[quote=Scarlett]Don’t feel terrible if you can’t manage to save 2K a month at 140K. Most people won’t be able to. It’s very hard to budget like that with 2 young kids, especially if they are in daycare and go to activities and all that, especially if both of you work.[/quote]

Saving $2k/month should be doable. Not easy, I didn’t say easy. But $140k is $12k gross each month. Subtract $1k for retirement and $2k for taxes and you’re still at $9k net. Save $2k and you still have $7k net each month.

If buying a house is a serious goal, sacrifices must be made to save for the down payment in the short-term. Cheaper wine and beer, maybe sell a car and carpool for a year, maybe skip the 401k just for a year (no longer) while you save up cash. Maybe you and the wife don’t exchange gifts for a year (kids still get them).

If you found an affordable rental close to $2k, tightened the belt for a year, and made it a goal to save $24k by the end of the year, I bet you’d do it. The goal is everything.