For a budget that works, get control of your debt

Dear Liz: I am a single, 38-year-old mother of a college student and make about $80,000 a year, which isn’t too bad considering my upbringing. My parents were alcoholics, and thus I never had a financial role model. Now that I am making decent money, I need to know how to spend it appropriately. What I mean is that even though I bring home $4,000 a month, you would think that I make minimum wage if you saw my house and the way I live.

I think the problem is that I spend a lot of money on wasteful things such as eating out. I try to track my spending but don’t do it consistently. I would like to stop wasting money and buy a bigger, better home than my current town house. I spend $845 on my mortgage, including taxes and insurance, have two car payments totaling $700 plus $200 a month for insurance, utilities of $200, a home equity line of credit payment of $200 and a student loan payment of $200. I also have $4,000 in credit card debt. I contribute 6% to my company 401(k), which has a 3% match, but I don’t have an emergency fund. I know I should be paying myself first, but I don’t know how much. I’m just at a loss. Can you help?

Answer: First, give yourself credit for what you’re doing right. You bought an affordable home, you’re keeping up with the payments, and you’re saving for retirement.

Your big problem is your debt. Your car costs alone are high, given your income and other expenses. That $200 payment on an interest-only home equity line of credit indicates you’re carrying substantial debt there as well. And the proper amount of credit card debt is zero. All these indicate you’re living above your means, despite how you might feel.

If you want a budget that works, get your “must have” expenses down to 50% of your take-home pay. That includes your housing, transportation (including gas), utilities, food, insurance and minimum loan payments. Then you can devote 30% to “wants,” such as clothing, vacations, entertainment and dining out. The remaining 20% of your pay goes to savings and debt repayment, starting with that credit card debt. (Harvard bankruptcy expert Elizabeth Warren explains this budgeting system in her excellent book “All Your Worth.”)

Getting car debt under control can be difficult. Ideally, you’d sell the two cars and buy less expensive replacements with cash or by using four-year loans with lower payments. Often, though, people who owe this much on their cars are “upside down,” owing more than their cars are worth. When that’s the case, it’s best to “drive out of the loan” by continuing to make the payments until you’ve paid off the debt, then keeping the cars for several more years until you’ve saved up cash for their replacements. If possible, your college student should get a job and help contribute to the cost of her car.

Consistently tracking your expenses will help you identify areas of overspending and help you stay within your budget. If your current method isn’t working, consider using one of the online sites such as Mint.com or Quicken Online, which automatically gather and tally your bank and credit card transactions.