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A Week In New York City On A $124,000 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a consultant who makes $124,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a check leaf she thought she wouldn't have to buy again. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Consultant Industry: IT Age: 26 Location: NYC Salary: $124,000 Assets: Liquid: ~$25,000 cash across HYSA and CMA (brokerage-hosted cash management account). I have these separated into buckets: emergency fund (which is the biggest), vacation, taxes, etc. ~$325,000 in long-term investments across pre- and post-retirement accounts, which includes $170,000 in a taxable brokerage, $34,000 in a Roth IRA, $1,000 in a rollover IRA, $110,000 in a 401(k), and $14,000 in a HSA. I contribute to a company ESPP but recently I sold a bunch of shares in order to diversify my portfolio internationally and beef up my cash. I own no properties. Debt: None, other than a revolving credit card balance which I manage and pay off regularly. Paycheck Amount (Biweekly): $2,400 (but fluctuates depending on what is being expensed during that pay period). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: Currently I live in an apartment with one roommate. It's $1,952.49 for my portion of the rent, including a flat fee for the transaction. We split shared apartment items such as cleaning supplies, big furniture, and utilities — it's approximately $100-$130 per person for variable utilities split in a two-person apartment. Renter's Insurance was paid upfront for the year and split. Loan Payments: $0. I had $100,000 of student loans which I paid off. Phone Bill: $30 (my portion of a legacy family plan). House Supplies: $50. This is a budget for shared apartment items like cleaning and pantry items that my roommate and I share. Gym: $108. Subscriptions: $35. ~$20 of this is for Patreon personal development subscriptions. The rest is Apple music and Crunchyroll Fan. For these, I cycle subscriptions because I don't want to pay for too many at once. I also utilize free ad-based services like Tubi. Liquid Savings: $500. I have different savings buckets and reassess what I allocate every quarter depending on how my priorities change but I'm always contributing to my emergency fund. Investments: $500. This fluctuates depending on what I have leftover after debt, expenses, and savings. However I will contribute post-tax either to my brokerage or to my Roth IRA. Annual Expenses Botanic Garden Membership: $75 for the year for multiple gardens. Easily worth the initial outlay and it supports the garden. Renter's Insurance: $150 for a one-year quote (paid upfront because it was a better deal). Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Absolutely, this was a non-negotiable cultural and familial expectation. I am a second-generation immigrant; I earned my bachelor's in science. I am fortunate enough for my parents to have covered $100,000 of my total tuition, which amounted to two years. I was accountable for the last two years, which was another $100,000 of federal and private loans. Once I graduated, tackling those pesky high-interest private loans was top priority. I took full advantage of the six-month no-interest grace period for new graduates and the extended COVID-19 interest pause. I lived at home, worked, and adopted a super-aggressive payoff strategy. I told myself I would do nothing but work until I paid off these loans and sacrificed my social life for the most part. Having my priorities straight was essential to success. Through all four years of college, I worked part-time jobs to cover my lifestyle and food expenses. I am not one to regret over things that cannot be changed (and that's on growth), but if I could go back I would attend a different university and I would be much more strategic with my first two years. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Put simply, money was tight growing up. Growing up, my upbringing was not easy for many reasons — but everyday I am so grateful that my parents had good financial habits, especially since I was a big natural spender as a kid. They instilled solid habits early on (bank accounts, credit cards in high school, being frugal, etc.) but they approached money talks very differently. One parent shielded us from it completely, while the other laid everything out in excruciating detail. My sibling and I witnessed and overheard many arguments about money. I'm ultimately grateful for hearing the hard truth about our situation, but it instilled early fear around money. I was raised to live below my means, prioritize getting 'good jobs', and to adopt a sustainable lifestyle that helps the planet, not harms it. My family composts, recycles, reuses, reduces, and has never lived the life of overconsumption that is normalized today. I say this because only when I became independent did I fully see that a lot of people don't care about this, which is so sad to me. All of these remain constant in my lifestyle today, no matter what my income is. I have a core memory related to this question: fighting with one of my parents over my 401(k) contribution at my first job as a kid that offered a 401(k). I wanted to contribute less and keep more cash; they pushed for 10%, which was them settling with me. They won, begrudgingly for me (thankfully, they were the only people in the world as stubborn as me). Looking back I learned that money wasn't disappearing — it was being stored for future me to thrive. This was definitely the first seed that was planted that made me the saver I am today. Another big money lesson is related to mindset. Over time, I developed a mindset where money felt more important than anything else: not out of greed, but out of survival and insecurity. I truly believed that my mental health could take the hit if it meant making financial progress or securing financial opportunity, because I could recover from anything due to my strength and resilience. That belief served me for a while… Until it didn't. I eventually learned (the very hard way) that mental health is the foundation. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was as a waitress at a small local restaurant as soon as I was of age. I was looking to make some cash to cover my own spending and anything fun I wanted instead of solely relying on my parents. Did you worry about money growing up? Absolutely. I mentioned money was a contentious topic. Another unexpected contributor to money concerns was school. My parents made a lot of sacrifices in order to get us into a great school. But I was constantly made aware and was self-conscious of how different our socioeconomic status was to others. We lived in a strong school district which was full of super rich families. And I mean rich. McMansion rich. Luxury cars at 16 once they got their driver's permit, an array of designer bags to school everyday rich. We were in different worlds in more ways than just money. But I do remember stepping into someone's McMansion for the first time in my life and being flabbergasted by how someone would have such tall ceilings and that much space, though I kept it off my face. Hopefully. Probably not. Now this is all kind of funny because luxury couldn't impress me less. Do you worry about money now? Ever since an income stream went really wrong, yes, although I try not to. It's a pattern I'm trying to break. I'm a natural over-analyzer and worrier, and I've lived through enough hardship to know that nothing is guaranteed. No matter how lucrative or promising any person's success is, historical success does not guarantee future wins. The mighty rise and the mighty fall and the arrogant and apathetic tend to get eaten up for breakfast. Consulting and tech has been super unstable as well. My company has had more than 10 rounds of layoffs (and counting) which fuelled money fears, but I've focused on gratitude and an abundance mindset around the fact that I still have my job and have the ability to control my miscellaneous expenses. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I have two answers. Mid-college, once I was responsible for my tuition, and then two years ago, after I started living on my own. The gap in between I was living at home. But reaching full independence involved a lot of personal work. It took a few years of confronting and changing my self-centered financial habits and systematically cutting out things I relied on them for. Yes I do now, to the second question. When I was living at home I couldn't invest in emergency savings and also pay down my student loan debt. So I prioritized building that bucket after I moved out. Recently I finally had a fully-funded emergency savings pot. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No inherited income, but I did have a passive income stream… that I didn't fully understand. It was promising at first, but it blew up fast. The aftermath was as ugly as it was situationally inevitable and holistically necessary for my growth. I went through a breakup, lost my entire friend group (a toxic one, so definitely for the best) and my best friend, and ended up in massive debt. The emotional fallout was tough, but the financial one was the most difficult. What came after sent me into the lowest period of my life thus far. I had made good money early on for a short time in exchange for years of deep suffering, constant fear, and borderline financial ruin. This period shattered my old beliefs. I confronted how fragile mental health actually is, how it should never be taken for granted, and how without it, other things pale in comparison. Because my mental health did recover… Five years later, this year, when I finally let go of some of the last residual trauma. I still carry the scars from that time, but I came out of it as such a wise and realized version of me, with stronger habits and a clearer sense of self. Day One: Thursday 7 a.m. — Day one of a new project so I'm up bright and early. I was placed on this project with just one day's notice, but that's the nature of consulting. Still it's rough because starting today I'm adjusting to an entirely new routine, which means my sleep is taking a heavy hit — so yes I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. Still, I am excited for the opportunity to build a normalized routine again. 7:11 a.m. — My day starts with a simple morning routine and breakfast. I make my favorite iced coffee at home (condensed milk, espresso from my Breville Bambino Plus, milk. My take on Vietnamese coffee. 10/10) and eat a half-meal of just an egg fry. I put on makeup, spray some perfume, and I start my commute, apprehensive about entering the rush hour commute. $2.90 (Expensed) 8:45 a.m. — Special entry for this train ride because wow. It's a line I usually never have to take and all of the rush-hour crowds and their moms are out. If there's one thing I hate it's being shoved in a metal tube like a can of sardines with no personal space. No amount of my love of big city living will change this. I occupy myself with some music. My choice for this morning is Frank Ocean's 'Super Rich Kids'. Every time I listen to this song I low-key feel like the main character in a movie. 9 a.m. —- I get to the office I'll be at for the next month. I get my badge, meet the office managers, and get a tour of the office. I'm surprised by how intimate the office is, size wise, and how impressive the amenities are. This role is in finance so I'm excited to see how this industry works behind the curtain. 10 a.m. — I'm oriented to the office for the most part. I have a desk! I spend some time looking at the place. I find that this office has an array of drinks, snacks, and optional building amenities that no one else seems to care about. I'm talking about the big brand stuff — the cold brew, Gatorades, all of the flavors of seltzer, sodas, you name it. Every random type of potato chip and tiny milk chocolate bites that I will definitely grab way too many of while I'm in this office. I love to explore a new place and note my favorite corners. 12 p.m. — A big plus about this project is that I get a full lunch hour, and I use it. This office is in Midtown Manhattan so I decided earlier on to spend my lunch break outside. I buy lunch out at the salad bowl place next door to the office. Honestly I'm not that impressed, but food is food. Because it's my first day, I didn't want to meal prep while also adjusting to a very different sleep schedule. I'm big on making my life as easy as possible for 'future-me' both physically and mentally. So I enjoy half of my lunch at a local park and sit in the sun. $16.65 5:15 p.m. — My first day comes and goes. It was a fairly light day. Another big plus of this project is that I get to leave the office at a set time. Having set hours like this is pretty rare for consulting so I'm cheery and enjoying this while it lasts. I leave my building and stop by Trader Joe's. I track my expenses weekly and last week was super expensive for take-out spend because I neglected grocery shopping and didn't have as much time or energy to cook. Eager to do better, I pick up some essentials and good-to-haves. I focus on my grocery list: just necessities that contribute to big recipes (easy breakfasts and my next weekly meal prep). I'm proud of myself as I leave the store because I didn't pick up any of those delicious novelty temptation snacks waiting for you at each corner. $30.65 6:05 p.m. — I take the train back home and am absolutely bombarded by rush hour traffic. As I hinted at, I'm an introvert and rush hour on the train is particularly overstimulating for me. By the time I get back I am drained. I'm supposed to meal prep but I throw my stuff down, change, and leave the house. $2.90 (Expensed) 6:30 p.m. — Whenever I feel drained I opt for a quick reset in nature. My go-to is the nearest botanical garden if it's open, followed by Prospect or Central Park — whichever is closer. I spend some time walking around and soaking in the rolling meadows, trees with so much life in them, and picturesque views, feeling my battery recharge almost immediately. I paid for the annual membership already, so no cost to enter. 7:15 p.m. — The rest of the evening is a full reset. I find a recipe for a replica Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl which tastes phenomenal. It takes some time to prepare each of the individual pieces (marinate and cook the veggies, sweet potatoes, chicken) but it's well worth it. This is my lunch for the week. I spend some time preparing for tomorrow today (what I call PTT). I choose my outfit for tomorrow (Artizia pants, Cotton On T-shirt, Everlane blazer) and pack my purse (Freja Paloma). Then I shower, journal, and spend the rest of the night turning in early (aka, I stay in bed and watch The Apothecary Diaries. Don't @ me!) Daily Total: $47.30 Day Two: Friday 8 a.m. — Today is Friday! Make no mistake: I snoozed my alarm twice. Clearly I'm still trying to adjust to the new schedule. I'm one of those people who wishes I was a morning person but totally accepts the fact that I'm not. Miss me with the 5 a.m. days! I get out of bed, wash my face with my standard routine (face wash — this one is Vanicream, super gentle and simple — and sunscreen. Usually I use Banana Boat which ran out so I have a Supergoop to finish up), and make a quick breakfast. I whip up a parfait of sorts with honey Greek yogurt, frozen mango and berries, and apple-flavored granola. Of course I make my iced coffee because no morning is complete without it. This project is in the office five days a week so I have to commute today. $2.90 (Expensed) 9 a.m. — I'm stirring in my seat in the office because I'm a bit anxious. I need to leave the office early today to see my dentist and see my accountant to start my taxes. They are back home (where my parents live), which means they are not quickly accessible to me, but the commute is worth it to me because I trust them, and I am not willing to undergo a hunt to replace them. This means I have to take some time off for the afternoon and leave work. My company-side team lead is cool with it but I still need to give the client-side office manager a heads up. I am a bit stressed about this because it's a brand new project and this is my first week. 11:30 a.m. — Everything works out with leaving early today! I heave a sigh of relief. I also get some great news from the client office manager that Fridays are super slow so I can leave early and WFH on Friday afternoons. Yay for me! It's so nice to hear, because who wants to be in an office at 5 p.m. on a Friday? 12 p.m. — I leave the office with some office snacks in hand. I don't reach for Gatorade and Doritos on a regular basis but there is something magical about eating them for free — it makes them so much more appealing. I take the train out of New York and then a bus. $12.10 1:30 p.m. — After the train and bus I have to take an Uber to get from the bus station to my parents' place. $12.98 2 p.m. — I make it back to Mom and Dad's. I have some time before I have to leave for the dentist. so I tour the house, making sure everything is intact (you know, no broken ceilings, leaks, robbers, squatters, or giant bugs that'll sneak up on me at night). I water my mom's plants and put away some dishes. 2:30 p.m. — After giving the house an OK I leave. Driving after being in the city used to be a weird adjustment but I've gotten used to it (though I hate driving). The dentist visit goes smoothly. Then comes the accountant visit. I've been asked why I don't just do my own taxes since mine aren't complex and the answer is because of that passive income hustle experience. One major part of the aforementioned aftermath was the total nightmare that was tax time. I had promised myself, as a motivator to push through, that once I got through this I would outsource my taxes to an accountant. It's been WORTH IT, plus I adore my accountant. After some confusion with this year's taxes, we get it done — it turns out I have some extra tasks to complete when I'm back in New York. 5 p.m. — I'm finally done with appointments and my mouth is slightly numb. I spent a little more time than needed staring at the lopsidedness in the mirror of the car, but all of it is done and I feel great. I go back to my parents' place to unwind. I'm working on enjoying the moment, so I choose to not rush to leave. I end up reflecting on how different life is here versus in the city. This is a quiet home in a quiet neighborhood. It's a house — not a tiny pre-war New York apartment. As I eat a bowl of strawberry cereal I ruminate over how I actually love living in a walking city. (Side note: Remember PTT, my principle of planning for tomorrow today? Yeah, well, past-me knew that I would probably be back at my parents' soon and left future-me one of my favorite childhood breakfasts: strawberry cereal — the one from Special K which now only has a quarter of a strawberry in it, but who's counting? The amount of self-love I feel in this moment is incredible.) 6 p.m. — When I'm ready I book another Uber to get to the bus station for my commute back. As I start the journey I lament about not being able to stay all weekend, but know that it is necessary and no one else is here anyway so there's no point in staying. I may have a bill for the dentist so I make a mental note to check, but do not know if I do yet. $15.92 7:30 p.m. — One bus and train later and I'm back in New York. I'm exhausted when I get back and turn in for the day to prepare for tomorrow. I take a hot shower while blasting Kendrick Lamar and SZA ('30 For 30'!!). Later I dread the thought of cooking dinner; I don't like to cook but I need to survive, which is why I meal prep like anyone's business. I end up making air-fried roasted veggies with some light seasonings (highly recommend an air fryer compared to an oven, saves on gas!) and enjoy some smoky vanilla black tea for the night. $12.10 Daily Total: $53.10 Day Three: Saturday 9:30 a.m. — It's the weekend and I couldn't be more excited. For one I don't need to wake up at the buttcrack of dawn today. As I lay in bed I do a body scan and realize I need R&R after the back-to-back changes to routine, so I make today about slow movement and feeling good. I start my day by recharging before the cleaning bug hits me. Honestly I love a good deep clean. It's restorative. I believe my outer world reflects my inner world so I keep my environment organized and clean. It helps me stay grounded when my space reflects the peace that I want out of life. I should be getting ready to leave but instead I find myself throwing my bedsheets in the washer, fluffing out my duvet, wiping down my desk and kitchen surfaces, and sweeping. 10 a.m. — Recently I realized I need to enjoy life more and change things up for the better. I resolved to learn to enjoy cooking by mastering the basics and finding a few staple dishes. Most times when I say I don't like a certain activity it's because I'm bad at it. Today I tried to make three-ingredient (or so) pancakes with some of my sourdough starter. I add frozen mixed berries AND chocolate chips because otherwise it wouldn't be a breakfast pancake (duh). It was a huge success! 10:50 a.m. — I leave the apartment and pay for the train to take me to my first mystery destination. It's sunny with a breeze that brings the weather to a brisk spring vibe. I opted for my favorite Pirouette skirt from Popflex (absolutely addicted to this brand!) and a large white knit sweater that I got from a Brooklyn stoop sale. $2.90 11:15 a.m. — I get some personal work done at a new cafe I've never tried. There's broad windows, lightwashed stone architecture, and nature everywhere. I choose a tiny nook that's encased by the largest Monstera leaves I've ever seen. Then I buy a specialty iced coffee (dulce de leche!?) and enjoy the warmth of the sun. I have some finance tracking and net worth tracking to review (my favorite time of the month!), as well as general end of month retrospecting, shadow work, personal finance writing, and all of those little tasks that built up from my tax session. I spend a lot of time in this place, get a lot done, and bookmark this spot to return to later. Nothing feels as fulfilling as getting a lot of stuff done and the reward/post-glow of being productive (yes, I'm a Capricorn). $6.53 1:20 p.m. — I leave once I begin to feel brain-fried. I walk around until I stumble by a pier near the water that outlooks the New York skyline and spend some time enjoying the views. Rather impulsively, I stop by an ice cream place that I've never been to and enjoy a blue jasmine passionfruit swirl (!?) ice cream cone. Buying overpriced ice cream is one of those things I'd never normally do, but I received a discount and today is a day where I'm doing meaningful things for myself I wouldn't normally do. It's so delicious and I choose to sit down in front of the water and enjoy it in the moment instead of rushing to the next destination which was worth a lot more than the ice cream alone. 10/10. $5 2:25 p.m. — My day is not over yet — I am spending most of it outside. Personally I am so sad to see the 'death of free spaces' happening everywhere, but particularly in New York. I work really hard during the week and in general, so I really value having time to reset in solitude, in nature, and ultimately to not have to pay to vibe and exist. But it's not about the money — it's about the experience. I end up stopping by one of the New York Libraries and end up admiring the architecture instead of checking out a book. Support your local library! 4 p.m. — I stop by another coffee shop with a friend and buy a coffee. No surprise there. I love exploring new coffee shops as a major coffeeholic. I look for unique aesthetics but also a good working vibe and comfort factor and most of all, delicious and quality coffee. There's a lot of spots in the city that sell terrible quality coffee and charge you for $10 just because the aesthetic is great, which is wild to me. All of the coffee spots I go to are locally owned and ethically sourced so I enjoy it guilt-free, sort of. $8 7 p.m. — I take a train back to my apartment ($2.90). I realize that my roommate and I are low on quite a few things, starting with kitchen stuff. I have some time so I pick up some oil and vinegar from the nearby store and split the cost ($10 for my share). $12.90 9 p.m. — Once I'm home I have to set my bed back up. I do my skincare routine which I keep simple (double cleanse with Josie Maran oil cleanser and Vanicream cleanser, sometimes I apply chemical exfoliant toner, then Laneige water mask and lip balm), brush and floss my teeth, and read my book of choice for the month. I'm reading Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins which is a page-turning read. I watch another anime — this time it is a romcom because I'm in a mood and the protagonist is relatable af (Kaichou wa Maid-sama, anyone? Where are my OGs?!). I watch this much longer than I should and end up falling asleep after midnight. No regrets. Daily Total: $35.33 Day Four: Sunday 9 a.m. — Wake up naturally today and lounge in bed for awhile. I bought a new duvet cover this month which has been incredible. It's the Quince sateen duvet cover in the clay color and it's breathable and comfortable. For some reason the first thing I remember to do is to finalize some plans with other people, so I pay for an event I am going to attend next weekend from my phone. Then I sign up for next month's Meetup club. It's a career networking event that I adore, and it's a lot less stuffy than your average networking event. I leave my bedroom at last and wash up via my morning routine and then prepare my breakfast. Of course I make my standard coffee and then I prepare an avocado toast with brioche bread, hummus, and an egg on top, plus various Trader Joe's seasonings. $10 2 p.m. — I take the train and a transfer to get to a different part of the city for a workout class (I prepaid for it through a ClassPass trial for $5). This one is a lifting-based strength class called Liftonic and I surprisingly love it. For the rest of the day I walk around the city as if I have the biggest wedgie because I'm that sore, but it's a growing pain. $10.80 5 p.m. — I get home to refresh and get ready to meet friends for a comedy show at one of my favorite local bars. I put on a pair of straight-leg jeans and a cute tank top with a light optional layer on top. This comedy show features a local millennial comic speaking to us for an hour about her experiences growing up broke in New York and she really bonds with the audience. The entire show is themed around the Asian immigrant experience and it's a riot. We have a lot of fun and I spend extra time here alone afterwards to unwind. I order my favorite things: a specialty hot dog with ketchup, mustard, and jalapenos and a basket of fries with the skin on and garlic aioli on the side. Then I whip out my laptop to free-write and read. $26 Daily Total: $46.80 Day Five: Monday 8 a.m. — Back to the grind! Picked out my work outfit last night. This time I'm wearing an Australian merino wool grey cardigan from Quince, heavyweight black pants from Aritzia, and a teal high-neck tank top from Old Navy. Then I start my commute to work. I'm blindsided by train delays and a packed train, which dampens my start to the day. I enjoy maple oatmeal when I get to the office, since I didn't have time to eat. $2.90 (Expensed) 10 a.m. — I randomly remember that I still need to pay my accountant and I quickly get that done. $150 12 p.m. — During lunch I head outside with my food in hand. Today I packed some fresh fruit (blackberries, strawberries, and green grapes) with the idea of sitting at a local park. I get a random craving for a pumpkin spice chai which is pretty tragic for me, because it's spring in New York (if I could, I would splurge on the best at-home coffee and tea setup). I settle in with my book and spend half an hour by the water reading and watching a family of ducks wander across the pond. 5 p.m. — After work I head to the bank; I try to keep cash on hand constantly in singles to give to people in need as I navigate the city. Plus I need to get a single check in order to pay a specific tax — they throw in an envelope which makes my life easier but I leave mildly confused about why a single temp check costs something. $31.50 6 p.m. — I deal with some tax and money stuff I've been putting off. But I have a happy hour later, so I figure now is a better time than any to rip off the bandaid. I spent the past year saving for tax time, anticipating and dreading a huge bill due because of NYC taxes. To my pleasant surprise it was much better than I anticipated, but I still owe. I use the money I had 'left' to max out my Roth IRA in 2024. $1,600 7 p.m. — I head to a bar after work for a small social/happy hour. I'm buzzing over the happy news I got about what I owe for tax season. I get a mojito that had so much muddled mint it made my soul happy. I unexpectedly make a new connection at this social and we bond — and debate — over Gilmore Girls. We agree vehemently that it's great but she's shocked by how I stopped watching mid-way and refuse to pick it up again. In my defense, this is when Rory starts to go downhill. Little does this girl know that I have some of the biggest hot takes (or so I'm told) when it comes to media and I own them. I just don't see a point in agonizing over a series of Rory's bad choices so I don't, and it'll pain me to watch it happen. Still, I have a good time with this girl and she happily confirms all of the spoilers I thought I knew. $8 10 p.m. — I take the train back to my home area and wrap up my day there. I spend some time on a walk and jump on a phone call with a friend and others. $2.90 (Expensed) Daily Total: $1,789.50 Day Six: Tuesday 8:45 a.m. — I head out on my work commute, more frazzled than usual because my phone died overnight and I am running behind schedule. I didn't have time to eat breakfast but bless past-me, she made espresso ahead of time so that I only had to put the ingredients of my favorite coffee together. Then to my massive annoyance, the train makes an emergency stop and I am stuck for 20 more minutes. I'm big on reputation and commitment; if I said I would be somewhere I want to follow through on that and it stresses me out when I don't. $2.90 (Expensed) 10:30 a.m. — The start to my morning was rough. I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open — but breakfast is served at the office, which is a pick-me-up. It's late, but I enjoy a hearty bagel that's as big as my mouth. Without going into details on the client, I'm texting a friend who is super excited about the fact that I am surrounded by an ecosystem of super successful (and eccentric) partners as well as 'men in finance'. I think she wants me to have a meet-cute. There's a weird mythologizing of this world that I don't really get, especially after some of the things I've overheard while being here. 12 p.m. — I am productive through the morning and spend my lunch break outside. For whatever reason I'm not hungry and decide to get a coffee instead as a treat. I enjoy a butterscotch latte with a few regrets (it was too milky for my tastes — a classic flat white is usually my go-to here). I enjoy it nonetheless and sit outside in a beautiful area to people watch. $8.71 3:30 p.m. — It's terribly slow in the office and sitting at my desk watching paint dry feels horrible. I have ADHD and tend to get stir-crazy so I get up and explore the building. I find a lower floor which has a nice decked-out lounge. A coffee corner, pool tables, TVs, areas to sit, a gym (!?), luxurious shower/bathroom, and my favorite, the reading corner. I realize it makes sense given that most people have to work super late and early days, sometimes weekends. But I swear, the book nook is like a dream. It's nothing spectacular, it's literally a single book shelf with a coffee table and a lounging chair in the corner of the lounge with the cutest little details like a fur rug and rose quartz coasters. But it's in a private nook, cordoned off by a giant pillar of the wall. The lounge chair is deep and the back is to the pillar, so it's private, and the books available are top notch. I find Viola Davis' Finding Me and a book about military strategy tactics by Jocko Willink which grabs my attention. Yes, the introvert in me is in heaven right now. 5 p.m. — I take the train to Manhattan from my office to meet someone for wine tonight. Along the way there's this antique bookstore that claims to sell rare books — I finally relent and stop by. $2.90 (Expensed) 6 p.m. — I meet a new friend (hopefully) at a new wine bar that opened up recently. We met at that career event I attended. We really hit it off there and bonded over our shared experiences so we agreed to meet and continue the conversation. Part of the event was all about sharing our personal stories and how we got to where we are, and the two of us shared similar stories of what we've survived, such as family and culture dynamics and abusive relationships. Individually we told snippets of our story from a place of how far we've come and grown and we both had a moment after we speak. We met eyes and we both just got each other — so I'm happy to have an opportunity to talk with her again, but I just want to get to know her more as a person. We're blown away by the place and the intentional decor, by the super kind barista who gave us way too many samples of wine, and we share laughs about how to eat this giant artichoke. When we're done, I commute back to my home area. $44.90 Daily Total: $53.61 Day Seven: Wednesday 8 a.m. — Morning commute to the office after my morning routine. This time I woke up before my alarm! From the last two days I have learned quite a few ways to create a pleasant morning. Like, there is a certain time I should start my commute to barely miss the commute crowd. I've also learned to prep my lunch and coffee the night before to help minimize the impulsive snack purchases for coffee in the morning. I opt to eat oatmeal in the office with a glass of chamomile tea. Today it's a rare perfect weather day so I try out my new maxi skirt from Quince — it's a pretty sage color and has tiers. I pair it with a basic white long sleeve and a Quince merino wool pullover (clearly I am a Quince girlie) and head out. $2.90 (Expensed) 11 a.m. — While I'm at work, my roommate texts to let me know they've done a big restock of home and kitchen essentials. We were low on everything, including toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, and trash bags, among others. They've got everything we need this time, since they are working from home, and we split the cost. $36.71 12 p.m. — I make a good chunk of cash selling my Freja Paloma tote that I no longer want. It's just too bulky for my personal tastes — it suits me perfectly but I feel like I'm knocking into other people on the train with it. Plus I want a tote that is one pound lighter at least, so that I can stuff it full and not feel like my shoulder is coming off by the end of the day. So I make a quick escape to meet up with the person to sell it. I'm so relieved to have the item gone because it was taking up space, and clutter is a pet peeve of mine — that's why every quarter I do a massive spring clean. Thankfully the buyer agreed to meet me near my office so that I can return to work. 5 p.m. — I take a train from work to end my working day, but not without grabbing a muffin as my commuting snack. $2.90 (Expensed) 7 p.m. — I decide to try another new workout class (pre-paid earlier this month through Classpass trial for $5); this one is some hybrid of cardio and HIIT which makes me regret all of my life choices after I leave that sweaty room. There's this one girl who is jumping from station to station in cute workout gear; she's breaking a sweat but she doesn't look too pressed at all in terms of exertion. I admire her physical stamina after the class and think about what I can do to bring myself to a level similar to that. Then I grab a quick dinner with a friend at a local cafe that specializes in Jamaican food. $14.35 8:20 p.m. — I jump on a phone call with my parents, who I haven't talked to for a while. We catch up and stay on the phone for an hour — they tell me more about the hot weather in the area they're in currently (out of state) and we talk about the most random things, from new perfumes my mom was looking at as a treat for herself to new recipes I should or shouldn't cook. Little does my mom know that I secretly bookmark the perfumes she lists so that I can buy her one for her birthday coming up soon. (Spoiler alert: Outside of this weekly review, future-me surprises mom on her birthday with a large sized perfume and she cries happy tears.) She's my person (Grey's Anatomy!) and my favorite human in this world. She's also just the best person I've ever known — ethics, morals, a heart of gold, good intentions, you name it. She's the one who instilled a highly sustainable lifestyle into me. Every time I don't recycle or waste something needlessly, I think about her. I make a cup of my favorite honey lemon ginger tea and curl up with a book beforehand. $22 The Breakdown Conclusion 'As I look at this a few weeks later, I can think of so many ways my situation has changed. This project ended, my routine is different again because I'm not commuting into the office everyday, and I'm apartment hunting. I enjoyed this exercise because I'm working on coming out of my shell and sharing more of my story. I've already been tracking my expenses for a few years now so this is nothing new. I have a personalized finance dashboard where I track every expense as well as monthly and annual reviews and an onslaught of other features. Looking at how I've done historically and visually seeing my progress has been the biggest motivator to keep making the tough choices with my money. I'm not surprised by my food and drink spending, and recently I've resolved to cut it in half. I can afford it but I refuse to accept it. I hope to pour that money into health, experiences, and my future. This reflection and apartment hunting made me realize that I want to be more free and less bound by stuff so I've been on a spring cleaning rampage. and I've sold at least $700 in items in my effort to spring clean. By cutting out spending and physical clutter where I don't need it, I hope I can free up mental and physical energy to pursue things that really matter. But I love to write and really enjoyed this exercise, and am curious personally as to how I could continue to do stuff like this, such as blogging — if people would want to dive into that with me, of course.'
Refinery29
2 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Corporate Finance Adviser On £75,000
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny. Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. This week: 'I am a 29-year-old corporate finance advisor working in consultancy in London. I have been working for five years. I love saving and investing and I'm always on the lookout to grow my pot of money. I try to live below my means and have a frugal lifestyle but I still do remind myself to enjoy myself and to live my 'rich life' as described by Ramit Sethi. I do work a lot, so I constantly focus on having a healthy lifestyle to minimise the impact from staying up late and sitting down all day! I also love learning new things such as languages and sports to keep my life interesting." Occupation: Corporate finance adviser Industry: Financial Services Age: 29 Location: London Salary: £75,000 + bonus (have not been very good recently, unfortunately). Paycheque Amount: £4,650 Number of housemates: Five housemates Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing costs: £1,000. Loan payments: No loan payments. Savings?: Approximately a £100,000, where 20% is in a stock and shares ISA and the rest is across a Cash ISA, fixed rate deposits, regular-saving accounts and easy access bank accounts. Pension? I have a pension and pays 5% into it where my employer matches 3%. Utilities: Utilities are included in rent. All other monthly payments: £10 for SIM only, £45 for gym membership. No other subscriptions — avoid, avoid, avoid. Did you participate in any form of higher education? Yes, I completed my bachelor's in accounting and finance in the UK and my parents paid for it. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Money was talked a lot about in our household. My parents were very frugal and were good at saving money. They also shared with us the investments they made. They have both made and lost money. My parents encouraged us to save and invest our money at a young age. My first investment that my mother recommended actually lost money, but I guess we had to start from somewhere! If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house? I moved out when I came to the UK to study when I was 18 years old. What was your first job and why did you get it? My very first job was as an auditor. It was my dream to qualify as a chartered accountant and work for a large corporation in London. When I first stepped into Canary Wharf, I vowed to work there upon graduation and was very happy I made it. Do you worry about money now? Yes and no. I feel like I am at a stage where I feel more comfortable, but I worry about money for the future especially with London being so expensive. I worry if it is enough to buy a home and start a family especially with the living cost constantly going up. I worry about childcare costs and providing a comfortable life to my children. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? No. Day One 6 a.m. — My alarm rings. This is pretty early for me. I usually wake up at 7 a.m. but late last night my client sent over some comments and I was too tired to solve them so I decided to head to office earlier today in order to get a head start. 6:30 a.m. — After freshening up, I am out the door and get the bus to work, £1.75. I love where I live because I can get the bus to work! 7:15 a.m. — I head to my desk and heat up some oats for breakfast. I love something warm in the morning! I also get an energy bar and a banana from the kitchen pantry. 7:30 a.m. — Power on my laptop and go through the email from the client. It was not as straightforward as I thought. I put on a pop song playlist from YouTube and concentrate on finishing the comments. 12:30 p.m. — All this brain power is making me hungry so I quickly heat up the rice with pan-fried chicken and veggies I brought in. I usually meal prep on Sunday for lunch for the week. I also add some kimchi on the side! Very economical and also ensures I am eating the nutrients I need. 5:30 p.m. — I've managed to solve them and breathe a sigh of relief. I realise I am feeling stiff so start stretching. This is not good as I can feel my back ache creeping in. I mentally note that I need to go for a swim soon. Swimming really helps with back ache. Does wonders really! 6:30 p.m. — Time to leave work. On the way home, I quickly arrange dinner with my friend in the next few days. I have got a voucher to spend, so I want to treat her as she has been a really good friend to me. Bus fare is £1.75. 7:45 p.m. — I quickly whip up a noodle dish for dinner! A one pot/pan dish is my favourite! Less cleaning and quick! I made my own meatballs by rolling some coriander, mincemeat and seasonings together! 9:30 p.m. — Checked my emails and realised I have work call tomorrow at 9am and there is a file required to be shared to the client straight after the call. I quickly sit down at my desk and sort it out. It is not a hard one, but I am starting to feel tired. 10:30 p.m. — I completed it, so I start to wind down for bed by watching an episode of Friends. 11:30 p.m. — Lights off. Total: £3.50 Day Two 6:45 a.m. — My alarm rings and I'm conscious I have a work call at 9 a.m. I promptly leave for the office. 7:15 a.m. — On the bus, £1.75. I get a reminder that my tennis centre opens its bookings today! I check the website, but the listing is not up. Made a mental note to look at lessons later. 8:15 a.m. — I quickly make my usual oat breakfast and quickly check over the work I did last night. I continue working throughout the day and have my usual lunch. 4 p.m. — I check the weather and see that the weather on the weekend will be lovely. I quickly drop a text to my friend whether she is up for a parkrun. I have signed up for a 5km run in July and whilst I am currently doing strength training, my stamina for running is ter-ri-ble! She agrees immediately — whoopie! 6:30 p.m. — Feeling happy as my project is almost finalised. It has been a long ride but one more email to go! 6:45 p.m. — Quickly head over to a Japanese udon restaurant for dinner with friends as there is a buy-one-get-one-free offer! Dinner comes to £6.50. My friends and I always love a good deal. We eat and catch up on our day. 8:30 p.m. — We decide to part ways and I take the bus home, £1.75. 9:30 p.m. — I freshen up and wind down for bed. 11 p.m. — Realise I forgot to book my tennis lessons today and quickly navigate to the website! The intermediate class is already full which is a shame, but their beginners still has space. I quickly sign up and the classes are £170 for 12 lessons, starting next month. Feeling satisfied, I head to bed. Total: £180 Day Three 7:30 a.m. — I don't have calls this morning so I wake up slightly later and get the bus to work, £1.75. 8:55 a.m. — This morning I decide to have a multigrain drink which has many different kinds of grains like black bean, soybean, barley, black and white sesame seed etc. It is supposed to be healthy (and it tastes healthy if you know what I mean). I supplement it with a banana and orange from the office pantry. 9:05 a.m. — I begin shooting off emails for work. 11:30 a.m. — I have been having lunch at my desk for the last couple of days and feel the need to socialise. I message my friend in another department for lunch. 12:30 p.m. — Q didn't bring lunch, so I join her for a walk to a supermarket to get a sandwich. 1:30 p.m. — We part ways and head straight back to work. My project lead tells me to me to take it easy as I have been working hard and there is nothing urgent to do for now. 4:30 p.m. — Feeling extremely tired, I head home early. It's been a while since I walked out of the office in the light. Feeling like I should continue to always appreciate life and not take it for granted as the days are slipping away. On the bus, I book a swimming session at my local pool for later in the evening, £1.75. 6:30 p.m. — I walk over to my local pool and swim, £6.15. 8 p.m. — Feeling all relaxed, I head home and made dinner. Noodles again with homemade meatballs. 9:30 p.m. — Feeling relaxed and tired, I go to bed promptly. Total: £9.65 Day Four 6:50 a.m. — I wake up early this morning to go to the gym. I walk over to my local gym and lift some weights. I am glad that I feel stronger afterwards, but the gym was packed and I wonder if I should come earlier next time. 8:20 a.m. — I arrive home after my gym session and quickly make a cup of tea and some fruit for breakfast. 9 a.m. — Working from home today. I start work and a colleague of mine is looking for a volunteer for another project. I volunteer as I really want to work with this colleague. 12 p.m. — At lunch time, I realise I have run out of food and decide to have curry instant noodles. Don't give me the side eyes! I do crave them once in a while. Whilst having lunch, I ring my dad and chat to him about my week and his. 1 p.m. — I head back to work. Nothing too intense today and I log off on time. 6:30 p.m. — My friend, K who I was supposed to take out for dinner tonight messages me to say she can't make it anymore as she was stuck at work! I quickly ring another friend, J and ask if she would like to join me. Luckily, she is available. I get ready and take the tube to the restaurant, £2.90. 7:30 p.m. — I meet J at the restaurant which looks fancier that I thought! We order three mains to share. We chat about life as usual as we eat. 9:30 p.m. — The bill came and after the voucher, my part was £7.50. We part ways and I head home, £1.75 for the bus. 10:30 p.m. — Once home, I promptly prepare to go to bed as I have my parkrun tomorrow. Total: £12.15 Day Five 7 a.m. — I wake up early as I want to speak to my parents before my parkrun. 8 a.m. — I meet my friend, C at the bus stop and we head to the park together, £1.75. We catch up beforehand but she is a frequent runner, so I tell her to just leave me if I slow her down. 9:15 a.m. — I start regretting signing up for this run! So out of breath! 9:30 a.m. — Just as I wanted to give up, an older lady who has been running mostly behind me starts to overtake. I just kept telling myself if she can do it, I can do it. I just make sure I am a few steps behind her. 9:45 a.m. — I finish it! I thought I was going to take an hour. I go looking for my friend before I really do pass out. 10:45 a.m. — C and I part ways at the bus stop as I want to go grocery shopping, £3. I arrive at the local farmer's market to do my shop, £25. 12 p.m. — Arrive home. I struggle to walk up the stairs because my knees are in pain. This is what happens when you push yourself too much! 2 p.m. — I spend the rest of the day reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg and doing household chores. 6 p.m. — I make kimchi stew and rice with some vegetable for dinner. The market had really nice strawberries today so that is my dessert. 8 p.m. — I continue watching my Netflix series. 10:30 p.m. — Have an early night. Total: £29.75 Day Six 9 a.m. — Unfortunately, my knee is not feeling all that better however, I decide to still head to church on the bus, £1.75. 10 a.m. — Service ends and I chat to friends. 1 p.m. — We all go out to have pizza for lunch, £10. 2:30 p.m. — Conscious about my knee, I excuse myself after lunch and head home and rest, £1.75. 5:30 p.m. — I start to prep for my lunch for next week. I make fried rice. 6 p.m. — Once my lunch for the week is prepped, I heat up my leftover kimchi stew from yesterday for dinner. As there wasn't much, I make a spring onion pancake alongside it! 9 p.m. — After dinner, I wind down and started getting ready for bed and promptly fall sleep after a couple of episodes of Netflix. Total: £13.50 Day Seven 7 a.m. — I get up as usual and head into the office and have my usual oats breakfast, £1.75. Fortunately, my knee is feeling better but still not great. 9 a.m. — I'm kept occupied with work, but it is less intense day and I'm able to have lunch on time. 12 p.m. — When I walk in the office kitchen, I see some people from other departments I know having lunch, so I decide to join them! 6 p.m. — Overall today is less intense and my workload was more manageable, so I promptly pack up my things and leave to get the bus, £1.75. On my way home, I bought myself some Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream to cheer me up, £3.50. 7:30 p.m. — I quickly whip up some congee for dinner. Feeling frustrated with my knee and I think it is bringing my mood down a little. 8:30 p.m. — After dinner, I refresh myself and wind down with more Netflix. 10:30 p.m. — Lights out. Total: £7 The Breakdown Conclusion "I think overall this is my least spenny week without any clothes or entertainment shopping. I did have a big one-off payment for my tennis lessons though. I usually do a one or two piece clothes shop and a play here and there every quarter. I do try to live frugally so I don't think I can cut anymore otherwise I would be a bore!"
Refinery29
3 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Northern California On A $53,100 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a junior specialist who makes $53,100 per year and who spends some of her money this week on books and guava jam for toast. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Junior specialist Industry: Academia Age: 22 Location: Northern California Salary: $53,100 Assets: $10,000 in government bonds (a gift from my grandmother for graduating); $12,000 in an investment account; $6,000 in a checking account. Debt: $17,000 in federal student loans. Paycheck Amount (monthly): $3,200 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $500 (I share a room in a two-bed apartment). Loan Payments: $119 Health insurance: $36 (deducted from paycheck). Union Duties: $64 (deducted from paycheck). Gym: $45 Utilities: $40 Spotify: $5 (still on the student plan because of my school email). 401(k) Contribution: $350 (deducted from paycheck). Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Coming from a middle-class immigrant family, there was definitely an expectation to go to college and to a degree, graduate school, as that's what my parents have done. Given my interests, I would have pursued higher education even if money was an issue, which thankfully it was not. I'm lucky enough to have had enough financial aid to cover most of my tuition, and my parents covered anything left over, as well as housing and living expenses. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? There was definitely a sense of frugality when I was younger. My parents didn't have as much of a financial safety net as they do now and I remember being told that even a dollar had immense value. My mom, being an accountant, is financially literate and taught me about budgeting, taxes, retirement and investment accounts. What was your first job and why did you get it? I am currently working my first job as a junior specialist. I had actually planned on attending a master's program before I met my current boss who persuaded me to join his lab. Since I'm planning on pursuing a PhD, it made more sense to work in my current position where I can learn more applicable, hands-on skills for research compared to classes in a MS program. Did you worry about money growing up? I have to admit I was quite sheltered as a kid and never had to worry about food or basic necessities. Do you worry about money now? I don't worry too much about money. Though my salary isn't terribly high for NorCal, I don't mind living with a roommate or eating pasta most nights so my spending is comfortably within what I can afford. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? 22. I have an investment account on top of a retirement account that my work handles. I've got a bit of money saved up in case of troubles, which frequently comes up with my 12–year-old death-trap car that I've already spent half its value on in repairs. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. My parents pay for my phone bills and auto insurance. In return, I pay a tithe of 10% every month, which likely balances out. Day One: Saturday 7 a.m. — Wake up. I've scheduled a call with my best friend from college who, unfortunately, lives on the other side of the country in the icy lands of NYC. She typically wakes up around 10 a.m., so the time difference is actually a boon for our different sleep schedules. Best way to start the day. 9 a.m. — S. (my bf) comes over. We planned to walk downtown (only a mile away) but I spotted an estate sale sign yesterday, so we head over. The yard is so full of people, it looks like a pool party. We decide that we have better things to do than stand around waiting to tour a house. A friend, R., told me about a book sale going on in Sacramento today, so we're off to the state capitol in search of adventure. 11 a.m. — The book sale is glorious — a warehouse of books (and not the overpicked selection of weird art books that are normally left at used book sales, either). There are a good amount of semi-popular authors, some of which were on my to-read list. I would never have left, but my depressingly small Nat Geo tote fills up in a very short amount of time (vampire books can get a bit chunky). $6 12 p.m. — We met up with R. and her friend K. at the sale — and since we are in Sac., the country's brunch capitol, we end up at Kau Kau, a Hawaiian soul food restaurant. A couple slices of taro toast with guava jam and a couple stories of adulterous professors later, I am sated in both mind and body. S. and I drive back home, while R. and K. browse the antique shops next door. I do not want to be cursed by strange dolls, so I don't dare buy any vintage items here. Sac. is somewhat close to where the Donner party died, after all. $22 4 p.m. — I played basketball yesterday and am now a certified convert. S. humors me with a game, but it's clear v. early on that the height difference and skill makes for a terrible matchup. He is now handicapped by having to sing the alphabet song while playing. I get bored and ask to go on a run. We get a couple miles in before deciding to double back before it gets dark. The Strava gods are happy with my new year's resolution progress: 6 miles done, only four more to go before the week is out. 6 p.m. — I have perhaps overbooked myself this quarter: I've agreed to play tennis with B., so we are buying rackets at Big 5. I desperately want to buy the youth rackets to fit my small raccoon hands, but am dissuaded. We compromise and I buy a women's racket in purple, my favorite color. Choosing sports equipment based on color may not have been the smartest choice, but I reason that the dopamine boost I get from seeing the racket should counteract any decrease in athletic ability caused by an ill-fitting grip. $33 7 p.m. — It is a long weekend so my roommate is out for a couple days. I take full advantage by asking S. to sleep over. I never want to sleep alone again. Daily Total: $61 Day Two: Sunday 7:30 a.m. — It is the weekend but I am apparently a morning bird now. I putter around and read some books. Spend half an hour deciding what to wear (the pressure to dress well when hanging out with girlfriends is real). The result: black, ankle length dress with purple and yellow flowers with a square neckline (and a slit up the side that's just a tad too high for comfort), paired with beige invisible stockings, and brown boots. 10:30 a.m. — I walk downtown (~1.5 mi) as the sun's out and I want to enjoy the day before it gets blisteringly hot and intolerable. I get there before the rest so I people watch and play a bit of Wordle (my streak is spotty and unstable). We get breakfast at a hole in the wall bakery (a cinnamon sugar bagel with cream cheese). $4.50 11 a.m. — Walk over to the farmers' market (the main attraction in this sleepy college town) where the fresh produce is divine, if out of budget ($4/lb for apples is robbery). In the end, I am tempted to indulge in a marzipan tart. $7 12:30 p.m. — I say goodbye to the girls as they head over to the lab to study and work (finals week — I'm glad to have graduated) and I walk back to my apartment to run some errands. I drive to the car wash ($3) then take the highway (unnecessary but it's a free dryer) to the Trader Joe's where I stock up on bland essentials — cabbage, carrots, etc ($19.70). I've been thinking about making my own coffee as I've been going to the coffee house nearly every day. End up at Target, staring at the 6 foot tall shelves where I think I can see the sugar-free vanilla syrup in the back, but at 5'1 there's simply no way I can reach. Daydream about having S. back to marvel at his ability to grab out of reach items on shelves. Alas, I make do with caramel syrup instead, along with basic groceries like pasta, soy milk, etc. *sigh* ($18.33). $41.03 5 p.m. — Even though I've graduated, I've been trying to finish a textbook, so I study for a bit before heading to bed with an awful brain-rot rom-com (not going to include the name because I feel bad calling the author out like that). Total: $52.53 Day Three: Monday 7 a.m. — Make my morning coffee and a PB&J. One of the things I splurge on is my assortment of exotic jams. Today's special is elderberry jam from France, which I've never seen before nor heard of outside of fantasy novels. Very bright and tart. Go for a morning walk before biking to work. 9 a.m. — I'm actually on time today, since we have a lab meeting. Today's outfit is a black mock-neck with beige floral print jeans — I'm trying to break out of the bland, dark-colored tech-bro style that our computational biology lab has fallen into, but it is oh so hard when you're a messy eater and hate bleaching your clothes. 11 a.m. — Meeting finished on time! Thank god the conference room is all booked up — if the next group hadn't shown up to shoo us out, we might've ended up staying another hour. I grab lunch with some labmates H. and R. I have oatmeal (again) — I've been trying to learn how to cook better food with a new year's resolution to try a new NYT Cooking recipe every week, but my cooking skills have yet to improve. Oh well. 5 p.m. — Leave work and I make plans to bake cookies for S. with labmates. Unfortunately, we are all programmers and not bench scientists (who are well-versed in the art of following lab protocols, aka recipes, to a T), so we'll see how well it goes. Baking turns out to be a logistical nightmare. Apparently you need not only white sugar and baking soda, but ALSO brown sugar and baking powder. 6 p.m. — Light run with B. I ran a half marathon (on a whim) the other day, so I let B. decide the pace and distance today. Normally I am a menace, pushing to go faster and farther, but today I am all washed out and mellow as a slug. We end the run with a stop at Trader Joe's to pick up some baking ingredients as well as some pizza dough and cheese. The Galentines Bakeathon is looking to be scrumptious! $30.76 8 p.m. — Even though I have a job and a degree, I still feel like a student given that I work in the same school, and feel that same old guilt at having free time, so I do a bit more work before crashing at 10 p.m. Guess the only part of me that's aging is my sleep schedule. Total: $30.76 Day Four: Tuesday 7:30 a.m. — I wake up and read for a bit before starting my day. Lately I've been obsessed with books about hackers so I'm reading Countdown to Zero Day. Bit depressing to find out how vulnerable our power grids and water systems are, but I vow to be extra vigilant about computer security from now on. I put on a caramel turtleneck and jeans with a beige colored fleece, sending a picture to my friend, who agrees with my assessment that turtlenecks look like a jester's ruff, but she follows it up with 'but it looks cute!', so turtleneck it is. Plus it's 38 o F out and my thin Californian blood is close to freezing. 9:30 a.m. — Thought I was late to work but am the first one in today! 12 p.m. — More oatmeal for lunch. I need to learn how to cook something (anything!) else. Craving coffee afterwards, so I grab a cup of (school subsidized) coconut iced coffee and a strawberry yogurt muffin, which turns out to be the best muffin I've ever had in my life. $5.06 4 p.m. — Had a human genetics meeting earlier today. Was a bit bored and may have hid in the back and tried to do a bit of work. But the room was dark so who's to say anyone was paying attention really. Walking back to my bike, I discover that amid the NIH budget cuts and precarious school budgeting for the next year, there is a new addition in front of Veihmeyer hall: a gorgeous wooden hammock and most amazingly, it is unoccupied. I skip over for a brief break from life. Listening to the best indie bands of the 21st century (Peach Pit, Backseat Lovers) while lying on a hammock is what life is all about. This is it: peak happiness. 6 p.m. — Testing out the rockwall with my friends Z. and W. Z. nearly sliced her finger off today so she is not climbing. W. has unlocked a fear of heights. We decide to play squash instead. I cannot hit the ball if my life depended on it. Squash balls defy the laws of physics. There must be some sort of spooky action happening here, some form of entanglement teleportation magic, because my hand eye coordination could not possibly be this bad. Oh well, it is what it is. W. is feeling unwell so Z. and I hit the stair masters for a bit of competition. Winner is treated to a free burger at In-N-Out. I win — the running has finally come in handy. I drive W. back home and head over to grab burgers with Z. Free burger, so no money is spent here! 8 p.m. — Another Trader Joe's stop — I must spend at least 10% of my paycheck here. Standard groceries haul (frozen vegetables, bread, PB&J). Oh no, I'm still eating like a college student. If I'm going to be in grad school next year, there's no point in revamping my life to that of a working adult. $17.86 Total: $22.92 Day Five: Wednesday 7 a.m. — Wake up with pink eye, which sounds awful but is actually a blessing in disguise because pink eye is a valid excuse to work from home. I loll around in bed and read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In the same vein as people drinking coffee for an energy boost, I sometimes read strange books to tune my mood (a bit like the Tea Magic Personal Brewer that gives different emotion buffs in The Sims). Breakfast is a peanut butter + jelly + banana sandwich with a matcha latte. 9 a.m. — Go for a short walk before work. I've found that without a bit of sunlight in the morning, I'll be a half-asleep zombie for the rest of the day, so I've been taking myself out for walks in the morning, before and after lunch, and in the evenings. I might be part Dalmatian. 11 a.m. — Come home and grind away at the terminal until my alarm goes off. I have a meeting with a professor about doing rotations next year. It's only semi productive since the NIH budget cuts have really chipped away at confidence in funding. One of the (dangerous) perks of working from home is the thermos of caramel/matcha latte that I periodically refill until my caffeine levels reach critical levels and I cut myself off. I can almost trick myself into believing that I'm working at Google with unlimited coffee on tap. I grab a quick lunch of leftover pasta before heading back to work. 2 p.m. — After staring at the screen for several hours, my eyes need a break, so I attempt to walk to the strawberry stand on the outskirts of town that a coworker told me about. The sidewalk ends before I get there so I turn back, but not before checking out a quaint little music store that sells sheet music in the same style that record stores sell vinyls. 3:30 p.m. — I work work work until my legs start itching for a run, so I do a nice 3-mile loop. For dinner, I have cereal and a turnip cake that my friend made me three months ago, which I left in my parent's freezer and have only just retrieved on my trip home last week. I read for a few hours before calling it a night. Total: $0 Day Six: Thursday 7:30 a.m. — Start the day with more Hitchhiker's Guide — I thought it was such a strange book at first but it's really growing on me. Grab my morning coffee and a PB&J before going on a short walk. 9 a.m. — I love my 15-minute bike ride commute (perks of working at a uni in a college town!). Get some work done until I'm stumped, so I go out for a coffee. I've found that on at least half of my walks I'll think of a solution to any problem I have, or it might just be the double shot latte jump starting my brain. $5.50 12:30 p.m. — Grab lunch with my labmates before we rush back to lab for a meeting at 1 p.m. A graduating student is practicing his presentation for job interviews. It's a good snapshot of what people do throughout their PhD, especially since I'm going to grad school next year. 5 p.m. — Finally finished! I was about to bounce out of my chair after sitting so long. I head home and decide to treat myself to fresh fruit along the way so I stop at Save Mart and grab their bogo strawberries. I demolish an entire pack once I get home. Oops. $7.65 7 p.m. — I've scheduled a call with my bff and decide to also walk to Trader Joe's because I've been craving cereal. I'm tricked into also buying meatballs, oat milk, and cinnamon-coated almonds. $23.08 9 p.m. — Finally get home where I do a bit more work before showering and going to bed. Total: $36.23 Day Seven: Friday 8 a.m. — I'm getting out of bed later and later it seems, slowly losing the momentum and drive that I had as a student, though my diet hasn't changed. Espresso and an oatmeal mug cake for breakfast. 9 a.m. — Head to work. It's a Friday, and everyone's feeling the end of week lethargy. We chat about the Star Wars Hotel that closed a few years ago and do a leetcode question. 12:30 p.m. — The only thing I'm getting done today is a meeting with some members of NOAA, who I'm working with as part of a virtual internship. It's interesting but somewhat draining. My battery is depleted by the end so I head to Peet's for a coffee — they have a special strawberry latte that I almost whispered to the barista out of embarrassment of uttering such a cheesy name. Strawberry coffee sounds a little strange now that I think about it. Will classify as a weird but surprisingly good food. $6.60 2 p.m. — Heading out for a late lunch with coworkers. We get crepes at an on campus dining hall — I have cheese, pesto, tomato crepe. I could definitely make this myself. I once again vow to learn how to cook better and healthier. $10.72 4 p.m. — Head home early as I'm not getting much done. I had some studying planned but my head is out of the game. I decompress by doing some origami, following a diagram from a textbook I checked out more than a year ago. Some of the folds require a level of mental gymnastics that I cannot accomplish at the moment. Mental relaxation break failed. 5:10 p.m. — S. arrives for a moment together before he needs to leave for the weekend. I drive him to the train station. It's dark and rainy, people are milling about on every street corner, and the train horn sounds right as I turn into the parking lot. Recipe for disaster, especially with my subpar driving skills, but S. makes it on time and I do not crash into any poor, unsuspecting pedestrians. I'll count that as a win. 6 p.m. – I come home and immediately curl up in bed with a book (Hackers by Steven Levy). I have a weakness for books about hacking (which, imo, is the modern-day superpower) and books by Wired journalists, so this book is a double whammy for me. Mmm, so good! Conclusion 'Since getting my first job, I've definitely been eating out more and indulging in shopping trips — but living on a college diet of pure carbs (pasta, oatmeal, bread) and frozen food is no way to live, so I think a little lifestyle creep is acceptable. That said, after seeing how much I actually spend each week, it is a little concerning — I think I'll be cutting down on the number of coffee and tennis rackets I buy. Overall, I mostly eat out on campus, which tends to be about half the price restaurants would charge, and date nights with S. usually involve cooking together, so I think my spending is well within what my wallet can handle.'
Refinery29
4 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Communications Manager On £55,000
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny . Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. This week: "I'm 32 and live in a small city in the South East with my partner. We bought a small house here just over two years ago which is our first home together after moving from renting in London. We wanted to go somewhere smaller than London, but I needed to be somewhere commutable as I work in the London office twice a week. We've also been renovating our house since we moved here, though mostly by buying things on Facebook Marketplace and doing everything ourselves except for more specialist stuff like the plastering and new carpets. With regards to money, I am very aware I have large amount of savings, some of which has been inherited and some of which I have saved. I have always been very conscious of saving money/being savvy and managed to save throughout university, which continued into the world of work. I also recognise I've been very privileged that my family haven't charged me rent when I lived at home during and after uni. I've started to dip my toe into investing in the last three years and have become more financially educated. I love to find a bargain, use cashback offers, shop on Vinted and invest a good chunk of my salary each month, but I also try and keep balanced and spend money on experiences with my partner, friends and family, and things that are good for my health and happiness." Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT Occupation: Communications Manager Industry: Not-for-profit Age: 32 Location South East Salary £53,000 Paycheque Amount: Around £3,100 Number of housemates: Two — my partner, S and my rescue dog, O. Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing costs: £623 (my partner and I split equally). Loan payments: £0. I paid off my plan 1 student loan a few years ago. Savings?: Around £130k split between savings accounts, premium bonds and stocks and shares ISA. Pension?: I pay in 9%, my employer pays in 8% — so overall 17% of my salary. I try and increase my contribution fairly regularly but that's the max my employer contributes. I have around £38k in my pot. I have another pot from earlier jobs but this would only have a tiny amount in it. Utilities: £105 council tax, £13 wifi, £15 water, £45 energy — all split equally with S. All other monthly payments: £9 phone, £10 for my rewards bank account (but I get cashback every month so it equates to £3 and covers my phone and European travel insurance), £15 pet insurance and, £20 donation to the rescue centre we got O from and £20 food for O (split with S). Subscriptions: £10 TV subscriptions (split with S), £20 iCloud storage/fitness app on phone/Apple music, £15 contact lenses. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes, I went to university and got student loans/bursary. I also worked during summer holidays and I worked before I went to university too. My parents definitely supported me financially — I lived at home rent-free during holidays and they often would send me back loaded with a food shop and other essentials! Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? We didn't really talk about money, but I know it was tighter at times during my childhood as neither of my parents had massively well-paid jobs. I wasn't overly educated on money but I have always been a saver/cautious about spending money and finding bargains where possible. My parents also gave me a small allowance when I was at school and talked to me about budgeting a bit. I would also say my mum and dad are not materialistic at all, which has shaped my views and ways of spending money. If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house? I went to uni aged 18 but went back home rent-free during holidays, and after uni for about a year and a half whilst I did a few unpaid internships and started my career. I didn't pay any rent during this time and count myself very lucky. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? When I moved out from my family home aged 23, though for those first few years my parents continued to support me financially with some things, as I was on a low salary. For example they paid for a moving van when I moved flats in London, and gave me old furniture to furnish it. They do also still invite me and my siblings — and pay for — family holidays occasionally, though we try and find ways to balance this out now we are all financially stable. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT What was your first job and why did you get it? I was keen to earn money from quite a young age. I did various one-off event catering jobs from when I was around 15, then worked at a supermarket when I was 16. I liked the independence of earning and saving money and worked throughout uni holidays too. Do you worry about money now? Not really, but I know that is a very privileged position to be in. I do worry about one day having a family and being able to afford that and take time out of work, which is quite crazy considering my partner and I are lucky to earn decent salaries and have a safety net of substantial savings. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? Yes. Sadly all my grandparents have passed away but they left me and my siblings various child bonds which grew to around £30k altogether. I accessed this when I was 18 and invested it in ISAs so it has grown more. My mum also gifted me a substantial amount of money (over £100k) from the sale of my grandparents' home which my partner and I used as part of the deposit towards our home. 8:20 a.m. — Wake up and head downstairs to make coffee for S and I. We got a new coffee machine recently and I love it! We let O sleep in the bed last night which we don't normally do, so I didn't sleep too well and feel a bit frazzled — we need a bigger bed! Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 8:45 a.m. — Get up and dressed for a long dog walk. I was away with work last weekend and we always do a long walk with O at the weekends, so this is overdue! We walk to a bakery we haven't tried before which takes about an hour and a half and enjoy some tasty baked goods and coffee. I pay for the snacks, £12. S pays for coffee. It's really buzzy around this part of the city this morning and the sun is shining. 12:30 p.m. — We meander home and feel very lucky that where we live is so beautiful and green. We bought a small standing island for our kitchen/diner on Facebook Marketplace a little while ago and decide to prime and paint it today. Head to B&Q for supplies and get a few new plants as I have £9 off voucher if we spend £60. I pay for everything, £52. 1 p.m. — Have some lunch before the work begins — scrambled eggs and tomatoes on toast made by S. Then we start the priming coat, with the rugby on in the background for good measure. 7 p.m. — Finish the first coat of paint and it's looking good! I've become a bit of a paint pro with all the renovations we've done the last few years. My body hurts from the strange angles I was in for the painting so we veg out on the sofa and order an Indian takeaway. S pays to equal out the B&Q shop…ish! Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 8:30 p.m. — Takeaway arrives late and we are hungry! Eat while watching some TV. I wanted to watch a film but we didn't have any in mind and I hate mindlessly looking for one on Netflix! 10:30 p.m. — I'm still catching up on sleep from a big work event so head to bed for a big sleep. 8:30 a.m. — It's a Sunday, so we have a bit of a lie-in. I feel refreshed from a long sleep! S kindly brings us coffee in bed and we play with O and scroll for a little while. 9 a.m. — Have some toasted sourdough and then take O for a walk. We explore a new walk today, there are so many around us and we are discovering new ones even after two years living here! We've had O for almost a year and she loves exploring too. 10 a.m. — Get back and do a second coat of paint on our new little island. 12 p.m. — Have a shower and get ready, we are heading to my mum and dad's for a roast. My siblings will be there too. 1:30 p.m. — Arrive and help with some little DIY jobs around their house before lunch. My dad makes an amazing roast which we all enjoy while catching up! 6 p.m. — Head home, tidy up the house a bit and S makes us a cheese toastie. Sunday nights done right! I see on Instagram a friend is fundraising for charity and doing a half marathon, so I sponsor her £20. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 7 p.m. — Watch some Motherland and chat about what we've both got on this week. 10:30 p.m. — Head to bed! 7 a.m. — S's alarm goes off and he gets ready for work while I snooze in bed, O comes up excitedly for a cuddle! 7:30 a.m. — O and I get up and ready for the day. I'm working from home today and we always go for a dog walk before work. We both have breakfast and I make a coffee when we get back. 9 a.m. — Start work for the day. The team has been really busy with a big event recently but now in a bit of a 'mop up' phase which I don't love! I have a few meetings this morning, including a bit of a tough one with HR about a direct report who isn't performing. Power through with a coffee and listening to BBC Radio 6 music in between. 12 p.m. — Take O to the park with a tennis ball. She's obsessed! I drop her home then pop to the shops. We need a few boring household things like loo roll, toilet cleaner and dog treats so I go to Aldi. It amazes me how much other supermarkets charge for basically the same thing. I get the boring things, stuff for dinner and a few other lunch bits for this week. I pay using our joint account which we both add money into ad hoc, £9 for my share. Get home and make a cream cheese and avocado bagel for lunch. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 1 p.m. — Back to work with a coffee and a banana. 3 p.m. — Browse and buy some gifts online for a colleague who is leaving. I have already contributed to the pot so this doesn't cost me anything now and I use QuidCo to get some sneaky cashback. 5:30 p.m. — Finish work for the day! Feed O and nip round the house with the hoover, it's a bit of a mess after our painting job at the weekend. 6 p.m. — Since the pandemic, I've been doing home workouts. I thought I would go back to the gym but I like how easily and quickly I can get a workout in after work! Do a 45-minute strength-based workout with weights. Exercise really helps with my mental health so I try to workout four times a week. I've fallen off my schedule a bit recently because work has been busy but I'm trying to get back into a good routine. 7 p.m. — Jump in the shower, it's hairwash night tonight as I'm working in the office tomorrow. 7:30 p.m. — Make dinner — a butterbean stew this evening. We mostly eat vegetarian at home and during the week. 8 p.m. — S gets back, he had football this evening and went straight from work. We eat dinner and catch up on our days. Then settle in for some easy TV watching. 10 p.m. — Get ready for bed, do skincare routine and brush teeth. I read for half an hour to help get off to sleep. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 6:40 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I get up and get ready for work, feed O and leave by about 7:15 a.m. Feeling really tired today as I have an impacted wisdom tooth, which randomly started to hurt in the night and kept me awake, urgh! I've got a dentist appointment booked for next week coincidentally. 7:30 a.m. — Make the train, I can sometimes be a bit optimistic with timings and have to walk quite fast to make it. I bought my ticket a few weeks ago. I have to get advance tickets and a specific train because otherwise the price is absolutely extortionate for a 50-minute train! I get a seat for about half of the journey today, mostly I don't even get a seat! Listen to 6 Music on my way in and scroll. 8:30 a.m. — Arrive in London. I get some special mouthwash in Boots as worried about my wisdom tooth, but why is it so expensive, £6.60?! Hop on the Tube for a few stops to my office, £2.90. 8:50 a.m. — Grab a flat white from Caffe Nero — I get one coffee a week free via my energy provider which I always make use of on office days! I don't love chain coffee shops, but it's free. 9 a.m. — Get to my office and snack on a banana I brought with me. I really enjoy days in the office and seeing colleagues and collaborating. I'm working on an award entry for our team's recent campaign which is exciting, it's great for the team to have recognition and document the success of our work this way. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 12:30 p.m. — Lunchtime. I was organised and got a salad for lunch yesterday which I brought in with me. I prefer to do this than spend £7 on an average baguette from Pret! 1 p.m. — Resist the urge to get another coffee, I'm in a habit of having two a day. But my colleague has got some delicious M&S cookies, the best! Wrap some gifts for my colleague who is leaving tomorrow then get back to work and a few meetings. 5:30 p.m. — I'm meeting friends for dinner this evening so wrap up and walk to Soho to meet them. 6 p.m. — Catch up and have a tasty dinner of veggie mezze. We decide to be good and not drink! The service and food is really good and we get a few more dates in the diary during our catch-up. 9:15 p.m. — Finish up and split the bill equally, £35 for my share. I hop on a bus back to my siblings as I'm staying in London tonight to save a double commute tomorrow. Tapping on doesn't seem to be working for anyone so my journey is free! 9:35 p.m. — Get home and have some work to finish while catching up with my sibling. Do some salt rinsing of my sore tooth, not cool. 11 p.m. — Get ready for bed, take some painkillers for the wisdom tooth and sleep. 2 a.m. — Ouch, tooth wakes me up. Do some salt water rinse and try and get back to sleep. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 4 a.m. — Repeat. I hate wisdom teeth. 7 a.m. — Get up so I can eat something and take some painkillers for my stupid wisdom tooth. Have a shower and get ready for work. 8 a.m. — Leave for work and get the Tube to the office, £3.50. 8:30 a.m. — Get a cappuccino from a great coffee shop near my office, £3.80. I collect loyalty stamps and my next one will be free! 8:45 a.m. — Settle down to work and have breakfast of a banana and a yoghurt I had brought with me. Have a few meetings today and with my colleague's leaving celebration later, the office is busy. 12:45 p.m. — I haven't brought in lunch today, discuss with colleagues what to get and where to go. We also need to walk my colleague's dog in the park because she's in a long meeting, so have a little stroll in the sunshine. We settle on Itsu for lunch, I get the veggie meatball soup for £5.75, hoping it will be ok for the wisdom tooth situation. Buy a box of Buns from Home (I love cinnamon buns!) for the team to share, £10.95. 1:45 p.m. — More work and meetings. 4 p.m. — Early finish today for my colleague's leaving do. We have a few drinks (on the company), some great speeches and gift-giving. It's lovely to see some old and new faces and it's a really good turn-out. 8 p.m. — A few of us head to the pub. My tooth is sore so I just get a soft drink for me and an old colleague, who is now a friend. It's only £2.50, we must be in the cheapest pub in all of London! Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 8:50 p.m. — Jump on the Tube, £2.90. I have a train booked home at 9ish (paid for in advance). As usual I'm optimistic with my timings and just about make the train, why do I always do this?! Plug into Radio 1's Chillest Show from Sunday and scroll for the journey. 10:30 p.m. — Hate myself for booking a longer train because it was £10 cheaper. Train pulls in and S kindly picks me up from the station. 10:45 p.m. — O greets me very sweetly, I have missed her the last two days! I realise I haven't eaten this evening so scoff some leftover pasta that's in the fridge, catch up with S, cuddle O, take some painkillers for my tooth and get ready for bed. 11:15 p.m. — Head to bed and hope for a better night's sleep! 7 a.m. — S's alarm goes off. I'm already awake because of my tooth, so get up and mouthwash and salt rinse. It's not really bad pain but it's just an annoying dull ache. 7:15 a.m. — Try and doze but I'm awake. Scroll on my phone then get up, brush teeth, wash face and get dressed to take O for a walk. 8:15 a.m. — Get back from our walk and we both have breakfast. I have a coffee and take some paracetamol. Sort of some washing that S did yesterday. 8:50 a.m. — Settle down to work. Have a catch up with the team and see if there's any gossip from the night before! Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 12:30 p.m. — Take O for ball chasing in the park. Her simple joy makes me very happy! Getting her has been one of the best and most rewarding things I've done. 1:15 p.m. — Pop O home and go to the big Waitrose which is dangerously close to our house. Get a few things we need including stuff for dinner (snaffle a reduced chicken and nduja bake as need something quick this evening), hot cross buns, milk and lunch stuff, £7 for my half, I pay from the joint account. 1:30 p.m. — I have a meeting so eat lunch (reduced ramen I found at Waitrose) during, with my camera firmly off. No one needs to see that! 4 p.m. — I continue work through the afternoon, S gets home from work and makes me a hot cross bun. Delicious! 5:30 p.m. — Finished for the day! I play with O for a bit then tidy some things away from my couple of days in London and put the washing away. 6 p.m. — I'm playing netball tonight, I do this weekly in a semi-competitive but mostly fun league. I love it! We have a later game tonight though which I don't love. I get ready, stick dinner in the oven and say goodbye to S, who is off to football this evening. 7 p.m. — Eat and run out the door to netball. 8 p.m. — Play, we lose by 1 point which is frustrating, but still lots of fun. I got back into netball in the last year after playing competitively at school and uni. I have the most lovely team and the league is good fun and level of competitiveness for me. We pay about £60 at the beginning of each season, so I already paid for this. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 9:30 p.m. — Drive home, cuddle O and catch up with S. Have a quick shower and get ready for bed. Take some painkillers again as my gums/tooth are still sore. 10:30 p.m. — Read for about half an hour then sleep. 7 a.m. — S's alarm. He gets ready for work while I doze a bit longer, tooth is feeling better, thankfully and I slept better. 7:30 a.m. — Get up and go for a morning walk with O. 8:30 a.m. — Breakfast and coffee, then have a shower as I won't have time later. Do a quick mouthwash and pray the tooth is better! 9 a.m. — Start work — meetings and some other writing and smaller tasks I need to get done. 12:30 p.m. — Finish up my morning and do a speed clean of the house because I have a friend coming over later. 1 p.m. — Take O to the park. When we get back I have a lunch of leftovers and nip to the shop to get some milk and biscuits, £3.20. 1:45 p.m. — Get through more of my to-do list at work. Everything is kind of bitty at the moment, I prefer to have my teeth into a bigger project but this is the nature of working in comms! 3 p.m. — S gets home from work quite early today, so he gets some bits and bobs ready for the weekend. We are in London this evening for a friend's birthday and need to leave as soon as I finish work! Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 4 p.m. — My friend pops by for a cup of tea and to see the house and meet O. We have a good catch up. 5 p.m. — My friend makes a move and I speedily get ready to go out. We're driving to London as it's cheaper (which is ridiculous!) and easier with O. We're parking and staying at my siblings' and they are going to look after O for the evening. We're really lucky to have this option as my friends mostly live the opposite side of London. 7 p.m. — Arrive in London, traffic was surprisingly okay! I finish getting ready and we get an Uber to my friend's flat, B. S pays, I'll get our one back later. 7:45 p.m. — S pops to the shops for beers and flowers for the birthday girl. I had a bottle of fizz at home which I brought with me. 8 p.m. — Arrive at B's. There's a nice crowd of us and we have a few drinks and birthday brownies. 10:30 p.m. — Head out to a bar with some great live music! S gets me a margarita and we have a fun evening with everyone. 1 a.m. — People begin to peel off home. We're in our 30s now and quite a few friends are obviously doing the London Marathon and have planned big runs tomorrow. S and I realise we haven't had dinner and get a very odd wrap from a local kebab shop…it's hummus, salad and chips?! Weird choice. I pay, £12. Advertisement ADVERTISEMENT 1:30 a.m. — Get an Uber back to my siblings', I pay in return for earlier, £16. O greets us and we get ready for bed. We have another birthday tomorrow evening and must do everything in my power to avoid feeling gross — cleanse, moisturise and drink a pint of water, and cross my fingers! Sleep. "This is a fairly average week for me, although I didn't get any petrol or buy any train tickets as I get these in advance. I probably spend on average £40 on trains weekly and maybe £40 once a month on petrol. I also had more socialising this week than normal — I usually probably go out once or twice a week for food/drinks, it's definitely a favourite thing to do and obviously weekend walks and coffee with O. I liked tracking my spending. I generally do keep an eye on it but also try not too be too stringent with anything, life is for living and balance is what I aim for. Still, I recognise I'm lucky to have this mindset because I'm comfortable financially. In the future, I should probably start to value my time more and not get the longer, cheaper train to/from London, as I regret it every single time!" 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Refinery29
5 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In San Francisco Bay Area On A $91,000 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a grant writer who makes $91,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on 'Risk it for the brisket' baseball caps. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Grant writer Industry: Higher education Age: 24 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Salary: $91,000 Assets: Checking: $14,000 (this is used for recurring bills as well as any spending throughout the month); Roth IRA: $27,000; brokerage account: $24,000 Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,400 after deductions. Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: I live with two other young women in a three-bed, two-bath apartment. Our total rent is $4,895 per month, of which I pay $1,800. This does not include utilities (which are included below). Loan Payments: $0 Gym Membership: $205 Horse Boarding: $630 Internet: $10 (my third). Electricity: $25 (my third). Utilities: $100 (my third). Netflix: $19 Amazon Music: $12 Amazon Prime: $15 Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Education was a very high priority in my family. My parents are both highly educated and there was always an expectation to earn a four-year degree. There was also an expectation to attend graduate school at some point, although there was less of an emphasis on a graduate degree than on a bachelor's degree. I have a bachelor's and master's degree, both in public policy. Because of how much my parents prioritized and valued higher education, they paid the full cost of attendance for me to attend college and graduate school. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Growing up, my parents emphasized the importance of saving money. They always reminded us that although we were comfortable financially, money was typically spent either on the essentials or put away in savings to be used on something meaningful later on. Along those lines, they also instilled in me the importance of using my money to give back to my community or to those in need, if I was in a position where I was financially able to. My parents often discussed with my sister and me which local organizations they donated money to and made sure we understood the value of donating extra money (and saving it) rather than spending it on luxury vacations, expensive cars, etc. My parents also educated me about finances — essentially all my financial knowledge comes from them. They helped me open my first checking account and credit card, and they explained how different accounts work, how to be smart about credit card usage, and so on. My dad also helped me open my brokerage and Roth IRA accounts and still sits down with me usually once a year to discuss investment strategy and help me invest money into both accounts. What was your first job and why did you get it? I worked at a summer camp teaching children and teenagers how to ride horses during the summer after my senior year of high school and before I started college. I had volunteered at the camp during several summers prior, and I finally reached the age where I transitioned into a paid staff member (18+) instead of a volunteer (15-17 years old). I wanted to have some spending money saved up by the time I started college. Even though my parents generously paid the cost of attendance, it was my responsibility to pay for transportation, entertainment, food that didn't come from the dining halls, etc — anything that wasn't captured in the cost of attendance. Did you worry about money growing up? No, growing up I was always under the impression that we had enough money to cover the necessities, plus more. I understood that my parents were smart about saving and had enough money put away that if any financial emergencies arose, we would be able to handle them. Do you worry about money now? Yes, I live in an extremely high cost-of-living area and don't make enough where I am able to pay all my expenses and save a good amount of money each month (which I consider to be very important, given what my parents taught me and how they saved money when I was growing up). I track all my expenses and try to budget but regardless, every month I barely save any money and don't have much room for unexpected and unplanned expenses. I've had a lot of unexpected or unplanned expenses come up recently, such as vet bills for my horse and medical bills for myself, but I don't have extra income each month to be paying for these expenses. Significant yearly raises and large bonuses at my job are very rare, so I know that there is almost no chance that I will be making more money all of a sudden. I am constantly worrying about what I'll do if I get hit with even more unexpected expenses, because I will not be able to pay for them and really want to avoid going into debt. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I would say that I became almost fully financially responsible for myself around the time that I got my first career job (about a year and a half ago) and started paying my housing costs. Throughout college, my parents generously paid my housing costs, and in the half-year between graduating college and getting my first full-time job, I was living in a condo owned by my parents, so I didn't pay rent. Since I got my first full-time job, I've paid for everything myself except my phone bill (I'm on a family plan) and car insurance (which my parents pay for to ensure that I always have coverage). I know that if I lost my job, my parents would help with some basic living expenses (although I'd be expected to find a job in the interim, or use my savings to cover things like paying for my horse), so I do have a financial safety net, although I always do my best not to rely/fall back on that. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No. Day One: Monday 6:15 a.m. — On the days that I work from the office, I always wake up early to take care of my horse before work. I eat a quick breakfast, gather everything for my work day, and make it to the ranch by 7 a.m. to get my horse exercised and feed her grain and supplements. On this particular morning, I lunge her instead of ride for her daily exercise, since I was out of town over the weekend and hadn't ridden her in a few days. 8:30 a.m. — I arrive at work around 8:30 a.m. and spend about an hour going through emails and preparing for our weekly team meeting. After our team meeting, I have a pretty typical day of writing stewardship reports and working on grant applications. Around lunchtime, I walk with a coworker to a coffee shop nearby and discuss some work-related topics on the way, and she generously buys me a smoothie to enjoy on our walk back to the office. I leave work around 4:45 p.m. to get to the gym. 5:30 p.m. — I arrive at the gym for a workout class. I pay a monthly membership for an unlimited number of classes. I do CrossFit, and I always try to make it to one of the later afternoon classes. Class was pretty typical today — a mixture of running, lifting, and skill work. Each class is approximately one hour, so we wrap up around 6:30 p.m. I stick around to stretch and roll out, and socialize with other gym members, before I leave the gym around 7 p.m. 7:30 p.m. — I play in an outdoor sand volleyball league on Monday evenings on a team with several other young adults. Today we have a game at 7:30 p.m. It's warm out tonight, and still light when we started playing, which was a nice change from the darker and colder games that we'd been playing most of the winter. We don't play very well tonight, only winning one of three sets in our game, but it was nice to be able to enjoy the warmer evening by being outdoors. These games typically last about an hour, so I leave around 8:30 p.m. 9 p.m. — On my way home, I stop by the ranch again to feed my horse some extra hay — she's fed in the morning and afternoon by the feeders at the ranch, but I always stop by to give her a little extra at night so she doesn't go for too long of a period of time without eating. Horses are evolutionarily and biologically wired to be grazing almost constantly (before they were domesticated, they were constantly eating the grasses and other plants in the areas in which they lived and roamed), so I make sure that my horse has access to food as often as possible. Once I get home, around 9 p.m., I eat a quick dinner, shower, pack my lunch for tomorrow, and go to bed. 6:15 a.m. — I work from the office Monday through Wednesday, so I'm up early again to take care of my horse before work. I follow the same morning routine — eat a quick breakfast, gather everything I need for work and the gym, and head out the door to arrive at the ranch a little before 7 a.m. This morning, I do ride my horse, and we have a good ride before I have to leave for work. 8:30 a.m. — I arrive at work around 8:30 a.m., my typical start time. Today also is a typical workday, and it looks similar to Monday, although we don't have a team meeting in the morning. I have no meetings on my schedule today, and several of my coworkers who I usually eat lunch with are out sick or on vacation, so I just spend the day working on my stewardship reports and grant applications before leaving around 4:30 p.m. for the gym. 5:30 p.m. — Traffic is usually quite bad on Tuesdays, so it takes me about 45 minutes to drive to the gym, even though it's only about 10 miles from my office. I participate in both the 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. classes tonight — the 5:30 p.m. class was a specialty class where I was able to work on some particular CrossFit skills and movements that I need more practice with, and the 6:30 p.m. class was the workout of the day. It's a tough one, with lots of lifting and cardio. I stick around for a short amount of time to stretch and roll before leaving to go home. 8 p.m. — I stop at Costco to get gas after I leave the gym. Gas is really expensive in the Bay Area, and Costco always has the cheapest gas in the area, so I try not to buy gas from anywhere else. $48.27 9 p.m. — On my way home, I stop at the ranch to feed my horse and also to pick up dinner from an Asian fusion restaurant near my apartment. I order through DoorDash (for pickup), and because I have a gift card from a while ago as well as several promotions from DoorDash, I get my dinner for free. Once I get back home, I eat dinner, shower, pack my lunch for tomorrow, and go to bed. Daily Total: $48.27 Day Three: Wednesday 6:15 a.m. — Same morning routine as the previous two days — wake up early, eat breakfast, and ride my horse. Nothing unusual or exciting happened this morning (which is always a good thing with horses!) so I head to work as soon as I'm done riding. 8:30 a.m. — Today is a busy day, with four hour-long meetings on my calendar. I have my first meeting at 10 a.m. — a weekly one-on-one with my boss. We talk about the projects that I'm currently working on and she gives me several more projects to work on. After we finish our meeting, I go out for coffee with the newest hire on our team. We walk to a new coffee shop that just opened close to the office, and I try a cherry blossom latte (covered by my work). It was quite good. When I return to the office, I eat a quick lunch of leftovers from last night and get back to work before my afternoon meetings. I have two afternoon meetings with larger groups of colleagues, and use the last hour of my day to continue writing my reports until I leave for the gym around 4:30 p.m. 5:20 p.m. — I arrive at the gym shortly before my CrossFit class. It was another fun workout with lots of heavy lifting. I only stay for one class tonight and head home around 6:45 p.m. 7:15 p.m. — On my way home, I stop at the grocery store for a much-needed grocery trip. Since I've been out of town for the last two weekends, I haven't been grocery shopping in a while, and my fridge and pantry were empty. My grocery bill typically isn't quite this high, but because I have almost no food at home, I spend more than usual tonight. My cart is filled with a variety of items, including chicken, ground turkey, eggs, milk, cheese, lots of vegetables, yogurt, cottage cheese, and some other snacking foods. I buy enough food to make meals later this week and also next week, so I hopefully won't have to go back to the store for another two weeks. $161.14 8:15 p.m. — After leaving the grocery store, I go to the ranch to feed my horse her nighttime hay before going home. Once I get home, I throw a frozen dinner in the microwave (I'm too tired to cook anything that I bought tonight), put my groceries away, and clean up my kitchen. Once everything is tidied up, I shower and go to sleep. Daily Total: $161.14 Day Four: Thursday 7:30 a.m. — I finally get to sleep in today — I work from home on Thursday and Friday, so I often ride my horse in the afternoon, not the morning. I eat breakfast and start work earlier, shortly before 8 a.m., and work on my typical stewardship reports and other pieces of writing. Again, today is another typical workday without too many meetings or other things, so I'm able to be productive and wrap up several reports. 3 p.m. — I log off work early today because my horse has a chiropractor appointment. Yes, it sounds ridiculous, but horses do get chiropractic care, and they often benefit from it. I'd been noticing some stiffness in my horse's neck while we were riding so I scheduled this appointment to try to make her feel better. The appointment is quick (they'll send me a bill for this in due course), so I have time to take her out for her daily exercise before going to the gym. Since I am a little short on time, I lunge her again today instead of riding. 4:30 p.m. — I forgot my gym clothes so I have to drive home to grab them before going to the gym. I make it just in time for 5:30 p.m. class, which is another specialty class, this time focused on Olympic lifting. I also stay for the 6:30 p.m. class, which is an endurance class, so 45 minutes of cardio. I used to run competitively, so I really enjoy these classes. I hang around socializing for a while before heading home. 8 p.m. — On my way home, I stop, as usual, at the ranch to feed my horse. In addition to giving her extra hay, I take her out of her stall to let her graze on some of the fresh grass for about half an hour. Since she's not in a pasture right now, she doesn't have access to fresh grass, so I try to let her graze for about half an hour several times a week. Once she's had her fill, I bring her back to her stall and head home to make myself dinner, shower, and go to sleep. Daily Total: $0 Day Five: Friday 7:30 a.m. — I get to sleep in again since I'm working from home again. My morning routine is the same on Thursdays and Fridays, usually — a quick breakfast before starting work around 8 a.m. It's a light day at work because I finished several projects yesterday. I work on addressing edits to a few reports that my supervisor looked at and returned to me as well as wrapping up any outstanding tasks for several other reports. 12:30 p.m. — I decide to take my horse out in the early afternoon since I have a light day at work. Before I leave for the ranch, I check my personal email and see that the vet clinic has already sent me a bill for her appointment yesterday, so I pay that before going to ride. I try to make things quick today, since it's the middle of the work day. Once I'm done riding, I head home to finish up my work day. $349 4 p.m. — Traffic isn't as bad on Fridays so I leave around 4 p.m. to make it to 4:30 p.m. class at the gym. Friday is usually the last day of each week that I work out, and I take both weekend days off from a CrossFit workout, so I do both the 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. classes tonight. The first is another workout with heavy lifting and some cardio, and the second is another specialty class, again focused on Olympic lifting. This week of programming included a lot of lifting! 6:45 p.m. — I leave the gym and go back to the ranch to spend some more time with my horse. Since I took her out for a short ride earlier in the day, I decided to take her out for about 45 minutes to let her graze again. She's pretty focused on the food in front of her during this time, so I spend this time going through my personal email inboxes on my phone while keeping an eye on her. 8:30 p.m. — Earlier today, I realized that I had forgotten a couple items at the store last night (I should've made a shopping list, knowing it was going to be a large grocery haul). I stop at the grocery store on my way home to pick up strawberries, blackberries, cilantro, and frozen vegetables. Once I get home, I put my groceries away, do a little more cleaning in the kitchen, shower, and to go sleep. $27.70 Daily Total: $376.70 Day Six: Saturday 10 a.m. — My friend M. and I had made plans several days ago to go shopping on Saturday; the stores that we want to shop at are about 45 minutes away. He picks me up around 10 a.m. and we stop at Starbucks on the way. He pays for my drink. 12 p.m. — The first store that we stop at doesn't have what I need — I wanted to buy a new pair of riding boots, but this store didn't have a style that I liked in my size. Probably a good thing, considering that everything here was very expensive. 1 p.m. — The next store we stop at is so I can buy some food for my horse. I buy three bags of alfalfa cubes for $61.77 (to supplement her daily hay) as well as matching baseball caps for my sister and me — which I didn't plan to buy, but they caught my eye ($20). Buying bags of food is not too regular of an occurrence, as I don't give my horse too much extra in addition to her hay, so thankfully I don't spend that much money each month on extra food for her. M. buys a new grill at this store. $81.77 2 p.m. — M. and I stop at Panera Bread for lunch, and I cover both our meals since he paid for my Starbucks earlier in the day and also is driving his car. We both ordered from their you-pick-two menu. Panera is always my go-to when I need a fast but relatively healthy meal. $37.59 3:30 p.m. — We go to one more store to see if they had any shoes that I wanted to buy. I find a pair of nice riding boots, and they are on sale! I also decide to buy a new jacket for the colder winter days at the ranch, which I was not intending to buy, but it was on sale and looked like it would be very warm, so I decided to go for it. M. also buys a new pair of boots and several shirts. We both decide that we've spent enough money for the day, so we start our drive home. $144.84 5 p.m. — I finally make it to the ranch to take my horse out. I decide that she can use a day off (I usually give her one day off each week) so I take her for a long walk around the ranch instead of riding or lunging today. I also run into one of my friends at the ranch, who's helping take care of some other horses, so I help her finish up her horse chores before it's dark out. 8 p.m. — I'm finally done with everything horse related that I needed to get done today, so I stop by a friend's house for dinner. He cooked a delicious chicken pasta dish, which we eat and then hang out catching up for a while. I leave around 10:30 p.m. to go home, shower, and go to sleep. Daily Total: $264.20 Day Seven: Sunday 9 a.m. — Sundays are always a slow day for me. After I wake up and eat breakfast, I spend most of the morning going through my email inboxes that are not related to work and responding to emails that I missed during the week. I also spend some time cleaning my bathroom, vacuuming my room, and organizing my desk in my bedroom. 2 p.m. — I head over to the ranch to get my horse out. It's colder and windy today, which sometimes makes the horses act up, so I decide to lunge her today instead of riding. She's well-behaved, and I let her graze for about half an hour before putting her back in her stall. Someone else I know from the ranch had asked earlier in the day if I could fit a horse for hoof boots, so I do that quickly before I leave. 5 p.m. — On my way home, I stop at Target for shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent. These household items have become so expensive, so I don't like buying them until it's absolutely necessary, but I was running very low on all three, so it was time to spend the money. I'm trying to be smart about spending money only on the essentials, so this is one of the few times where I did not leave Target with ten times as much stuff as I intended to buy... $30.29 6 p.m. — Once I get home, I start meal prepping for the week and use up about half of the groceries that I bought earlier in the week. I make breaded chicken, a southwestern quinoa salad dish, a potato and vegetable dish, and egg bites. I planned to make banana bread but my bananas did not ripen quickly enough, so that will have to wait until next week. Meal prepping always takes me several hours, so by the time I am done and clean up the kitchen, it is time to shower, pack my food for work tomorrow, and get into bed. Daily Total: $30.29 The Breakdown Conclusion 'I'm surprised that I managed to keep my spending under $1,000, given that I paid vet bills and went shopping for myself (which I almost never do — maybe a few times per year). I'm also surprised at my food and drink spending. I made my semi-weekly grocery run (plus one extra small grocery run to buy a few things that I forgot) and bought food at a restaurant once, yet food and drink still made up nearly 25% of my weekly spending! I am pleased that there were a few days where I spent $0 or only made one purchase, which I think is pretty typical during an average week and also makes me feel confident that I am not spending money every day on impulse purchases or frivolous things. Writing this diary really opened my eyes to just how expensive the Bay Area is (see: food and drink spending) but also actually made me feel somewhat better about my spending habits and financial situation.' Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual's experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29's point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here. Do you have a Money Diary you'd like to share? Submit it with us here. Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.
