I've already posted and got some GREAT advice from you kind Mustachians. And even before that, I had taken steps to right a sinking ship. So while I don't need help with my budget, I'll lay it out just to keep it all fresh in mind:
Income:
$3100/month (Salaried. Net after 401(k), insurance, taxes).
Expenses:
$650 Rent
$30 Phone (Yay Republic!!!)
$125 Utilities
$150 Personal Loan (1800 left, 0% interest)
$325 Student Loan ($60k, 30k @ 3%, 30k @ 6%)
$150-ish Food (groceries only, and keeping it pretty basic for now while learning how to cook)
$60 personal cash (date night, bar, etc. This is down from the ~$800 I used to spend. Winning! Once I get the credit cards paid off, this will come back up A LITTLE).
Sold the car. Got work to pay for a bus/train pass. Cut cable down a lot (but not completely gone. I have roommates, part of my agreement is to cover this bill, they cover others in return). I've done a lot to accelerate my debt repayment. Not listed above is my credit cards. I used to owe $5000 on them. Just tossed another $500 to the plastic payment, leaving me at $1500 or so.
So really, I'm going in the correct direction. I've cut my cost of living, exercised some restraint on spending, and dedicated the extra money to the credit cards. Once I do that, I'll give myself a bit more spending money, but put the rest to the student loans (highest interest first).
Thing is, I don't know what to do with myself. I find myself writing down the expenses I have on paper, doing the math, over and over and over again. Even though the numbers never change. I read this blog, I contribute to reddit's Personal Finance and Financial Independence subreddits. It's becoming a compulsion. There has to be something better I can do with this time. Are there maybe some books I should read? I'd rather pick up a paperback and learn about money than to spin my wheels thinking about my finances, when I already know them front and back.
Did any of you deal with this when you started out?