Should $1100 a week be enough?

SRS

Fri, Apr 08 2016, 5:53 pm

amother wrote:

You should not be owing money to the grocery. That shows clearly that it isn't enough. Maybe you should get a job too.

I'm not going to tell you the income is sufficient, but owing money to a creditor is just as much a sign of overspending as it is of earning too little.

Now when OP tells us her husband's value in the free market, we will have a better idea as to how to guide her.

LittleDucky

Fri, Apr 08 2016, 8:53 pm

amother wrote:

You should not be owing money to the grocery. That shows clearly that it isn't enough. Maybe you should get a job too.

How does that show "clearly" that it isn't enough? If you are buying things that you cannot afford, you will be in debt. "My salary isn't enough- I maxed out 3 credit cards. Oh, I did happen to go on an international vacation for 2 weeks, ate out at 3 meals a day while there and stayed in 5 star accommodations. I regularly eat steak, recently remodeled my house, and own only late model cars... Who cares that I make a nice 6 figure salary?"
It shows that debt does not necessarily mean you don't earn enough to live off of. It can also show you cannot budget (and stick to it) and you routinely live outside your means.

amother

Gray

Sat, Apr 09 2016, 11:19 pm

I once read in a secular magazine, that one should make 4x your rent/mortgage, monthly.
Add to that, kosher food costing more, shabbos and Yom Tov expenses, tuition. IMO you need to make at least 51/2x your rent, monthly, just to get by.

losingweight

Sun, Apr 10 2016, 1:20 am

If your husband would be doing the same work for a different employer, would he be earning more per week? If yes then he's not earning enough. How much money you put into savings shouldn't be an employers right to decide. Ever. If he deserves the raise then he should get it. If he can't, time to move on.

amother

Jetblack

Sun, Apr 10 2016, 1:35 am

Yes. Officially you should make at least 4× the amount of rent you pay. Well... My husband makes more than 4× the amount we pay for rent. But after tax, masser, rent, tuition, therapy, car payments insurance and medical bills that pile up..... $130,000 a year isn't enough. Add to that clothing for two growing children kyh....
we have approximately $20,000 in unpaid medical bills and cc debt. We are slowly paying off some cc debt and will iyh hopefully catch up on the medical bills.
But it's really relative. If not for the medical stuff we would have managed beautifully.
$1,100 is very little even without any major expenses like therapy or other medical expenses if you're living in ny.

SRS

Sun, Apr 10 2016, 8:59 am

amother wrote:

Why are you giving Ma'aser when you are in medical debt and have out of pocket therapy? Bits of tzedakah as part of a budget. . . yes. . . .maaser. . . no (speak to your Rabbi, but few I know would ever encourage this until you are considered sufficient).

amother

Violet

Sun, Apr 10 2016, 9:11 am

SRS wrote:

The Rabbis I know would mandate it. They would give stories about how helpful it is to one's financial position to give $.

SRS

Sun, Apr 10 2016, 3:11 pm

amother wrote:

The Rabbis I know would mandate it. They would give stories about how helpful it is to one's financial position to give $.

Thankfully there are others with a different approach. Asking the questions is the first step in getting some answers.

amother

Babyblue

Sun, Apr 10 2016, 4:05 pm

Op it really bothers me that you owe money to the grocery. I would rack up a credit card with grocery bills before I'd do that to someone else's parnassah.