I'm about to start a new job and it is a W2 versus a 1099 so I have less wiggle room in terms of cash flow. Help me get my expenses down please?
$2300 mtg (just principal and interest), currently paying $3800
$400 tractor payment (0% APR, we're on 20 acres, the garden tractor was taking forever to mow with)
$1000 insurance/property taxes (house, cars, umbrella, mine subsidence - 2500 a year, disability policies are about 2500 a year, 2200 life insurance, unknown property taxes just yet as house was just bought and there was a county wide reassessment)
$1000 animals (four big dogs, fostering for cat rescue, prescription food just for one is 100 a month, prescriptions are about 125 a month, cats currently eating about 10 a day in wet canned food) - will try switching from cat litter to horse stall pellets
$110 cell phones (Page plus, just switched)
$500 medical (have a condition that requires constant care)
$106 internet/cable (will drop cable but internet is $86+ tax, no other providers)
$300-400 electric (no natural gas, 2800 sq ft ranch house, 3000-4000 kWh used a month) - just ordered a smart thermostat, is it worth switching appliances? Our fridge has a manufactured date of 1989
$120 water (will be going up due to a 16% increase)
$500 food - this is already a stretch for us, usually spent around 1k as we ate out often
$13 netflix
$300 fuel (72 miles commute per day combined for the two of us, family is across the state)
$500 Misc (usually home improvement)
$30 trash
Total = 7279 a month or 8779 if I want to keep paying extra on the mortgage which I do
2 people, no dependents