Necessary info: I make 41k a year before taxes, this basically equals out to $2.6k a month after taxes. I live with my long-term partner who is unemployed due to a prior medical issue and has not been able to find work since being \*able\* to try and join the job force again, so I have to take care of both of us still. He is going back to school to finish his degree and it will be free for him to do so for a few reasons that aren't necessarily relevant to this. During the past year I have acrued about 3.3k in debt from various things including but not limited to: dental work, an ER visit and an emergency cat vet appointment. We have literally 0 savings at the moment as we went through it all moving from one state to another for safety purposes. Here are my expenses for the month: \- Apartment rent: $1023 \- Garage Rent: $120 (not able to get rid of, street parking costs more) \- Phone Bill (2 phones): $86.67 \- Car Insurance: $160.99 \- Car Payment: $260 \- Utilities: $100 \- Grocery and Household Necesities: $300 Total: $2060.66 I also have to pay $30 every 3 months for my own medication and $160 every 2 months for my one cat's medication. Cat litter is fairly inexpensive at around $30 every 6 weeks. Cat food I buy every 6 to 8 weeks, price depending on what size bag I get. So, Im not too bad off, but I still feel like I am suffocating. Ive always been told to pay off debt before I build savings but I feel like everytime I get a substantial portion paid off I get \*another\* expense that puts me back where I was. For example, I had gotten $500 paid off my debt. Then, I had my long overdue dental checkup and found out I would need a crown and 2 cavities filled. There goes that $500 I just paid down. My minimum monthly payment is $120. So, should I keep focusing on trying to pay this off, or do I start building my savings again while just making minimum payments? Or do I balance it? Say pay a little higher than the minimum, like $150, and put $50 into savings or whatever. Other things that may be important: \- I have tried to refinance my car for a lower interest rate but have run into issues doing so. I either get denied outright or I was told I needed a title with a way to sign on the back, which I do not have as I still owe on the car. The credit union I spoke to wasn't very helpful it trying to figure out what I needed so I gave up. \- I live in a city, hence why my options for car parking is either a garage or street. Street parking is by the hour and would cost me $400/month vs the $120 I pay for the garage. \- Rehoming cats isnt an option. They both have chronic illnesses which makes places less likely to take them in as is and most cat shelters are full anyway. \- My partner is not food stamps eligible anymore as he received his 3 months without being employed. \- I do occasionally go to a food pantry but we dont get much and last time we went both things of bread we got were moldy. \- I do not drive to work which is why gas isnt listed as an expense. I bike or take transit (free for me through my job).

Married, both 40yo, 2 kids 4 & 5, HHI $215K. I max everything my employer offers - 401K, HSA, DCFSA. Wife maxes a Roth and mandatory 6% to her state pension. We're closing on sale of our home in 4wks and tracking to net $94K from the sale. We just had an offer accepted to purchase a new property at $485K. We've secured financing through our SECU (wife is a teacher) at 5.75%/30yr. Credit Union doesn't require PMI so I'm only intending to put 10% down. Total cash to close \~$58K, monthly payment \~$3150, works out to \~31% of net monthly income. Getting the house listed and sold drained us down so I'll transfer a few thousand to savings to top up to full 3mo core spending. After moving expenses and buying some new furniture total unallocated cash then will be $28K. Our only debt will be the mortgage and two car loans: 1. $21k principal @5.74%, $593/mo 2. $26k principal @ 2.9%, $643/mo Debating if I should put more toward down payment, entirely payoff the 5.74% car note, push more to the EF or some split of the three. Feel like I'm trying to min-max this too much and wanted some voice of the crowd. Thanks.