I’m all for frugal living but folks need to be realistic.
If it were that easy to trim a thousand bucks or so off your spending on daily life- you’d likely be doing it already. And if what’s prevented you from saving big bucks in the past is- the fridge died. A kid needed braces. You discovered that your bifocals weren’t covered by your vision insurance. A kid needed a prescription for something and there was no generic version. I.e. real life. Don’t delude yourself that these things are going to change once your D starts college because those pesky expenses which throw off your savings plan are going to continue.
It’s great to say we’ll eat out less- but realistically- what are you talking about- cutting out $200 a month? Is that going to make the difference between a college that’s affordable and not affordable?
Not to be a Debbie Downer, but kids with anxiety disorders can crash and burn ten minutes from your home just as easily as ten hours from home. I think getting a handle on your D’s issues BEFORE she starts college might be a prudent thing to do- for her own self-confidence as much as for setting her up for academic and life success. Is there a reason she needs to start college in September? Maybe a year of working, therapy, some volunteer type activities to de-stress her could work as a gap year?