Look, I sympathize with feeling that you are bare bones, but you really aren't.

As has been pointed out, your cell phone fee it much too high. I recently switched from my cell phone plan which I had had for almost 20 years to a new one on Virgin Mobile and upgraded to a smart phone in the deal. I bought a smart phone when it was on sale 30% off. And I now pay $35/month for 300 minutes talk time and unlimited data, text and messaging. For $45 you can get the same with 1200 minutes and for $55 you can same with unlimited talk. You can get three phones on unlimited talk for less than what you are spending on your one cell phone. That's a big savings there. Frankly a smart phone with an expensive plan is a luxury, not a necessity and you can get very similar service for well under $100 from more than one carrier. I'm sorry, but if you are trying to cut corners and save money, you don't need an iPhone 5S with unlimited everything. That's one of the most expensive plans I've heard of for a single phone.

And I buy clothes for myself and my twins at thrift and consignment shops. I spend $300 twice per year for both of them and they are toddlers when they are changing sizes every 2-3 months. I spend about $100-150 maybe twice per year for myself. $466 in one month is ridiculous for 2 people unless that is a seasonal cost that you only do 2-3 times per year. Every month? That is not cutting corners. Some people go out and spend $100-200 for a new outfit. You're doing that 2-3 times per month and calling it bare bones? The only difference is that you've gotten 15-20 outfits and they've gotten 3, but you've both splurged and spent money that could have been saved. Spending $466 is not saving money, it's spending money.

And $258.60 on gas? And you say you only drive about 15 miles per day? That means that you drive about 450-500 miles per month. If you use regular gas, at $3.50 per gallon (it's cheaper than that now) that means that you are only getting about 6-7 miles per gallon. Either you drive a Hummer, use premium gas with a huge Escalade or your car needs servicing. Even most minivans will get better mileage. For 500 miles per month, even at 20 mpg (and a Dodge Grand Caravan gets 20 mpg) you should be using about 25 gallons a month which should come out to less than $100 per month. A big SUV like an Escalade gets 16 mpg and that would still be like $125 half of what you spent. Something is wrong here.

If you cut your phone budget in half and your clothing budget to 1/3, then you can save about $400 per month right there. And frankly, that's not cutting out any necessities, that's just cutting out luxuries.

Anonymous wrote:OP has no intention of cutting her spending. She's looking for us to affirm that she is entitled to buy whatever she wants, regardless of her family's financial situation. She's going to continue using her ridiculously expensive cell phone, buying concert tickets for her kid and shopping daily for clothes even if the shutdown goes on for months.

Right, OP? Have you cut back... anything?

Amen.

Anonymous wrote:If that's your "other" category then what is "general merchandise"?

I disagree with PP that you should cut that much from your "other" budget because you need to make cuts that are sustainable. Eating out once or twice a month isn't unreasonable. Entertainment can probably be cut by $30 a month and dues/subscriptions can be eliminated. Your cell phone plans are way too expensive. Consider getting a family plan with your parents or siblings with only talk/text. Your DH is a fed, are you getting the Fed discount (around 18-20% per month)? Maybe your DH needs a data phone, you most certainly don't. I'd keep the gym membership, no man will object to that expense if you use it.

DH want me to cut back on the thrift shop "general merchandise" spending - says I can take that amount and apply it to my credit card. We will look into different cell phone plans. Right now, we have a family plan just for DD and I. I have data phone. DD does not. On another not listed here expense, DH wants to cut the cable and either install HD antenna and rely on Internet for other viewing. Does anyone have experience with Roku or Chromecast? He is not a big sports fan, so no need for sports channels. He'll watch a baseball game every once in awhile. DH has data phone provided by work.

OP has no intention of cutting her spending. She's looking for us to affirm that she is entitled to buy whatever she wants, regardless of her family's financial situation. She's going to continue using her ridiculously expensive cell phone, buying concert tickets for her kid and shopping daily for clothes even if the shutdown goes on for months.

Right, OP? Have you cut back... anything?

OP, either you want to spend less, or you don't. You asked what you could cut, and people told you. Stop whining.

Anonymous wrote:Entertainment $61.99 ---- What specifically was this? Do fun, free things at home and around town. Save $61/mo
Restaurants/Dining Out $53.72 -- None going forward. Save $54/mo
On-line Services $48.00 -- What is this? Potential savings, $48/mo
Pets/Petcare $47.32
Other $5.10 -- "other" within your "other" category?
Clothing/Shoes $27.46 -- None going forward. Save $27/mo
Personal Care $40.50 -- Quit gym. Walk outside, do calisthenics or bodyweight exercises at home. Save $40/mo
Dues/Subscriptions $40.00 -- Cancel any/all that aren't required or professional-related.
Checks $25.00
Home Maintenance $8.24 -- What's the difference between maintenance and improvement? Potential savings.
Home Improvement $7.29
Electronics $2.99 -- ??
Charitable Giving $2.65 -- ??

Total $370.26

Based on the above, I think you could easily cut $240+/mo from this one category in your budget.

Entertainment is not a recurring expense. DD attended a rock concert last month. Same for Restaurants/Dining Out. We rarely, if ever, go out. Last month, we did.
$5.10 under Other was entrance fee to Great Falls National Park. Our yearly pass had expired.
As to $2.99 – movie rental. Kinda getting nit picky there, eh?

If that's your "other" category then what is "general merchandise"?

I disagree with PP that you should cut that much from your "other" budget because you need to make cuts that are sustainable. Eating out once or twice a month isn't unreasonable. Entertainment can probably be cut by $30 a month and dues/subscriptions can be eliminated. Your cell phone plans are way too expensive. Consider getting a family plan with your parents or siblings with only talk/text. Your DH is a fed, are you getting the Fed discount (around 18-20% per month)? Maybe your DH needs a data phone, you most certainly don't. I'd keep the gym membership, no man will object to that expense if you use it.

Reading comprehension problem PP. She says her DH is "excepted." This means he is required to work. He is not furloughed. OP's DH will be made whole because is working. If he is working, the Government will have to pay him. It's the law - "Anti-Deficiency Act." It is non-excepted employees who may be screwed.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I am simply paying off the balance on the credit card. We have no car payments - both my and DH's car are paid for.

Regarding eating out - almost never, maybe once a week. I don't do Starbucks.

DH, fortunately, is excepted so his pay will be made whole when this is over. In the meantime, I guess we may have to tap into some savings.

However, DH has been after me for months to cut back, I do it for a time and then he comes in and tells me it is creeping back up! I really resent it a bit b/c I know I am trying hard buying everything on sale, virtually buying nothing new, etc. and b/c he works and I don't. I don't work b/c his career has been itinerant with the Federal Government and that has made it difficult for me to put down roots and make a career in once place. So, his career is partially to blame for my not working.

OP, I would strongly urge you not to budget based on the assumption that he will get backpay. This is by no means guaranteed, and in fact based on the mood in this Congress, many believe that feds won't get back pay. Assume the worst - government is shutdown for most of October. Your family has just taken a 12% pay cut for 2013. Re-set your budget now.

NP here, don't charge anything on the credit card that has a balance as you'll pay interest on that amount from day 1. Either open up a new card that you pay off every month or use cash.

Entertainment $61.99 ---- What specifically was this? Do fun, free things at home and around town. Save $61/mo
Restaurants/Dining Out $53.72 -- None going forward. Save $54/mo
On-line Services $48.00 -- What is this? Potential savings, $48/mo
Pets/Petcare $47.32
Other $5.10 -- "other" within your "other" category?
Clothing/Shoes $27.46 -- None going forward. Save $27/mo
Personal Care $40.50 -- Quit gym. Walk outside, do calisthenics or bodyweight exercises at home. Save $40/mo
Dues/Subscriptions $40.00 -- Cancel any/all that aren't required or professional-related.
Checks $25.00
Home Maintenance $8.24 -- What's the difference between maintenance and improvement? Potential savings.
Home Improvement $7.29
Electronics $2.99 -- ??
Charitable Giving $2.65 -- ??

Total $370.26

Based on the above, I think you could easily cut $240+/mo from this one category in your budget.

So what was General Merchandise? Break that out for us. Another huge but vague category of outflow.

Personal care is my gym membership. Petcare is largely cat food. Check was to my DD's school for one of her activities.

OP here. These are what fall into my "Other Category." Note, these are last month's expenditures. My DH handles all utitilities, mortgage, etc. from a separate account.

Entertainment $61.99
Restaurants/Dining Out $53.72
On-line Services $48.00
Pets/Petcare $47.32
Other $5.10
Clothing/Shoes $27.46
Personal Care $40.50
Dues/Subscriptions $40.00
Checks $25.00
Home Maintenance $8.24
Home Improvement $7.29
Electronics $2.99
Charitable Giving $2.65

Total $370.26

Probably goes shopping out of boredom, etc.