Category Archives: Budgeting & Budgets
- Are We Headed Down the Right Path? – Maryann
“Dear Steve, Our household is grossing $80K a year. Sounds great right? We both have finally gotten our advanced degrees (one Master’s and one PhD). In our fields of choice (education), however, we won’t make much more than we make now, so the likelihood of increased income is slim. We have three teenagers in the [...]
- Debt Ratio Formula, What Should Ours Be? – Victor
“Dear Steve, I started out in college with the only debt being my college loan which was manageable. Then it was suggested that I get a credit card while in college so that I could start to establish some credit. Well I got a credit card, then I got another credit card, and another, now [...]
- Living From Paycheck to Paycheck. – Angelene
“Dear Steve, Really high credit card debt accrued through the years of being a student then getting married and having a kid. On top of that, I still have my student loans to pay for and a house mortgage. Our household income is good, it just seems to all go to our debt. We are [...]
- I Need Help With Plan A From Your Book Eliminate Your Debt Like a Pro. – Jason
“Dear Steve, I have lost my job and we have made some mistakes in the past by living on credit. We have taken bankruptcy twice and still can not get it right. We have got rid all of our credit cards but one. I am reading your book and working through it. It states I [...]
- My Husband is Active Duty Military and I Can’t Make Ends Meet. – Carrie
“Dear Steve, My family and I are sinking deeper and deeper everyday. We have done alot of things right ,but for everything we do right it seems we do 2 wrong. A normal 1 of the month looks like this: First of the month 1900 Ssi 235 Ssi 188 Clothing allowance 300 Total 2623 House [...]
- I Have to Use Credit Cards to Pay for Groceries and Gas. – Susan
“Dear Steve, I was working full time (as was my husband) when we purchased our home 10 years ago (May, 2001). We refinanced to a 20-year 5.5% mortgage 7 years ago (Jan, 2004). I had a child in January 2004 and never returned to full time work b/c of my childs medical situation. I can’t [...]
- I Took a Salary Cut, My Mother Got Dementia and Cancer and I Had to Take Care of the Colostomy. – Bill
“Dear Damon, I had to take a $18000 salary cut due to a company wide reorganization. In addition, my Mother was stricken with Dementia and Cancer and I took care of her especially after her Colostomy to go around the tumor. I had made a promise to her that I would not put her in [...]
- The Bank Converted the Business Line of Credit to a Loan and Want More From Us. – Lisa
“Dear Michael, My husband and I lived comfortably and had a good run for the first 10 years of our 22 years of marriage. However, we helped others a little too much and then we ran into some issues when my husband lost his job and we were forced to open up his side business [...]
- We’ve Been Following the Dave Ramsey Snowball Plan But It’s Not Working for Us. – Shannon
“Dear Steve, My husband lost his job in October 2009. We had to fight the company to get his unemployment, but eventually won. After about six months of searching, he found a job with a university that would give him the opportunity to go back to school to earn his master’s degree for about 90% [...]
- Should We Pay Off Credit Cards, Student Loans, or Mortgage First? – Cathy
“Dear Steve, We have some debt – 15k credit card (low interest); 10k student loans and 200k house. We pay all on time. We have a little money for margin (about 3k). We are able to keep paying on debt no problem at present. I foresee a complete breakdown of financial system coming in next [...]
- How Can I Get Out of Debt Faster? – Jennifer
“Dear Steve, I saw you in the Detroit Free Press article. Credit card and loan debt – all bills are paid on time. So, no late fees or over the limit. But, the total for all of it is almost $60,00. I have been trying to give each of them at least $10 – $20 [...]
- We Can’t Seem to Make Ends Meet and Save. Is Bankruptcy Right For Us? – Matt & Patti
“Dear Steve, My wife and I gross $93K. We owe $38K in credit cards, $1290 mortgage and two kids in private HS @$15K/year. Take home is approx. $3200/mo. We are upsdie down on our house by at least $20K. Our current credit scores are – me 690′s, wife low 700′s. We make all our payments [...]
- We Are Making Ends Meet But Looking Forward to Doing Better. What Should We Do With Out Tax Refund? – Maggie
“Dear Steve, Thanks in advance for answering our questions and having your help available for free! I am thrilled to be able to discuss this with an expert and get a third objective opinion about our finances. My husband and myself were thrilled to find our dream home but it was probably a year to [...]
- We Are Confused And Not Sure What to Do to Get Out of Debt. – Penelope
“Dear Steve, We remodeled our home, refinanced, bought vacation time shares (which we enjoy), had unexpected expenses for our son who was going to JC, living at home, not working, and needed COBRA coverage. (He is now away at school on grants and loans). We had high credit card debt that was steadily decreasing as [...]
- My Husband Has a Big Pay Cut and Now We Are Having Problems Making Ends Meet. – Beth
“Dear Steve, My husband and I are having difficulty making ends meet due to my husband taking a cut in pay and losing a huge amount of overtime which had been a part of his job before. We have a mortgage and about $40K in debt between credit cards and my car. Luckily we own [...]