Our Money, Our Plan

A conversation — not a verdict

Kai & Simona · May 2026

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The Monthly Floor

Fixed commitments — April 2026, from our actual accounts

Category	Paid to	Amount
Rent	JP Properties LLC	$2,350
Daycare	Little Sprouts Learning Center	$1,850
Student loans	FedLoan Servicing	$340
Utilities	Eversource & Comcast	$275
T passes (×2)	MBTA Charlie Card	$170
Church tithe	Grace Community	$150
Cell phones	Verizon Wireless	$140
Pet expenses	Chewy auto-ship	$120
Renter's insurance	Lemonade	$35

These are the bills that hit every month before groceries, coffee, or anything discretionary.

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What We Bring Home

Monthly take-home pay, after taxes and deductions

$4,000

Kai

Calloway, Whitfield

$3,700

Simona

Boston Public Schools

Shown side by side so we can see the picture together. This is not a comparison — it's our combined foundation.

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Maya's 529 — Where It Stands

Fidelity MA U.Fund · Account ending 0142 · Age-Based Aggressive

January 15, 2026 — Account opened, initial deposit
$500.00

February 15 — Monthly contribution
$50.00

March 15 — Monthly contribution
$50.00

April 15 — Monthly contribution
$50.00

Contributions total $650 through April. The account also earns investment returns (Fidelity reported +$3.42 just in the first two weeks). MA state tax deduction applies — up to $1,000 per contributor, $2,000 filing jointly.

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Spring One-Time Spending

These happened. They were worth it. They're done.

Date	What	Amount
Feb 25	Chez Laurent — deposit (birthday dinner)	$350.00
Mar 3	Shutterfly — custom photo book	$54.99
Mar 15	Chez Laurent — final balance (birthday dinner)	$682.50

Total — these three items only $1,087.49

This was Simona's 40th. Garden Room, 14 guests. One-time event — not a recurring pattern.

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What This Means

✓ The 529 is on track. It's small, steady, and growing — exactly what it's supposed to be right now.

✓ The birthday dinner was a one-time bump, not a hole. It came and went and we're still standing.

✓ The monthly floor still works on our two take-homes. We clear it and have room left for groceries and daily life.

No surprises in here. No crisis. Just a clear view of where we are so we can decide where we go next — together.

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Things We Could Try

Not decisions — just ideas to talk through

1

Bump the 529 to $75/month An extra $25/month toward Maya's future. Still comfortable — and it compounds over 15 years. We'd also get a bigger MA tax deduction.
2

Add a small "one-time spending" buffer line Set aside something each month — even $50 or $100 — so birthdays, holidays, and surprises don't feel like they come out of nowhere.
3

Do a quarterly check-in like this one Twenty minutes, once a quarter. Look at the same categories, same format. No surprises, no panic — just staying on the same page.

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This Is a Conversation

This deck isn't a verdict. It's not a scorecard. It's not one of us telling the other what to do.

It's the two of us looking at the same picture, at the same time, and deciding what comes next — together.

We're on the same team. We always have been.