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Refinery29
2 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Wisconsin On A $63,653 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 teacher who makes $63,653 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a mommy belly binder for her friend's baby shower. Occupation: Teacher Industry: Education Age: 29 Location: Wisconsin Salary: $63,653 Assets: HYSA: $16,000; I bonds: $10,600; HRA: $4,080; Roth IRA: $38,000; WRS pension value: $45,000 (this includes employer match since I am now vested). Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (2x/month; September-June): $2,200 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $1,250 — I rent apartment on my own. Loan Payments: $0 Utilities: $75 for gas and electric. Internet: $58 Gym: $65.75 (paid for a year in full at $789 to save $5 a month). Hulu + Disney+: $3.15 (signed up for Black Friday deal). Spotify: $8.25 (I purchase the $99 yearly gift card to lower the price). Phone: $22.05 (purchased year long plan with Mint for $264.65). Car Insurance: $55 (paid every six months at $328). Gas: $150 Pet Rent: $30 (September to June only). Roth IRA: $200 WRS: I'm required to pay 6.5% of my salary towards the state pension program and my employer matches that amount. Health Insurance: $95.60 Short-Term Disability: $64.42 Savings: $600 (for two unpaid months in summer). Savings: $700 (vacation and future car). 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? It always felt expected, but never pushed. As the oldest daughter of a family going through divorce, it felt like college was my way to 'bring up' the family yet also acted as my escape from the family. My therapist said I acted as the hero child, always trying to be perfect to distract the community from the fact that our family wasn't perfect. This was also exhausting for me so I went to a college a two-and-a-half-hour drive away from my hometown. Close enough to get back by car, but far enough away for me to create my own life. Both of my parents completed two-year degree programs, but neither have their bachelor's degree. When applying to loans and trying to navigate college finances, I felt like I had to figure a lot of it out on my own. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances? I don't remember us talking about money a lot, really just an overwhelming idea of 'If you want to do that, you have to earn the money for it.' I wanted to go on the school trip, and my parents responded that I needed to get a job. I funded my own way through college with scholarships, loans, and my part-time job. I like how it taught me how to work hard for my money and plan accordingly. What was your first job and why did you get it? I started working at a local restaurant when I was 15. I wanted to go on the high school trip to Europe so I saved up my money from my shifts on the weekend as well as over the summer. My grandma stopped driving around that time and let me have her car when I turned 16, but I was expected to pay for my own gas. I then also started saving for college. Did you worry about money growing up? I don't remember worrying about money. As my parents divorced when I was in high school/college, I feel like they argued a lot about money — especially around divorce time, they would complain to me about what the other was trying to get with the house/land/car and it was a horrible position to be in. One day I finally broke and told them that I can't be the person they complain to about that, and it's been better since that. Do you worry about money now? I find myself thinking about money a lot, but I wouldn't describe it as worry. I feel confident that I can afford the life I currently live, but now I have more of a feeling of wanting things on par with what others my age have. Others are getting married, having children, buying houses, buying cars, and going on trips. I don't feel like my income can support that currently. My current goals are saving up for a new car and trying to deliberately save for vacations. I feel like for the past five years most of my extra money went towards paying off my student loans and focusing on living expenses that there wasn't a lot left over. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? Throughout college, my parents paid for my phone bill and would have helped me if I found myself struggling, but I never wanted to have to ask them for money. My parents were on and off about getting a divorce throughout high school and college, so I never wanted to be a burden or source of argument financially. I had loans and worked throughout college to pay for rent and other living expenses, and I did not have a car. Once I graduated and started my full-time job, I had my own phone plan and car insurance, so I no longer depended on my parents. My sister is five years younger than me and while she was going through college she had a few struggles that needed financial support (phone and car problems) and I always felt a little jealous of how my parents helped her with money — but I know they would have helped me if I needed it. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. ~$2,000 from when my grandparents passed away. That money went to my Roth IRA and has been growing. Day One: Tuesday 7 a.m. — I leave my house to get to school and drink my thermos of coffee on my 22-minute commute. I work in a smaller suburb so traffic isn't an issue since I am driving away from the bigger city. Once I get to work I see the daily coverage email that is pleading for teachers to fill in on their prep for other teachers that are out. They do pay us $30 to cover someone else's class period but besides lunch, that is the only point in the day I get a break away from students (and is usually when I go to the bathroom and get a chance to print my materials and plan). I close the email hoping that I won't be forced to cover someone. 12 p.m. — Class ends, and I have until 12:50 p.m. before I need to open my classroom to students. I brought leftovers from dinner last night and ate outside with a few coworkers. Since I had something that needed the microwave, I lost about seven precious minutes walking to the staff room and waiting in line to be able to use one of the two microwaves. 3:35 p.m. — School ends and I grab my computer and head to the school library. I picked up an additional duty this year that involves helping students with homework after school. It's only two days a week and I get $21.87 an hour. The high school students who come are pretty independent, so I usually prepare my things for the next day, print, or grade. This is the second-to-last week of school; only three students come, which is a little curious, since end-of-year tests and projects are happening. 4:35 p.m. — I head home and get working on some T-shirts I designed for our volleyball team. It's really the beer league on Tuesdays, so it's more of a social activity. Over the weekend, my friends and I designed a logo, printed it on heat transfer vinyl with a Cricut, and then ironed it on most of the shirts. I just had a few left that I scramble to iron before our game tonight. I spent $63.16 last week on the materials for the 11 shirts and was just planning to gift them to everyone. 6:45 p.m. — Our volleyball game started but the clouds were looking spooky. During the second set, it started to downpour but since there wasn't any lightning, we continued to play. It was difficult to see and the sand of the court turned into huge pools of water, but it was a lot of fun. We won two of the three sets. We're still undefeated! 8 p.m. — We decide to stay and order dinner at the bar that hosts the volleyball games. I get meals for both me and my boyfriend, A., who acted as a brave cheerleader through the downpour. $48 Daily Total: $48 Day Two: Wednesday 7:25 a.m. — I leave for work with coffee in hand a little later than usual. On Wednesdays we don't have to be at school until 8:15 a.m., which is when the kids are allowed in. Even though I left later than usual, I'm still on time. 12:20 p.m. — Today I get a school-ordered lunch specifically available for staff. It's a chicken salad with grapes, apples, and cranberries that I absolutely love. With my short lunch break and because I talk so much, I barely finish it all on time. $4.25 3:45 p.m. — On my way home I stop at the grocery store. I like to use the app to see what coupons are available when possible. It's warm out so all I am craving is pasta salad or maybe I'll make a sausage pasta dish. I buy all the veggies for the pasta salads, some sausage, and some little surprise travel snacks for A. for his upcoming trip. $31.73 4:40 p.m. — On my counter I have an invitation to my friend's baby shower two weeks from now, but I can't make it. I go to her registry and buy a present that will get delivered to her this week. I always wonder if it's better to buy things from the registry or to just send money? $48.29 4:45 p.m. — As I'm scrolling on my phone, I see that my credit card with rotating 5% categories has added cable and internet for an extra category for this month only. I prepay my internet bill since I know I will have to pay it eventually anyway. I try to not be too influenced by which categories are 5%, but if it's something I know I will purchase anyway, I like making a small amount of money back I wouldn't otherwise. I might prepay for the following month as well. 6:30 p.m. — A. comes over and we cook pasta salad together using the veggies I bought and some leftover bacon and chicken I had in the fridge. I like when we cook together and talk about our day, it makes me look forward to cooking a healthy meal for us. He also brought ingredients to make Oreo ball truffles for dessert. 8 p.m. — We end the night watching House Hunters and I am surprised when one couple says they MUST have a bathroom attached to the master bedroom. A. then asks me what my top things are for my dream house and I struggle to think of wanting more past just a second bedroom and bathroom. I live in a one-bedroom apartment so dreaming of a house with more than that doesn't seem possible in my near future. A. already owns his own home and makes more money than me, so his house dreams do feel within reality. We have only been together for two months, so it's difficult for me to know how to dream about our future together. We met through Hinge, and I feel so lucky to have met him — it has been the most comfortable and communicative relationship I have ever been in. It feels so fun and natural to talk about those dreams with him, but for some reason I hold myself back because I don't want it to sound like I am making plans about how to use 'his' money. My overall conclusion is that I am a little self-conscious of how much I make in comparison to him, but I am still proud of renting my own apartment. Daily Total: $84.27 Day Three: Thursday 9:30 p.m. — During my prep period I meet with a coworker to reflect about the year. She has also asked me to tutor her sons twice a week over the summer. We decided the dates that work best and she agreed to pay me $60 a week. I normally only cat sit and volunteer over the summer, so this will be a nice little income. I chose to only receive my paychecks 10 months of the year rather than all 12 because then I can do more with my money sooner, but I still need to put aside money to prepare for the summer. Since I didn't expect to work this summer and I already saved what I need to, I am wondering if I should put my tutor money towards my car fund or my vacation fund. 12:20 p.m. — I eat my leftover pasta salad outside for lunch. No microwave line for me today! 1 p.m. — My students are working on finishing their final projects, and there is not a ton for me to do until they turn them in. I focus on cleaning up my room and organizing things for my summer tutoring. 3:35 p.m. — Today is my second-to-last day with homework duty! Only two students come, which is still surprising with finals week happening next week. I calculate that I made $1,269 (before taxes) this school year with this extra duty. 5:30 p.m. — After school I rush home to change before driving downtown for a comedy show with two friends! (The show is downtown, so I park in a parking ramp nearby for $6.75.) Tickets were $36 and they require you to buy two drinks while at the event as well (this is a specific requirement of this venue, I've never seen it anywhere else. It is a bit annoying — I wonder if the ticket price is for the entertainer, but they want to ensure the wait staff make money as well?), so I get an espresso martini and a Moscow mule ($25.40). $69.14 8 p.m. — Once the show is done, my friend and I walk to a nearby restaurant for food and another drink. We split a flatbread and olive platter and I get another martini. She lives out of state so it was great to get some time to catch up with her, since we couldn't talk during the show. $28.96 10 p.m. — I get home and feel happy that I got to do so many things on a week night. Living alone and doing the same routine of dinner and watching a show can feel repetitive. I want to try and be more purposeful about making plans with friends. I try to remember this feeling for the next time I feel too sleepy to do something after work. Daily Total: $97.11 Day Four: Friday 7:40 a.m. — I lead a brief end-of-year meeting with my department. I am technically the building leader for my very small department. I do get a stipend of $1,000 over the school year for this role, which involves meeting with administrators after school once a month, leading a department meeting once a week, ordering and organizing our budget, and training new staff. This is my first year in this role and it has been difficult, but I learned a lot. 9:30 a.m. — During my prep period, I call to schedule a physical therapy appointment for some numbness I have been feeling in my legs. They're scheduling a month out which is unfortunate because my insurance year ends this month. I ask to be put on a cancellation list to hopefully go in sooner. My deductible is $3,000 but my employer puts $2,750 into an HRA each year. I have visited the doctor more than normal this year and have almost hit my deductible, so it would be nice if my PT appointment could be included in this month's insurance. I have (luckily) never hit my deductible, so my HRA amount has rolled over every year to the point that I feel very comfortable spending on health issues as they arise. I even had enough HRA money to fund my lasik eye surgery last year! 12:20 p.m. — I order another staff lunch salad. I love the variety of fresh fruit and veggies it involves. I feel like I could not buy all these ingredients separately for this price — it would go to waste too quickly. $4.25 3:45 p.m. — School is done and it's the weekend! I stop for gas on the way home. Usually I like to fill up when I am a little under half tank, which others have said is strange. I don't like to ever let it get below quarter tank, and I kind of enjoy having a fuller tank so I never have to worry if I have to unexpectedly drive a further distance. $31.81 4:15 p.m. — I stop at my step-brother's house to check on his two cats while he and his fiancée are out of town. They live about 10 minutes from my apartment and pay me $20 for each time I stop, but I feel bad taking money from them since they are family. 6:30 p.m. — A. stops over and surprises me with flowers since he will be gone for a work trip for the next week. He can only stay for a little while since he still needs to go home and pack, so I make us a Costco pizza I already had in my freezer. I have way too many things in my freezer — I really need to try and use up more of those items. Day Five: Saturday 9 a.m. — I wake up and start my coffee maker. On the weekend I like to drink my coffee on my patio. Then I stop over at my neighbor's apartment to check on her cat. A few weeks ago I put up posters in my apartment building advertising that I could cat sit and this is the first time this neighbor has reached out to me, so I'm excited to have a new client! Her cat is the sweetest, so I hope she asks me to cat sit more. Since I don't even have to leave my apartment building, I only charge $15 per stop. 10:30 a.m. — I invite my friend over and we walk to some local garage sales in my neighborhood. Most houses were selling a lot of kids' things, so my friend bought a lot of baby stuff for a baby shower. I should have waited to buy baby things for my friend! I bought some sweaters and craft supplies. $12 12 p.m. — I go check on my step-brother's cats once I get back from walking around with my friend. The cats are very excited to eat their Churus. 2 p.m. — I go on a walk to the park by my house and call my mom to chat. Normally I listen to a podcast or audiobook. Lately I've been listening to Smosh Reads Reddit Stories or Two Hot Takes for podcasts. Both involve reading and reacting to Reddit posts of people explaining a situation or asking for advice and the hosts discuss. I like the gossip feeling but I also enjoy thinking about how I would react to/solve that situation. I also enjoyed listening to the Vera Wong series by Jesse Q. Sutano — they're sort of comedic whodunits. Once I get back, I make a strawberry smoothie and take a little nap. 5 p.m. — I start to get hungry, so I make another pasta salad for dinner. With summer upon us it's so warm out that I always crave cold pasta salad with all the chopped up veggies. I sit down to eat and read on my Kindle. I have been rotating between reading 1984 and an enemies to lovers romance novel called A Proposal They Can't Refuse. I really enjoy dystopian and societal critique novels, but sometimes they get too heavy and I need a palette cleanser. I use Libby to check out digital books from the library and try to avoid paying for books as much as possible. Daily Total: $12 Day Six: Sunday 10 a.m. — I got a Venmo request from my friend for an upcoming bachelorette trip event. We will be renting a sailboat — I hope that means it comes with a driver?! I usually put $150 a month towards my vacation bucket in Ally, so I will pull from that money to even out my expense reports in my banking app. I have a few bachelorette parties and trips planned for this summer, so I had to figure out how much I would need to budget each month. $66.17 11 a.m. — I go to a Zumba class at my gym. It's one of the more expensive gyms in the area, but I love all the group classes they offer. Zumba and yoga are my favorites, but I'm starting to try more lifting ones. I am looking forward to making it part of my daily routine for summer as well. 12:30 p.m. — I stop at A.'s house to check on his cats while he is out of town. They're still quite shy around me but once I brought out their food they got very excited. 1:30 p.m. — I have leftover pasta salad from yesterday and frozen chicken bites from Costco. My sister calls and we make a plan for Father's Day. I buy a campsite for him and his girlfriend to stay near my town. My sister venmos me half of the payment. $20 5:30 p.m. — I do laundry in my in-unit washing machine. I love that I don't have to leave the apartment to do laundry. I vacuum, clean the bathroom, water the plants, and take the trash out. 8:40 p.m. — I am tempted to walk to the nearby ice cream shop but I decide to make a strawberry milkshake instead. Maybe it's healthier? 10 pm — I head to bed after a calm and uneventful Sunday. I luckily didn't have to do any school work, my first few years of teaching I felt like I was regularly working 2-3 hours on my computer preparing for the week ahead. I miss A. and I'm looking forward to him coming back on Thursday. Daily Total: $86.17 Day Seven: Monday 6 a.m. — I wake up and shower for the last Monday of the school year! 9 a.m. — Students have their final projects due today. Many finished on Friday, but some waited until the last second to submit them. Only three of my ~110 students didn't turn in their projects, which is a win! 3 p.m. — Another teacher covers my study hall so I can interview for an open position in my department. This is another responsibility I have as a building leader. I like being on the other side of interviews, it's fun to meet new people and interesting to see how they respond when a little nervous. We have another interview tomorrow so hopefully it will help us decide who would be a better fit. 4 p.m. — I head to A.'s house to check on his cats. On the way back, I stop at Chick-fil-A to buy food for my sister and me since she's staying overnight. My sister venmos me for her half. $12.67 6:30 p.m. — My sister is taking a test in my town tomorrow so she wants some time to study. I go on a walk to a nearby park. 10 p.m. — I head to bed relatively early. Summer is only three days away and I'm looking forward to sleeping in. I check my banking apps to see that my automatic transfers are set for payday tomorrow — it will be my second to last pay day since I don't receive a paycheck in July or August. The Breakdown Conclusion 'Overall, it was nice to really reflect on how I feel about money and how that influences my choices. I don't usually cat sit this often, I felt like I spent a lot of my time driving between places. I also feel like I spent a lot more this week than I normally do, with so many activities, but I see time spent with friends as well as gifts. I think it's important to save, but I felt like I was previously limiting myself and spending a lot of time at home with my cat. I've been trying to focus more time and energy on experiences.' 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. We've updated our Money Diaries submission process: You can now submit your Money Diary via our online form or by sending us a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Prior to submitting your Money Diary, please read and consider Refinery29's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Submission of your Money Diary does not guarantee publication by Refinery29. Should your Money Diary be selected for publication, Refinery29 may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay you a fee, subject to such further terms and conditions as Refinery29 may deem necessary. Money Diaries that are not published are not entitled to receive any payment. Refinery29 will not remove Money Diaries once published. By submitting your Money Diary to Refinery29, you agree to abide and be bound by the applicable Terms of Use and Privacy Policy linked above. All submissions need to be original to the author (i.e., no AI contributions). here
Refinery29
2 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Policy Advisor On £40,000
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. This week: "I'm 29 and live with my fiancé in Auckland, New Zealand. We were living in London for the last three years and while all of our friends were starting to buy houses and plan weddings, we decided that this was likely our last chance for a big adventure before settling down. So we packed up our life into two rucksacks, spent eight weeks travelling in Asia and then landed in New Zealand at the start of 2025. We knew going into this that we would only be here for two years, so while here we're really trying to get out and see as much of this beautiful country as possible, although it is getting to winter now, so that has dialled back a bit. I was able to get a similar job to the one I was doing in London, working in the New Zealand civil service on planning and environmental policy. I also got a fair-sized pay rise when moving here. The cost of living (except groceries) is cheaper than London, so we're trying to capitalise on extra disposable income and put away as much as possible for both travelling in NZ and for our wedding which is booked for summer 2027 in the UK." Occupation: Policy advisor Industry: Government Age: 29 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Salary: £40,000 Joint income: £80,000. Prior to moving we split nearly everything equally, S would pick up extra bits and pieces of fun money as he earnt more but since moving to NZ, we only opened one joint bank account that both salaries are paid into so we share everything now. Assets: £12,500 in a help-to-buy ISA that my parents set up for me. My partner has £15,000 inheritance locked away in a two-year high-interest ISA and about £9,000 in a Help-to-Buy that should reach £12,500 by the time we move back home and want to buy a house. We also have about £6,000 in an ISA earmarked for our wedding. Debt: N/A Paycheque Amount: £1,145 fortnightly. Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Monthly Housing Costs: £1,235, includes water (split between me and S). Utilities: £35 wifi, £71 electricity — this is for both of us, so I pay half of this. Number of Housemates: One — my fiancé, S. Monthly Loan Payments: £113 student loan. I have to do this manually as I currently live abroad and it is a pain. Pension: I don't pay into a NZ pension but will rejoin the UK civil service pension scheme when we move back in two years' time. All Other Monthly Expenses: £36 monthly SIM-only plan (for both of us), £134 monthly joint gym membership (this is so expensive, but the gym has a pool and is very close to our flat so I really make the most of it), £20 fortnightly wonky veg box. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I did a four-year integrated master's in chemistry, with an industry year, using Student Finance England for the course fees. Doing an integrated master's is great as course fees are included in your "first degree", so you don't have to self-fund the master's, unlike most post-grad master's degrees. My student loan didn't quite cover my rent, so my parents kindly helped top that up and then, jointly with my grandparents, sent me a £70 per week for food, going out etc. I am eternally grateful for this as it meant I didn't have to work while studying. During my industry year, I was paid so they didn't have to send any money for that year. They haven't asked for any of this back (despite my offering), so I have vowed to do the same for my children in the future. I then went on to do a PhD. I was paid a £17,000 tax-free stipend for this, so I was mostly independent except for my phone contract and Spotify account. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Up until recently the only money conversations we had were to not get a credit card or buy anything on finance as that means debt which is bad. More recently my dad has got the pension bee in his bonnet and brings up starting a private pension regularly! What was your first job and why did you get it? I joked with an older friend that her Saturday job in a bakery was the dream job and two weeks later, she had got me a trial shift. I started at 14 and worked there on Saturdays until I moved out for university — picking up extra shifts when home in the uni holidays. The best part was the bakery was closed on a Sunday so the lovely owners allowed us 'Saturday girls' to take home the leftover cream cakes that wouldn't last until Monday, my family LOVED it. Did you worry about money growing up? I never felt that we had money issues when I was younger. We were told to wait for Christmas or birthdays if we ever wanted new stuff and we never went out for dinner or got takeaways, but I often thought this was just my parents being strict! Now I'm older, through conversations with my mum, I've realised how much they must have struggled, but they did an amazing job of hiding it from us. They always prioritised experiences, like gigs, cinema trips and holidays over material goods and random treats, which made my childhood really special. My grandparents lived in Spain for a period of my childhood, so we spent a fair few summer holidays at their villa, which my brother and I loved. On reflection, this must have been a great way to take us on holiday every year for relatively little. Do you worry about money now? I wouldn't say I worry, as I feel we are in a pretty good position financially. But I do constantly think about money — should I buy that coffee, is this the cheapest brand of yoghurt in the food shop, do I really need this new top, always looking for the bargain etc. My dad and grandpa have definitely passed down the frugal Yorkshire mindset and years of being a student and then living on a low salary in London have only reinforced that in me. The only time I break out of it is when eating out, haha! At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? I'm not sure I can say that I am. I'm incredibly lucky that my parents set aside money for me to buy a house and they pay for my Spotify subscription (and until we moved abroad my phone too). I'm also very aware that I don't have to pay the single tax, and I'm very fortunate that S earns a good amount too. I know that my parents and grandparents would help out without hesitation if we ever did fall on hard times, which is very reassuring. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? My parents have been gradually setting aside money in an ISA (and later transferred this to a help-to-buy ISA) since I was little, without which buying a house in the next few years would be impossible! Both my parents and S's mum have indicated that they would like to financially help out with the wedding, however we haven't sorted the details with them yet. Day One 6 a.m. — S's alarm goes off and I try but fail to roll back over to sleep, normally I get another 30-40 mins snoozing but not today. Noticing I'm awake, S brings through a cup of tea like the gem he is while I catch up with messages from the UK and read my Kindle. 7 a.m. — Get dressed for the gym and head out for an early morning workout. 8:20 a.m. — Back home, showered and starting work with my standard breakfast of homemade granola, yogurt, a sprinkling of vanilla protein powder and defrosted frozen berries (raspberries this week). Fruit, especially berries, can be SO expensive here so buying a frozen bag and defrosting a few overnight is by far the most cost-effective way to make my favourite breakfast. 11:30 a.m. — Finished an interesting cross-agency meeting and grab a cup of tea and a little Anzac biscuit that I made yesterday for a morning snack. 12:10 p.m. — Pop out to the shops to grab some beauty essentials that I've been holding back on buying while we have been trying to recoup a bit of our financial buffer after moving. Pick up some tights, toner, blush, body scrub and CeraVe SA body cream to try to get rid of my keratosis pilaris, £38.40. I've never tried overly hard to get rid of it before, but I've read that it takes a bit of trial and error to get the right products for your skin and I want to make sure I don't feel self-conscious about it at our wedding. 12:50 p.m. — Make a quesadilla for lunch back at my desk and get back into work. 2 p.m. — Fill in an expense claim for my employer's wellbeing allowance scheme. We can apply for up to £200 reimbursement of health and wellness related costs per year, including a gym membership! We pay for a shared membership so I'm hoping that this doesn't cause too much confusion in the expense process. 4:30 p.m. — Clock off from work and do a bit of my paint by numbers before cooking some tea for S and I. A quick and easy carrot and parsnip puff pastry open tart with little roasted potato cubes. 6:30 p.m. — Head out to book club. I joined a book club when we moved here after never being part of a book club before and have loved the welcoming environment, meeting new people and chatting about books (this month was Yellowface)! Just drink tap water as I'll be having weeknight drinks with work on Thursday. 9 p.m. — Home and cups of tea in bed while reading the Great Granny Webster (not a book club read). Learnt at book club that there is a massive backlog on next month's book (The Salt Path) at the library, so buy it for my Kindle, £4.99. Day Two 6:40 a.m. — Managed to roll over and snooze this morning. Scrolling and message catch-up with my morning cuppa. 7:15 a.m. — Shower, makeup, pack my bag and eat the normal breakfast of yoghurt, granola and berries with a glass of OJ. 8:10 a.m. — Hop on the bus listening to the Sean Penn episode of the Louis Theroux Podcast, £2.05. 8:40 a.m. — Arrive at work, grab a glass of water and get stuck into writing a procurement plan and emailing paper authors to let them know our quality assurance panel is assessing their paper. 10:30 a.m. — Make a cup of tea in the office to enjoy with another Anzac biscuit, get distracted by a team calls and the tea goes cold before I manage to eat my biscuit. 12 p.m. — I love that people in my current office love an early lunch, none of this waiting around until 1 p.m., which really suits my hungry tum! There is also a great culture of going to the kitchen rather than eating at your desk and taking the full hour, much better than my experience in UK civil service departments. Leftovers from last night for lunch. 1 p.m. — Catch up on a couple of briefings that went up to the minister this week, both are over 25 pages, so this is quite the task! 2:50 p.m. — Afternoon slump hitting hard, so pop out to buy some sweets (or lollies as they're called in NZ) for the office lollie jar, £4.77. Walk past a cafe and treat myself to a flat white to keep me going through these dense papers, £2.30. 4:45 p.m. — Bus home and straight to the gym with S, £2.05. 7 p.m. — Gym done, back home for shower and hair wash, and soon I'm wolfing down mac 'n' cheese that S added Quorn chicken pieces to for extra protein. 8 p.m. — Watch on Race Across the World while S does some marking for school. Honestly, if I could go on any TV show it would be this one in a got to decide who I would do it with. 9:45 p.m. — S finally finishes marking so we snuggle up in bed and read for a very short while before dozing off. Total: £11.17 Day Three 6:10 a.m. — Not doing a very good job of snoozing on a morning! The only benefit is I get a good hour of reading and phone catch up with a cuppa from S before needing to get in the shower. 7:15 a.m. — S informs me he's bought tickets for the rugby on Saturday,£9.50. Shower, dressed, makeup, standard granola breakfast and pack my bag for work. 8:05 a.m. — Head out in the rain to catch the bus, listening to Off Menu on the way, £2.05. Get into work slightly soggy and get started on addressing comments on a policy paper I wrote. 11 a.m. — Morning tea break with a homemade granola bar. 12:30 p.m. — Leftovers for lunch and meet with a newly formed office social committee to try and get some more social events off the ground. 1:30 p.m. — Catch-up with other advisors in my wider work area, we meet every few weeks to stay in touch with other work that is going on and act as a support network and sounding board. Being based at a different office to the majority of other people in my work area, I really appreciate these catch ups as it can feel slightly isolating when you're not bumping into colleagues and getting those ad-hoc check-ins. 4:30 p.m. — After a few more meetings and an afternoon of paper reading, I head home. Listen to the new Leon Bridges album on the bus, £2.05. Film my Waffle Wednesday when I get home, this is something I saw on Instagram and started doing with my two besties when I moved to NZ and we have been LOVING it. It's such a great way to keep up with each other's lives, and share what's been going on and how you're feeling — can't recommend enough! I'll watch their videos tomorrow due to the 11 hour time difference. 5:30 p.m. — Feeling mentally drained and incapable of making meal decisions, but S steps in and does all the work, making broccoli and Quorn peanut butter noodles so I just have to do the washing up. 8 p.m. — Get into bed early with a cup of tea, biscuit and the Nintendo Switch. My friend recently recommended Spiritfarer as a cosy, easy game and I have been loving it! I didn't grow up playing games so my skills with the controls are not the best, but I really enjoy playing so games like this are perfect! 10:15 p.m. — Finish off the evening reading before lights out. Total: £13.60 Day Four 6:50 a.m. — Fell back asleep after the 6 a.m. alarm. S brings through a cup of tea, which I drink while scrolling before hopping in the shower and commencing my normal office day routine. 8:05 a.m. — Bus to work, very glad it isn't raining today as the first bus was full and drove past us, £2.05. 8:40 a.m. — Get stuck into more policy paper edits and read some analysis a colleague sent overnight. I am 100% a morning person, so I try to capitalise on that by getting all my hard thinking done early and keep the easier tasks for the afternoon slump. 9:30 a.m. — Impromptu Teams call with some seniors about a workshop we have later today with another agency. We are writing a joint briefing with them and need to decide our position as an agency before the meeting and then hopefully we can convince them that our approach is the right one! 10:30 a.m. — All staff meeting interrupted by the arrival of press and ministers to my office for a media announcement. I agreed I'd support ferrying people around so leave the all-staff to help set up. Watch the press release from the back of the room. 12:45 p.m. — Press conference is all wrapped up and I am starving! Sadly I am too late to join the office waiata (māori song) practice that I usually join on a Thursday, so just heat up my second mac 'n' cheese leftover portion and scoff down my lunch. 4 p.m. — Final meeting of the day, really constructive workshop with the other agency with the outcomes we wanted. 5:20 p.m. — Workshop done and head downstairs to post-work drinks. We just meet in the break-out/kitchen area and bring our own drinks and nibbles. I bought a bottle last week and there's always more drinks than people so I just have a few glasses of fizz from the joint drinks pool. 6:30 p.m. — Leave the office and immediately get on the bus, feel very smug as last week I left the office and watched a bus drive past me, £2.05. 7 p.m. — S has made crispy fake chicken wraps, coleslaw and tater tots so I plate up and join him for a sofa dinner. He had to pick up some bits from the shops for this, £6.40 for my half. This is such an unusual week as I normally do the majority of the cooking, but I can't say I'm complaining. 8 p.m. — Load the dishwasher and wash the last bits. Do some of my paint by numbers to relax while S marks exams. I love doing creative things but find I'm often too tired to think of something I want to create so a detailed paint-by-numbers fills this void, quietens my overactive brain and prevents me from mindlessly scrolling. 9:45 p.m. — Flop into bed and fall asleep fairly quickly, I find office days are way more productive but take it out of me. Total: £10.50 Day Five 7:30 a.m. — Put on my gym clothes in preparation for later, make some granola and eat while watching some YouTube videos. 8:45 a.m. — Crack open my laptop and get going for the day, emailing out reminders to people for a review panel I volunteer on. 10:15 — Take a mid-morning break to read the money diary from this week and snack on an Anzac biscuit and a feijoa — this is not intentional but is potentially the most kiwi snack I could have prepared! Feijoas are a super popular fruit in NZ that apparently aren't commonly eaten elsewhere. I had never heard of them before moving here and the jury is still out on whether I like the tangy pineapple/guava/strawberry flavour mash up. 12 p.m. — Head out to the gym on my lunch break, do 10 minutes on the stairmaster (nothing gets me sweating quite like it) and an ab workout. A man sees me doing a side plank and starts asking me about it and copying me, much to the amusement of his personal trainer. I feel slightly awkward as my side plank is terrible but it is a funny interaction and a reminder of how friendly Kiwis are. 1:15 p.m. — Home, shower and hair wash done and I whip up an elite freezer lunch of some frozen dumplings, a paratha and some of the tempura seaweed rolls with stir-fried glass noodles inside (the most elite of the frozen asian snack IYKYK), dipped in a soy sauce, crispy chilli oil and homemade vinegar sauce. 3 p.m. — Call with someone about the procurement I'm trying to do followed by an end-of-the-week quiz with the other advisors in my team. I don't know if it is a hangover from online COVID forced fun or something that went on prior, but people in my agency love an online quiz. 5 p.m. — S arrives home with his colleague/friend, A and the three of us walk round to a nearby brewery for beers and burgers with the rest of his department as a bit of a leaving do for a student teacher. We get three beers (they don't serve pints in NZ which S still hasn't gotten over) and a burger each, £31. 7 p.m. — All S's colleagues head off so we walk across the road to a different bar with 40(!!) beer taps. Get three more beers each and have a good natter before calling it a night, £18. 10:30 p.m. — Flop into bed and immediately fall asleep. Total: £49 Day Six 5:30 a.m. — S struggles to sleep with a hangover so he gets up and goes through to the sofa to nap with the TV. I thankfully roll over and fall back asleep. 8 a.m. — Wake to S asking if I want a cup of tea, contemplate rolling over again but decide to join him on the sofa. 8:30 a.m. — Grumbling tummies demand bacon sandwiches and more tea, make those and eat, watching this week's Ta skmaster absolutely howling at everything Jason Manzoukis does. 11 a.m. — Drag S out of the house and to the gym for a hangover-curing workout. 10 minutes rowing them a leg workout and sweat all the beers out (that's how it works right!?). 12:30 p.m. — Showered and ready for our afternoon of activities, hop in the car to a birria taco place we have been wanting to try out since moving here. Order one of everything to share — two birria tacos, a quesadilla, birria ramen, chips and dip and two Cokes, only £15 for my half of the feast! 1:30 p.m. — Drive back home and grab my library book to return. Leave the car, walk to the library (support your local library guys!) then walk up to Eden Park and grab a drink in a pub near the ground. A beer for S and a marg for me, £7.50 for my half. 3:30 p.m. — S's colleague and family are also going to the rugby so meet us in the pub. Get another beer for S and a G&T for me, £5.60. 4:30 p.m. — Walk over to Eden Park to watch the rugby. Grab some chips (or hot chips as the Kiwis call them) and two cans, £6.80 for my half. RTD (ready to drink) cans are really popular here, I try a Canadian whisky and ginger beer and S gets a normal beer. 5:20 a.m. — Half time, S picks us up two cans of RTD alcoholic lemonade to try, £5.50 for mine. 6:30 p.m. — Game is finished, it was the first time we've been at a game the Auckland Blues won, so that was fun! Walk over to a pizza place and share two super delicious pizzas (a salami and nduja one, and a confit garlic, bacon and hot honey one) and some olives. I get a glass of red wine and S has a beer, £25.30 for my half. 7:45 p.m. — Roll home and watch an episode of the new series of Clarkson's Farm and the final two episodes of Friday Night Dinner with a cup of tea. 10:30 p.m. — Climb into bed feeling bloated and very sleepy. Two meals out was indulgent today and I'm feeling it. Healthy home-cooked meals all week next week! Total: £65.70 Day Seven 7 a.m. — Wake up and can't get back to sleep so I sneak out and bring my phone back into bed while S snoozes. Decide to make a list of all the Booker Prize winners since I was born and challenge myself to tick them all off — luckily, I've ticked off eight already. 8:20 a.m. — S wakes, I bring in tea and we read until tummies start grumbling. 9 a.m. — Have porridge watching Gogglebox and make the meal and shopping lists for the week. 11 a.m. — Drive over to one of the climbing gyms we like, get petrol on the way, £44. We bought 10 climb punch passes last month so this climb is pre-paid. We gave bouldering a go after it was included in the Olympics and fell in love with it! I'm really not very good (I like to blame it on a two-year hiatus but it's likely just my lack of upper body strength or coordination lol). But the beauty of climbing is there are routes at all levels so you can complete climbs and feel a sense of achievement even at the beginner level! 1:15 p.m. — Arms and fingers are on fire and energy is gone so we call it a day. Stop in at the supermarket on the way home and brace myself for the world's most expensive food shop! Pick up apples, bananas, broccoli, herbs, panini bread, blue cheese, feta, milk, Greek yog, eggs, tinned chickpeas, beans and tomatoes, rice, cream, crisps, frozen blueberries, tortilla chips, puff pastry, chipotle sauce and dish sponges, £37.50 for my half. The crazy thing is this felt like a cheap shop! Not sure I'll ever get used to the price of groceries in NZ — get me back to Aldi! 2 p.m. — S makes panini's for a late lunch then showers and straight into joggers for a cosy afternoon. 3:30 p.m. — S cracks on with some work for school while I alternate between reading The Salt Pat h for book club, playing Spiritfarer and finishing the Wolf Hall BBC show. 6 p.m. — I make a paneer curry while we catch up with S's family on FaceTime. Sunday evening in NZ is the best time for catching up with friends and family in the UK so we normally have at least one call. 7:45 p.m. — Sit down to watch Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. I've never seen this but I'm a big fan of Wayne's World so I'm sure it'll be a hit. Snack on popcorn and some Whittaker's chocolate (absolutely elite, already know I'll miss it when we leave). Total: £81.50 The Breakdown Conclusion "Recording my spending was a fun exercise and really highlighted how much tea we drink! I'm not surprised in the slightest that food and drink was my most expensive category, but it is our favourite thing to do so that is unlikely to change any time soon. I doubt I'll keep up with recording my spending in this detail, but I do generally keep a close eye on our bank account so that's unlikely to change. I do need get better and remembering to transfer any leftover money into the ISA at the end of the month to make it work harder." If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. If you would rather email us, please send a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay £100 for each published diary. Prior to submitting your Money Diary, please read and consider Refinery29's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for UK and Ireland. Submission of your Money Diary does not guarantee publication by Refinery29. 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4 days ago
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A Week In Brooklyn On A $94,800 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 project coordinator who makes $94,800 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a tuxedo T-shirt with cleavage (it's not every day you buy one of those). 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: Project coordinator Industry: Local government Age: 25 Location: Brooklyn, NY Salary: $94,800 Assets: Checking: $2,290.94 (I always keep at least $1,750 in here, which is rent and an additional $500); savings: $23,967.61 ($15,000 is my emergency fund, $7,000 is for my Roth IRA for 2026, and the rest is my 'discretionary' fun money); Roth IRA: $16,478.89; brokerage: $101.41; pension: $9,201.96 (which will be paid out to me as half of my average salary of my entire career. So if I stay with my job until I retire and my salary never goes up, that looks like $45,485.17 a year); 401(k): $1,589.39 (I just started contributing this year and I do it at the same percentage rate as my pension, which is 4.5%). Debt: $28,126.42 in federal student loans. Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly): $2,195.51 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: Rent: $1,250 (my roommate and I split this evenly, so our rent is $2,500 total). Loan Payments: $0 Utilities: $40-$100, depending on the season and how much we are running our A/Cs. Wifi: $24.99 (my roommate and I split this, and it is $50 total). Phone: $88.12 Spotify: $19.99 Steaming: $0 (I get Netflix and Apple TV from my phone carrier, my parents give me access to Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ and my brother handles Peacock). NY Times Digital Access: $4.34 Apple iCloud: $2.99 Every Dollar: $19.59 (this is a budgeting app). Laundry: $60 (I load $30 onto a card twice a month). Gym Membership: $22.99 Pilates Membership: $130.65 (this is for reformer Pilates. I do a work exchange program at a yoga studio for unlimited free yoga and mat Pilates classes). Savings: I save around $800-$1,000 a month in my HYSA. Pre-Tax Deductions: Health insurance: $73.96; paid family leave: $14.11; pension: $163.63; 401(k): $153.29; FSA: $12.50; commuter card: $66. Post-Tax Deductions: Union dues: $25.45 (this covers vision and dental as well). 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? I think the expectation was there, but my parents never had to push me in that direction. I always cared a lot about my academic success while my parents were pretty ambivalent. My mom barely graduated high school and didn't pursue further education, and my dad went to local college for undergrad and has no graduate degrees. I went to a specialized magnet high school, took many APs and did many extracurriculars, and ended up going to a highly ranked school for my undergraduate degree. I think my parents are proud but also a little bit like, 'What did you do all of that for?' I was able to pay for it with a combination of federal aid, federal loans, and a 529 plan from my parents. More on that below. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances? My dad is supposedly pretty good with his money, although he shared absolutely no information with my brother and me. I didn't know about retirement savings, investing, how much to save/spend, nothing. I think he just said not to spend it all at once, lol. Meanwhile, mom recently told me that she doesn't even know how much her paycheck is. I was like, awesome! We grew up 'middle' middle class and my dad was very frugal. More like, stingy. We never had allowances, just birthday and holiday money from relatives that we would use when we wanted something. My parents often do things as cheaply as possible, especially when it comes to their house. I thought we were poorer than we were growing up because our house is not well-taken care of. I now realize that both of my parents are not good at cleaning, both have slight hoarding problems, and see no point in investing any real money into their living space. Shoutout to all of the kids who never really had friends come over because their house was 'embarrassing' — I see you. The first time I remember having a frank conversation about money with my parents was when I was deciding on colleges. My dad and I had a talk where he showed me my 529 account balance and said that I needed to qualify for significant financial aid to go to any of the schools I was dreaming of. Luckily, I ended up qualifying for financial aid that covered my entire tuition and I only had to pay for housing/food costs, which was paid for with my 529 account and federal loans. What was your first job and why did you get it? I started teaching classes and getting paid under the table at the same place I did my main extracurricular when I was 14 for some spending money. The first W2 job I had was at a local swim club working in the snack shack, which my aunt and uncle helped me get. The only time I haven't worked since then was my first year of college, since my original financial aid package had a work/study stipend and then they took it away right before I started school. I worked again starting the summer between freshman and sophomore year and haven't been unemployed for more than a few weeks since that time. Did you worry about money growing up? I didn't worry that we would not have food on the table or a roof over our heads, but I was told 'no' a lot. My mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was in the middle of elementary school, then she began working different part-time jobs. She didn't want to, but she has said that money was too tight for her to stay home. All of my mom's money was for me and my brother to have fun things, like extracurriculars and nicer-than-basic clothes. I was involved in a very expensive extracurricular as a kid that my mom very much loved and was very involved in. My dad was always talking about how much it cost, and it made me worry that my extracurricular was hurting our family financially in ways I couldn't see. Although my mom was happy to fund my extracurricular activities, if we ever went shopping and my mom bought me things but not herself, she would become agitated and say that she spends all of her money on me. This made me worry that we were really not doing well financially. I think my dad's stinginess has always fueled my mother's anxiety about money, even though things aren't so tight anymore. Do you worry about money now? I do. Many of my friends grew up upper middle class or just plain old wealthy, and I know that they have a head start financially. I feel like I know a lot more about finances than my peers because I have to be really intentional with my spending if I want to thrive. I want to be able to buy property one day and I need to strategize how I would do that, especially if I want to stay in New York. At least once a week I look at StreetEasy and spiral about how much owning a home would cost. But I have my emergency fund and I am doing well with my retirement savings now, so it's time to build that wealth that can hopefully become a down payment. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? Fully, at age 25. I got off of my family's phone plan when I turned 25 last summer and got off of my family's insurance plan at age 24. I was taking care of everything else once I moved to New York at age 23. I could definitely move back home with my parents if I needed to, but I don't think they would give me money (because they just gave me a lot of money lol, more details below). Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. When I was in college, my parents paid for my groceries, apartment and utilities when I moved off campus. I never bought my own car, I always got my mom's old car (once when I first started driving and then again when she upgraded; the first car was sold and I took her second hand-me-down car). My parents always paid for the insurance and maintenance, as well as gas when I was in college. When I moved to New York, my dad sold my car and gave me part of the profit, which I think was $3,000. My mom paid the broker's fee for when I moved into my current apartment, which was $2,000. Recently, my grandmother passed and my mom and uncle sold her house. My parents decided to give me and my brother each $2,000 from my grandmother's life insurance and $50,000 each from the sale of the house. I received $25,000 this year and will receive $25,000 next year. This was an incredible, amazing, generous gift that I'm very thankful for — shoutout mom and dad. There is also a wedding fund set aside for me, although I don't know how much it will be. Day One: Wednesday 6 a.m. — Good morning! I flew back from a solo trip to Paris on Monday and I'm still feeling the six-hour time difference. I writhe around in bed for a little while before my cats realize I'm awake and demand attention. I get up to get ready, journal (Artist's Way hive, rise up), and eat breakfast. I choose to wear a black mock-neck sweater, jeans, and platform black Doc Marten boots. Today it's just Chobani yogurt and granola for breakfast because my roommate's girlfriend, Z., is cooking breakfast for my roommate, N., in honor of her first day at a new job. We all chat but secretly I harbor resentment because I wanted to make scrambled eggs. 8:15 a.m. — I take the subway to work and use my transit card to pay for it. I read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, which I bought at the Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore on my vacation. It's a great window into what Hemingway's life was like while living in Paris and trying to make it as a writer. 12 p.m. — I still have so so so many emails to get back to. Help. I heat up leftovers from lunch yesterday, which were from a knock-off Chipotle near my office. I had the energy to buy groceries before crashing on Monday, but not to actually cook anything yet. I crack open a cold one (a Black Razzberry La Croix) and work while eating. I graze on some other office snacks (mainly potato chips) to round out my sad lunch. 4'30 p.m. — I brought Pilates clothes to work so I could head straight to the class, but I forgot my Pilates socks so I have to stop home anyway. I use my transit card again for the subway. It's a mad dash to get home, change clothes, and make the speedy seven-minute walk over to the studio. 6 p.m. — I grab some odds and ends groceries on the way home (strawberry vanilla Olipop, bread, broccoli, a shallot, Chameleon cold brew concentrate). I shower and then make a new dinner recipe that I found on Instagram Reels. It's a Green Goddess pasta sauce made of broccoli, spinach, and silken tofu, and I made some chickpea pasta to go with it. Usually I make dinner with my girlfriend, R., but we're taking some space right now. We haven't talked for two weeks and yesterday we had our first conversation about what reconciliation might look like. It was hard and there's still a lot to figure out. I reflect on all of this as I eat my pasta and watch Queer Eye. These gay men are very comforting in my trying times. $20.34 10 p.m. — N. and I make the gluten-free Trader Joe's chocolate chip cookies and watch some of Queer Eye together before we both decide to turn in. N.'s new job is full-time in person, but I get to work from home tomorrow. I doomscroll on Instagram for 45 minutes and then pass out almost immediately after I turn off the light. Daily Total: $20.34 Day Two: Thursday 6 a.m. — I wake up to pee and almost start getting ready. And then I'm like, why would I do that when I could sleep more? I go back to bed until closer to 9 a.m., which is when I log on when I work from home. 8:30 a.m. — That's better. I do my morning skincare (rinse my face with water, Good Molecules hyaluronic acid serum, Vanicream daily facial moisturizer, my prescribed 1% clindamycin and 5% benzoyl peroxide cream, and Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica sunscreen) and then journal at my desk. I like to use my TV as a speaker and usually listen to music all day when I work from home. I put on Samia, since I'm going to see her tomorrow at Brooklyn Steel. I also make myself a coffee, which is just half cold brew concentrate, half water, and a little bit of oat milk. 11 a.m. — In a meeting and eating breakfast, which is scrambled eggs with avocado and hot sauce with peanut butter and banana on toast. I often eat late when working from home because I get distracted/lazy. I wear my headphones while in the meeting so I can putter around my apartment and clean things while I listen. I'm definitely the more clean roommate and do an entire top to bottom weekly clean of vacuuming, swiffering, cleaning the bathroom, etc. I grew up in a messy, cluttered, dirty home, and having any mess in my home makes me very anxious. My dream as a kid was to live in a home where you can put your hand on the kitchen counter at any time and not be touching a sticky surface with food on it. 12:30 p.m. — I was assigned to do something annoying for work so I decide to make a second coffee. Once I already started making it, I remember I finished the oat milk earlier. I run to the corner store by my apartment and grab some more. Another reason I never want to leave my apartment is because I love this store — it's 24/7, they have good hot food/sandwiches, and they're basically a fully fledged grocery store. $4.99 2:30 p.m. — I heat up some pasta leftovers and eat some pineapple. I used to never eat fruit (maybe like, one apple a month) and in recent months I've forced myself to have at least a little fruit everyday. I employ my favorite work-from-home hack, where I set a timer for 30 minutes to work and then do one cleaning task in my apartment. It really helps me feel productive in getting some work and some chores done and keeps me moving. R. and I text a little and agree to get coffee and go on a walk tomorrow morning. I think it'll be nice but I'm also a little nervous to spend time with them. 6 p.m. — Time for my yoga shift. A month after I moved to New York, a friend recommended that I do work exchange at this yoga studio and I was able to get a shift. I show up, do some laundry and cleaning, take a class, and then mop the floors after. In addition to taking class while on shift, work exchange employees can take unlimited classes at either studio location. I've also met some really great friends through this position and feel like I've created more community than if I was a paying member of the studio. 8 p.m. — I stay and chat with my yoga teacher a bit after I'm done cleaning. She's become a good friend and I hope I'm as cool as her when I'm 40. I have no time but I run into Walgreens on my way home anyway to buy a new shampoo and conditioner. The one I have is just way too heavy for my fine hair and it's driving me crazy. I land on the L'Oreal Elvive Hyluranic + Pure and find some digital coupons on my Walgreens app, which brings my total from ~$13 to $8.70. I wish I had the time, patience, and apartment space to become an extreme couponer. I think I'd slay at that. $8.70 9:30 p.m. — I finally make it to trivia with friends. I order a burger and fries and a ginger ale. Last time I was here, I didn't let myself indulge in this bar's incredible burger and I regretted it. It's nice to hang out with everyone for a little while and catch up. One of my friends went on vacation with her college friends and had lots of drama to spill. We discuss how trivia always has questions about sports and boy movies and how we should host a trivia that only has questions about girl things. $23.78 11:30 p.m. — Did my nighttime skincare routine, which is CeraVe moisturizing face wash, Mediheal madecassoside blemish pad, Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre Moisturizer, Ilia bright start activated eye cream, and my prescribed clindamycin tretinoin cream. Read A Movable Feast and pass the fuck out. Daily Total: $37.47 Day Three: Friday 7:30 a.m. — Good morning! Another work from home day. I get up and do my skincare routine and journal quickly before I meet up with R. I'm feeling nervous but also excited to see them and also to try this coffee shop, which has been on my list for a while. 10 a.m. — Just got back. The coffee shop was adorable — part of the space is a used bookstore, as well as coffee and pastries and fun unique snacks. I got a pistachio cream latte with oat milk, R. got an espresso tonic, and we split an almond croissant. I pay. We chat for a while and have some laughs. Walking back, we have a more serious conversation about where we're both at. We agree that we want to continue going on these little dates and seeing how it feels as we go. We hug goodbye and it's a little sad, but I'm feeling hopeful that we can work things out. I check my work email while walking home and realize I totally forgot to do something that was due for a meeting at 9 a.m., but my coworker covered for me. $19.33 12:30 p.m. — I make some scrambled eggs, avocado toast with pickled red onion, and some pineapple for breakfast. I work in my 30-minute spurts but instead of cleaning or doing other things around my apartment, I just lay in bed for five minutes on my phone before going back to my desk. Can't win 'em all. I'm all caught up on my normal podcasts (Berlant & Novak, Binchtopia, So True with Caleb Hearon, Las Culturistas), so I put on the new Amy Poehler podcast. I put in a Chewy order for the cats (which will last for a month) of Purina Pro Plan Chicken & Rice formula, Arm & Hammer Clump and Seal litter, and a restock of chicken-flavored Greenies. Do Greenies actually help with a cat's dental health? Who's to say. $61.66 3 p.m. — I decide work is mostly done and I go do laundry. I load $30 on my laundry card twice a month, and I have enough on my card to do this load without adding more money. Once I switch my laundry to the dryer, I go to the gym. I do the elliptical for twenty minutes, do some of the leg machines, and finish with a Pilates abs video that kills me every time. I grab my laundry on the way back home and put it away while N. and I discuss dinner. Our friends are coming over for the concert soon and we decided that we'd provide a big family style dinner and ask everyone else to bring some wine/alcohol. 6 p.m. — Dinner time! This group is a mix of vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free, so we always have to be creative. We ended up making crumbled tofu, white rice, roasted carrots, radishes, oyster mushrooms, lettuce, and ramp kimchi with a sesame vinaigrette. It was banging. We drink wine and play two rounds of Code Names. Our last friend arrives with a handle of tequila (oof), so we all do a shot before we go. 8:30 p.m. — Some people got drinks from the bodega for the train ride but I don't want one. I end up having to take sips of theirs anyway because we can't finish the drinks before the concert. My head is already starting to hurt from mixing all of the different kinds of alcohol. N. gets one more drink at the venue, but I just get a water cup. We hang in the back for the concert, which I'm happy with. My friends and I chat during the show about what happened with me and R. and why we're taking space. Their support means the world but talking about it makes me sad still. 11 p.m. — After the concert we try to go to a restaurant/bar where one of our friends works, but it's super crowded. The group splits off where some people go to a bar but I decide to go home with N. and her girlfriend. My headache does not feel great. After we get home, I walk to our corner store and get my roommate a Blue Gatorade Zero and myself some mozzarella sticks, because I deserve it. We all watch Moonstruck in the living room for a little bit before heading to bed. $6.51 Daily Total: $87.50 Day Four: Saturday 9 a.m. — Good morning! My head is still hurting a little bit but I guess that comes with the territory. I haven't mentioned this yet but I am on my period and I use a menstrual disc instead of pads or tampons. It's really convenient and saves a lot of money on buying tampons every month. I do my skincare and then journal in bed listening to The Marías. I've been breaking out pretty badly, which usually means one of my acne prescriptions has expired and is not as effective anymore. I order a refill that I will pick up at Walgreens by my office. I make some breakfast of scrambled eggs, avocado, pineapple, and Evergreen peanut butter banana frozen waffles. I think the main demographic for the waffles are almond moms buying for their almond babies, but they are absolutely delicious. Just call me an almond baby. 11 a.m. — Time for heated mat Pilates class at the yoga studio! It's the same teacher as my Thursday night shift and she's always delighted when she sees me here. If you can't tell, my current fitness/nutrition situation is that I work out often and eat pretty healthy when I cook for myself, but I also eat junk food whenever I crave it. Life is too short to be restrictive. There's a meme that circulates every once in a while that's like 'My body type is that you can tell that I workout but you can also tell I never say no to a cookie', and that's how I feel too, lol. 12:30 p.m. — On my way home, I peruse the farmers' market by my apartment but don't end up buying anything. I shower and exfoliate and shave and moisturize. I think I'm the last lesbian on planet earth who shaves her armpits. I have ambitious plans to clean out all of my junk drawers/bins and sort through what I want and don't want. Before I start, I heat up the last of my leftover pasta and put on a Spotify Jeff Buckley radio mix, which has lots of Big Thief, George Harrison, Radiohead… You get the idea. I also plug in my laptop so I can maybe take it to a coffee shop later. It's a MacBook Air from 2018 but she's already shitting the bed. Probably because I rarely remember to turn her off. I'm sorry, laptop. 6 p.m. — When we talked on Tuesday, R. and I decided to go on a proper date on Saturday. Dinner and a movie, very classic. Now it's actually happening. We meet up and take a nice 20 minute walk to dinner. It was delicious — I had a nice glass of white wine and R. had a non-alcoholic beer. We split a radicchio salad, meatballs, and a huge serving of chicken parmesan with buccatini. I had been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and I'm glad it lived up to the hype in my head. We only cry a little bit at dinner, which is a win. 8:30 p.m. — We have some time before our movie and we decide to skip the restaurant dessert and get ice cream. It's my treat, since R. got dinner. I get a scoop of the brownie s'mores flavor, while R. gets vanilla soft serve with peanuts. I tease them for having the taste palette of an old man. We talk and cry a little more on the walk from ice cream to the movie theatre, but it was a really productive conversation. I think we're both feeling good heading into the theatre. $13.39 9:30 p.m. — Movie time! We both get club sodas with bitters, which are a great option if you want a drink at a bar but don't want alcohol or soda. I pay for the drinks since R. got the movie tickets. The movie is supposed to be very serious but we both find it to be kind of ridiculous. We end up laughing through a lot of it, which was really fun. My favorite thing to do after a movie is read the Letterboxd reviews, and I read the best ones out loud to R. $10 12 a.m. — Finally back at my apartment. I totally didn't finish everything I was doing before I left — absolutely devastating. I sort through the last of my things, do the dishes in the sink, and clean and refill my cat's water fountain. N. is sleeping at Z.'s for maybe the second time since they've started officially dating, so I have the apartment to myself. It feels so good it's not even funny. I get ready for bed and crawl under my covers around 1:30 a.m., and fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow. Daily Total: $23.39 Day Five: Sunday 6 a.m. — My one very cuddly cat wakes me up by headbutting me. I get up to pee, but I know I need more sleep to function correctly so I head back to bed. My cat likes to be the little spoon, so we both fall asleep like that. 11 a.m. — Oh my god nooooooo. I wake up again because someone rings our buzzer. I assume it's my Chewy order from the other day, so I jump out of bed and run downstairs to let them in. I probably look insane with my bed head. It's not my Chewy order, but N.'s new bedroom furniture that she ordered. Luckily the delivery driver is able to bring it up the stairs. 1 p.m. — It takes me a while to get my day started, but I do eventually make some cold brew, journal, and eat breakfast. I make scrambled eggs, a Trader Joe's hash brown, and a little spring mix salad with balsamic and red onion. N. sends me her half of the rent ($1,250). I write the rent check for $2,500. I love that our landlord does old-school paper checks, mostly because my checkbook has baby animal pictures and I love it very much. I also order a new pack of sponges from Amazon. They're expensive but they're really good sponges that last. When you have no dishwasher, these things really start to matter. Z. does dishes at our apartment often (so sweet), but doesn't wring the sponge out literally at all (drives me absolutely nuts). These sponges can withstand her habit of that and still take a while before they smell not so great. $16.32 2 p.m. — I go to the gym even though I don't want to. I feel like I won't be able to sleep tonight if I don't exert myself physically. Also my gym membership was charged today (listed as a part of monthly expenses), which reminds me that I have to actually go here to make that money worth it. I do the stairmaster for 25 minutes (going between levels three and six between warmup, actual workout, and cooldown), and do a 15-minute full-body dumbbell workout that I find on YouTube. It is hard. There is not a set of 10 or 12.5 pound weights to be found anywhere, so I use 7.5 pounds. I still feel the burn, so it's okay. 4 p.m. — I shower and get my butt over to a coffee shop in the neighborhood that has decent lunch. I truly have zero groceries and N. and Z. are doing some elaborate cooking, so I couldn't make something even if I wanted to. I order a hot latte with oat milk and a chicken sandwich. I pretend like the price of it is normal. I write this Money Diary, plan my groceries for the week, and search for a therapist. I haven't been in therapy for about a year, but I've been doing it on and off since 2019. My first therapist was still my most impactful. I'm determined to find a therapist that does Internal Family Systems, and I'm also interested in EMDR and Jungian dream analysis. I have dreams that are very vivid and I think my subconscious is actually screaming things at me, but I don't always know what they mean. $24.22 6 p.m. — I was texting R. about their plans for the rest of the evening and we both want to get groceries. We meet up and take the train to Whole Foods. First, we stop in Ten Ichi Mart and get a little bite to eat. We split a chicken karaage bowl, a milk tea and a side seaweed salad. R. pays. We eat and chit chat and then make our way around the store. R. gets more snacks and gets each of us a little daifuku. 9 p.m. — Finally done at Whole Foods! We really took our time. I get stuff for overnight oats as well as two easy dinner things. I'll probably have to go to Trader Joe's by the end of the week (a single tear rolls down my cheek). I get almond milk, strawberries (which were somehow $6.99 before coupons, but I only paid $3.99), sea salt and pepper no-shell pistachios, red pesto pasta sauce with mascarpone, kale and cheese tortellini, coconut water, Greek non-fat yogurt, broccoli, a banana, old-fashioned rolled oats, an Asian-inspired salad kit, and a can of chickpeas. When I get home, I make 'PB&J'-inspired overnight oats. I also make lunch for tomorrow by combining the salad kit, roasted chickpeas and pan-frying some crumbled tofu. I literally feel like superwoman. If you've noticed that I cook almost entirely vegetarian for myself but I do eat meat, it is because I am scared of cooking meat and poisoning myself and everyone I love <3 $49.47 11 p.m. — I do lots of dishes, clean the whole kitchen, unpack the Chewy order that arrived, give the cats some Greenies, take out the garbage, do my skincare, and feel really tired and insane. Goodnight! Daily Total: $90.01 Day Six: Monday 7 a.m. — I had the worst night of sleep in the history of sleep. I changed my alarm at 1 a.m. from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. so that I still had a fighting chance. The cats were fighting loudly and I was just filled with so much anxiety and dread. Does anyone else experience periods of depersonalization where they don't feel real? I need therapy real bad. [Diarist's note: this was a tough week, not knowing if J. and I would break up or not — and that just happens sometimes! I am totally fine now.] I do my skincare, journal, and get ready. I eat some of my oatmeal and it's actually soooo delicious. I take the train to work. 1 p.m. — Helppppp. I'm tired and I have a headache. I end up microwaving my bagged salad, tofu and chickpea concoction while in a meeting. I need to pick up my prescription from the pharmacy by my office, but there's no way to escape. At some point, I buy tickets for R. and I to see a movie at AMC tomorrow. I am deeply passionate about only going to see movies on Tuesdays because of the discount. $16 4:30 p.m. — The coast is clear and I barely took a lunch break, so I make my big escape. I stop at the pharmacy first and pick up my acne medication ($16.32, which I will get reimbursed from my FSA fund in 10,000 years from now). The pharmacist has to hand mix it for whatever reason, so it takes a while. I then go to Target to get some more toilet bowl cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and nail polish remover. I return a random Vaseline stick that I got this past winter that I found while cleaning things out, so my purchase total of $12.05 goes down to $4.55. $4.55 5:30 p.m. — My train is super delayed and I have to get home to drop off my stuff and go to clown class (lol, what?). I'm staying calm and reading my next book, Parable of the Sower. It is not a very calming book but it is engrossing, which keeps me from panicking about being late. Once I get home, I eat some tortilla chips and pack my 'talent' for class. I take the train to class but only for a few stops. It only shaves about 10 minutes off of the commute to take the train vs. walk, but I have my prepaid transit card and I'm running late. I also noticed my landlord has cashed my rent check ($2,500, listed in monthly expenses). 10:30 p.m. — Take the train home with a couple of people from class. When I get home I realize that the only prepared food I have is the same thing that I had for lunch and that makes me want to scream and cry and throw up. I order food from the Greek place that is right on my block. I haven't had food from them in many months because I had a traumatizing stomach ache last time. This time I am 100% fine and I eat every last bite of my chicken pita while sitting in bed. Heaven on earth. $9.80 Daily Total: $30.35 Day Seven: Tuesday 7 a.m. — I swear I'm usually a 6 a.m. riser, but I just can't seem to sleep the past two days. I resolve that tomorrow night I will take one of my CBD gummies to knock me out. I have a big event that I'm in charge of at work today, so I skip journaling in order to get to the office earlier. I don't need lunch since my work event will provide lunch. I realize that I said what I was wearing day one, but never did again. I'm wearing a black short sleeve button up shirt that I got at a boutique in Mexico City, Aritzia pants, and Miista clogs. 9 a.m. — In the office! I always bring my coffee in my Owala travel cup (it is the best), but today I wish I topped off with coffee before I left. I know I'm going to need it. My clown teacher said that we needed to wear something that made us feel silly/goofy for our class show. While in the bathroom, I scroll on Depop and find a tuxedo T-shirt that also shows some fake cleavage (I can't imagine why someone designed this). I make an offer for $10. 12 p.m. — My workplace has their first Pride event of the season today, so I head over with my coworker to grab some snacks and Pride swag. I grab a bunch of Pride flags for everyone on my team. I also grab myself a slice of pizza, half of an oatmeal raisin cookie, a handful of grapes, and a little kale salad that was homemade. I see my roommate charged me for electricity ($47, listed in monthly expenses). 1 p.m. — Time for the event! I help my coworker grab food from the caterer and set it up in the conference room. The speakers arrive extra early, so I go down to grab them and we all mingle and get first dibs on the food before my entire team arrives. The presentation is about trans healthcare and how it's being affected by recent legislation. A lot of other teams at my workplace know a lot about this topic, but my team is still at the level where we're learning about why it's important to share pronouns and why gender-affirming care is healthcare. Still, I think everyone got a lot out of the experience. There is a lot of leftover food, so I make myself a small plate to take home and maybe eat for lunch later in the week. 4:30 p.m. — Time to get out of here! The Depop seller accepts my offer and I order my tuxedo boob shirt. I also email a girl in my clown class to see if she wants to hang out sometime. Making friends is scary but I want to surround myself with people who inspire me creatively. I make the commute home, reading Parable of the Sower and wondering if I was weird all day at work or if it's weird that I sent a social invitation via email in the year 2025. $16.89 6:30 p.m. — Time to see a movie! R. picks me up at my house and we head to the train. We go to Target and get poppi sodas and some mini peanut butter M&M's (R. pays, it was around $10). We also pick up burgers and fries to eat during the movie (R. pays again, it was around $21). I get confused on which theatre we're going to and we end up walking to the wrong theatre first, which is a 25 minute walk away from the right one. We power walk and still make it to the 8 p.m. start time with several minutes to spare. 10:30 p.m. — The burgers and fries were excellent. The movie was a horror movie that had some really scary body horror scenes. R. likes scary movies but is also really squeamish. I help out the vibes by whispering to them and making dumb jokes the whole time. We take the train and R. drops me off at my apartment. 11:30 p.m. — Did you know that watching a horror movie and then reading dystopian science fiction that feels really scary and realistic is not a good recipe for falling asleep? I toss and turn and put on my I Can't Sleep podcast. I battle existential dread while I listen to the host explain what mochi is in excruciating detail. The Breakdown Conclusion 'I think this is a pretty typical week of spending. I love to go see movies and go out for food and coffee, which is evident in this diary. I already track every dollar I spend with a budgeting app, so I'm pretty aware of where my money goes. Since writing this, I did start therapy, have bought more things on Depop (that are less weird), and I do still need a new laptop. R. and I are still dating (yayyyyyy) but there's definitely a lot to work on and some wounds that are still healing.' 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. here or email us here.
Refinery29
7 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Denver On A $164,000 Household Income
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: an editor who has a $164,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on an oscillating fan from an estate sale she unexpectedly attended. 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: Editor Industry: Hospitality Age: 38 Location: Denver Salary: $44,000 Joint Income & Financial Setup: $164,000 — but my partner W. and I don't share finances. We have one credit card that we put purchases on that we agree to split, and then we pay that credit card through an account that we only add enough money to in order to pay off the credit card. Assets: Savings/checking (cash): $23,000; brokerage investment account: $37,000; HSA: $46,000; rollover IRAs: $27,000; Roth IRA: $120,000; SEP IRA: $25,000. Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (once a month): ~$3,000 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $174. W. handles the mortgage; I pay them 10% of the mortgage each month so they can pay a bit more than the required monthly payment, and then I buy our groceries and take care of all utilities. Loan Payments: $0 Internet: $50 Car Insurance: $33 (split with W.). Electricity & Gas: ~$101 Water, Recycling, Trash: ~$70 Spotify: $12.94 Streaming Services: Family members share their streaming subscriptions to Apple+, Disney+, etc. Health Insurance: Comes out of W.'s paycheck. Phone: $16 (annually). 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. I went to a pretty nerdy high school, so it felt like the one and only option was to go to college. I went to a four-year state university and graduated a semester early. I received a small scholarship, my grandmother paid for my first semester, and then my parents paid for the rest and I was responsible for paying rent and living expenses by working a job while attending school. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances? I don't remember talking too much about money growing up, but I do remember how cool I thought it was when my mom got into the stock market. She bought some shares of Coca-Cola and started watching the financial channel. It was fun to watch her get so excited about this newfound hobby of hers. At some point in my early 20s, my mom gave me a Suze Orman book, which was a great initial stepping stone towards making smart financial decisions. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was working in one of the food halls my freshman year of university. I was responsible for cleaning tables and sweeping as well as swiping students' IDs at the entrance. The money earned in this job went towards my tuition. Did you worry about money growing up? A little bit. One thing I remember is glaring at my younger sister when she would order something expensive on a restaurant menu. I think it's because I got a feeling that my parents sometimes spent more than they should have shopping, eating out, and getting fancy food like chocolate croissants from a local bakery every Sunday. I was a little worried about money growing up, because although I felt we were okay financially for the most part, sometimes it felt like we were spending too much. Do you worry about money now? I don't worry exactly, because I'm in a pretty good position and I'm a good saver. However, I wish I made more and had better benefits from work. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? It was a gradual process of taking on more expenses, but in college I started handling my rent and living expenses myself through an hourly job working at a breakfast restaurant. I stayed on my mom's insurance until the age of 26 and did return home after college for about six months before moving in with my current partner. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. I have not, but I have always been generously supported by my parents whenever I needed help. For example, in addition to handling my college tuition, they also purchased my first car and my first couple of laptops for me when I was in college. 7 a.m. — I wake up on the couch instead of in bed because my dog had a bad tummy last night, so it was easier to sleep near the back door to let him out occasionally to eat grass. I make some coffee and check emails for a while. My partner, W., makes me a BBQ pulled pork sandwich with leftovers and homemade pickled red onions for breakfast. 8 a.m. — I log into work from home. I work part time and only go into the office about once a week. This morning involves emails, one meeting, and writing. 10 a.m. — I take a break to finish up some personal tasks and have a banana for a snack. I invest some recently transferred money in my brokerage account into a small-cap ETF. I check my compost pile outside and add some snipped up banana peels and cilantro stems. Then I let my dog gnaw on the spent pork butt bone from the weekend and catch up on some reading, enjoying the nice spring day on the patio. 11 a.m. — Back to work through early afternoon. I have toast and roasted red pepper hummus, raisins, a granola bar, and a sparkling hop water for lunch. I get pretty peckish when writing. 3 p.m. — I pop in a library movie that's due back — The Room Next Door. It's pensive and quiet and puts me into a lull of a sleepy afternoon. I help W. make another batch of spicy pico de gallo salsa by destemming cilantro for them. Nice to have a fresh batch for snacking. Then I take my dog out for his daily walk while listening to a podcast episode about how skyrocketing rents across the country, coupled with stagnant wage growth, are creating a homeless epidemic. Cheery stuff. 6 p.m. — W. and I bike to the library to pick up some holds and stop by a Free Little Library on the way home that's supposed to have some free native wildflower seeds. They're out, so we'll have to find the next closest location for this giveaway. 7 p.m. — I shower while listening to a podcast that my suburb puts on about local events and history. Afterwards, I make myself a bowl of leftover brown rice with hot sauce and Parmesan. I dive into my new library books (Let's All Keep Chickens!: The Down-to-Earth Guide to Natural Practices for Healthier Birds and a Happier World by Dalia Monterroso, The Witch of the Forest's Guide to Earth Magick by Lindsay Squire, The Hidden Life of Trees: A Graphic Adaptation by Peter Wohlleben, Fred Bernard, and Benjamin Flao, and lastly, Finance for the People: Getting a Grip on Your Finances by Paco de Leon) while W. watches The Curse on TV. Daily Total: $0 Day Two: Thursday 8:30 a.m. — I wake up way late, which feels like it's going to throw off my whole day. I also have a slight headache and a tense neck. I think I was clenching my teeth all night and having intense dreams. This happens occasionally, unfortunately. W. has made scrambled eggs for breakfast. I make some coffee and slowly wake up. I read Finance for the People with my coffee and it's hard to put down to get a little work in. 11 a.m. — I bike to the dentist to get an old filling replaced. $59.30 11:30 a.m. — After the dentist, I go to the grocery store and get two tubs of yogurt, a fresh-made organic green chile corn chowder soup and a tortellini Tuscan soup, sweet tea for W., 20 cocktail shrimp with tartar sauce, hamburger buns, two loaves of cinnamon raisin bread, a half gallon of organic soy milk, two onions, four avocados, and two salad kits. $33.29 2 p.m. — When I get home I make the blueberry feta salad kit and add arugula to it to make it bigger. W. cooked some more brown rice while I was gone, so I have some with melted Parmesan and hot sauce. Then I fit in some work and make some calls — one to make a vet appointment for my dog and another to talk to my mom about our upcoming trip to Scotland! I've never been and am very excited about it. Then I feed my dog and have some Biscoff cookies while I look up some trip ideas. 6 p.m. — I take my dog for a walk. We spend some time out on the patio when we get back to enjoy the last light of the day. W. makes me a BBQ pork sandwich. Then I squeeze in a bit more work, since this day was not a productive one. To finish up the day, I continue reading Finance for the People with a blue raspberry pop seltzer until 10 p.m., when I head to bed. Daily Total: $92.59 Day Three: Friday 7 a.m. — Wake up, make coffee, and check personal emails as well as my pay stub. Today is payday! Then I get to work with a short stack of buttered cinnamon raisin toast. Emails, editing, writing. 10 a.m. — Start a load of laundry and then get back to work. My lower back is really achy today. I hope it's because of my period, which has been a rough one this week. Bloating, fatigue, and achiness. I've had sciatica before that got cured with acupuncture, but I really hope it's not that again. I also do 'doo duty' — picking up my dog's number twos in the backyard before I mow the front and back. It's always quite the workout and I come in for several breaks to avoid getting overheated. 1 p.m. — W. and I split the Tuscan tortellini soup. It's really good. I get back to work with a seltzer and a couple Biscoff cookies. When I finish around 4 p.m., a thunderstorm starts rolling in, so I enjoy the rumbles with a book on the patio and a snack of chips and hummus. 6 p.m. — W. and I ride bikes to the neighborhood brewery. We split a pretzel and order a couple of beers. We don't stay for a second round because the live music is super loud and we're next to a very animated guy speaking very loudly about politics. (The total is $21.37 and we use our joint credit card, so I pay half.) $10.69 7 p.m. — The dog and I go for a walk. It's the perfect time for it — fresh from rain and the sun is setting, casting everything in an orange glow. You can hear kids playing everywhere, and the purple irises are in full bloom. 8 p.m. — W. made a Caesar salad and guacamole while I was gone. We eat the guac with chips and talk about different articles in the most recent issue of our local newspaper. We are such adults, aren't we? 9 p.m. — Time for a quick shower. Then I read while W. watches random stuff on TV. We stay up late watching the beginning of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and then go to bed around midnight. Daily Total: $10.69 Day Four: Saturday 9:30 a.m. — W. and I head out on bikes to a volunteer appreciation party held by our city in a park alongside the major creek that runs through our suburb. It's an amazing event! We each get a free baseball cap and stickers along with two food/drink tickets each. We split an iced six-shot espresso drink and three breakfast burritos. We're stuffed and so grateful for the awesome suburb we live in. 11 a.m. — We leave the park and stop by Walmart on the way home. I drop an old pair of glasses off at their vision care center for recycling. W. spends ~$30 for some oil and a new oil filter for an oil change for our car. They like doing their own oil changes with their dad. 12 p.m. — We arrive home and string up our hops. We have some hop plants in the backyard that come back every summer. They need to be 'strung up' so they have something to climb up. We do some weeding while we're out there, trying to get rid of the bindweed that is always a losing battle, but if we can eliminate it from going to seed as much as possible, I consider that a win. It's hot out, so we eventually head in to escape the midday sun. 3 p.m. — A friend sends me a link to a Spotify playlist — it's a mashup of her and my songs. I decide it's time to get a premium subscription again, so I sign up anew (covered in monthly expenses). I need to convince W. to get a subscription with me, so we can do the Duo subscription eventually. 6 p.m. — W. requests I cut their hair. They've had me cut their hair forever and I don't mind, but I feel like you can probably tell. I run the Roomba on the kitchen floor when we finish and make a stack of cinnamon raisin toast for myself. 7 p.m. — Time for the doggo's walk. We go down to the valley-like park near the house. I'm afraid mosquitoes will be bad since there's some stagnant water in the culvert, but it's fine. He gets a lot of good sniffs in as I enjoy having Spotify once again! 8 p.m. — I shower and then hide some tiny treats around the living room for the pooch's favorite game, Find It. It's fun to watch him get so excited and problem-solve. The rest of the night is spent reading and listening to music. Day Five: Sunday 7 a.m. — Wake up, feed the doggo, and make some coffee. I take some time to go through my neglected personal inbox and do some reading. I also put our portable battery outside to charge up with a portable solar panel. I mostly use it to charge my old phone that depletes its battery quickly. 10 a.m. — Bike to an estate sale in our neighborhood that a friend is going to. She's starting a furniture refinishing and reselling hustle and picks up lots of stuff — an old trunk, embroidered chairs, a giant hanging mirror, and some vintage coffee carafes. I find an oscillating fan we can use in the living room, so we don't have to move the one we already have around from room to room during the hottest days. We bike back home and meet our friend there, since she's delivering our fan to us. We have some cold seltzers and she tells us all about her new reselling venture. She leaves us with some of her favorite corn tortillas, which is perfect because we were going to stop by the store to get some for a family visit planned for later in the day. $6.50 12 p.m. — W., the doggo, and I drive to my family's house 45 minutes away. We take a random assortment of beers, tortillas, and salsa. W. helps grill up some beef for tacos on the deck. We have cake for dessert and then hang out for a bit talking about house issues and future trips we're planning. My parents always pack up a really nice to-go bag of leftovers and other foods for us, which I'm always so happy to take home. We stop for gas on the way back home and use the joint credit card to get $29.30 worth of gas, so my half is $14.65. $14.65 6 p.m. — I take the doggo out for a walk after a storm passes through. Then I read a graphic novel for a while while listening to music. My tummy feels a little weird so I eat some leftover Spanish rice. 8 p.m. — I retire to the den for the evening to watch Nathan For You with W. We have some hazelnut and coconut chocolates before heading to bed around 10 p.m. Daily Total: $21.15 Day Six: Monday 6:30 a.m. — Get up and have some coffee, per usual. I do some reading and organize my to-do list for the week, then I log into work. I break later in the morning to invest some cash I just put into my brokerage account. I put it into a mid-cap index ETF. W. breaks out the cocktail shrimp and we split it for a quick breakfast together. 11 a.m. — Late morning, I have some coconut chocolates and Doritos. Probably not best to start the week off with junk, but they're tasty and I'm feeling oddly energized. My family has a road trip coming up to a national park in Colorado. I take more time than I realize reviewing the map and plotting out a rough initial itinerary to share with the family. I love planning trips — finding random places to visit along the way and getting to know an unfamiliar area. I reluctantly get back to work afterwards. 4 p.m. — Wrap up work and go lay on the couch for a bit. I have a serious case of late-afternoon sleepies. Maybe it's all the house jazz I played during my last few hours of work. I go feed the pooch his dinner, give him a vitamin, and accompany him outside with a plan to read and fall asleep in the hammock. But the neighbor doing yardwork inspires me to get up and pull some more bindweed flowers to keep it from its absolute takeover of our backyard. 7 p.m. — W. and I take the dog for a walk. When we get home, I brush his teeth and give him a rawhide chew, which he proudly parades around the living room for a while. 8 p.m. — I give W. a foot massage as we watch TV until we head to bed. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Tuesday 7 a.m. — Wake up and get the bike packed up to ride to the bus station to go to work for my in-office day. It's a cloudy morning, with rain having fallen overnight. The ride is misty and I promptly get quite wet but make it in one piece and catch up on news items during the bus ride in. 8 a.m. — Stop at the CapitalOne Café for coffee. With it being so rainy and dreary, I go for a mocha instead of my usual latte. It tastes like exactly what I need. Half off with my CapitalOne credit card, but still $5 with tip. Walk to the office and start work. $5 1 p.m. — I head to a nearby bar with a couple of coworkers to discuss some new developments. I end up ordering two beers, which I soon realize is probably one too many for work hours. But oh well, it was good to hash everything out with colleagues. $20.66 3 p.m. — After heading back to the office to retrieve my things, I head to a nearby restaurant for a falafel wrap. $14 4 p.m. — I catch the bus back to the station, from which I bike to a brewery to meet up with W. and their brother for a beer fest volunteer orientation. We get one free beer on the house and our volunteer T-shirts for this coming weekend. 7 p.m. — W. and I bike home. So glad to be home after a very long, wet day. I put some water on the stove immediately to make a heaping portion of pasta with truffle tomato sauce. Then head to bed. Daily Total: $39.66 The Breakdown Conclusion 'I think I did pretty well. I usually record all my purchases, so that part wasn't new, but the action is always helpful for keeping spending in check. I think I'll keep to my usual routine of taking a packed lunch to work once a week to avoid takeout, which is just so much more expensive than 'brown-bagging it'.' 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. here or email us here.
Refinery29
23-07-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A University Lecturer on £46,000
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. If you would rather email us, please send a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay £100 for each published diary. This week:"I'm in my mid-50s and work as a uni lecturer in the North of England with my two cats. For many years, I was a lawyer working in charities, which was a rewarding career in many respects, just not financially! Ten years ago, when I was really struggling to pay the bills, I started teaching fitness classes at my local gym. This has now become an extensive side-hustle. My current financial goal is to pay off the mortgage on my flat before I turn 60, while still enjoying life and travelling occasionally." Occupation: Uni lecturer and fitness instructor Industry: Higher Education Age: 54 Location: North of England Salary: £46,000 (Lecturer salary is £43,000, supplemented by part-time fitness instructor income). Joint income: N/A Assets: £3,000 instant-access ISA, £60,000 pension, £140,000 flat (mortgaged for £70,000), £1,000 Bitcoin, £6,000 car. Debt: £70,000 left of my mortgage. Paycheque Amount: £3,000 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Monthly Housing Costs: £555 mortgage payment, £114 council tax, plus £294 service charge. Utilities: £222 Number of Housemates: Two cats. Monthly Loan Payments: None. Pension: Yes, I pay in £360. All Other Monthly Expenses: £19 auto-insurance, £20 broadband, £22.64 mobile phone, £125 support to ex-husband, £20.49 life insurance, £29.99 skincare subscription, £17 private dental care, £13 monthly bank account fee, £30 pet insurance. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes, one BA paid for with a combination of scholarships and income from work. Then, I did an MA paid with student loans, including a loan I took out to do a fellowship abroad. I then did my law qualifications on scholarships. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Not many conversations about money. There was a sense that money was tight because we were a large family, but we did not have specific conversations. What was your first job and why did you get it? Babysitting for neighbours, so that I could have pocket money. I spent it on outings with friends, as well as albums or singles from The Cure or Siouxie and the Banshees. Did you worry about money growing up? We always had a lot of good food and a lovely big house and garden, but it was clear that my parents were anxious about money. Do you worry about money now? I worked in charities until my early 50s, so my income has always been relatively low. In addition, I separated from my husband in my late 40s, which meant that I had to sort out my own housing and start again. My husband kindly gave me enough to make a down-payment on a shared-ownership flat, where I now live (and have staircased up to 100% ownership). At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? No one is supporting me. I suppose if a catastrophe struck, I could ask my ex-husband or some local close friends to help me out, but thankfully, that hasn't been tested. No, nothing. Day One 8 a.m. — It's a marking period at uni, so there are no classes to teach on campus today. After enjoying a lovely lie-in with the cats, I get dressed and go outside for a stroll and get a matcha latte with almond milk, £4.50. I live near a newly renovated park and I treat it like my garden so I steal some wild cherries from a tree (I don't take them all). 9 a.m. — I get back to the flat and start marking. I use a Pomodoro video (music with timed intervals) to help me keep focused. 1 p.m. — Lunch is a pre-prepped salmon salad enjoyed with some TikTok scrolling. I tell myself that the scrolling is research, since I follow some fitness instructors to get some ideas for the class I'll teach tonight. I also indulge in some online shopping and buy vitamin supplements, £16. Then I dive into more marking. Powering through! 5 p.m. — I finish work and walk to the fitness club, where I teach a weights-based class set to music. The walk takes me about 45 minutes through some suburban neighbourhoods. I have taught at this gym since 2021 and I teach a variety of classes with a great range of people. The management there are lovely and allow me to do my own workout in the weight room afterwards. Working with weights has definitely helped with the menopause symptoms. 8 p.m. — I get the bus home because I'm tired, £2. I have a sort of second supper when I get home, watch reruns of Friends on Netflix, then crash. Total: £22.50 Day Two 8 a.m. — I get an early start because I want to skive off early today. Just for a change of scenery, I decide to try to get some work done in a local cafe, which means of course, buying another matcha. I spend about two hours in the cafe and to my surprise, get a fair amount of work done. On my way home I get some top-up groceries, £13.50. 12 p.m. — Marking the same coursework over and over can make you feel like you're in a time loop. I'm too lazy to go outside again, so I play with the cats and put some laundry on. Being too lazy to go outside means there's no possibility of spending any more money and I manage a passable lunch of leftover pasta. 2 p.m. — I am mulling over getting an extra qualification as a yoga teacher, so I am looking at a course being offered in my area. It's expensive, over £900, but would it pay for itself over time? I decide to keep it under consideration for a while. 4 p.m. — I have an afternoon full of meetings, starting with dissertation supervision sessions, and finishing with a meeting about a new assessment I've designed. I then finish work at 4 p.m. so that I can walk to a yoga class. The walk is about an hour, including a shortcut through a park, so it's a lovely way to get some fresh air after a long day cooped up inside. 6 p.m. — The class is harder than expected, literally everyone else in the class can do headstands! I hold my own (but use the wall for headstands). I get the bus home afterwards. The yoga class is £10 and the bus £2. Total: £25.50 Day Three 7 a.m. — I need to teach on campus today, so I get the train into the city centre. My favourite thing about my flat is that I can see the railway station from my kitchen window and it's a very easy stroll. I don't have to teach until 9 a.m., but I get the early train to avoid the crowds, £8.60. It's nice to get onto campus and see everyone, and they provide free tea and coffee which encourages socialising in the break room. 12 p.m — I don't get a whole lot of time for lunch today because I'm meeting with a student, however, I do treat myself to another matcha, £4.50. It adds some glamour to my home-made sandwich. 2 p.m — An afternoon of teaching workshops and seminars. I teach a variety of levels: undergrads and post-grads, with some challenging material. I've taught these modules a few times now, but every group will have new insights and ask me new questions. It is great to see how enthusiastic students can be, particularly since most students have to work quite a lot of hours in order to fund their studies nowadays. I stay after the last workshop to answer some questions. When I get back to my desk I've got a great plan to mark a few courseworks, but I decide I'm out of steam and I close my laptop instead. 7 p.m — After getting home, I do an online Pilates workout and then go for a walk. The walk takes me by the local Tesco, where I top up my grocery shop with some salmon and vegetables, £12. Total: £25.10 Day Four 6:45 a.m. — I am covering for someone at the gym this morning, so I get there for 6:45 a.m. and teach two classes. On these work-at-home days, I like to cover classes when I can. I am absolutely not an exercise-in-the-morning person, but I power through and end up having a lot of fun. Teaching at the gym does not feel like work. It's like working out with friends, but I get to choose the music. Afterwards, I reward myself with a matcha and then sit in the sun until it's time to start marking again, £4.50. 12 p.m. — Another day working at home, marking and having meetings. Just before lunch, I power through quite a lot of marking and I decide to reward myself. I buy a second-hand skirt on eBay for £11. Thankfully, the afternoon has a variety of student supervision meetings and staff meetings, so I get a mental break from marking. The cats muscle in on one of my supervision meetings, strutting back and forth in front of the camera to the delight of my students. 7 p.m. — I go back to the gym to teach an evening class. I drive this time, stopping to top up petrol and fill my tyres with air, £15. When I get home, I remember that I'm meant to travel to another city tomorrow for work, so I get organised and buy a train ticket online using my work's travel booking system, expensed. Total: £30.50 Day Five 6 a.m. — I travel to another city to teach today, about 90 minutes by train. It's an early start; my first lecture starts at 9:30 a.m. but I get the earliest train at 6:15 a.m. The tech in our satellite campus can be unpredictable and I like to get there early to iron out any issues. Thankfully, the trains are running on time. I'm armed with good podcasts and I get a matcha latte on the way, £4.50. I get to campus very early and have time to catch up with some colleagues before the students arrive. 12 p.m. — A good friend of mine lives in this city, so we take advantage of the opportunity to meet up for lunch. She kindly meets me near campus and we go to a sushi place which feels very posh. She is retired and the busiest person I know. I grab another coffee on the way back to campus because I can feel myself flagging. The total for both comes to £16. 5 p.m. — After teaching seminars throughout the afternoon, I speed-walk to the rail station and get the train home. The station is absolutely heaving. There's some kind of event going on, but I manage to catch the express train and I even find a seat. It's payday and I do some online banking, putting a £300 overpayment into my mortgage. Once home, I have an early night (for some reason, the travelling always tires me out). Day Six 10 a.m. — Saturday after payday, so I'm feeling rich. I start the day with an online Pilates workout, then head to the spa for a gel pedicure and brow lamination, totalling £70. I also get some sandals at a charity shop for £3.99. I stop briefly in the local art gallery, where there are landscape paintings of my neighbourhood from the 1950s. In some of the paintings, I can pick out my block of flats. I marvel at how much the area has developed since then: there used to be so many trees and sandy banks! I realise I have lived here for five years already and (hopefully) will never move house again, so one day I will be looking back on 2025 as the olden days. 12 p.m. — I get a takeaway falafel sandwich on the way home because I can't face the boring salad in the fridge, £9. I spend the afternoon cleaning the flat and changing the cat litter, while binge-listening to Dubai Bling. Two indoor cats means a lot of cleaning. I wonder if I need to get them some more scratching posts because they're shredding the dining room table. I then spend an hour or so planning fitness classes for next week. I try to incorporate some new moves and music every week. 6:00 p.m. — I head out to Tesco's for the weekly big shop. It's high this week because I'm stocking up on laundry things and cat litter. Possibly the least glamorous Saturday night activity but the marking period is always like this, £82. Total: £164.99 Day Seven 8:30 a.m. — I teach my regular Sunday-morning classes at the gym, two in a row. We get a pretty good-sized crowd on the weekend and the mood is very relaxed and social compared to the rushed weeknights. I get in a mini-workout afterwards and cheekily use the fitness club's steam room and jacuzzi. The jacuzzi might have been a mistake because by the time I drag myself out of it and get dressed, I just want to go back to bed. I walk home the long way, through a park. I wasn't planning to buy anything but when I see a coffee van, I decide it would be rude to just walk by. I stop for a latte and some sunbathing before heading home, £4.50. 12 p.m. — The marking period is so busy that some marking needs to happen on a Sunday afternoon. I tell myself that getting through some coursework now will take a bit of pressure off the coming week. I put some music on and keep myself focused for as long as possible, finally breaking down late afternoon for a nap. I dream about marking coursework, but in the dream, each coursework is different and some of them just contain cryptic diagrams instead of words. I think I need a holiday. 6 p.m. — I head out for a walk and then catch a film: a studio recording of Macbeth, £9. I realise it's been nearly 40 years since I read the play. I remember being confused about the plot in school, thinking that it was Lady Macbeth who did all the killing. Watching it again, I can see where I got that idea. The film is terrific: fast-paced and spooky. When I get home, I find the play online to read again. Total: £13.50 The Breakdown Conclusion "When I separated from my husband and moved to my flat over five years ago, it was, of course, a big change. I kept hold of the idea that somehow things would work out okay. Taking up teaching at the gym was a good decision: it's kept me active and it's given me connections and friends in this new community. I am working quite a lot lately, but it's with the goal of paying off my mortgage by the time I'm 60. This does not leave a whole lot of time for socialising, which is especially apparent when I look back over this past week! I might need to think a bit more about work-life balance and maintaining relationships. Overall, however, things have worked out okay so far, touch wood."
