Location: San Jose, CA
Ages: She's 22, he's 27,
Career: She's a hairstylist and events coordinator; he's a librarian.
Married For: Two years
Financial Goals: They want to buy a house and, pretty soon, a baby!

Rent The average rent in San Jose is just over $1,200—so you might be overpaying a bit here (or you just have a super-nice pad!). Nowadays, landlords are eager to keep tenants, so the ball’s in your court: Ask him to knock off $100 or more before you re-sign your next lease. What can it hurt, right?
Saved: $100

Utilities Cut some costs by unplugging all of your gadgets, such as your cell phone, coffeemaker and laptops. One cell phone charger left plugged in each month costs about $2—hey, every penny counts!
Saved: $10

Groceries Okay, so $100 a week on groceries wouldn’t be so bad if you weren’t spending $50 a week eating out! When you grocery shop, bring a list with you and stick to it so you don’t end up buying items (read: chocolate pretzels) you don’t really need.
Saved: $100

Eating Out Hitting up your favorite restaurant every now and then is a treat—but not if you do it every week! Don’t give up date night; plan cheaper outings instead, like a romantic picnic in your local park.
Saved: $100

Sporting Events Pick two “must-see” games to buy a pair of tickets for this season (hey, we’re talking minor league here, no Sharks tickets on your budget!) and then get the hockey or baseball package on cable to catch up on the action.
Saved: $92

Clothes The next time you go out to buy clothes or accessories, make a mental note and leave the store empty-handed. If you’re still thinking about an item a few days later, then it might be worth getting. But chances are that most of those almost-purchases will be forgotten about by the time you’re in your car.
Saved: $50

Total Saved: $452 a month!

-- Caitlin Moscatello

Apr 07, 2009

See More: Money , Real Couples , Budgeting , Getting Out of Debt