Budgeting: We are Not Trying Hard Enough

So I feel the hubby and I do pretty well with budgeting our money.  We always are able to pay our bills and we usually have some money left over towards paying down our debt.  Every bill paid gets typed into a spread sheet so we can track our expenses and make sure all the bills get paid...I am very forgetful so this strategy helps out a lot.

I was going through some of our monthly bills and comparing it to the amount of money we made for each month.  And, according to my calculations there should have been more left over money than there actually was!!  So obviously our budgeting method is not going according to plan.  I read this article from TeachHer Finance, about tough love.  And, I realized I need to give myself a little tough love.  The hubby and I are not trying hard enough!!!

I noticed we spent a lot of money on eating out, going out, and fast food.  Although fast food is more my husbands area than mine...mainly because he is on the road a lot and going to McDonalds is a lot easier and quicker.  The interesting thing is, is we always talk about how we never do anything and how we are making all these sacrifices to get our debt paid off.  EVEN OUR FRIENDS think we stay in too much and don't get out enough. 

The problem is, is when we do go out we tend to spend a ridiculous amount of money!  So even if we do make it out on the town one night a month, it's usually a car payment down the drain.  Now I think it's important to have a life and not just sit around paying your bills.  But we obviously need to be more creative and find cheaper ways to have fun.  We need to try harder at finding ways to cut back on spending in areas that are not a vital part of living.

So I'm getting an action plan together.  A better budget the two of us can stick to.  After careful examination I think the problem was we were making sure we had enough money to cover the bills but we didn't designate a certain amount to be put towards paying down our debt.

After careful consideration, I figured we need to put aside AT LEAST $200 a month towards our debt.

Now, it gets a little tricky when it comes to the hubby.  Unlike me, his income varies.  Because he is in school, he doesn't always work as much from one week to the next.  He also has money coming in from an internship he is doing, which is commission based.  So it's hard to factor in what he can contribute each month.

So for now, I'm assuming I pay for everything and then anything left over from his income will be put towards the debt.

So, in reality, we will be paying a lot more towards downsizing our debt.  But I know I can comfortably put aside at least $200 a month...or $100 a paycheck.

Now the tricky part will be sticking to this plan.  I discussed how my savings account automatically takes out $25 from my paycheck every other week.  I think I should put into place the same type of concept as soon as I get paid.  That way the money is already gone and I don't have to think about it. 

Of course other sacrifices will be made.  But as long as the hubby and I both try hard and stick to our financial goals, I think we will be debt free in the not too far future...hopefully by the end of the year.

So tell me.  How do you stick with your financial goals?  What sacrifices do you make in order to stick to your plan?  Are you really trying hard enough when it comes to your finances?