I think what a lot of the comments are missing is that, the hardest part of personal finance is dealing with these harsh realities of your financial existence.

I wrote this post to make myself accountable for these areas I often think about and struggle with in our budget. Although we still spend less than we make (despite being a student, I still make far more than the mean/median household income).

What should not be missed here, is that we all have areas of our lives that create constant stress and struggles. The reality is we are not going to sell both cars and rely on questionable used automobiles and sparse public transportation. The reality is that we have cut back on eating out and spending greatly, but it is an ongoing struggle.

Thank you for all the great comments, and although some of the critique bordered on being what I call "tough love" I am very appreciative of all the insight provided.