Byline: Michelle Singletary

Need advice about how to handle your personal finances? Whether the struggle is saving for retirement, organizing your bank files, talking about money responsibility with your spouse or loved one, Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary offers her advice and answers your tough questions.

Read today's column: Some Answers to Your Budgeting Questions , and Sunday's Column: It Pays to Do the Math In the Budget Game .

A transcript follows .

Read Michelle's latest columns , check out her Color of Money Book Club selection archive or sign up for her weekly e-mail newsletter.

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Alexandria, Va.: Could you possibly post the link to your original how to budget column? I missed it and could really use the help. Many thanks!

washingtonpost.com: It Pays to Do the Math In the Budget Game , Sept. 10.

Michelle Singletary: Sorry for the delay folks. Computer trouble. Anyway, as requested here is the link.

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Washington, D.C.: Michelle,

Do you have any budgeting advice for people with high amounts of debt. Your Sunday article suggested that one whould put 10-15% of their income towards debt repayment. However, the minimum payments on my husbands student loans are 30% of our combined salary! How should be adjust our budget to accomadate this? I'm reluctant to cut back on our savings. Thanks for any advice.

Michelle Singletary: Ouch! 30 percent of your income is going to debt. That's rough.

I'm sure I'm not telling you anything when I say your family is in crisis mode.

And you may not want to hear this but you may need to cut back on savings to tackle that debt.

Keep saving because you don't want to be caught without a cash cushion if something happens but look at how much you are putting in retirement, college fund if you have set up one or two or three and emergeny savings.

Dial the savings back enough so that you can begin to make a dent in that student loan debt. And I say that because if you are spending what most people do on housing and that's 30 to 40 percent AND then 30 percent for student loan debt that doesn't leave you much room for anything else.

Good luck.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: In your Sunday column, MMI recommends 14 percent of one's budget go to personal debt (credit cards, personal loans). This is third only to housing and food. Doesn't this go against everything you stand for? What is this personal debt for? If you follow Michelle's mantra of only buying what you can pay for, eliminating this personal debt would let your $60K sample person spend $9,000/year on travel, rather than $600. Just reinforces how staying out of debt allows you freedom of choice. Keep on preaching!

washingtonpost.com: It Pays to Do the Math In the Budget Game , Sept. 10.

Michelle Singletary: You are absolutely right. Read today's column. I talk about that debt line item. The truth is if you want to achieve financial freedom you do have to eliminate the line item for personal debt. And yes it's a HUGE drain on most folks budget.

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Fredericksburg, Va.: Michelle,

When figuring out a household budget, how are the calculations dertermined for a marriend couple? Is the budget based on annual income after taxes?

Thanks, Denise

Michelle Singletary: Good question. Some budget items are done on gross. For example if you tithe (as I do) you tithe on your gross salary.

For other items use your net pay meaning after taxes are taken out.

The confusion with net and gross is that when you go for a home loan your debt-to-equity ratios use your gross incomes. But practically when you sit down to figure out what should be spent on what use net, since that's the pitiful amount we complain we get.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I recently had a two and half year relationship end suddennly. In fact, two weeks before I was going to propose to her. It took me totally off guard and I have been trying to recover the best I can.

In trying to get my self back on track, I have been spending much more money then usual. Co pays for a therapist, and psychiatrist. Money for a yoga and dance class to make sure I am not becoming a hermit. I am even looking at new sheets and head board to take away the painful memoires and give me some confidence that I have a nice adult looking bedroom since I am a year out of grad school.

I have not wracked up credit card debt, but I have been slowly dipping into the money I saved for all of the expenses I was expecting for the engagement and proposal.

I feel really guilty but I think they have also been helpful. Do you have any thoughts and opinions on this? I am hoping that the inital outlays will keep me sane enough to keep my job and that I can return to try and save in the near future.

Michelle Singletary: First, I'm so sorry for your lost. Really. It's a cliche but as you've found breaking up can be hard to do.

Second, I think spending on your physical and mental health to get over this is a good use of your money. But yes you are right to be concerned about keeping that spending in check. You know I often have folks tell me I'm not in credit card debt but I'm still broke. And they are broke because instead of charging their way to happiness they spend their cash. But the results are the same --- less money and savings.