Mid 20s couple with mutt, no kids, living in the USA
Income: 71K yearly
self- base pay 59k +overtime and holiday opportunities
partner- ~12k, variable (part time, just above minimum wage retail job)
Current expenses: ~3.4K
Bills
Rent 435
Phones 114
Internet 50
Electricity 70
Netflix 9
Hulu+ 8
Expenses of daily living
Groceries 250
Fuel 275*
Household goods 20
HBA(haircuts/soap/shampoo/haircuts/cosmetics, etc) 15
Pet food/supplies 60
potential expenses of daily living
Medical (copays, tests, medicine, equipment): 25
Clothing 75
Travel 50
Gifts 30
discretionary piss money
Restaurants 30 (usually for my out of town dr appts)
Alcohol 40
Spending Money 75 (including hobbies, monthly "date" activities)
education
my partner's- Tuition, books, fees 1350
mine- Student Loan 188 (168 minimum+20 extra to principle)
Sinking for specific eventualities:
car repairs 40
car insurance 75
vet bills 25
vehicle registration 5
eventual car replacement 20
eventual electronic goods replacement 10
Down payment fund 100
Assets**: 27k
~10k in checking, though all the dollars have been divvied to future expenses/purposes like tuition and books, car repairs, car insurance, etc
10k emergency fund in basic savings account at my bank
6.5k in an online savings account for future home down payment-- we hope to buy in 1.5-2 years, when my partner has graduated and gotten a career job
Liabilities: 9.2K total in federal student loans @ about 6%
CC is paid in full each month and always has been, both cars bought used and paid in full
Specific Question(s): We're not doing poorly, but I can't shake the feeling that we could be doing better, smarter, while still having creature comforts and human luxuries. I grew up low income and on public assistance, to people who grew up the same way and I always considered "well off" to be having enough money to pay all your bills in the same month and still be able to eat and dress. I learned everything I know about money from the internet, so I've been furiously googling for a few weeks now, and that's how I came across this forum. Lurked for a couple days, and made an account this evening. Hoping I can get a face punch or two to help me see if I'm just oblivious to something.
*Our fuel expense is pretty high because I have a big commute. We live only 2 or 3 miles from both where my partner works and attends classes. Commuting 4 days a week for me makes more sense than 6 or 7 for my partner. Plus, rent here is half of similar rent in the city I work in. I won't move jobs, because I have a good, stable job in my chosen field. One I like enough that even if I didn't plan to retire early, I could do this happily until I'm 69. There are no jobs to speak of in my chosen speciality where we currently live.
**We also each have retirement savings account (through employer), to which we contribute a portion of our gross pay, enough to get full employer matches. In 2015, I will have the opportunity to contribute to a Roth (also via employer, no match) in addition to my traditional account, and I intend to contribute the full 5,500. These account balances aren't listed here.