Real and Ideal
Taxes, utilities, insurance, transportation, and other bills are the sad reality of life. As we only have $2,495.83 per month, we have to cut down on costs anywhere we can. This is seen in our real expenses. The ideal expenses are what we would spend on bills in a perfect world. The table below will show both types of expenses for the month.
| Real Expenses | Real Cost | Ideal Expenses | Ideal Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $650 | Housing | $2,012 |
| Transportation | $274 | Transportation | $978 |
| Utilities* | $237 | Utilities* | $472 |
| Health | $43 | Health | $1,402 |
| Childcare* | $0 | Childcare* | $1,419 |
| Taxes | $828 | Taxes | $3,769 |
| Diapers and Wipes | $106 | Diapers and Wipes | $300+ |
| Other Expenses | $150 | Other Activities and Expenses (including dog) | $3,000+ |
| Total: | $2,288 | Total: | $13,352+ |
**For the real utilities, this included only the water and electricity; every other utility was covered in rent for the trailer. For the ideal utilities, we had to pay for water, electricity, gas, and internet.
**For the real childcare, we didn't have to pay anything because we have a stay-at-home parent to take care of the twin babies. For the ideal childcare, we would hire someone to take care of the babies or put them into daycare.
