A Week As A Student In Los Angeles

Refinery29

6 days ago

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 law student who is not currently earning a salary and who spends some of her money this week on a mint stracciatella gelato.
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: Law student
Age: 28
Location: Los Angeles
Salary: Currently $0, but with an expected income of ~$40,000 from a summer job.
Joint Income & Financial Setup: I live with my boyfriend, K., and we split expected expenses like rent, utilities, and pet costs equally. We do cover things for one another occasionally, him more often than me, since I don't have a steady income.
Assets: Investment accounts: $211,400; Roth IRA: $36,800; 401(k): $64;000; checking: $6,300; HYSA/savings: $9,750; crypto: $4,000; HSA: $2,600, car: ~$38,000 (this is how much I've paid toward it, but the value is actually less since it's depreciated since I bought it).
Debt: Car loan: $4,400; student loans: ~$40,000.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: $1,150 (split rent with my boyfriend, K.).
Loan Payments: $405.62 (car loan).
Car Insurance: $126
Apple iCloud: $2.99
Spotify: $5.99
Internet: $20
Water/Power: ~$60
Gas: ~$18
Capital One Member Fee: $95 (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?
Yes! I grew up in a town where going to college after high school was the path for the overwhelming majority. I got an undergraduate degree and am currently in law school after working for four-ish years after college. My parents paid for my undergrad experience, including both tuition and living expenses, which I am very grateful for. I'm paying for law school myself with a combination of scholarships, savings, and loans.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Growing up, I saw my parents fight about their different views on spending and saving, so I definitely understood that stress surrounds money for a lot of adults. However, I was never aware of any financial strain growing up, as I did club sports, traveled, etc. I definitely know my upbringing was privileged. Beyond the importance of saving, I didn't learn much from my parents — I gained most of my financial knowledge in early adulthood from coworkers and my own research online.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I was a (very bad, probably) math tutor in high school, which I think I did because a friend offered me the job when she was no longer able to do it. My first official job was on campus in college at an organization that sends students into the community to tutor kids.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Other than seeing my parents argue about it, no.
Do you worry about money now?
Not too much since I think I'm in a pretty good situation financially, but eventually buying a house in LA and raising children is definitely something I think about often now that I'm 28.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
At 26, when I moved out of my parents' house to attend law school. My family or my boyfriend K. would be my financial safety net if something happened.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
As mentioned earlier, my parents paid for my college experience and let me live at their house rent-free for about four years after I graduated. They also bought me a used car in college that I sold for $10,000, which went toward the down payment on my current car.
Day One: Wednesday
8:30 a.m. — No class today! My boyfriend, K., already fed the cats, so I get out of bed, write my to-dos, and make avocado and cottage cheese toast with an egg on the side. I'm a recent cottage cheese convert. I follow breakfast with an Earl Grey matcha, one of my favorite daily rituals.
9:35 a.m. — Clean up emails and do 'computer stuff' like filling out a survey from my law school. Most of the cleaning up is just deleting emails, so it only takes 15 minutes.
12 p.m. — I finish listing a bunch of old and unwanted clothes on Depop and Poshmark. It always takes me forever, since I model each item and try to be ultra-descriptive to avoid unhappy buyers, so I've been putting it off. Secondhand platforms are one of my side hustles during the school year. I don't make that much, but it's a nice way to counteract my spending and keep the clutter at bay (especially in light of my small shared closet and thrifting addiction).
12:42 p.m. — Lunch is a gorgeous bowl of soup made by K.'s mom and zucchini made by me. His mom gives us tupperwares full of homemade food pretty often, and I'm so grateful for her.
3 p.m. — Video call with a prospective law student! She was so sweet and had great questions. As a first-generation law student, I love talking about my experience and making honest information about the field more accessible. I connect her with a few law friends as well.
4 p.m. — K. recently took my body lotion to the kitchen sink to act as hand cream, so I head to Marshall's in search of actual hand cream (and cat treats). I find just what I need and can't resist getting some cat toys, too. Marshall's is my favorite for when I need stuff but am not specific about what brands they are. When I get home, I promptly move the body lotion back to its rightful place in our medicine cabinet. $17.52
6 p.m. — I cave to my guiltiest pleasure and ask K. to pick up Wingstop on his way home: they have a good tender deal right now. Wingstop always makes me feel gross after, but the joy I feel eating it is unfortunately unparalleled. It's $17 for the two of us, but K pays.
6:40 p.m. — Two of the items I listed for sale today sold! I immediately pack them up. I made $10 on an Artizia shirt and $32 on a pair of Vuori leggings.
11 p.m. — After spending way too much time browsing wedding guest dresses (Club L London, Meshki, Revolve, and Selfie Leslie) and cycling between my usual rotation of TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram, I do my readings for school and get ready for bed. I'm very committed to doing my assigned readings because I prefer to 'study' by being prepared for class rather than cram new material during finals. Goodnight!
Daily Total: $17.52
Day Two: Thursday
6:55 a.m. — Rise and shine. I get ready, make a to-go matcha, grab my lunch, and head out the door to campus.
12 p.m. — Two classes down. I have a lunch break before my next class, so I eat (short rib, japchae, and a Korean pancake) while I parse through a classmate's research paper. I have to provide comments on it in my next class, which I didn't realize I had to do until this morning… And it's 37 pages.
2 p.m. — In the middle of my last class and after surviving my own paper's critique, I remember an email I got from Wikipedia this morning asking for a donation. I appreciate that Wikipedia doesn't have ads or a paywall, so I donate a very law student-y amount ($10.40). I also make $24 selling an Artizia hoodie on Depop, so I make a mental note to pack that up when I get home.
4:30 p.m. — I get home and productively couch rot by running the laundry while I lay down. I get munchy around 7 p.m., but for some reason have no interest in eating a real meal, so I eat the weirdest combination for dinner: a leftover vegetable smoothie K. made, a Greek yogurt bowl, and instant ramen (yes, in this order). Not my best work, but the heart wants what it wants.
8 p.m. — K. comes home with a boba for me (my love for boba has not changed since my last diary). We watch an episode of Severance before going to bed around midnight.
Daily Total: $10.40
Day Three: Friday
9 a.m. — I habitually wake up at 7 a.m. to feed the cats, but I go back to sleep until 9 a.m. since I don't have class today. Once I'm up, I eat the same breakfast as on Wednesday.
12:45 p.m. — Make it to the gym! I do lower body and some light cardio on the treadmill. I wasn't feeling the best mentally on the way here, but the endorphins help some. I charge my car on the way home and try to stop at a thrift store nearby but find it closed. I'll take that as fate! $8.99
4 p.m. — I eat a small bowl of short rib and rice, then do my full shower-hair-makeup routine in time for a dinner reservation with K. and our friends at 7 p.m. I'm finally starting to get better at blowing my hair out with my Shark.
11 p.m. — Dinner is amazing! We go to K.'s friend's restaurant, which I can best describe as Japanese-influenced fine dining. They always give us extra dishes and discount the bill, which is so kind and not expected. K. and one of his friends cover the bill for the table.
12 a.m. — We meet some more friends at a bar nearby in Chinatown. I agree to drive everyone home, so I don't get any drinks, but it's a great time nonetheless. After we leave the bar, I give my friends some cash to get themselves water and street dogs. $15
Daily Total: $23.99
Day Four: Saturday
11 a.m. — I once again get up at 7 a.m. to feed the cats, but promptly go back to sleep afterwards, since it was a late night. Brunch is rice and the rest of the soup from Wednesday.
3 p.m. — I binge some YouTube, chill, and nap for a majority of the afternoon. I typically feel pretty lazy after nights out, even if I don't drink. I think the sheer extroversion exhausts me. I do sell two more items (Aerie leggings and a random corset top) for $30, which I pack up to ship on Monday.
5 p.m. — I finally mobilize myself and get ready to visit my parents with K. I'm so grateful I chose to go to law school near my family; I see them at least once a week, and it's one of the best parts of each week. I bring shawarma for everyone and, despite my protests, my mom insists on venmoing me the $70 it cost.
7:30 p.m. — I take us out to a new gelato place nearby and finally get to treat everyone. A mint stracciatella gelato hates to see me coming. $33.88
Daily Total: $33.88
Day Five: Sunday
9 a.m. — Good morning! I pack up another item (Sanctuary linen pants, $14) and eat — you guessed it — an avocado and cottage cheese toast with an egg. This diary is making me realize I'm quite a creature of habit.
11 a.m. — I do one of my two readings for tomorrow's classes. I typically procrastinate my readings until nighttime, so this is an accomplishment for me.
12:50 p.m. — Meet up with my sister and mom to grab tempura for lunch. My mom pays. We get matcha and coffee drinks after, which I cover. We originally wanted to go thrifting today, but all the thrift stores are closed for Easter. The universe is really against me thrifting this week! $24
3:30 p.m. — I get home and pack another few items (Aritzia pants, $14; earrings, $4). This is a particularly good week for sales. I wonder if the tariffs are encouraging people to buy secondhand? Anyway, I fully intend to start my last reading before K. gets back from a day trip to Santa Barbara, but the consumerism demons summon me. I browse Mango and heavily contemplate buying the Anja glasses from Gigi Studios on Farfetch, but ultimately add the sunglasses to my summer wishlist when I see that shipping is $24. (Update: I ended up getting the sunnies at the start of my summer job. They were a bit of a treat, considering they were around $240 after shipping charges, and I really like them!)
6:30 p.m. — Okay, now I'm doing my reading. I finish by 7:45 p.m. (though not without distractions).
8:30 p.m. — K.'s back! We get ready for bed, then settle in to watch some YouTube on the couch. We get hungry when we see someone in a YouTube video eating a PB&J, so K. makes us mini grilled cheeses and PB&Js. They absolutely hit the spot. We're in bed by 11:15 p.m.
Daily Total: $24
Day Six: Monday
6:45 a.m. — After a night of super weird dreams, I get up slightly earlier than usual to dedicate a bit more time to get ready since I have a school event tonight. Make it out the door, matcha and Depop packages in hand, with just enough time to get to class.
11 a.m. — I realize in my second class that I forgot about an Emi Jay sample sale I intended to check out at 9 a.m. By the time I notice, all the clips I might have wanted are sold out. I'm disappointed because they were selling clips that were actively on the Emi Jay site. Even at half off, $18 for one claw clip is crazy, but I've heard they really do hold — and I have fine hair, so I was eager to try them out. Oh well.
12:40 p.m. — Back at home after dropping my packages at the post office. I eat short rib, rice, and a Korean pancake again for lunch. I can't tell if it tastes old or my mind is playing tricks on me, since I know it's been in the fridge for a while.
5 p.m. — I end up doing nothing I'm supposed to do (two readings for class tomorrow) before it's time to leave for a pregame for the event tonight. I feel guilty for slacking on school stuff, but I rush over and a group of us collectively trek out to the event venue.
10 p.m. — The event ends up being a lot of fun! My friends and I are all hungry after, so we split off between Panda Express and McDonald's. I go for Panda, which is delicious until my stomach starts to feel uneasy. Evidently orange chicken and the Beatbox already swirling around my stomach is not a good combination. $11.63
11:15 p.m. — I get home and go straight to sleep after getting ready for bed.
Daily Total: $11.63
Day Seven: Tuesday
6 a.m. — I get up extra early to do one of the readings I didn't get to yesterday. I choose to do this one instead of the other (that I also skipped yesterday) because the professor in this class cold calls. So much for always doing all my readings…
8:20 a.m. — Out the door and off to charge my car. I'm really paying the price for not using my time wisely yesterday. I charge just what I need and get to class five minutes late. $4.17
12 p.m. — Two classes down, and I'm starving! I didn't bring lunch from home today, so I grab a buffalo chicken wrap and Kettle Chips from the school store to eat during my break before my last class. It's finally warming up in LA and eating outside with my friends is lovely, albeit a little bit sweaty. $9.48
6:30 p.m. — Home and chilling for the inevitable future. I'm always burnt out after three-class days. I snack on watermelon, then have beef and radish soup, shredded rotisserie chicken, and rice for dinner.
9:30 p.m. — I finish Gone Girls on Netflix and promptly get up to make sure my doors are locked. I used to be obsessed with true crime until I realized it gave me anxiety and that it kind of sucks to make entertainment out of real-life victims, but alas, I still indulge once in a while.
10 p.m. — K. gets home and we're both super tired, so we're in bed by 11 p.m. Goodnight!
The Breakdown
Conclusion
'I definitely watch my spending when I'm in school and unemployed, but this still felt like an unusually inexpensive week for me — I think because I went grocery shopping the week before the diary and somehow avoided any online shopping. Plus, my mom paid for two of my meals out. Since starting law school and living off my savings (versus living at home rent-free while I was employed), my spending has definitely tightened up, but it's been a great financial exercise for me and has made me way better at resisting impulse purchases. I'm definitely looking forward to getting paid this summer though. My life has changed so much since my last diary; I'm glad I did this again!'