* Medical Insurance * 401(k) Contributions * HSA/FSA Contributions * Commuting Expenses * Auto Loan * Gas * Auto Insurance * Property Taxes (unless you rolled that into the mortgage) * Home owners insurance
All of that will easily chew up that 955 left a month. And, that doesn't even take into consideration a date night or two a month, and general keep me out of a depressive state stuff.
So that leaves the optional retirement and healthcare savings, plus commuting/gas (which may have some overlap.) And again I was going really high on the debt payoff estimates, groceries, and hopefully child care (though I have seen even worse.)
But yes if have student loans, but then choose to take on a car loan and a mortgage payment that stretches you thin, you start to have to choose between savings, debt pay off and fun things including eating out and more expensive forms of entertainment.
The snapshot isn't the complete picture, but they definitely look like they are in a perfectly reasonably situation, and they could have those optional debts paid down relatively quickly, which would massively ease up their budget.