happen to your cash flow and your tax picture if you deducted a percentage into your company 401K plan. You may think you have no money to save, but because it reduces your income for taxes, find out differently. You may be right about that but I'm not quitting my job and my wife's income is more than mine. I seriously belive that quitting my job will have much worse effects on me and my marrage in the long run. I won't question that. Even if I didn't have to work, I would *choose* to work. I like working. Quitting your job is not always the answer, for reasons beyond finances. Look, you need cars, a house, appliances, furniture to live right?? Do you all have crystal balls or something? The worst choice we made was both quitting our higher paying jobs and moving, and that we did so our kids would grow up in a better area. It seemed like a good idea at the time and now we are working our asses off just to survive. Something's gonna give soon. I worked 19 hours yesterday and got 4 hours of sleep before coming to work again today, while my wife was out of town on business. She just called saying she is about to have a nervous breakdown. I think she is only half joking... I have a slightly different perspective here. You are young, starting out, and you just bought a house. We are really not that young. It's our third house. I'm 35 and my wife is 37. Is that considered young? I sure don't feel young anymore..

Well, at least he's saved enough spare change for his porn, so that's gotta be worth something. What is your obsession with porn? Maybe you need help..

Do you know how much cars are these days?? We needed our cars. You know what, imsjry? We can offer suggestions here and there, and some might work, and some might not, but I think the most useful thing you can do right now is develop the habit of *really* tracking your spending so you can get an idea about the true cost of your various expenditures. The smart general in the field knows that superior intelligence has won many a battle that otherwise would have seemed hopeless. Start with one of the basic personal finance programs like Money or Quicken, and make a commitment to tracking your spending for 3 months, categorizing your CC charges, ATM withdrawals, etc. Then, rethink your attitude that big changes are the only thing that count. Maybe the DirectTV is something that really, really matters and improves your quality of life so much that it justifies the cost. But, are you certain you're getting the cheapest package they offer, for example? Unless you're already buying in bulk and cooking most things from scratch, you can probably cut your grocery budget (scoff if you will at $15/mo for juice

We are really not that young. It's our third house. I'm 35 and my wife is 37. Is that considered young? I sure don't feel young anymore.. Oh. Ouch! I can give you another motivation towards re-structuring your finances so you can pay off that debt: when it comes time for your kids to go to college and they seek loans, they are going to be penalized by the debt you carry and the size of your mortgage. Financial aid calculations take assets and income into account, but not debt and expenses. Not only that, but without any retirement savings, you are going to burden your children at a time when they can least afford to be burdened, when they are just starting out and have a family to support on their own. If you won't do it for yourself and your marriage, maybe doing it for your kids is the motivation you need? I know you think that's what you've already done - move to this new place so the kids could have a better life. But you may be sacrificing their better life in the future, for a better life today. Sounds to me like you must make some tough choices, and stop viewing your situation as something that you have no control over and is just what it is. It isn't. It is the choices you have made. You can make different choices going forward. Your options are: 1) As DrLith suggested, sit down and track your spending to find places you can cut. Personally, from what you shared, I suspect that this is not going to be enough in your situation. Your cars are old, you have two kids with daycare expenses. And I don't begrudge you your directTV. Few people can live for long without some freedom to spend frivilously on things they enjoy. A realistic financial plan builds in this freedom, making it easier to live by the plan. 2) Increase your income. But it's sounding like this is not really a viable option for you and your wife? 3) Decide to live within your means. You are not currently living within your means. You simply cannot afford the house you live in now, not with your debt load. Without savings, you are one emergency away (your wife becoming ill or disabled) from bankruptcy and living on the streets. Perhaps you moved where you moved so your kids could be closer to their grandmother, have separate bedrooms, and a yard to play in? Well, it does sound nice. But you simply can't afford it. Not until you pay off your debt. If you decide to downsize your standard of living, and move to a smaller house more in line with your financial reality, your kids will not suffer. Kids can and do thrive in most any situation as long as their parents are loving and not so stressed. We lived in a tiny apartment for years, with no yard, and the kids shared a bedroom. We were happy and still look back fondly on that period of time! They will thank you down the road when they can get loans to afford college, and aren't burdened by aging parents with no retirement income. And you will be able to proudly say that you were a good role model for your kids, and set the stage so they could likewise smartly and responsibly handle their own finances. jen

Some _link_s for you, imsjry: http://tinyurl.com/8dnxo http://tinyurl.com/cnv2x http://tinyurl.com/9q9h7 http://tinyurl.com/887fu jen

Some _link_s for you, imsjry: http://tinyurl.com/8dnxo http://tinyurl.com/cnv2x http://tinyurl.com/9q9h7 http://tinyurl.com/887fu jen sigh ... Now I'm really depressed. Someone _link_ing me to f