A Week In New York On A $75,000 Salary
Today: a marketing coordinator who makes $75,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on nothing in particular — mostly just all the food.
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Occupation: Marketing coordinator
Industry: Fintech
Age: 22
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $75,000
Assets: Checking: $2,582; HYSA: $9,506; Roth IRA: $6,557; 401(k): $7,026.
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,183
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: $2,200. I live alone in a one-bedroom that I rent, and I've lived in the same apartment for three years.
Loan Payments: $0
Wifi: $60
Con Edison: $80
Spotify Premium Duo: $16.99 (I pay for my sister as well).
401(k) Contribution: $312.50
Phone Bill: $21
iCloud Storage: $3
HYSA Contributions: I make these in large amounts whenever I find I have a cushion in my checkings account. I went on a trip last month so haven't contributed recently as I am in need of funds.
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, definitely. Both of my parents immigrated to the United States to pursue grad school on full-ride scholarships. They both grew up poor and considered higher education to be their paths to a better life, and they instilled those values in me as well. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well in school and get into a 'good' college. I attended university, which was fully paid for by my parents.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My parents were always pretty transparent with me about their finances, which was both good and bad. I had a good grasp of the importance of saving, building credit, etc, but my dad had a problem with gambling on stocks and we lost a lot of money due to that, which really stressed me out as a kid. As a result, I always feared investing beyond traditional retirement accounts and I'm still trying to educate myself more around that topic.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
It's a bit non-conventional, but I started selling handmade things online in high school, just for fun. I wasn't bringing in any crazy amount of money, but it was enough that I could fund my personal outings and shopping and to start building my own savings. I think it taught me a lot about being independent with money, business practices, and… taxes. I definitely spent my money on some stupid purchases and got scammed a few times, but it was a good learning experience to get out of the way.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes, my parents were transparent with their worries, so I felt that a lot growing up. They also both work in an industry that is prone to lay-offs. However, I never worried about not having enough to eat or not having a place to live.
Do you worry about money now?
Yes, especially being in a city with a high cost of living (I'm willing to make that trade-off though). I don't think I have the best spending habits — I had a bit of a shopping addiction, which was also spurred by an unhealthy desire to keep up with my friends that come from very well-off families. I'm trying to do better with balancing the mindsets of 'You're still young, money will come back' and 'Save today, secure tomorrow'.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially independent when I graduated college, but I know that my parents would always let me move back home if I lost my job or encountered serious financial issues.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My mom sends me $1,000 for my birthdays.
Day One: Wednesday
7:38 a.m. — Wake up seven minutes before my alarm goes off feeling surprisingly refreshed, so I get up and start preparing for the day. I drink a protein drink and do my skincare with some of my holy grails: Kiehl's Calendula face wash, Caudalie Vinoperfect moisturizer, Envie de Neuf sunscreen. I spend a bit more time on my makeup than usual since I have a few events after work to attend.
9:05 a.m. — Hop off the subway and walk to the office. It's super dreary out today. I grab a chocolate date bar from the kitchen and munch at my desk while checking my to-do list and diving into a few immediate tasks. $2.90
11:55 a.m. — Starving again and eagerly checking my phone to see if my friend A. wants to grab lunch soon. She works at a different company nearby so sometimes we get lunch together, but one of her meetings is running over. We end up grabbing some quick udon from our favorite go-to lunch special spot and debrief work shenanigans. $22.83
3:47 p.m. — I've finished my work for the day and just need to wrap up some deliverables for a 4 p.m. meeting with my manager and another member of our team. Fingers crossed that no issues arise and I can leave work early!
4:48 p.m. — Leave the office and take the subway downtown to film some content for an upcoming pop-up this weekend. They're not paying me, but I get a decent chunk of store credit to spend… And hey, I have a hard time saying no to free stuff. $2.90
6:05 p.m. — I finish filming and end up spending more than the store credit given, so I pay the rest out of pocket (a real gotcha moment). I love the dress I bought though: it's a flowy halter maxi dress that will be perfect for summer. $49
6:30 p.m. — My friend R. is graduating and the opening night for his class' grad exhibit is today. I Citibike (I have an annual subscription under my company's benefits) to my friend H.'s place to drop off my work stuff, then we buy a bouquet of flowers and head to the grad exhibit. $6.50
8:10 p.m. — It was so fun seeing all of the senior projects in one room and having the chance to explore them all. Of course I think R.'s is the best — he's done an amazing job and I'm so proud of him, especially seeing his work evolve throughout the past few years. I am starting to get hangry though, so I rally a group of friends to go grab some pho and banh mi nearby. $17
10:22 p.m. — Finally home (Citibike again) and I am seriously pooped. I shower, do my nighttime routine, and cover my face and hands in Nivea creme. I do a little bit of scrolling on Reddit and end up going down a rabbit hole of influencer snark subreddits, finally knocking out around midnight.
Daily Total: $101.13
Day Two: Thursday
8:30 a.m. — I sleep in a bit today since I'm working from home. Wash my hair with BondiBoost HG shampoo and conditioner, which I'm testing for the first time since I'm a bit fearful that my hair is thinning out.
9:03 a.m. — I log on and sip on a bottle of cold-pressed juice from my fridge. Not too busy today since a few people on my team are out of office, which gives me time to take care of my daily to-do list and set some focus time to work on a few larger projects that I haven't had the opportunity to start on. As the most junior member on my team, I am definitely more susceptible to falling into day-to-day tasks and other people's asks. My manager's advice has been to block off focus time on my calendar, and I find it really helps me tune out the noise… At least for a little while.
11:50 a.m. — Tummy is grumbling which means it's lunch time! I make a hearty sandwich with wholegrain bread, pepperjack, mayo, guac, tomatoes, oven-roasted chicken slices, and micro greens. My boyfriend, G., brought me some snacks from his work recently, so I eat some Hippeas and dried mangoes as well.
3:53 p.m. — I feel a bit of afternoon fatigue so I take some time away from my laptop screen… And look at my phone instead. I edit some of the clips from yesterday's pop-up, film a quick voiceover, tag the brand, and hit post.
4:25 p.m. — Time to grab a little snack from my fridge! G. also brought me a mini apple pie from his work, so I heat it up — it is just the pick-me-up I needed.
5:10 p.m. — Some of the girls at my office have organized a happy hour today, so I quickly do my makeup and put on a knit tank top, jeans, and ballet flats to meet them uptown. We're going to a Mexican restaurant for happy hour — I don't drink so I'll probably just order something to nibble on instead. $2.90
5:47 p.m. — Get off at the wrong station and have to walk an extra 10 minutes, but wow, is the weather nice! I guess I didn't notice since I was inside all day. Once everyone is seated, we immediately begin spilling all the work tea. There are a few things shifting around internally at my company which we speculate about, and my friend Z. also shares some tidbits about her recent situationship that ended in disaster. In lieu of drinks, I opt to snack on some chips and guac, quesadillas, and BBQ shrimp (I cover half the happy hour on my company card, my coworker does the other half). $132.28 (Expensed)
7:30 p.m. — I take the subway home and text G. to see if I should stop by and say hi, since he lives a few blocks away from me. He says yes, so I go over to debrief the last few days. He eats dinner while I screenshare my phone on his TV and show him the TikToks I've liked recently, mostly cute animal videos (my fav) or beef between influencers (his fav). He does not have TikTok, so he gets his fix from me. $2.90
9:20 p.m. — Say bye and walk home, passing a few concluding happy hours on the way. Today's hot shower feels extra nice and before I know it I'm curled up in bed. I'll do a bit of scrolling and reply to some texts. Lights out before midnight!
Day Three: Friday
8:15 a.m. — Wake up, morning rituals, drink a protein drink. Today should be pretty chill since my manager is out of office, so I put on some music and slowly work through some of my action items. G. sends me an apartment listing and I immediately email the broker to schedule a showing for today. We're planning to move in together once both our leases are up in a few weeks, so we've been touring apartments regularly.
11:34 a.m. — I take a break from work to check my notifications, and see a new collab request from a brand I've actually made purchases from before, score! I also see the broker has scheduled an apartment tour for us later this afternoon, so I block off the time on my work calendar.
12 p.m. — Join a call for our team's biweekly book club, we're reading Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Today's turnout is smaller than usual since a few people are out, but we have an interesting discussion nonetheless.
12:36 p.m. — I fix myself the same sandwich I made for lunch yesterday, and then snack on some dried mangoes from Trader Joe's. My stomach starts to hurt shortly after, and I can't tell if it's a reaction from the sandwich-mango combo, or if my time of the month is coming soon. Check my period tracker app and realize it's the latter.
3 p.m. — It's time to start getting ready for the apartment showing, so I style my hair and put on some Haus Labs concealer, Flower Knows blush, and my fav Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Pillow Talk.
3:20 p.m. — I meet G. and we walk over to the apartment showing together. The apartment is gorgeous with skylights, in-unit laundry, and happens to be on the lower end of our budget, but there are a few dealbreakers — it's a five-floor walkup, and basically an oversized studio. G. and I are looking for a bit more separation, since we both like having our own workspaces.
6:10 p.m. — Wrap up work and feeling pretty tired, so I throw together a simple dinner from leftovers in the fridge. Adding furikake seasoning makes everything taste better.
7:35 p.m. — Immediately after cleaning up, I grab a throw blanket and lumber over to my couch. I've agreed to attend a bar crawl tonight for my friend E.'s birthday, so I need some extra sleep. I'm one of those people that needs eight hours of sleep every night to function, so if I know I'm staying out late I'll try to get a nap in.
9:30 p.m. — I wake up from my nap and start doing my makeup while mentally cycling through potential outfits. I land on a Miaou corset top, True Religion jeans, and vintage high heel boots.
11:26 p.m. — Truth be told, I did not have high expectations for the first bar… But the DJ is absolutely killing it! I could dance with my girls forever. Some guy challenges my friend to a dance battle and she politely declines. The birthday girl's entourage has all arrived so it's time to head to the next bar.
11:47 p.m. — We stop for a halal cart which kind of kills the vibe for me. I don't want to order anything but now I'm hungry from the smell, and the prolonged break from dancing makes me acutely aware that my feet are starting to hurt.
Daily Total: $0
Day Four: Saturday
12:33 a.m. — It's officially E.'s birthday, woo! We are a huge group of both guys and girls so we have a bit of trouble with entering the second bar, and once we do I quickly realize I hate the vibe. I lose the birthday girl in the crowd and can't find her again, so I say bye to the friends I do find and make my exit. I walk home since I don't live too far away, but my feet are killing me.
2:05 a.m. — Remove makeup, brush teeth, shower, knock out.
9:49 a.m. — I wake up without an alarm and scroll in bed for a while, then I call my mom to discuss an upcoming trip we're taking to visit my sister in a few weeks. I get out of bed and munch on a breakfast bar as we chat through the details.
11:10 a.m. — I make myself half of my signature sandwich and start getting ready for the day. Wash my hair with the BondiBoost shampoo and conditioner, then meticulously curl it with my Dyson Airwrap.
1:25 p.m. — Step outside for the first time today and it is HOT. I don't need to look in a mirror to know that my curls are already falling out. I walk over to G.'s apartment and we immediately leave to make our first stop at a milk tea shop. We stop by this place on a weekly basis and I usually cover for both of us since G. gets most of our other food throughout the day. $18.49
2:47 p.m. — We check out a few weekend pop-ups I saw on social media, avoiding the ones with major lines. I will be a hater and say I do not understand why people line up for hours for a little bag of free stuff. The heat is making me more irritable than usual so we pop into a few more stores to window shop and bask in the AC, then we start making our way uptown.
4:15 p.m. — There's a new smash burger place I've been wanting to try, so we walk over and order two burgers, two fries, and an iced lemonade. It's really good and hits the spot, but I wouldn't rank it in my top five burger places in the city. G. covers, and we walk to a nearby park to hang out in the sun and people watch.
6:20 p.m. — We take the subway downtown and head back to G.'s place to recuperate. The evening sun is coming in nicely from his bedroom window, so we cuddle and take a short nap. This is what Saturdays are all about! $2.90
8:27 p.m. — The sky is dark already but we haven't eaten dinner yet, so we speed walk to get poke bowls before the place closes. We bring the bowls back to G.'s place and eat while watching Mamma Mia!, which I've actually never seen before. I force G. to dance with me to the songs.
11:08 p.m. — G. and I have been really into this multiplayer phone game, so we play a few rounds and I get annoyed because he's being competitive about it. I switch to scrolling on my phone, and then we both hit the sack around midnight.
Daily Total: $21.39
Day Five: Sunday
8:29 a.m. — I wake up from some cracks of sunlight streaming in through the window. Turn around to see G. undisturbed in his enclosure — eye mask, bonnet, and retainer — so I turn back around and get in a few more minutes of sleep.
9 a.m. — G.'s alarm goes off and wakes me from a short dream I'm having about… a pet mouse? I slide out of bed and drink a protein drink from his fridge while he eats his meal-prepped breakfast. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and use his skincare. We hang out on the couch and play the NYT mini games together.
10:12 a.m. — We leave at the same time — G. heads to the gym and I do the walk of shame home in yesterday's outfit. My apartment is kind of a mess from running around the past few days, so I spend two hours deep-cleaning and also take my clothes and sheets to the laundromat. I'm kind of stressed out about storage solutions once I move in with G., since I have so much stuff from living in the same apartment for multiple years. I sort out some old clothes and things into donate and sell piles.
12:35 p.m. — I make pasta using Banza chickpea pasta (best healthy pasta I've ever tasted), chicken sausage, onions, and vodka sauce. I have a Yasso bar for dessert!
3:12 p.m. — I'm feeling so exhausted, and I hate to be the girl that always blames things on her cycle, but I think it's a symptom of my upcoming period. I treat myself to a nap. Since my sheets are in the wash, I pull out a throw blanket and fold it over on my bare mattress.
5:05 p.m. — Wake up sweating and check my phone to see texts from my friends H. and D. I actually ran into D. on Friday during my night out, and we made a verbal promise to catch up today. Our mutual friend H. is finishing a workout class near my apartment, so we agree to grab a casual dinner together. I go to pick up my laundry before we meet up, and pay in cash for a slight discount on the wash-and-fold. $27.15
6:47 p.m. — We meet H. at her workout class and walk to get dumplings together at one of my favorite spots. It's sunny but windy, and I feel a bit chilly in my jeans and tank top. Luckily the dumplings warm me up, especially when covered in ample amounts of chili oil. We split 20 dumplings, noodles in peanut sauce, and cucumber salad. I venmo for my share. $6
7:34 p.m. — Can't forget about dessert! We get fruit teas nearby and head back to my apartment to continue chatting. A.'s crush just broke up with their partner and has been hanging out with A. almost every day since. We caution A. about the rebound potential, but it looks like things will get messy regardless. (Update: A. got rejected by his crush.) $8.70
9:25 p.m. — Say bye to my friends and hop in the shower. I use a Torriden sheet mask and gua sha my face after. I'm so ready to curl up in bed and read a manhwa. I start on The Gwichon Village Mystery which was a bad idea, it's scary af. Lights out before midnight.
Daily Total: $41.85
Day Six: Monday
8 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm, do my morning routine, eat a breakfast bar. Monday mornings are usually pretty slow so I just prep my to-do list and check off some routine weekly tasks.
11:33 a.m. — Wrap up our marcomms sync and now I suddenly have multiple tasks in the hopper. I get to work on prepping emails, communications, and other time-sensitive assets.
12:35 p.m. — Take a quick break to make some mac and cheese with broccoli and leftover chicken sausage. I check my phone and see that G. has sent over some Streeteasy listings that were posted today, so I discuss with him via text, then email the brokers to inquire about tours for the apartments we're interested in.
2:12 p.m. — My period has started. The first day is always the worst for me so I take a break from work to roll out a yoga mat and stretch a little. My cramps get worse so I lay on the couch for a sweet, sweet minute. Then back to work.
5:44 p.m. — Work wraps up! I really don't want to do groceries, but I'm running out of things in the fridge and the weather is semi-decent today, so I grab two big tote bags and head out the door. I usually like to pick two meals for the week, buy the ingredients, and only make those two meals the entire week. This week, I buy ingredients for salmon fried rice and pesto pasta. I also pick up some yogurt, breakfast bars, ice cream and a frozen meal (just in case I get lazy). $115.80
6:30 p.m. — I arrive home and put my groceries away. My cramps act up again so I end up heating up the frozen meal and eating some yogurt with a drizzle of yuzu honey.
7:18 p.m. — I check my personal email and reply to some brand enquiries, then I record a voiceover for a video I've already filmed and post it. The rest of my night is spent taking a hot shower, laying in bed, and FaceTiming G. to complain about my cramps. I sleep early since I'll be going in office tomorrow.
Daily Total: $115.80
Day Seven: Tuesday
7:45 a.m. — Good thing I went to bed early, because I woke up in the middle of the night sweating from a bad dream. Does anyone else get crazy temperature fluctuations on their period? I roll out of bed and do my skincare and makeup. I'm keeping it casual today with a Babaton wrap blouse, my mom's vintage black denim, and some loafers. Hop on the subway to the office! $2.90
9:07 a.m. — I make myself some tea in the kitchen and eat a chocolate date bar while scrolling through emails. Make small talk with some coworkers and chat about past weekend happenings.
11:35 a.m. — My coworker and I leave to beat the lunchtime rush and grab burrito bowls (expensed by our company). We have a meeting at noon with some West Coast team members so we quickly eat and hop on the call. $16.15 (Expensed)
2:21 p.m. — I text my friend S. to confirm plans for tonight — we used to work together and we're still great friends, so we hang out regularly. She has an upcoming wedding to attend and wants me to do her nails. She sends over some nail inspo pics, and I browse Pinterest for some additional ideas to bounce off her.
4:50 p.m. — I leave work a little early to prepare my apartment for S. I've been doing my own nails for years, but I still get nervous doing other people's nails since I work so slowly. S. arrives and we confirm gel polish colors and the design she wants. I am sweating at first, but we start yapping and things go a lot smoother than I thought they would! S. loves them. $2.90
6:52 p.m. — In return for doing her nails, S. treats me to a pedicure at a nearby spot. We meet our mutual friend Z. at the salon and it's pretty busy for a Tuesday evening. S. had made an appointment so we're all seated in chairs immediately, but it takes a while for all of us to get our pedicure done. It's no big deal since the nail ladies are super sweet about the wait, plus the three of us have much to discuss. Two of the nail stylists compliment S.' nails and she proudly tells them they were done by me, hehe.
8:20 p.m. — We're finished with our pedicures and starving. I know an empanada spot nearby so we each grab one and then head over to a sushi restaurant for round two. Z. tells us about some crazy drama in her friend group, and I gobble up some salmon and avocado rolls. 'Life Is Worth Living' by JB plays in my head. Can't wait to go home and knock out after this. $31.12
9:23 p.m. — I walk the girls to the nearest subway station and say bye! Once I arrive home, I shower, do my skincare, and text my sister. I do a bit of scrolling and hit the sack.
Daily Total: $36.92
The Breakdown
Conclusion: 'I think I did pretty well this week! The majority of my expenses came from eating out, and I didn't spend excessively on clothes or beauty, which is what I usually have trouble with. Recording the dollar amount for each day made me more aware of how much I was spending in certain categories already, so I would make a mental note to rein it back in other categories. Looking back on this a few weeks later, I definitely reduced my spending on food after this diary was written (also this ridiculous heat recently makes me not hungry or eager to leave my apartment at all). I did end up selling my clothes at Crossroads Trading this weekend and made $160 cash, which I'll probably spend on other clothes again, oops. And one last update on the apartment hunt: We ended up finding a two-bedroom apartment near where we currently live, and I'll be paying around the same as I do for my current apartment.'
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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
5 days ago
- 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."
Refinery29
7 days ago
- Refinery29
A Week In Seattle On A $354,000 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 occupational therapist who has a $354,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on chili crisp (for both personal use and gifting purposes). 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: Occupational therapist Industry: Healthcare Age: 31 Location: Seattle, WA Salary: My rate is $60 an hour — last year I made $101,000. Household Income & Financial Setup: $354,000. My boyfriend, M., outearns me pretty significantly and we are still navigating how to share that divide. Currently, I pay him rent and we split groceries and utilities 2:1. We have no joint accounts but know all of each other's numbers and are both generous with covering meals and small expenses. He does often pay for the nicer meals or bigger house purchases. We split travel evenly, but are discussing if we should change that. We use a lot of points and don't reimburse each other for those. Assets: 401(k): $22,585; IRA: $51,401; Robinhood: $18,166; rollover IRA #1: $5,353; rollover IRA #2: $5,643; Acorns: $2,271; Ally HYSA: $15,141; local credit union checking: $1,378; local credit union savings: $800; car: $4,500. Debt: $2,488, all in student loans. Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $8,400 pre tax and retirement, but this varies. Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $1,100 paid to M., who owns the house. We live with a dog (who does not pay rent). Loan Payments: $476.15 every two weeks towards student loans. 401(k): 15% of what I make monthly with a 4% company match. Roth IRA: $583.33 Gym: $99 Phone: $42.50 paid toward family plan. Utilities: This varies but around $200 for my portion of water, trash, and electricity. Donations: $250 reoccurring and usually an extra $100-$400 in mutual aid or Go Fund Me. Annual Expenses Car Insurance: $650 Credit Card Fees: $680 aggregate (high, but we use the perks well). Costco: $65 for my half. 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, college was always expected. My parents never really talked us through other options and I was a high-achieving student at a low-achieving school, so all my teachers expected it as well. I knew I wanted to go into healthcare or social work so it was always an assumption that I would get at least a master's degree. I applied for a needs-based scholarship in middle school that got me through most of undergrad. It wasn't enough for my final year but I was able to graduate early to offset the extra costs of a tuition raise. My parents paid for the rent and end of undergrad for me. Graduate school was extremely expensive. Therapy is a very high debt-burden-to-income ratio. I paid my first semester in cash and only took out loans for tuition. I worked almost full time during which is unusual for a professional program and was extremely stressful. I graduated with around $100,000 in debt and paid extensively during COVID-19 so I am almost done, but it is pretty frustrating to see reimbursement rates stagnant as debt burdens increase. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? My parents were incredibly frugal and I picked up on a lot of that. They gave us very small allowances (literally starting with three nickels but then increasing to six) and had us split it between give, save, and to have fun with. It was negligible to pay for much, but did get the point across for budgeting. We never talked about stocks or investing or the reality of taking on so much debt for school. My parents continue to be very frugal, but I think are sometimes unrealistic about how much potential things like longterm care could cost. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was nannying at 11 years old. I made $5 an hour to watch a five and six year old for 42 hours a week. It seems archaic now, but I had that job for several summers. At 16 years old, I worked as a server at a retirement home. I kept this job through the end of high school and during early college breaks. I got the jobs to pay for any extra curricular and social activities that I wanted to participate in. My friends were all more affluent and it felt like a necessity. Did you worry about money growing up? Yes. Money to me was freeing and my parents never gave us money for social activities. We always had the necessities and I never worried about food or housing. We were very lucky how present our parents were and both often worked part time to be with us, but we rarely had more than the necessities. I was the only upperclassmen on my school bus for example — the rest of my rural-ish community gave kids cars at 16 years old. My dad lost his job when I was in high school and my family was very stressed about it, but I didn't know much about the realities of how that changed their finances. Do you worry about money now? Yes and no. Having gone to grad school I feel very behind in savings and investing as I didn't start truly working beyond paying rent and food until 25 years old. My career is also pretty capped in pay, which is frustrating. I have a very supportive partner and a very in-demand job which helps with stability. I've also made significant progress in saving and paying down debt which increases my comfort level. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? At 22. My parents retired and I got kicked off their health insurance at that point, as well as losing any support for rent and schooling. I think they would likely help me if I needed it, but I would turn to my partner or sister first. I have a large extended family so I would always have somewhere to live. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. Yes. My parents supported the end of undergrad and gave my sister and I each $5,000 when our grandmother died. This started my Roth IRA. Day One: Monday 6:40 a.m. — Wake up before my alarm. I have been in and out of sleep for a while so I decide to get up. Kiss M., my boyfriend, and Q., our dog, who are both still snoozing. Make coffee and look through emails for the day. Put on sunscreen. M. had Q. before we met and does most of the dog care while I take the heterosexual dad approach (I know where the vet is and refer to it as babysitting when I have him for the weekend). If not mentioned, know that Q. gets four walks a day, minimum. 8 a.m. — M.'s mom is staying with us and I help her with breakfast things while M. finishes some work. They leave around 10 a.m. to go for a hike. I make and eat a quesadilla between meetings. 12 p.m. — Normally I have no gap between meetings and treating, but my first two kids are out for Spring Break so I take time to run, shower, and eat lunch. I have salted cucumbers and a salad with vegan chicken nuggets. Q. returns from his day dog walker in time to share my cucumbers. 2:15 p.m. — Head out for my first non-cancelled kid for the day. I have two teenage girls in a row who are both absolutely wonderful and totally different. Both I love hanging out with. 5:35 p.m. — Get home from my kids. M. is on the couch and we share Chex Mix my mom made us for our Passover/Easter basket. I make ratatouille and polenta for dinner. M.'s mom mentions she doesn't make a lot of stews and I have to confess I make ratatouille like the rat not like the original dish. 6:45 p.m. — Eat and clean the kitchen. I have leftover carrot cake a friend made for Seder dinner. It's good for gluten free. M. and his mom take Q. out for his evening walk and I send some emails and document for the day. 10 p.m. — Brush teeth, retinol, sleep. Daily Total: $0 Day Two: Tuesday 5:55 a.m. — Wake up with my alarm and move to the couch. Read the news and make coffee. I prep for my sessions and clean out my backpack. I grab some oranges and a granola bar but will get something during a gap so I don't try super hard. 7:15 a.m. — Say goodbye to M. and Q. and M.'s mom, who is heading to the airport while I'm at work. Sunscreen in the car. Chat about self-advocacy and making good choices in class with my first friend and make a little visual for it. 8:30 a.m. — My second kid is out so I go to Starbucks and get a matcha oat latte and a falafel wrap ($10.41 on a gift card). Going to Starbucks in the Seattle area is pretty embarrassing, but they consistently have a place I can work. Answer emails and complete notes. 9:30 a.m. — Hang out with my next two little friends. Lots of executive functioning and social emotional stuff. The first one radiates joy and is one of my favorites. Not that I have favorites. 11:20 a.m. — Drive to my next school. Feeding therapy kid. His teacher tells me that he has continued to eat a particular food that we mastered last session. We make a mess with couscous and snap peas. Hope the teachers continue to like me. I have another big gap, although my last kid blessedly moved up. I stop by our house to send emails, document, and take a 15-minute coffee nap. 2:55 p.m. — Last kid of the day. We work on handwriting and nose blowing. He tells me I'm his favorite teacher. We are having too much fun so he probably is almost ready to be done with therapy. 4 p.m. — Drive to kick boxing. It's a short class, but enjoyable. It's a balmy day for Seattle and I get lured into an Indian cafe and get M. and I mango lassis. $11.01 5 p.m. — Give M. his snacks and check in about the day. I am doing a big screening tomorrow so I spent the evening printing and preparing. 7:30 p.m. — Make rice, Cantonese soft tofu, and roasted broccolini for dinner. We are low on chili crisp and it's cheaper to order three so I do. They make good gifts. $44.97 10 p.m. — I am having trouble settling down (couldn't be the news that I'm reading on my phone in bed) so I get up and trim and thin my hair and do a face mask. I tell M. so he can pretend to have noticed and he tells me how good it looks. Stretch, warm water, and read (On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz). I fall asleep sometime around midnight. Daily Total: $55.98 Day Three: Wednesday 6:30 a.m. — Up and double check all the materials for screenings while my coffee drips through the pour over. Several families have added, even though the deadline is well in the past. 8:30 a.m. — I take a meeting over the phone while driving to the school (and putting on sunscreen). I am screening any child pre-K to 5th grade with another OT at a private Catholic school. I take another meeting at the school and then start pulling kids. 2:45 p.m. — All done! I had a granola bar and green juice earlier, but we didn't get a break for lunch and I'm starving. Pack up all the materials and head to a grocery store I've been wanting to try. I commit the cardinal sin of grocery shopping hungry, but don't spend too outrageous an amount. I get honey butter chips, mango sago, salmon ongiri, pok choy, pea vines, seafood mushrooms, pork and vegetable dumplings, vegetable buns, spicy rice crust crackers, peach ice cream, curry rice balls, and rice vinegar. All the meat and seafood is for M. only. $65.67 3:45 p.m. — Get home, unpack, and answer emails. I eat the honey butter chips, apples, bell peppers, and two curry rice balls. I answer emails and other therapist questions I missed. 6:15 p.m. — Grab a bell pepper each (leaving behind the bell pepper tax for Q.) and walk to trivia at a local bar. M. orders himself chili and me a beer. We split fries. The four of us there have a pretty even split in knowledge areas but there is a disproportionate amount of French knowledge on this one. We get third place. 8:30 p.m. — Home. I eat some rice chips and drink a ton of water. My sister facetimes to try to use our Amex codes for an LCD Soundsystem concert presale. We split the mango sago and a peach ice cream while talking to her. 5:30 a.m. — Wake up with the light. I make coffee and water. I answer emails and start some laundry. 9 a.m. — I meant to go for a run earlier, but got caught up in work. M. and I both leave for runs. I do a quick hill workout and head back and shower. Make a strawberry banana smoothie before my first meeting. 10 a.m. — Meet with another therapist. We meet over the phone so I'm able to pack for my sessions during. I also take Cheez-Its, peppers (this is a mistake and I get seeds all over the driver seat), apples, and granola bars. I will eat these during my drives. First session is water beads, fidget creation, and self-care. 12:30 p.m. — Drive to our clinic and see three kids back to back in a group. Lots of fine motor and emotional regulation. 3:30 p.m. — Drive to a home session. I see two brothers back to back. All the other therapists have dropped them due to behaviors, but I adore them. I think that I have easier sessions because I always let my kids know how happy I am to see them. 5:45 p.m. — Drive to a park session closer to my house. My mom calls on my drive to tell me that I diagnosed her nerve entrapment correctly. I love being right. 7:45 p.m. — Home from my final session. I am starving. M. brought me an eggplant parmesan sandwich. He is an angel. I eat half with rice chips and water. We are supposed to do a strength workout but I'm so tired. I work on notes in bed, but fall asleep at some point. Daily Total: $0 Day Five: Friday 1 a.m. — Wake up. M. has tucked me in, put away my computer, and turned the lights off. I brush my teeth and go back to sleep. 7 a.m. — Awake for real. Emails, coffee, water. M. and I check in about the weekend. We are having a water tap error on our dishwasher. I have already replaced all the hosing and the air gap so we need to replace the seal. I try to close the dishwasher at the correct angle several times before admitting defeat and hand washing. 9:45 a.m. — Head to kickboxing. I go grocery shopping after because I need peanut butter. I get strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, bell peppers, vegan corn dogs, dried beans, jalapenos, blue cheese, and peanut butter. $45.46 11:30 a.m. — Home and make cookie dough and start sourdough bread. I am making miso peanut butter and gochujang sugar cookies. I eat a 'corndog' and all three berry types. The afternoon is a rotation of reports, emails, meetings, and stretch and pulls. 6:45 p.m. — I have baked the cookies. I don't know if I like the peanut butter miso. This is very sad. They are very pretty cookies. We head to our friend's house. M. brings lots of Passover snacks. We watch questionable movies and eat more questionable snacks, including durian Pocky. I like it. M. hates it. 11:30 p.m. — Arrive home. I am starving and finish the rice and broccolini with chili crisp. Brush teeth and immediately to bed. Daily Total: $45.46 Day Six: Saturday 6:30 a.m. — I get up and shape the bread. I am making one jalapeno cheddar, two plain, and one cinnamon walnut. I spend the morning cleaning and fixing the dishwasher successfully. 12 p.m. — I have a medieval king lunch of cheese, nuts, and fruit. I catch up on a bit of work and start baking the breads. We have a friend's dog for most of the day and M. takes them on a long adventure. 3 p.m. — M. and I leave on a bike ride to drop off bread to several friends. Two of my friends just had babies so we do porch drop-offs until the babies are old enough to start getting vaccinated. The bike lanes are pretty abysmal along our routes. 5 p.m. — Final bread drop off and we decide to get Vietnamese food with this friend. She is also an OT and a lovely human being. S. (our friend) gets a vermicelli bowl, she and M. split wings, and M. and I both get pho and bahn mis. M. pays for all of us but I would guess it was a hundred something. We take most of the wings and the bahn mis to go to eat later. 7 p.m. — It is getting dark and we didn't bring lights so we light rail to a more protected route. I pay for both. $6 8:30 p.m. — Home safe. M. takes the dog out and I take a hot shower. We chat and hang out until bed once he's back. Daily Total: $6 Day Seven: Sunday 10 a.m. — I sleep in. I got woken up multiple times; the church next to us started services at 2 a.m. I am irritated because I wanted to run this morning and this cuts into it. Coffee, water, straighten up, and prepare for the day, which includes making croutons and grabbing stuff for mutual aid. 12:30 p.m. — M. and I head out to meet friends for coffee. We were supposed to be individually meeting our best friends but combined it into one meeting. I pay for coffee for my friend A. (cold brew), M. (cortado and raspberry oat bar), and me (matcha latte). M.'s friend hasn't arrived yet so I'm not just blatantly not paying for him. Tip 22% because 20% is not an option. $20.76 2:30 p.m. — Hang out at the coffee shop and then go try to get our brows threaded. I appreciate having men in my life who aren't so caught up in toxic masculinity. The wait is super long so we end up not going. M. takes a power nap in the car. 3:30 p.m. — Head to mutual aid. M. and A. offer food and support to RVs and I man the hot drinks. We also have food, water, Gatorade, medical supplies, and harm reduction. I venmo A. $20 for my part of the Gatorade (the coffee wasn't enough). The rain and wind are picking up and I am getting puffs of cocoa powder on my hands as I make drinks. $20 4:45 p.m. — Head home. We listen to Amy Poehler's podcast on the drive back. M. does dog duty and I put together a panzanella with three kinds of tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled red onions, and the croutons I made this morning. 5:30 p.m. — Pick up some friends and head to a third's for dinner. We eat an Ecuadorian Easter soup, panzanella, pea vine salad, various meats and scallops (that I don't eat), yucca, and the most beautiful pavlova I've seen. Wine, cocktails, espresso, and political discourse flow and before we know it it's nearly midnight and we need to say our goodbyes, take dishes and borrowed books, and head home. Daily Total: $40.76 The Breakdown Conclusion 'This feels like a relatively representative week for me and matches well what I value, food, friends, and supporting others. I would say it's actually low on food spending. We really value nice groceries and spend a lot at Costco. M. also covered more of my meals than is typical (we try to trade off more). I read the diary to him and he commented that he looked good for that. I got annoyed at my debt after writing this and paid off the rest of my loans with my next paycheck. My biggest reflection is more how poor my sleep hygiene is, especially as a therapist and it's something I'm working on. While grad school was a huge burden and I feel behind, I've been really lucky to have a supportive partner and generally good health and make up for lost time. It was a fun exercise overall. I am excited to see how things change without the burden of loans.'
