[speaker001:] Okay. Uh, we keep a monthly budget. I just recently stopped working so I can be home with my kids [throat clearing] so we keep a monthly budget and we try to stick to it [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] [Dishes] [NOISE] [there are kitchen noises throughout] [LAUGHTER] I know. It, it's really difficult here. All because there's always something breaking. Car needs tires or you know, something.
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah. That's the kind of things that throw you off.
[speaker002:] Uh, uh, we do ours more monthly than long range. Uh, we, uh, [sigh] my husband gets paid once a month
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and when he gets paid, I pay all the bills.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] And out of his check they take a savings and out of my check, they take savings
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] and retirement both, out of both checks.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] So, as far as extra savings, we really don't have that much extra to save.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Uh, his check, once a month, [NOISE] pays all the bills. My check, weekly, buys groceries and gas and
[speaker001:] Oh, how nice.
[speaker002:] you know, that kind of thing [LAUGHTER]
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and it works out real well that way. We don't run into a lot of problems
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker002:] but
[speaker001:] Well,
[speaker002:] budgets are horrible.
[speaker001:] I know. We do, my husband gets paid twice a week and so we pay all of the little bills, uh, one
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] paycheck and then like the mortgage and the electric bill, you know, those big bills the second
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] second pay and then, again, he does have a savings that comes out, you know, for Christmas and stuff, that kind of thing.
[speaker002:] Yeah, yeah. When the car insurance is due and you call the credit union and tell them, well send me some money [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER] Yeah, that kind of thing.
[speaker002:] Yeah. it, uh, it would be nice if we didn't have to touch the money he has taken out and put in savings but we do.
[speaker001:] But it's nice that it's there, you know.
[speaker002:] Yeah, it, I'm just glad that it is there for
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] car insurance, medical bills, whatever happens.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] But, uh,
[speaker001:] Yeah. It's nice that it's there.
[speaker002:] I know. But I, you, it's just really is difficult. Uh, neither one of us has had a raise in a couple of years.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] And, of course, the cost of living keeps going up so much.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Groceries are outrageous and I keep saying my check does less and less [LAUGHTER] but,
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah. That's kind of how I felt when I was working because it seemed like we spent more.
[speaker002:] Uh-huh.
[speaker001:] We bought more things and it seemed like we spent more. Then a lot of it was going to, uh, daycare and that kind of thing.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] So it just seems like with me staying home, we had that big cut but we save more [LAUGHTER]. I don't know how and I don't know why but we
[speaker002:] Well
[speaker001:] it seems like we do.
[speaker002:] I, uh, I know that since I do work, I buy a lot of quicker cuts of meat and, uh
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] well the frozen things for the microwave and things like that.
[speaker001:] Yeah, you kind of try and buy bigger quantities.
[speaker002:] And I'll stop by the deli and pick up, uh, chicken or whatever. Where if I did not work, I'm sure that the grocery bill could be managed a lot, a lot, uh, better.
[speaker001:] Yeah. That's how I felt too. It just, you could take a little longer. And
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] just watch a little bit more I guess.
[speaker002:] Well, y-,
[speaker001:] I guess that's kind of like the way we do. We, I, I don't, I don't know how it comes out. It just seems like we save a little bit more whereas,
[speaker002:] [Barking].
[speaker001:] where I was working,
[speaker002:] Well, I'm sure you do. Uh, I do not, well I do not have to pay child care during the winter. My son's old enough that he likes to come home
[speaker001:] Oh.
[speaker002:] uh, from school. But in the summer he's still young enough that I cannot leave him by himself.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] So in the summer I have that extra and ours is seventy dollars a week plus all activities
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] and that's usually movies one day, skating one day [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] [Breathing] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Swimming one day [LAUGHTER].
[speaker001:] It adds up.
[speaker002:] Yes. So you usually end up paying close to eighty dollars a week and that's a lot of money.
[speaker001:] Yeah, it is [LAUGHTER]. It is, yeah.
[speaker002:] But you know, if they're going to be in daycare then they need to have some activities other than just being there.
[speaker001:] Uh-huh.
[speaker002:] Ho-, do you have two children?
[speaker001:] I have two. One is four and a half and the other one's two and a half, so.
[speaker002:] Well they're expensive too. Uh, just the
[speaker001:] Yes [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] outgrowing of their clothes so I'm sure the budget,
[speaker001:] Yeah, that, yeah. I just came back to find jeans for the little one and it does add up. Yeah.
[speaker002:] Yeah.
[speaker001:] But, uh,
[speaker002:] And medical bill.
[speaker001:] Yeah.
[speaker002:] Although the insurance we had was good, uh, when Thomas was younger. A lot of the stuff had to be paid up front and then you were reimbursed. So it was nice when you'd get a couple of hundred dollar check from the,
[speaker001:] [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] [LAUGHTER] insurance, but in the meantime you had to put out the money first.
[speaker001:] Yeah, yeah.
[speaker002:] [Throat clearing]. But,
[speaker001:] Well, that, that's, that's hard.
[speaker002:] Yeah, it is.
[speaker001:] But I'm enjoying my stay home for the little time that I can [LAUGHTER].
[speaker002:] Oh, I would too.
[speaker001:] For the,
[speaker002:] I would, I would advise anyone that could possibly do it to, to,
[speaker001:] I know it's not forever and that's what's so sad but,
[speaker002:] Well, you probably wouldn't want to do it forever. I don't know though [dishes] [NOISE] [kitchen noises].