<prompt> Human: A short update on the post. A lot of you commented on my transportation costs and some remarked the gas cost seemed too high. Turns out my car had a faulty oxygen sensor and was not using the gas efficiently.. at all. 330 later that problem has been corrected. Hopefully Ill be able to save some money on gas now. I also moved my auto insurance and was able to save 400 annually for the exact same level of coverage and one slightly enhanced benefit!. On another note, I mentioned I was in the process of refinancing my house. In addition to being able to shave 2 years off of my mortgage term, I was able to save 180 on my monthly payment. Part of this had to do with the house being appraised higher resulting in a reduced PMI. Still struggling on how to balance my finances while I spend an exorbitant amount of money with my kids in preschooldaycare. These little changes will certainly help.  <response>: I just read your first post but not the comments so forgive me if any of this is repeated. First, I want to say youre definitely not alone and youre doing a lot. So dont get down on yourself. You have twins, youre taking care of them, youre on your way to home ownership, youre in a good paying job. There are a lot of things to be proud of and now youre really focusing on creating a stable situation with a safety net. Youre doing everything you can and youre well on your way. Next, I dont know what your plan was for the money youre saving from your insurance, mortgage, and gas, but if it were me, I would not plan on spending any of it. For the first couple months or so, just try to stick to your regular expenses as they have existed and try to see where you are at when your next paycheck rolls in. If youre confident that you know exactly how much you spend every month on everything and this money should just be extra, then put the 250 or so you expect to be saving aside at the start of the month and just hold on to it. Dont try to speed up paying anything off just yet. After a couple months, if everything is working out the way it should be you can be confident that you have a good working budget and youll have a few hundred stashed for an emergency. Im sure plenty of people emphasized the next steps emergency fund, paying off high-interest debts, contributing to retirement, and saving for college, so I wont rehash that. Plus, you have a little bit of time. Right now, you are doing everything you can. Reviewing your expenses and seeing where you can save. Youve already found a lot of savings. Youre taking action, which is really the hardest part for many. Just keep doing what youre doing. By being pragmatic about costs and knowing your goals, youll keep making great progress. 