Kumiko Love Instagram – Meghan is off to a great start, as she has little debt, but I would still make some changes. First, I would decrease some variable spending categories so she has more to throw toward her savings goals, like her emergency fund or Christmas goal.  I would decrease her eating out/alcohol category by $200/mo. Yes, it’s drastic, but it’s a temporary change that can make a significant difference. I do question her allowance, personal, and daughter categories. Can we combine the allowance and daughter category and decrease it by $50/mo? Those two changes alone would free up $250/mo that she could then use for other goals. If she works part-time at the gym, could she possibly negotiate a free gym membership with that employment? My husband worked for gyms for a long time as a part-time personal trainer, and he noticed this. He said to definitely negotiate that because, in his words, “That’s ridiculous.” I would also investigate the cell phone bill. $260/mo seems really high, even if her daughter had her own line and phone. I did some digging, and I found that you can get two lines with unlimited data at Mint Mobile for $90/mo. Let me know in the comments if this sounds correct! Between decreasing her variable spending and lowering those fixed expenses, she could free up over $300/mo for other goals, like her emergency fund! Let me know in the comments what changes you might recommend. #thebudgetmom #reallifebudget #budgetgoals #budgetbypaycheck #budgeting101 #budgettips #budgeting