Nicole, it sounds like it simply comes down to choice. You know what your fixed monthly costs are. You know what you take home each month. What’s left is simply what you choose to do with it. Do you want to fund your child’s education fund, save it, invest it? Or do you want to dine out, buy stuff, spend it on entertainment, etc. No one can decide that for you.
I find most people by nature are either spenders or savers. If you are a spender, than maybe you need to make it simple and agree with your husband to cut your eating out from twice a week to once a week. Starvation diets don’t work, they arent sustainable. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.