Hey Folks, I realized that biggest hurdle towards my FIRE plans is my annual spend, currently at 170K+. As a first step I purchased Monarch Money to start digging into where/how I'm spending my money. Now thats done, I was hoping to get input on where folks think I might be overspending.

I have personally identified areas that I know I can optimize this year, but still want to gut check from other folks in similar situations and where they see similarities or deviations. For context - 3 person household (2 adults, one 7YO), living in MCOL (own condo), public school for kid

Note - below was summarized by Chatgpt using excel data, and also some amounts were rounded off.

Housing & Utilities

• Mortgage Payments: $25k
• Home Renovations: $20k
• Property Tax & Homeowner Insurance: $12k
• HOA Fees: $2k
• Internet & Cable: $2k
• Gas & Electric: $800
• House Cleaning: $1,400

Total Housing & Utilities: $63k

Food & Dining

• Groceries (including Meal Kit): $11k
• Restaurants & Bars: $14k
• Coffee Shops: $2k

Total Food & Dining: $28k

Child & Pet Expenses

• Child Care (summer camp, after school care): $8,600
• Child Activities: $3k
• Pet Care (medical, daycare, food): $3k

Total Child & Pet Expenses: $14k

Travel & Leisure

• Travel & Vacation: $19k
• Entertainment & Recreation: $6,800
• Fitness (personal trainer): $4,100
• Streaming Services: $1,200

Total Travel & Leisure: $31k

Shopping & Personal Expenses

• Electronics (77in OLED w/ 5 year warranty, 10+ sonos home speakers..) : $10k
• Shopping: $5k
• Clothing (including Rent Runway): $3k
• Personal Care: $2k

Total Shopping & Personal Expenses: $20k

Miscellaneous Expenses

• Amazon: $4,800
• Gifts (Christmas, Birthdays, Anniversary): $1,900
• Taxi & Ride Shares: $1,900
• Couple Therapy: $1,800
• VUL Life Insurance Payments: $3,400

Total Miscellaneous Expenses: $14K

Transportation

• Auto Insurance: $1000 (fixed typo)
• Gas (Transportation): $800

Total Transportation: $1,800