Student-loan borrowers are cutting back on home purchases and groceries to afford higher monthly payments. Matteo Della Torre/Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

Their surging student-loan payments are pushing them to slash their budgets and delay life milestones

Student-loan borrowers are cutting back on home purchases and groceries to afford higher monthly payments. Matteo Della Torre/Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI

Cristian Barcenas is getting ready to cut out date nights, food delivery, and Starbucks.

He graduated from the University of California, Fresno, in 2013 with a student-loan balance of about $65,000. Barcenas took out additional loans to pursue a master's degree, but left early to care for his father, who had cancer. His balance now stands at $127,000.

Barcenas, who works full time in sales in California, was making $105 monthly payments under the Biden-era SAVE repayment plan .…