We Make $67,000/Year and I’m Paying Off My Last Credit Card

Welcome to YNAB Money Snapshots—where you see a real picture of someone else’s budget and finances. They’re all anonymous, because sharing money is still a squirrelly topic for many, but we think airing them out in the open makes you better with your own money story. 

As you read these budgets, keep in mind that some people make lots of money and some people make a little bit of money, but we know it’s what you do with that money and how you feel about that money means more than any yearly salary. 

See how a librarian and her family in Kentucky making $67,000 a year spends their money.

About

• Name: Anne and Gilbert
• Age: 43 and 45
• Location: Richmond, KY
• Job: Librarian (Anne)  and Field Assistant Manager (Gilbert)
• Living situation: Married and we have a seven-year-old daughter

Income: $67,000

• Librarian: $33,500
• Field Assistant Manager: $33,500

Savings: $141,000

• Emergency fund: $43,000
• Gilbert’s 401K: $94,000
• Savings bonds: $4,000

Debt: -$225,352

• Student Loan: -$38,593
• Credit Card Debt: -$1,261
•  Hyundai 1: -$35,193 
• Hyundai 2: -$15,102 
• Mortgage: -$135,203

August Inflows: $6,397

• $6,397 (higher than normal with overtime and bonus)

This is my first year using YNAB.

My Savings Categories

We are saving for a cruise in January 2021, and our annual Florida vacation in June. We have a new disposer, new outside lighting, and we're redoing our garage in our wish farm but haven't been able to add anything yet. Currently we are paying off our final credit card (it’ll be paid off in December) and we added private school tuition this year. We are halfway to being a month ahead!

*How we handle allowance: My husband and I have our "allowance" transferred to our own checking accounts and my daughter gets cash once a week.

My Month

August was semi-normal for us. We decided to enroll our daughter in private school because of COVID-19 so we had to figure out where the monthly tuition money would come from. 

My husband travels for his job and receives mileage. It's enough to cover his car payment, fuel, maintenance, property taxes, and major repairs. This money gets deposited into a separate account with its own budget. We were able to switch to paying his full car payment out of this money, and that freed up $400/month for tuition. I was able to cut our grocery budget by $100 and our credit card payment by $100 to find the tuition money.

How We Handle Money Together

My husband and I make almost identical salaries. He doesn't use YNAB but my husband likes having a budget and we will discuss purchases and needs every month. We also discuss what to do with his bonuses. The execution of YNAB and paying the bills he leaves to me. I am the spender in our marriage and the framework of YNAB has been what I needed to tell myself no when I feel the need to spend.

My Story

I racked up a lot of credit card debt before we were married, and I never learned my lesson. We would pay off the credit cards and then a couple years later we would have thousands on the cards again. It felt like an endless cycle. 

I tried YNAB 3, then YNAB 4, and every time something would happen and soon I had hundreds of transactions to categorize so I would give up. Every month I would look at our checking account, trying to figure out if the money would make it to the end of the month. It only worked because we were living on the credit card float every month. I would overspend and I realized I found no joy in my purchases because I was racking up more debt.  

On January 1, I decided to try the new YNAB, and I decided I would stick with it this time. After tracking our spending that first month, I took the classes, watched the videos and created my first budget. I'd never felt that calm and relaxed about money when I saw that our income could cover our expenses AND pay off debt AND save for a vacation. It’s now nine months later and I'm hooked on YNAB.

My Financial Goals

• Save more for retirement
• Pay off our cars 
• Pay off our house
• Save for our daughter’s college education

My husband is fully funding his 401k, and I contribute to a defined benefit pension. I would like to retire when I reach my full retirement age in 11 years. Our final credit card will be paid in full in October so we can snowball the payment on my car and then the house.

I would rate my current financial situation: 3/5

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