> "such a high percent of my budget (over 70% of spending) is consumed by rent, car, and food that other household goods just don't matter relatively speaking."

> "such a high percent of my budget (over 70% of spending) is consumed by rent, car, and food that other household goods just don't matter relatively speaking." What percent are you saving? If it's 5%, then the remaining 25% you're spending on everything else is significant -- cut that a little bit and you could double your savings. Cut it by a lot and you could maybe triple or quadruple your savings. That matters, especially if you're paying down debt. I'm not saying you should neglect the big stuff. If you can cut your rent by a little bit, maybe that will triple your savings too. And if you negotiate a better salary, maybe you could save ten times as much. By all means, do these things! I'm also not saying you should waste time on low ROI stuff. I'm just saying you should do the math. How much is eating out costing you, and is it worth the savings in time or effort? How much could you save by switching to store brands (which don't take any longer to buy)? Clipping coupons isn't always worth it, but I find I can often save $10 for less than 5 minutes of time by focusing on the good stuff; that's the same rate as if you make a quarter million dollars a year after taxes, which isn't too bad. Having a sane budget is about the total picture. Too much personal finance advice focuses on the little stuff while ignoring the big stuff, but don't overreact by ignoring the little stuff entirely. Keep perspective.