<prompt> Human: Ive been reading rpf before I ever joined Reddit. This advice has helped my husband and I save and buy our first house last year though we were making about 50 less than we are now. I forgot to add, my husband makes about 58k take home annually. However I didnt not include this income because it is based on 9 month contracts which have no guarantees of renewal. He brings home about 4800k monthly, but it is not pre-taxed so we pay taxes on his wages quarterly. How can we get our financial life in order? Im So confused and Im the only one who manages our finances. We want to move back east next year to be closer to family so being financially stable buying a new home is in the future. InfoTotal take home Income: 9600k month but must pay taxes quarterly 25 k in savings with small 1 apr 40 k husband in student loans 3-8- 500 month 43 k my student loans 3-8- 500 a month 186000k mortgage 3.6 apr- house worth 210 crazy high taxes of 6k annually but property values rising 1600 a month15 k auto loan - car worth 19k - 340 month 1.5k in credit card debt on 0 apr cc2k in 401 k - just increased contribution to 4. Abysmal I know. Husband has 0 and no benefits Pros - 796 credit score Perfect payment history on all loans All home and car loans are in my name due to husbands job situation. Basic expenses2 k in childcare - non negotiable 1600 - mortgage, re taxes, pmi, hoa 500 Basic utility bills no cable 1k student Loan payments 700 in Car needs- loan, insurance, gas, maintenance 600- groceries for four dog 200 - Kids needs - clothes, supplies, etc80 - Eating out and entertainment - were trying to cut in this area, but only gained a savings of 100 a month We strive to save about 2k-2.5k a month. Note: husband has been looking for a permanent job for years with no luck. He has a phd in a niche science field that makes hard to employ. We dont want to spend more money going back to school for a career change. When my husband and I first met, we lived happily on 20k a year. We had a child and still saved for a wedding and traveled. We have two kids now and were making more money than we ever have but dont have much to show for it. How can I fix this???  <response>: Why are you striving to save 2k a month? You have student loans at 8 interest, you should be striving to pay off your higher interest debt ASAP. Follow the how to handle guide from the auto mod. 