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Hey! Another MS Money user! Actually, I don't use it now because I live in Asia, and there are language compatibility issues with the banking system. I want to point out that if you commit to the personal finance software, and daily take a few minutes to update the register and reconcile the bank statements, you will find out how much spontaneous purchasing you do. That is the killer, and if you look daily, while that purchase is still fresh in your mind, and you see the impact on the monthly budget in real time, you and hubby may look at each dollar in a different way. Ditch the credit cards, it's too easy to spend someone else's money. Pay off the cards you have as quickly as possible. Live a cash existence, if you can't pay cash, you don't need it, or you can budget for it. After you pay off the cards, keep putting the same amount of money you were paying into savings, investments, whatever, but make it unavailable for spending. Oh, and make sure you budget for fun- a dinner out, movie rentals, whatever. Being fiscally responsible doesn't mean you have to be a monk!
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The difference between theory and reality is that in theory there is no difference.
"God made man, but he used the monkey to do it." DEVO
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