Create a FUTURE budget based on where you want to be in the future. What would your ideal budget look like? What would your housing expenses, cable, electricity, gas, savings amounts, etc all look like? After you figure out what all of your expenses would be in this lifestyle, then I want you to come up with what your take home pay would need to be to make it all happen. I suggest going to www.weichert.com
to find a house where you want to live and once you click on a house, there is a mortgage calculator feature so you can come up with your monthly payments (don't forget property tax!). I would like a print screen of the mortgage calculation that you use.