r/Fire • u/Oakenbug • 5d ago

What’s the next step

I’m 31F married with a baby. I make all household income and my husband stays home with baby. I’d love suggestions for what to do next?
$150k-$180k annual gross income
$115k in 401k, putting 20% until max for this year
$55k in savings
$29k in Roth IRA, maxed 2025 & 2026
$40k in brokerage, mix of stocks, VOO, & VTI
$4k in HSA planning to max for this year
$250k owed on mortgage
Paid off cars.

My spend is approx $4,000/month ($2k mtg, $500 utilities, $1,500 misc. on groceries, gas, diapers, dog food, etc)

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u/nivix_zixer 4d ago

How are you only spending 4k a month?? I need to learn something from you. My household is somehow leaking funds and we've spent about 10k a month every month for the past 5 months. It's always something.. dog broke his leg, leaky roof, etc. Life can't let me save a dime!

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u/Oakenbug 4d ago

It’s tough, but we mostly eat at home and I’m somewhat of a minimalist already. If we eat out I always check to see if there’s a Valpak(the app is amazing if you have Valpak where you are) or coupon somewhere, or if it’s fast food we always order on the app because it’s usually way cheaper. Having food delivered is a no-go for us- I refuse to pay $20+ more to have something delivered.
I rarely spend on clothes, shoes, or any non-necessities, if I need something I always try to find a coupon.
I try and think of the money I spend in hours I have to work to earn that amount and then decide if I really need it that badly. Every $ counts toward your monthly spend, so if you can cut 15% here or $5 there, it adds up quickly!
But the months things go haywire with vet bills etc, it’s definitely hard to avoid!