$6,000 on $27,000 a year can be tough but if your wife is paying the home expenses, you can absolutely do that. My daughter pays $500 a month on her student loans making $14,000. She has no housing expenses but she does pay for her own car insurance, car repair and maintenance, lunches (if she chooses to not bring from home), credit card repayment (she has not been wise with her spending) and entertainment. I've told her now is the time to buckle down and get everything paid off so she can be free from debt.