👩‍👧‍👦 Single mom from Phoenix - Budgeting for family of four on teacher salary

[accountant_alice]

Hi everyone! I’m Maria Gonzalez, 4th grade teacher and single mom to three kids in Phoenix.

How I Found Plain Text Accounting

Juggling a teacher’s salary, child support (when it comes), afterschool care, medical expenses for four people, and trying to save for college… traditional budgeting apps felt too simple for my reality.

A parent at school (works in tech) mentioned ‘plain text accounting’ when I complained about Mint constantly mis-categorizing my transactions. Best parent-teacher conference conversation ever!

My Single Parent Reality

• Teacher salary: $48,000/year (Arizona…)
• Irregular child support payments
• Three kids: ages 8, 12, and 15
• Part-time tutoring income
• Summers off = no pay but more childcare costs
• Every dollar matters

Why PTA Makes Sense for Families

• Detailed tracking: Know exactly where money goes
• Irregular income: Handle child support inconsistency
• Multiple categories: Kids have different needs by age
• Goal tracking: College savings, emergency fund
• Teaching tool: Kids learning money management

My Beancount Journey (Month 6)

Family-focused accounts:

; Income - variable and uncertain
2024-01-01 open Income:Teaching:Salary USD
2024-01-01 open Income:Support:Child USD
2024-01-01 open Income:Tutoring USD

; Kid-specific expenses
2024-01-01 open Expenses:Kids:Sofia:School USD
2024-01-01 open Expenses:Kids:Miguel:Sports USD  
2024-01-01 open Expenses:Kids:Carmen:Dance USD
2024-01-01 open Expenses:Kids:Medical USD
2024-01-01 open Expenses:Kids:Clothes USD

; Future goals
2024-01-01 open Assets:Savings:College:Sofia USD
2024-01-01 open Assets:Savings:Emergency USD

Daily Reality

• Tracking every expense (kids are expensive!)
• Planning for summer income gap
• Maximizing teacher tax deductions
• Building emergency fund slowly
• Teaching kids about money using real data

Challenges I’m Solving

• Irregular child support: Planning around uncertainty
• Seasonal income: Teacher pay cycle
• Medical expenses: Four people, various needs
• Activity costs: Sports, dance, music lessons
• College planning: Three kids, one teacher salary

What’s Working

• Kids understand why we can’t buy everything
• Visual reports help family budget meetings
• Tracking child support for legal purposes
• Finding small savings opportunities
• Building financial literacy in children

Teaching Moments

• Kids help categorize their own expenses
• Monthly ‘family financial meetings’
• Teaching oldest about income vs. expenses
• Showing how small savings add up
• Planning purchases together

Questions for the Community

• Other parents using PTA for family budgets?
• How to track child-related tax benefits?
• Best way to handle irregular income?
• College savings strategies on tight budget?
• Teaching kids financial responsibility?

Every dollar counts when you’re raising three kids alone. PTA helps me make those dollars work harder!

Maria | Teaching math to 4th graders and family finances

[tax_tina]

Maria, fellow parent here! Though I only have two kids, I completely understand the juggling act. Your approach to teaching kids about finances using real PTA data is brilliant! As a physician, I see too many families struggle with medical expenses - your detailed tracking could help identify patterns. The irregular child support challenge resonates (though mine’s irregular call schedules). Would love to share templates for medical expense tracking for your family. Keep up the amazing work - you’re building financial literacy for the next generation!

[accountant_alice]

Maria, your family-focused approach is heartwarming! As a CPA who works with many single parents, your detailed child-specific tracking is exactly right for maximizing tax benefits. The irregular child support documentation will help if you ever need legal support. Teaching kids financial literacy through real data is brilliant - they’ll understand money better than most adults! I’d love to share templates for education tax credits, child care expense tracking, and college savings strategies. You’re building a financially literate next generation - that’s invaluable!