You actually have several things to cut if you're serious about building a stache.
You've got zip in the bank, have a low paying job, and are in the hole over $8K with that new car, which also forces you to have insanely high insurance. With no emergency fund, you are just one little accident or breakdown away from a debt spiral. But you are interested in trying to change your financial picture, so
that is great.
Your rent is good. Utilities included is awesome for that price. But I'm going to throw this out there just to get you thinking. If you moved close enough to walk to work and the stores, how much more would it cost? If it was below $700, then you'd actually be able to sell the car (kill off that $8K as long as you could sell it for at least what you owe), drop the insurance ($175) and still come out ahead. You could always ask a friend for a ride if it was necessary and you'd be SAVING MONEY and getting exercise too.
Drop the gym membership like yesterday. There is a huge amount of exercising you can do without paying someone - jogging, working out at home, riding a bike... that's all much better than spending $45 a month.
Gas cost... You're driving an average of 15 minutes to work? I'm going to figure you live within 10/15 miles then. Are there any coworkers in the area that you could carpool with so you could all reduce your driving and gas cost? I'm not going to get on you for saying you can't bike, because I am in the same situation (there are areas on my route that prohibit biking by law even).
Start doing major research on your car insurance. Ask about discounts and carry the absolute minimum you can, and make sure to speak to actual agents so they can work the numbers for you. Unless you're a high risk (accidents?) or have a car that is high cost to insure (sports car? Oh please tell me it's not....) you should not be paying that high in insurance. I live in one of the larger cities in the country that also happens to be in the top 10 for car drivers (they love the cars down here) and I'm paying waaaaaay less for full coverage on my almost new vehicle, and even when I was in my 20s it wasn't that much.
Your food budget could also be cut down. If you're eating out, cut that completely. You can make many tons of simple, filling meals using beans, rice and veggies (frozen veggies are cheaper than fresh and better than canned, but fresh is best), eggs... this site is AWESOME and can save you quite a bit of money while still eating pretty darn well:
http://www.budgetbytes.com/If you do all that, you should be able to pull out at least $100-$125 to start funding an emergency account.
Any chance of a raise? Sit down and talk to your boss about your career path. Ask what you can do to move up and be more valuable to the company. Let them know you're open to overtime. Be eager and willing to work hard to get more. You should also look for a side gig if your regular job isn't going to offering more money any time soon. Find something on the weekends if you have those off, I'd be doing retail or night stocking at a grocery - whatever it takes to get a bit more money coming in. Even if it's only an extra hundred bucks in your pocket each month, that added to what you already would save from above would be a solid $250 a month into an emergency fund.
About that car. I can't even fathom why you bought a new car with your salary so low. A nice, reliable older car would have been under $6K and you'd be paying less in insurance. A car is a depreciating asset. You will never get back the money you put into it. Buying a new car that you have to finance just means you're pouring more money you don't have into something that is going to lose value every second you own it. I'm not saying never buy a new car ever... but you have to see it for what it is. It's a tool to get you from point a to point b and it being shiny or having all kinds of fancy gadgets isn't necessary or smart when you are trying to stay out of debt and build a nest egg. That car is bad for you, and if it is at all possible to sell it for enough to clear your debt on it, and get a cheap running around car (that is still reliable) then I'd do that in a heartbeat.
If you can get a few months' worth of expenses saved up (which you should be able to do within 6-8 months), then I'd see about jumping into the 401K and finding out about the match. I know right now you're leaving money on the table, but you have to have some emergency money before you take the next step to investing in your future.
