64,000.

Savings: $1,000-$1,500 (Our goal is to save six months’ salary as an emergency fund, and then build from there. We have a separate savings account we use for travel.)