Today’s post is a little different—it’s a peek into something I normally keep pretty private: our family budget.
We’re not going to break down every single dollar, but I’ll share how we structure our finances as a family of six—our living expenses, savings, bills, and even impulse spending. Think of this less as a “how-to” and more as a “here’s what it really looks like.”
👉 Spoiler: It’s not perfect, and that’s the point.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
Why We Budget with YNAB
We’ve been using YNAB (You Need a Budget) for about five years now.
This isn’t sponsored (and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone because the learning curve is steep and the price keeps going up).
But here’s what I love about it:
- ✅ Every dollar gets a job.
- ✅ I can log and track spending daily.
- ✅ It makes overspending feel like something to adjust, not feel guilty about.
As a one-income family, this gives us clarity and peace of mind.
🏡 Our Setup
- Two checking accounts (one for bills, one for living expenses).
- Automatic savings (5% of every paycheck goes straight into savings).
- Several savings accounts earmarked for specific things like property taxes, car taxes, and emergencies.
- My husband manages retirement + investments. I handle the daily household budget.
I check our accounts every single day. It’s not obsessive—it just keeps me grounded and stress-free.
📊 June 2025: What We Actually Spent
Here’s the real peek: our June budget. Remember, this is for a family of six (four kids ages 6, 5, 3, and 1).
1. Clothing 👗
- $1,100 (!!!)
- Totally out of the norm, but postpartum + four pregnancies = nothing fit. I splurged on quality staples for myself and stocked up on baby clothes for Sophia.
- Normal budget: ~$300
2. Groceries 🥒
- $1,100
- Big appetites + home all summer = lots of snacks. Fun fact: we go through 3 pounds of cucumbers a week.
3. Home Decor 🪞
- $700
- A master bedroom refresh + basement bathroom towels. Normally about $50/month here.
4. Sundries 🧻
- $504
- Diapers, paper goods, soap refills, makeup, bird seed… basically a catch-all.
5. Dining Out 🍦
- $403 (usually ~$150)
- Summer, grandparents visiting, impromptu ice cream dates… worth every penny.
6. Kids’ Toys, Games, Supplies 🎒
- $280
- Labels, school supplies, a birthday party for my son.
7. Memberships & Subscriptions 💻
- $250 this month (annual renewals like ProtonMail + usual stuff like gym, Apple storage, podcast hosting).
8. Family Celebrations 🎉
- $244
- My son’s 5th birthday party at the Botanic Garden.
9. Gifts & Hosting 🎁
- $210
- Father’s Day, teacher gifts, sending birthday packages to friends, groceries for a friend recovering from surgery.
10. Books, DVDs, Puzzles 📚
- $130
- Books are our love language. (Okay, and some Star Wars DVDs snuck in there too.)
11. Medical 🩺
- $100 copay
- A light month for us. Normally I budget ~$500.
12. Pet Care 🐱
- $83
- Our cat Max’s food + litter.
13. Family Adventures 🌳
- $82
- Tickets for a kids’ activity on an upcoming trip.
14. Car + Maintenance 🚗 🛠️
- Gas & car washes: $74
15. Mom’s Little Fun Fund ☕
- $9
- Just new cross-stitch needles this time.
👉 Total Living Expenses: ~$5,500
(Normally around $4,000.)
📌 Fixed Expenses
These come out of our “bills” account:
- Kids’ school tuition 🎓
- Extracurriculars (sports, piano, camps)
- Insurance policies
- Gas, electric, water, sewer, trash💧
- Internet + Cellphones
- Charity + donations ❤️
- Home maintenance fund 🏡
- Savings for property + car taxes 🚘
💡 My Takeaways
Looking at June laid out like this, it’s so clear where the extra spending happened.
- Clothing splurge 👕 → postpartum + baby clothes.
- Dining out 🍕 → summer celebrations + visitors.
- Home refresh 🪞 → seasonal but intentional.
No regrets. Because budgeting, for me, isn’t about perfection—it’s about awareness.
And that’s why I love YNAB: every dollar has a job, and I can see the story my spending tells.
Final Thoughts
I’m sharing this not to say this is how you should budget—but to normalize talking about money. 💬
Budgets aren’t shameful, and spending isn’t always bad. Sometimes it’s joyful, sometimes it’s emotional, and sometimes it’s just life with four kids.
So if you’re here reading this—thanks for taking a peek into our family finances. I hope it encourages you to think about your own budget with less shame and more intention.
💛 Until next week!