Thanks Chemistay! Glad to see another grad student out there!
As for your tips:
1. I always bring my lunch with me to lab. Maybe once a month I will by a salad from the cafeteria, but that will only be because I went to a seminar that had free lunch but they ran out. Free food is one of the perks of being a grad student.
2. I usually do make my own dinner. I eat a mostly paleo diet, so I don't eat anything with gluten or processed foods. Granted, I'm not perfect, so I do eat out about once every other week. Sometimes I go to brunch on Sunday if I have to go into lab, but I decided to cut that out a month ago. I will add, restaurants does include any alcohol with those meals, so if I do stop drinking, that will lower my overall restaurant spending even if I keep eating out twice a month.
3. As for crossfit, that's not something I'm willing to give up. I just started in September and absolutely love it. It's a much better environment than the rec center on campus. I also want to complete at some point in the future, so it's become more of a hobby for me. I'd cut from other areas of my budget to avoid giving it up. It is because of crossfit that I don't bike to campus, since I'm too tired after workouts to bike. I may start taking the bus to campus on the days that I don't have to go to the gym, but with how unpredictable my schedule can be everyday, it's easier to drive.
4. I only get my hair cut 3-4 times a year. I don't color. I do have bangs, which makes fewer haircuts impossible (I've tried cutting them myself at it doesn't end well). The waxing is a necessary evil. I try to only do it every 1.5-2 months. I have very thick brows that aren't effectively tweezed and require good wax that I haven't been able to find in a store. I'm also a single 23 year old, so I like to look decent :)
5. Once I looked into the expenses in my shopping budget, it looks like I've only spent $200 on clothes this year, which I think is pretty good. Everything else in the shopping category is from Target, meaning it's either household items (toothpaste, toilet paper, foil, etc.), or food from Target, since I don't split those out into the grocery budget.
6. Eating smaller meals when I go out is probably a good idea. I do often go to restaurants when I'm starving. Maybe I'll start keeping nuts in my car to munch on if I'm going out.
I think I really need to focus on the alcohol/eating out area. If I cut out alcohol, that will save me at least $100 a month. It will also decrease my restaurant and fast food spending if I don't have the drunk munchies. Thanks for the advice!