Get a really, really realistic budget happening. Painfully realistic, with no slush.

Get it by pulling out your receipts and c/card statements for the last 12 months, and working out how much p/an you spend on things.

Then make a budget of what's reality at the moment.

Then make a new budget of what you're aiming for, for the next 12 months.

Then stick to the budget, and write down every day EVERYTHING you spend, so you can see from week to week how much $ you have left for different areas.

Areas in my budget include:

* church & charity
* rent/mortgage
* utility bills
* other bills (rates, waste, whatever - put in body corporate if you have it, etc)
* insurance (home, car, health, whatever)
* car (servicing PLUS an allowance of $2K p/an for any repairs, oil, coolant, etc)
* food and cleaning products
* pets (including allowance for vet bills, worming etc tablets, flea collars, pet rego, etc)
* petrol
* train ticket (I have a yearly, so I need to save this year for next year's ticket IYKWIM)
* clothes
* memberships (gym, soccer, professional memberships, etc)
* entertainment (going out, alcohol, special food for when we have friends over, etc - that all comes out here so it doesn't sneak into our grocery money!)
* slush money for DH (this is SMALL and we also buy prezzies for each other out of this...)
* slush money for me
* uni (DH is studying, so his text books, his student fees, extra $$ for extra printer catridges, etc)
* medical (allowance of $$ for Drs, Dentist, medicine, the Pill, flu shots, whatever - based on the earlier years)
* Christmas (again, based on the earlier years, and increases/decreases based on whether we'll be earning more or less this year, ITMS)
* clothes
* savings (non negotiable in my household!)
* presents (allowance for the upcoming year based on how many weddings, engagements, 21sts, 30ths, etc we're anticipating, plus the standard mothers' day, fathers' day, our b'days, etc ... obviously, it's not an exact science, but we try to predict as much as we can! but doesn't include Christmas)
* ummmmmmmmmm ... I'm sure I'm forgetting some things - but you'll know what you're spending.

when DH and I got together, I sat down with him and went through this, and he was astounded on just how much he spent on some things, like food and books ... and cigarettes, but we've stopped that!

even if you don't go to the anal extremes I do of double entry bookkeeping with separate tabs for the different items and a total journal with all the "in" and "out" entries noted, it's a great start to see what comes in, what goes out, and where is there flab you can trim down ...

I hope this sounds empowering and not terrifying ... I really find it helps me!

on another matter - WELCOME TO MELBOURNE!!! Where abouts are you going to be based?