Budget categories we should cut down to be at national average for our income, according to Mvelopes:
Water/Sewer/Recycling
Groceries
Allowances
Auto Maintenance
Home Maintenance
Budget categories we should raise to be at national average for our income:
Donations
House furniture
Clothing
Where we rule:
Savings
Electricity
I was pleased to see that the nation was spending 22% of its net income on mortgage/rent... ours came to 21.1% but we have a twenty-year mortgage. So we're "just right" with our three bedroom house with yard in the city.
I don't know what to do about the water. We don't have a dishwasher, and we have aerators and low-flow toilets. I looked into tankless water heaters but was convinced that they would cost us more money rather than save. I do crave my hot baths once a month, and even more frequently in the winter... Could it be that my area charges more for water/sewer/yard waste/recycling than others? And my area is dirt cheap (third lowest in the nation) for electricity?
Ready to try it yourself? Here's the
Off-topic:
Oh yay. Stock up on the nonperishables and the silver.
December 13th, 2007 at 08:57 pm 1197579451
December 13th, 2007 at 11:57 pm 1197590261
December 14th, 2007 at 04:58 am 1197608329
December 15th, 2007 at 03:33 am 1197689623
But we're getting metered and it's going down to $60ish!
I'll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing!