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Switch from DINK to SIWK: How do people afford kids?
As this is anonymous, can you give us actual numbers? I can make guesses based on your percentages, but it would help. Lets assume you both make $35k (since you said child care would take up the bulk of your wife's income, it must be fairly low incomes) The answer usually isn't a simple "do this", but small adjustments in your lifestyle which add up. Church offering is 17%, the standard tithe is 10%. Lower it? It's the most obvious large non-required expense. Transportation is almost 10% of your income. If my numbers are right, that is somewhere around $500 per month? What kind of car/cars do you have? There are very cheap used cars which cost very little in upkeep / fuel. Is it possible your cars are more expensive than needed? My wife and I bought a used car for around $8k in cash a few years ago. Still running strong, only have done oil changes since then. Food is 12%, which would be perhaps $600 or $700 per month. That seems awfully high. Maybe I'm wrong about your salaries :) You said you were cheap, but now the numbers don't add up. Mortgage of 35% ($2k with escrow if I'm guessing on salaries right) seems reasonable. I'm assuming you don't want to downsize, particularly if you're going to have kids. Do you have a great mortgage rate? I assume you're on a 30 year fixed already?