Welcome, and thanks for sharing your situation - you're on the right track by thinking about how to economize. I find that the monthly bills are the biggest drain on one's budget. And because your budget doesn't contain a large line item for 'mortgage', it appears you've got 'budget creep' from other areas of your life - things you spend money on 'because you can'. To solve that problem, in a word: Don't (i.e. don't simply spend money because you can).
Suggestions:Car $600.00 - sell this car, and buy a good used car off CraigsList for CASH. See
THIS, and
THESE posts...
Electric $150.00 - Switch to LED lighting. Walk thru your house, and count how many light bulbs you have. On your way home from work, stop at your local CostCo, or HomeStore/Depot/Lowes, and buy at least one (1x) LED light bulb per day, and replace 1x existing bulb with an LED bulb. This allows you to sample the different bulbs / colors of light (pay attention to lumens) and see how the lights look *in your home*. Once you find one you like, buy many more. Be sure to shop around on-line for the bulb you end up liking.
Gas $75.00 - seems okay for winter heating.
Water $45.00 - You should also consider switching to low-flow faucets in the kitchen & bathrooms. This will save on gas (hot water) as well as water. I did it without telling anyone, and actually got compliments on the new large (but tricky low-flow) showerhead.
Cable $195.00 - kill your cable, but make a game out of it. Buy an indoor HDTV antenna (Amazon, CraigsList), and have your 10 year old help you 'experiment' with how many channels you can receive locally WITHOUT cable tv. Include them in the process, and they're less likely to complain about losing the Disney Channel, or whatever favorite source of 'endless commercials' they might have.
NOTE: if this includes 'internet', consider going DSL with the local phone company. I did this, got their cheapest package available, and my sons and I use it to watch Netflix from two rooms nightly. Cost? $21/month.
Cell Phone $180.00 - kill this. Pay off your phones, and switch to Airvoice Wireless on their $10/month 250 talk & text plan (or Republic Wireless) for each line in your house. If you have 3 phones, $30/month. You'll probably spend more than that the first month - just add another $10 to the fund, and use it until you need to refill. Savings: $150/month.
Lawn Care $130.00 - kill this. Have husband or your 10 year old cut the lawn.
Eye Glasses $20.00 - is this budgeting for buying glasses once-a-year? Consider one of the less expensive eyeglass sources. I used CostCo before I broke down and got lasik.
Contacts $20.00 - seems ok.
Gas $250.00 - when you sell your car, buy a used Prius, or other small economy car. Cut this by half by choosing the right car.
Netflix $11.00 - keep this, but kill your cable-tv bill.
Restaurants $250.00 - Go down to 1 restaurant meal / month, and bring this down to $50/month. If that's not enough, take the family to CostCo, and dine on pizza slices before going inside to buy bulk foods to make for dinner the rest of the week.
Gifts $220.00 - kill this. Consider thrifting at Goodwill, Value Village, etc. thrift stores.
Pet $50.00 - keep this. A cheap price to pay for unconditional love.
Auto Maint $50.00 - seems high. If this is budgeting, cut it to $20/month and see if that works.
Clothing $100.00 - Consider thrifting at Goodwill, Value Village, etc. thrift stores. I watch for the '50% off' days, and buy back-to-school, christmas, and work clothes around twice a year. This year I've spent ~$100 on clothing for the year - and already have a few things put away for the holidays for the kids.
Private School $366.67 - keep.
Trash $25.00 - seems good. (mine is $36/month)
I don't recommend a 'budget' in the normal sense of the word, I recommend people make a conscious choice at the time-of-purchase as to whether the 'item to be bought' is a: 1) Need, 2) Want, or 3) just more future-landfill-material to be temporarily stored in my house until someone realizes it should be thrown out. Another tried and true way to cut the budget is to use less of EVERYTHING you use. Start with toothpaste - use half the normal amount, and see how well you can do with half-the-amount. Half might not be enough, but try it, and adjust. Same for shampoo, toilet paper, cooking oil - lighting (turn the lights off BEFORE you leave a room). You'll quickly find your comfort zone, and probably adjust your 'needs' list downward, and find yourself saving with virtually no pain.
This is a good start - putting your situation up here to be reviewed as a 'Case Study'. Congrats on your first steps. Be sure to reply in this thread to tell us what steps you're taking to improve your monthly savings.
