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Refinery29
7 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Phoenix, AZ On A $44,500 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 middle-school teacher who makes $44,500 per year and who spends some of her money this week on an irresistible leather jacket. 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: Middle-school teacher Industry: Education Age: 24 Location: Phoenix, AZ Salary: $44,500 Joint Income & Financial Setup: I live with my partner, A., but he's in grad school at the moment and only some of his internships are paid, so his income varies (for a lot of the internships during the school year, he gets credit instead of being paid. He's working two jobs this summer, so he has income now, but he often doesn't). We do have a joint account for our bills, groceries, and shared entertainment costs, but I wouldn't consider our finances shared. We're mostly dependent on my income and savings right now: I contribute more to the joint account because my income is more stable, and he does a larger percentage of the household labor because his hours are more flexible. Assets: Checking account: $10,798.71 (I know this is a lot for a checking account, but I want to have flexibility in case of emergencies while A. is in school); HYSA: $22,585.84; emergency fund HYSA: $11,997.54; 401(k): $4,721.61. I'm not sure how much my car is worth now, but it was about $21,000 when I bought it a couple years ago. Debt: $8,705.66 left on my car loan. Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,295.39 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $1,320 for rent on a one-bedroom apartment and $279.80 in total for utilities. I cover a higher percentage than A. does, though we'll change that when he's working full time. We pay for this and other shared bills like groceries through a shared joint account that we add to every month. Loan Payments: $125 twice a month on my car loan. Health Insurance: $7.99 for medical, vision, and dental. 401(k): $136.92, with my employer matching up to 4% of eligible contributions. Savings Contribution: $260 goes to my emergency fund HYSA, and anything over $10,000 in my checking account goes to my regular HYSA. Spotify: $13.02 Substack Subscription to Erin in the Morning: $5 Monthly Donations: $25 Car Insurance & Phone Bill: I pay my car insurance every six months and my phone bill annually to save from paying more over time. Averaged out, my car insurance is $234.25 a month, which A. and I pay jointly, and my phone bill is $15 a month. 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? My parents definitely expected me to attend college. I did well in school, and it was expected of me. I earned a fair amount of merit scholarships and worked through college at the university library for minimum wage. I also got a master's degree for a steal through a program that allowed me to do it at the same time as my undergraduate work, and my parents paid for both degrees. Because of this, I don't have any school loans, and I'm incredibly grateful for that, because I know that's a huge burden on many of my peers and I don't think I could choose to pursue the career I have if I had loans to worry about. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? The biggest conversation we had about finances was about student loan debt. My parents were adamant that I should not take on any student loan debt, because theirs hung over them for a long time. Other than that, we didn't talk about money much, and I did a lot of educating myself in college and after graduation with online courses and financial books. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was at the university library in college. I volunteered instead of working during my high school years to build my academic résumé, and my parents always said that if I focused on school, I'd make more money through scholarships than if I worked at a minimum wage job. I called my university library before I even arrived (in the summer before school started) and interviewed over the phone, which impressed them, I think. I got the job partly because it felt like the right time, now that I was in college and would need money for my next steps, and partly because I knew I'd have the time for it. I didn't really consider what I'd do with the money until after I had it, and mostly I saved it, though I did go on trips with my friends for spring breaks and things like that, and I occasionally ate out when the dining commons was really getting me down. Did you worry about money growing up? Growing up, I was always really hesitant to ask for money and always found myself buying whatever was cheapest when I went out with friends in high school. I'm not sure why. My family was well-off financially, though my dad did freelance work instead bringing in a traditional salary, so it was inconsistent. My mom was always very frugal, though, and I suppose her habits shaped mine in this area. Do you worry about money now? I don't really worry about not having enough in the day to day, because I know I've saved more than I need for the short term, but I worry that I'm not educated enough about finances. I know there's still a lot left for me to learn, despite the efforts I've gone to to educate myself up to this point. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I lived at home for a year or so after I graduated college and moved out when I was 22. I'd already been paying for my car and everything related to that, but I didn't pay for rent or groceries (I tried to buy my own food briefly, but my siblings ate it). That period allowed me to save a lot, and I don't think I'd be in the financial position I am today without it. When I was 22, I moved into my first apartment with A. He gets money from his parents on a regular basis to support him through school, and my parents are generous and supportive as well, so we definitely have a strong safety net. I hope to put myself in the position where I can also be a safety net for my siblings, should they need it. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. My parents paid for my education entirely (apart from the scholarships I earned), including room and board and flights to come home. They gave me $2,000 when I started undergrad, and when I graduated, they agreed to cover a portion of the down payment on my first car as a graduation present, but I don't remember exactly how much that ended up being. Day One: Wednesday 6:15 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm. While I get ready, my partner, A., packs my lunchbox. I leave for work between 6:45 a.m. and 6:50 a.m. every day, as it's a 20-minute commute on a good day, but it usually ends up being slightly longer. 7:14 a.m. — I arrive at work. I'm required to be at school by 7:35 a.m., but the parking lot's a nightmare, so it's better to arrive early. I use the time before work starts to eat breakfast at my desk; today it's smoked salmon on wheat crackers with a dill honey mustard sauce. 7:35 a.m. — I start work. One thing I love about teaching is that there's always something going on: Yesterday, it was the stench of squids marinating in formaldehyde, today there's smooth jazz coming from the music room. There's only a month left of school here (we finish earlier in Arizona than a lot of schools in other parts of the country), so it's a busy season for grading. 12:15 p.m. — I eat a quick lunch with colleagues. It's a leftover half of a Subway sandwich from last night, plus some strawberries. We don't usually order out unless it's a social occasion, but A. and I were both sick this past weekend (occupational hazard), so we didn't get around to meal planning and shopping until last night. 3:15 p.m. — I normally stay at work until 5 p.m. grading and prepping for the next day, but today is the read-through for the play I'm in. I have a small role in a community theatre show; I haven't done theater since high school and I'm enjoying the chance to make some friends. 5:15 p.m. — The read-through took longer than expected, and I'm antsy. I call A. on the way home, and we chat about our days. 5:45 p.m. — I arrive home and help A. finish making dinner. I've been craving a good home-cooked meal, and pork tenderloin was on sale, so we had pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and gravy. While we eat, we watch a documentary about European food markets on Tubi. 7:30 p.m. — I shower and get ready for bed. We spend the next hour or so relaxing, me finishing The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar and A. playing a video game on his Switch. 8:45 p.m. — During the weekdays, I go to sleep on the early side. My partner is a night owl and offered to get gas tonight after I'm asleep, since I did the grocery shop last night. The money for gas comes out of the joint account. $36.88 Daily Total: $36.88 Day Two: Thursday 5:45 a.m. — I wake up early on my own today. I get ready and answer a parent email on my laptop before heading out at 6:45 a.m. 7:16 a.m. — I have breakfast at my desk — smoked salmon crackers again. A pack of salmon is good for five breakfasts for me, and I appreciate cold breakfasts when it starts to get hot out. 7:35 a.m. — I stay at work until 5:51 p.m. grading projects. Other colleagues are grading at the big table in the faculty office, so it feels social. 6:18 p.m. — I get home and realize I'd forgotten to make my lesson plan for next week. Luckily, the one from last year only needs a few tweaks, so I update that, then start on dinner: a pork and brown rice bowl with guacamole and pico de gallo, with refried beans on the side. I make a spice rub for the tenderloin and start the rice, and A. makes the guacamole and pico and starts the beans. I was tempted to get take-out tonight after such a late night, but I'm glad I didn't, both for the sake of my budget and because it turned out delicious. I take a moment to update the budget while A. finishes cooking. 7:15 p.m. — Dinner's ready. We eat while watching The Amazing Race (free through the CBS website). We finish watching the show, and I get ready for bed. I don't relax for very long afterward because I'm pretty worn out, and by 9:20 p.m., I'm heading to bed. Daily Total: $0 Day Three: Friday 6:15 a.m. — I wake up tired. I probably pushed myself too hard yesterday, but I'd missed out on a lot of grading while I was sick. 7:15 a.m. — I have my usual smoked salmon breakfast. 7:35 a.m. — Around mid-morning, I have a parmesan crisp and a turkey stick during my prep period. I cover an extra duty today and forget things multiple times. It's a rough one. The highlight of my day is running one of my after-school clubs. I've been learning ASL through an online video course alongside my students, and we know enough to have regular conversations at the end of every class now instead of structured dialogues. 5:23 p.m. — I head out. A friend from college who I haven't spoken to in years reaches out over text, and we chat intermittently over the course of the evening. I try to pick up deodorant on my way home, but they're out of the brand I use. 5:50 p.m. — Dinner was going to be cauliflower curry, but I'm too exhausted to cook. I heat up some frozen butternut squash ravioli from Trader Joe's with some butter and garlic salt instead. We keep some extra meals in the freezer to avoid take-out on days like this. When A. gets home, we watch Top Chef on a shared streaming service. This episode is more emotionally taxing than I expected, and it isn't ideal for the day I've been having. 7:52 p.m. — I get ready for bed and play a game with A. on my tablet for a few minutes, but I'm in bed by 8:30 p.m. Daily Total: $0 Day Four: Saturday 8:16 a.m. — I wake up later than normal for a Saturday and work on my computer for my freelance writing until 9 a.m. At 9 a.m., I call my friend and fellow writer, N. We set writing goals for the week, though mine are minimal since work is so busy. A. makes breakfast after waking up (breakfast hash with potato, sweet potato, broccoli, and red onion, topped with a poached egg), and I work on my part of the chores while I'm chatting and finish them after I get off the call. 10:30 a.m. — I leave for Buffalo Exchange, a thrift store chain. I have a list of clothes I was looking for, especially a summer top that would work with two pairs of shorts I'd bought that I currently can't wear. I meet up with my friend S. and have a super successful shop! I end up buying a floral cotton blouse that fits perfectly with both pairs of shorts, a green blouse with puffed sleeves, and the most gorgeous leather jacket. The leather jacket is not on my list, but it's real leather, and it fits beautifully, and it's so buttery soft I can't resist. S. says it's a long-term investment, and it's a steal at $30. $61.90 12:30 p.m. — We walk to Taco Guild, which is a taco place inside an old church. It's absolutely stunning, full of stained glass and high beams with a lot of repurposed details from the old church, and S. loves it. We split Guild fries, which were french fries topped with guacamole, chipotle aioli, and cotija. S. has the Jackson taco, with pork belly and consommé, and I have a yuzu salmon taco. I pay using a gift card, so it's free. 1:30 p.m. — I head home and model all the outfits for A., who approves. I call my mom and talk to her for a bit about the plans for tomorrow and my shopping trip. A. and I work through the grocery planning for the week. 3:30 p.m. — It's the middle-school play weekend! There are two, a matinee and an evening show, with different students in each, so I planned on going to both. We have dinner at a local gastropub in between shows — I have a burrata beet salad, and A. has the burger special with fries, and we pay using the joint account. We stop by the park and walk around before heading back for the evening show. $48.82 9 p.m. — We get home at a reasonable hour, but I get carried away reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings until 11 p.m. I expect I'll have some regrets about staying up so late, but the book was certainly worth it. Daily Total: $110.72 Day Five: Sunday 7:30 a.m. — I wake up and lounge in bed for an hour. It has been hectic recently, it's nice to not feel rushed. 8:30 a.m. — I heat up the leftover breakfast hash from yesterday and add a poached egg. We go over the joint account budget and add our contributions for the month. They're much higher than usual because we paid for six months of car insurance last weekend. I put in $2,136. Our math covers our monthly expenses plus a buffer of $1,000 to make sure we never dip below the minimum amount we're required to keep in the account to avoid monthly fees. 10 a.m. — We head to church, and I talk to the pastor a bit after to ask some questions. After, we do our usual weekly grocery shop at Fry's. We buy chicken stock, bok choy, meat stick sausage snacks, bananas, ice cream (a new flavor — salted brown butter cookie!), tomato sauce, grape juice, sour cream, potatoes, pasta, snap peas, an orange, mangos, ramen, ginger, a parsnip, parmesan, gruyère, crackers, mozzarella, gnocchi, basil, thyme, rosemary, English muffins, and lo mein noodles. Altogether, we use four physical coupons, not including the ones on the app. $80.79 12:30 p.m. — We stop by the gas station on our way out. Filling up the tank is cheaper than usual because we'd refilled mid-week last week after the illness set our schedules back. $16.03 12:30 p.m. — We drive to my parents' house. I chat with my grandparents, who are also visiting, and play some Ticket to Ride and Mario Kart with my siblings. We eat both lunch (frozen steamed dumplings) and dinner (grilled chicken, mashed sweet potato, peas, and gravy) there. I complete some grading too, about mid-afternoon, and take a walk. We leave around 8:30 p.m., and I head straight to bed once we get home. Daily Total: $96.82 Day Six: Monday 6:15 a.m. — I'm woken up a bit before my alarm by the garbage truck going by the window. It's cool and rainy out, a rarity for this time of year in Phoenix, and we'd left the window open overnight. I get ready for the day while A. packs lunch, and I head out around 6:45 a.m. 7:15 a.m. — It's Teacher Appreciation Week! We have a very generous parent organization, and there are bagels and muffins in the faculty office this morning when I arrive, plus a fancy little coffee bar. I have a garlic bagel with chive cream cheese but abstain from the coffee; I don't do well with caffeine. 7:35 a.m. — Throughout my work day, I continue to make headway on grading the piles of projects on my desk and send in a list of some of my supplies to be approved for next year. I have my meat stick snack while I make some documents for the week. 12:15 p.m. — I eat lunch, which is a charcuterie assortment consisting of brie, snap peas, and crackers. 5:45 p.m. — At the end of the day, I run my club and grade until 5:45 p.m. A. makes a quick dinner of gnocchi in pasta sauce with mozzarella and basil. We judge the Met Gala outfits while we eat. I don't know much about fashion, but I think the theme is really cool. I love what Zendaya, Sabrina Carpenter, Janelle Monae, and Doechii are wearing, but I'm really impressed with most of them. 8:30 p.m. — After dinner, we scroll on our phones for a while. I try to avoid it in the evenings, but it's hard when I'm so tired I can't muster the energy for a book or a board game. I rally enough to start a book (We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin) and read until 8:30 p.m. when I shower and head to bed. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Tuesday 6:15 a.m. — I wake up and get ready; I leave at 6:45 a.m. 7:12 a.m. — My breakfast today is cocoa almond oatmeal, and I read more of my book while I eat. 7:35 a.m. — I start my day, reluctantly tearing myself from my book. I spend much of today bargaining with myself about how many tasks I can do before reading more, which proves rather productive on the grading side of things, and I finish my book before heading to my afternoon classes. Throughout the morning, I snack on parm crisps, a meat stick, and dried mango slices. 12:15 p.m. — Lunch today is catering from a burger chain provided by the parent organization. They're a little cold by the time I get there, but the toppings are good. 5:25 p.m. — I stay until just before 5 p.m. to grade. Today's the first day in a while that I feel relatively on top of things again, which is nice. I get home and have a dinner of garlic-herb pork tenderloin with parsnip purée and sautéed mushrooms while we watch the European food market show. 8:30 p.m. — After dinner, I scroll on my phone for a bit and then muster the energy for a walk, which improves my mood considerably. When we get back, I shower and chat with A. for a bit about logistics for the rest of the week. I text my siblings about a Mother's Day present (a gift card to a restaurant she's been wanting to try) and call the restaurant to make sure I can pick up a gift card on my way home from work tomorrow. I play a game on my tablet for a bit and go to bed a little after 8:30 p.m. Daily Total: $0 The Breakdown Conclusion 'This week was a bit more expensive than usual. I'm pretty attached to my routine, which typically keeps costs down, but it's nice to see that I can have fun and go out while still staying reasonable in terms of costs. I track my spending regularly in a budget spreadsheet, so that portion of the exercise wasn't new to me, but it was really interesting to have more data on why I made the choices I made. I'd be especially interested in continuing to track when I order take-out in the evenings to see if there's a particular day that usually happens. Thinking about my habits and financial history also helped me reflect on how much I've benefitted from the generosity of those around me in so many different ways, and I really hope I can pay that forward.'
Refinery29
14-07-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Mexico City On A $74,181 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: an HR comms manager who makes $74,181 per year and who spends some of her money this week on clothes (future her will handle it, with style.) 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. Editor's Note: All prices converted to US dollars using Google and correct at time of writing. Occupation: HR comms manager Industry: Consumer products Age: 42 Location: Mexico City, Mexico Salary: $74,181 + bonus ($17,391.21 this year), plus earnings bonus ($3,563.32 this year) Assets: HYSA: $12,173; retirement savings: $40,287. Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $4,238.14 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: Rent: $883.24 for a three-bed, three-bath apartment and $101 for a parking spot in a parking garage. Internet: $46.76 Utilities & Streaming: $25.88 (HBO and Netflix for me, Spanish Atresmedia for my mom). Cell Phone: $42.08 (family plan for me, my mom and my dad). Therapy: $110 (approx). Home Cleaning: $78.11 (approximately $20.83 per day and she comes every Thursday). Family Spotify: $8.80 Apple Storage: $2.55 Gym App: $130.19 NYT: $8.70 Big Salad Substack: $5.73 Charity: $46.87 Amazon Prime: $46.82 (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? Totally. Where I'm from, going to college is just what you do if you're middle class or up, it's basically non-negotiable. Both of my parents have university degrees, so higher education was always the default plan. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances? We never really talked about money in my family, it just wasn't a thing. I knew my dad had a good job, and even though we were upper-middle class, wasting money was a big no-no. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first real job was right after college: I worked in the marketing department of a newspaper. Did you worry about money growing up? I never really worried about money growing up. Like I mentioned, we were upper-middle class. I went to private school, we had someone who helped around the house, and we traveled abroad at least once a year (plus vacations within the country, too). It was a very comfortable life, and for a long time, I assumed that was just… Normal. Do you worry about money now? I definitely worry about money, not so much the day-to-day stuff like food or bills, but more the long-term picture. I had to leave my country years ago due to political, economic, and social chaos, and came to Mexico (legally) so I'm way behind on retirement savings for a person my age. Also, a couple of years ago, the government basically wiped out my parents' pension: one day it was there, the next it wasn't. That was their only income, so they moved in with me 'temporarily'... And it's been two years. Then my brother moved in, too. So yeah… I became the main breadwinner. I cover 100% of our rent and household expenses, and my brother helps with food. Why? 1) I haven't had the guts to ask my brother to contribute more. 2) My parents weren't renting out an apartment they own in another country that could've brought in some income, partly because they were overwhelmed, partly because (if I'm being honest) they were just kind of lazy about it. They finally did it, and it looks like my dad might land a decent business deal soon, so I'm cautiously hopeful that things will shift. But for now it's me. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? To be honest, up until a few years ago, my parents were still helping me financially. If there was something I really wanted and couldn't afford, like a trip or a car, they'd step in and cover it, or give me the down payment. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. My parents paid for my entire college education, including housing, which is pretty normal where I'm from. They also gave me my first two cars (the first one was my mom's, the second one they actually bought for me), and when I moved abroad, they helped with the down payment on the car I got here. Like I mentioned, they'd also pitch in whenever there was something I really wanted but couldn't afford. I was extremely lucky (and I knew it). Day 1: Tuesday 6:45 a.m. — I wake up and stay in bed a little longer. Lately, almost all my days are home-office days. I was recently moved to the global team, which sounds fancy, but really means it's just me and my boss (who is in the U.S.), so I only go to the office once or twice a week to socialize and not because I really need to do any work with the people in the Mexico City office. 7:15 a.m. — I do my morning routine, which includes brushing my teeth and applying The Ordinary Multipeptide + Copper Peptides 1%, EltaMD UV Physical Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 41, a little loose powder, blush, and Glossier Balm DotCom. I have many flavors, so I change them according to the mood of the day. Today is Birthday Cake. Since I work from home, I wear my usual uniform: loose pants (or mom jeans sometimes) and a comfy T-shirt, which maximizes comfort and minimizes the effort of thinking about what to wear each day. 7:30 a.m. — I take my thyroid medication, which means I have to wait one hour before eating breakfast. My metabolism doesn't love me too much: sometimes I feel we are like divorced parents raising my body. 8:30 a.m. — Almost every day, I have the same breakfast: a homemade croissant with turkey breast and Gouda cheese, and juice (today it was pineapple). Something strange is that I don't drink coffee or alcohol: my only vices are Coca-Cola and pan dulce (sweet bread). And I don't feel bad about that! 12:30 a.m. — I sneak out for a bit to hit the mall that's a 10-minute walk from my place to return a large Zara order I placed but didn't like the fit (I ordered three dresses in two different sizes and two pairs of sandals, but I'm going to return all the dresses and keep only one pair of sandals, so I get $381.74 back). 1 p.m. — I go back home to continue working but on the way I stop at the 7-Eleven to buy drinks for this heat wave: a sparkling lemonade for me, Jamaica water for my mom, an Orange Crush for my dad and some treats for my doggies P. and D. (my two rescues who are really the bosses of the house). $4.34 1:30 p.m. — I break for lunch. Lunch is steak, guasacaca (a Venezuelan guacamole-style salsa, but it's the rebellious party sister, with more seasoning, cilantro, and vinegar), and yuca (a starchy root with a slightly sweet and nutty flavor that tastes delicious with butter and cheese!). 2 p.m. — Back to work all afternoon. Global meetings, communication plans, and me trying to stay engaged on calls, even if I'm only talking to one person. 5 p.m. — I finish work and take a shower because before going to my therapy appointment. I want to stop by a department store that is also close to my house to see if I can find a dress I like. 6:15 p.m. — I have no luck and don't find any dresses I like, and surprisingly, I leave the store empty-handed! I pay for the parking meter. $0.83 6:30 p.m. — I get to my therapy and talk to my therapist about the shock of meeting my ex-boyfriend's fiancée (yes, we are friends) via video call and seeing him with her. We lived together for four years (but broke up more than 10 years ago). I always thought of him as the one who got away, but my therapist reminds me that even if he was single and living in the same city as me, we wouldn't be together, basically because he is a person who complains too much and never sees the bright side of life. 7:30 p.m. — I finish therapy and head straight to dinner with a coworker who just moved to town. We eat delicious and big: kale Caesar salad, Margherita pizza with prosciutto and burrata, and chocolate cake. He pays (which I don't argue with, as he insists!). 9:30 p.m. — I talk on the phone with my boyfriend: he's the best person in the world and my favorite, but he lives an hour and a half away, so we don't spend much time together during the week and mostly see each other on weekends. This setup works very well for us: We stay busy during the week and give each other as much love as possible on the weekends (maybe we have discovered the secret of successful relationships? Only time will tell.). Then I do my nightly routine: cleansing, applying a local treatment for dark spots, and brushing my teeth. Basic, but effective. Daily Total: $5.17 Day 2: Wednesday 6:45 a.m. — I get out of bed quickly because I have a call with the EMEA and APAC team at 7 a.m. It's a good thing that today is also a home-office day. I do my morning routine. 8:30 a.m. — Breakfast is the same as yesterday: a croissant with Gouda cheese and turkey breast and juice. Predictable? Yes. Does it work for me, and do I like it? Also, yes. 10 a.m. — One of the advantages of working from home most days is that I can fit beauty appointments in. Today, the lady who does my nails comes to my house and does mani-pedis for both my mom and me (while I work), giving us both a simple manicure and pedicure (no Gelish or nail art). I tip her well. $47.48 1 p.m. — My mom usually cooks lunch, but today, since we got our nails done and the person who helps us with cleaning is coming early this week (she usually comes on Thursdays, but had to switch days), we just order burgers and fries via Uber Eats for my mom, dad, and me. $36.02 2 p.m. — My alarm goes off to take my calcium (I do it every day). A few months ago, a medical checkup flagged low levels, so I take it religiously. I remind our housekeeper of a few things before she gets started, and pay her before I forget. (Just to note: I know it might seem like we don't pay her much, but the minimum wage in Mexico is 278 pesos a day, and this person earns 500 pesos a day. That means she makes almost 80% more than minimum wage.) 5 p.m. — Sad life update: The two gyms I liked that were very close to my house closed, so I'm taking advantage of a gym-hopping app my job gives us access to, to try different gyms to see if I decide to stay at one but so far I haven't loved any of them. Today I am going to a restorative yoga class. 7:15 p.m. — I get home and take a shower = my favorite time of the day. 7:30 p.m. — Most days, I have a simple, chill dinner at home with the family. Today, we have pita bread pizzas. 8 p.m. — I talk to my boyfriend for a bit. Truthfully, it sometimes makes me sad that we don't live closer and don't see each other as often on the weekdays, but I also enjoy having my weekly routine with friends, exercising, and so on. 9:20 p.m. — Already in bed. I go to sleep early, around 10 p.m. I need at least eight hours of sleep to function properly and not be the worst person ever. Daily Total: $83.50 Day 3: Thursday 6:45 a.m. — I wake up and do my morning routine. While doing it I see that my sunscreen is about to run out (panic) so I order two bottles of my go-to: EltaMD UV Physical Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 41 and a third one to try because I see it's half the price: Heliocare Mineral Tolerance Fluid, plus two lightbulbs for my salt lamp, which has been off for a few weeks. $113.96 8:30 a.m. — Breakfast today consists of yogurt with granola and dried blueberries. Before I head to work, I finish a post for my weekly blog/newsletter. This week, I've been inspired, and this is my second post that I've finished. I'm weirdly proud of my creative streak. 9 a.m. — I sit down to work, but it's a chill day. I have several calls with the team and then I prepare for my 1:1 with my boss this afternoon where I'll tell her that my compensation hasn't been reviewed in a while (Read: I basically want to ask her for a raise in a classy, non-desperate way). 1:30 p.m. — Lunch break. It's my mom's birthday, so the three of us (my mom, dad, and I) go to a nearby Italian spot. I eat lasagne, my mom has pasta al forno, and my dad gets veal Milanese. We share a focaccia to start, and for dessert, we share a peach tart with avocado ice cream (yes, avocado and it actually worked!). I pick up the tab. $78.04 2:30 p.m. — I go back to work. I have the 1:1 with my boss and make my case. I did well, now all that's left to do is wait. 5 p.m. — I finish work, and I'm still too full from lunch, so I don't go to the functional class I had booked through the app. The sunscreens I ordered have arrived. 6 p.m. — For my mom's birthday gathering tonight, I order a combo of tequeños (a Venezuelan snack: wheat flour dough stick stuffed with cheese and fried… They're perfect) and some focaccias (yes, foccacias again, but this time stuffed) from a place near the house. Everything is delicious. $101 7 p.m. — The four guests arrive (plus my mom, my dad, my brother, and me), and one of my friends brings the birthday cake that I had already ordered and pre-paid for. The bakery is really close to his house, so he kindly picked it up on his way. 8 p.m. — We eat and sing Happy Birthday to my mom, and she is thrilled. I'm exhausted, but it's one of those days that fills you up emotionally. 10 p.m. — Already in bed, ready to sleep after doing my evening routine. Daily Total: $294 Day 4: Friday 6:45 a.m. — The alarm goes off, and I stay in bed with my dogs. It's really the best way to start the day. 7:30 a.m. — I get up for real and put in a 30-minute workout video from the app (I'm on the seven-day trial). I haven't really liked any of the new gyms I've gone to too much, so I downloaded the app from the studio I was going to and I think I'll do that at home. Plus it's significantly cheaper ($31) than what I was paying ($150 for 12 classes) or the app ($129.65). Maybe I'll invest in a mat and knee cushion, but I'm overthinking like I'm going to buy a car or something. 8:30 a.m. — I shower and eat my croissant for breakfast (duh) and try the sunscreen I got yesterday (Heliocare). It's a bit more fluid and greasier than Elta's. I'm not sure if I love it. I'll have to try it for more days to see how it performs. 9 a.m. — I sit down to work. It's another quiet day (I can't believe this week has been so relaxed. I know it won't last, so I'm enjoying it while I can). 1:30 p.m. — I break for lunch. We're in full fridge clean-out mode, so everyone eats something different. I eat a fish fillet (from Costco) and reheated Kraft mac and cheese (pro tip: Don't reheat Kraft mac and cheese. Just don't). 4:30 p.m. — I finish work and Sirens on Netflix waiting for my boyfriend to arrive. 6:30 p.m. — My boyfriend arrives and tells me we're having dinner with his cousin to meet her new boyfriend. 8:30 p.m. — We are lucky! The place she chose is just three blocks from my house. It's a Spanish restaurant, so we share Spanish tapas (ham croquettes, montaditos, patatas bravas, etc). My boyfriend's cousin has a negroni, my boyfriend a tinto de verano and a beer, the cousin's boyfriend has two mezcal sours, and I have a non-alcoholic beer. My boyfriend covers dinner, so I feel pampered and full. Daily Total: $0 Day 5: Saturday 7 a.m. — I wake up super early because my boyfriend has a medical check-up scheduled. I kiss him goodbye, take my thyroid medicine, and fall back asleep with one of my dogs curled up next to me. 8:30 a.m. — Up for real this time to attend a Pilates class I booked at 9 a.m. at a new studio on the fitness app. I really enjoy it! Although truth be told, sometimes Pilates bores me a bit. I think I may visit this new studio again. 10 a.m. — I go home, take a shower, and ask my dad if he wants to make his famous pancakes. He says yes. Woohoo!!! 11 a.m. — My boyfriend arrives from the check-up, and we have breakfast with my parents and brother. Pancakes, bacon, eggs, and orange juice. Pure weekend vibes. 12 p.m. — I wake up from a post-breakfast nap, which, to be honest, is my favorite kind of nap. 3 p.m. — I tell my mom we should go out for lunch (lunch in Mexico is late) to celebrate Mother's Day (we were going to have lunch on the actual day, but I got one of those weird 24-hour stomach bugs). 4:30 p.m. — We head to an Argentine steakhouse, my mom, dad, boyfriend, the dogs, and I. We share grilled meat, pasta, salad, and chorizo. My mom, dad, and boyfriend share a pitcher of Clericot, and I stick to my one true love: Coca-Cola. Then comes 'the moment': I ask the waiter for the bill, who hands it straight to my boyfriend (what the...?), and when I complain, he tells me that he did it for 'caballerosidad' (chivalry — ah, Mexico). I pay the bill for everyone, including tip. $146.81 8 p.m. — My boyfriend, a craft beer enthusiast, asks me if I'll go with him to a nearby brewery. I love going on those outings with him (even though I don't drink), so we do. He has two beers and I have a lemonade, and we stay there for hours talking. He pays. 11 p.m. — We arrive at my house. We spend some time together (you know the kind) then go to sleep. Daily Total: $146.81 Day 6: Sunday 9:30 a.m. — We made brunch plans with friends last night, so my boyfriend and I wake up, get ready, and head out to meet them. I realize halfway there that I forgot to take my thyroid meds (ugh). 11 a.m. — We arrive at the restaurant and have to wait for a bit. After about 15 minutes, they give us a table. My boyfriend gets huevos rotos, while my friend and my friend and I both go for truffled scrambled egg toast with parmesan, and my friend's husband has toast with barbecue. For dessert, my boyfriend and I share some pancakes, and the others share a chocolate-fried bread that's more delicious than we'd expected. The check arrives while my boyfriend is in the bathroom, so I cover our portion (including tip). $47.46 1 p.m. — I convince my boyfriend to come shopping with me. I'm looking for summer dresses. Although in CDMX it's only hot about two months of the year, where he lives, it's hot all year round, and I'm going to visit him more often now. We go to a luxury department store that has sales on, and I end up buying two dresses (a very colorful one from Farm Rio and a minimalist white one from a Spanish brand) and two blouses from Levi's. Some of the clothes are discounted and I pay with the store's credit card so I get an additional 10% off. I also put the purchase on a six-month interest-free plan. $492.28 4 p.m. — My mom has been asking me for days to do a Costco run, and I've been ignoring that request out of sheer laziness. I go about every three months because for a household of four it really does make financial sense to shop there every few months. I ask my boyfriend to come with me, and he says yes. While we're there, I spot a dual-basket air fryer on sale for $85.93. Our current one is used daily and literally has a broken handle. I call my parents to confirm the purchase and add some more essentials to the cart. $291.34 6 p.m. — Back home, we unload everything and I tell my boyfriend I'm starving. We head to a new vegetarian spot that just opened nearby. The vibe is gorgeous (seriously Instagram-worthy), but the menu is pretty limited. We share a mushroom 'paté' and a four-cheese pizza. It's good, not life-changing, but I'd go back for the ambiance. He pays. 7:30 p.m. — I get home and spend at least 30 minutes on the gym's app trying to figure out what class to take tomorrow. I book a perreo class for Tuesday, but honestly, none of these gyms are doing it for me. I decide to work out tomorrow using the app from my previous gym, and I end up ordering a yoga mat and knee cushion from Amazon, as I'll still be working out at home for a while. $37.44 9 p.m. — I brush my teeth and do my evening routine, then fall asleep around 9:30 p.m. Daily Total: 868.52 Day 7: Monday 6:45 a.m. — The alarm goes off, but I stay in bed for a few more minutes, total Monday mood. 7:30 a.m. — Now I wake up for real, take my thyroid medication, and put on a workout video. 8:30 a.m. — I finish exercising. I'm glad the mat is coming because my hardwood floor is pretty slippery for exercise, and I look like Bambi doing lunges. 9 a.m. — I sit down to work. Today being a holiday in the USA, I predict a quiet day. 1:30 p.m. — Indeed, I was right, today is a very quiet day at work. I take a lunch break and we eat 'fish and chips', which basically consists of breaded fish strips that I bought yesterday at Costco, plus fries. I also make myself an almost frappé lemonade because it's too hot. I know a lot of people find fish and chips a little MEH, but I love it! It's one of my favorite foods. 4:30 p.m. — I'm still working, and it's a pretty standard Monday. 6:30 p.m. — The great thing about the gym app is that, in addition to gyms, it offers other services, such as massages. Today, I booked a 30-minute relaxing massage. I arrive at my massage, which is conveniently located near my house, and I thoroughly enjoy it. It is totally worth it. (The massage is 'free' with the app and I tip $8 to the therapist.) $8 7:30 p.m. — I go back home and have arepas for dinner with my fam (Venezuelan style, of course) that my dad made. 9:30 p.m. — I do my evening routine and get ready for bed. I end up falling asleep around 10:30 p.m. Daily Total: $8 The Breakdown Conclusion 'I definitely spent more than usual this week, but honestly, it makes sense: it was my mom's birthday (so there were meals, snacks, and cake), I treated my parents and my boyfriend a couple of times, and I bought a things I hadn't planned on. I also finally got a mat and a cushion for my home workouts, did a Costco run, which I only do every few months but always adds up (you always spend too much there even if you don't want to), and spent A LOT on clothes this week. So yes, it was a high-spending week. But to be honest, I love to spend! Maybe I don't spend like this every week, but I do spend too much? I don't know! Maybe I could be saving more, but I'm not in debt, so I feel that's good? Oh, being a millennial is really difficult! We feel guilty because we don't own a home, but also I don't want to live like a monk. This was a full week, with family, good food, and some small upgrades for myself. 'Tracking my spending was eye-opening, though. Seeing it all laid out makes me realize how quickly purchases add up. But when you're supporting your family and trying to maintain some quality of life, it's a balancing act. I'm definitely going to be more mindful going forward, but I'm not about to start denying things that make me happy. Life's too short, and as long as the bills are paid and I'm not going into debt, I think I'm doing okay.'
Refinery29
09-07-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In New York On A $75,000 Salary
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a 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. 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: 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.'
Refinery29
30-06-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In The Denver Area On A $223,000 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: a paramedic who has a $223,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on a metal yard flamingo. 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: Paramedic Industry: Emergency medicine/healthcare Age: 31 Location: Denver area Salary: My pre-tax salary is about $110,000, but my overtime really causes it to fluctuate. I have an hourly rate, not a technical salary, which is $28.84. Joint Income & Financial Setup: $223,000. My husband, A., makes $113,000 and our finances are mostly combined. We share the mortgage, streaming services, bills, etc, but each have our own car payment and 'fun money'. We contribute $2,250 monthly to a joint account for bills. We also have a high rewards credit card that we try to use and then immediately pay down. I have a second job teaching paramedic students part time, making about $400 monthly when I pick up shifts. Assets: HYSA: $3,465 (this is usually about $1,500 higher but I had to take some out at the beginning of the year to pay for classes up front); joint retirement and investment account: $11,390; 401(k): $22,000; personal savings: $500 (this should be higher, I know — my goal this year is to bulk up my savings. I do try to keep my larger savings in my HYSA); house worth: $533,800; joint savings: $176 — we redid our entire yard last summer and have struggled to build up our savings again. A. has slightly expensive tastes (and tbh I can be this way too). Debt: Joint credit card: $646; car: $43,000; mortgage: $431,191. Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly): $2,500-$4,000 (this varies depending on how much overtime I pick up). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $2,678 (mortgage payment). Utilities: $150-$300, depending on the heating or cooling time of year. HOA: $35 Water: $100 (this is higher in summer as A. has an obsession with having the nicest yard in the neighborhood). Internet: $113 Loan Payments: I pay $800 for my car, a little higher than the minimum. I don't know what A.'s payment is but I think it's about $1,200. Pet Insurance: $78 (I cannot overstate the lifesaver this has been). Verizon Phone Bill: $355 (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ are included). Car Insurance: $421 HBO: $20, I mooch Peacock and Paramount off my bff, and share mine with her. Church Donations: $70 Kindle Unlimited: $13 Gym: $15 Pilates: $124 Just the Recipe: $12.99 Dog Sitter: $100 Credit Card Fees: $25 for my personal card; $95 yearly for our joint card. Savings: I don't have a set savings amount, just whatever is left over after I pay down my credit card and contribute to the bills. Dog Food: $72 every six weeks. Dog Allergy Shot: $108 every seven weeks. Pest Control: $150 every three months. House Security System: $500 (annually). Instacart: $112 (annually). Amazon Prime: $70 (annually — I'm getting the student discount because I'm taking classes). 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? My parents are both very well educated, and all three of my brothers have some sort of bachelor's or master's degree, so education has always been an option, but I knew in high school that college wasn't for me. I was homeschooled until my senior year, took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do, and then took an EMT class at 19. I went to paramedic school in 2018. I got an AA degree last year and am working (very slowly) on my bachelor's degree, since I have about $5,000 available to use yearly. I was a pretty hard-working teenager and I think my parents knew I would land somewhere without a degree. I paid for EMT and paramedic school out of pocket, and my job paid for half of medic school. The AA degree was covered fully by my job. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? I don't remember specific conversations, but my parents required us to earn at least $1,000 each summer of high school. I do wish they had talked about credit cards, as I didn't open my first one until I was 22, and it's hurt my credit a little. I also didn't really understand the importance of retirement savings until probably about five years ago. What was your first job and why did you get it? Mother's helper at 12. I got it to help the neighbor out and the money was a bonus. I moved from babysitter to nanny with that kid until I graduated high school. I worked five jobs (food service, nanny, multiple babysitting jobs) the summer after I graduated high school. I saved all that money to move out the following summer when I got my first EMT job. Did you worry about money growing up? Not really, my dad has a good career, but I do remember a few times he was between jobs and my parents were worried about money. It usually didn't last long, and we were fortunate to go on nice vacations and always have nice birthdays and Christmases. I am sure their different money styles caused conflict between my parents as I remember 'budget meetings' where me and my brothers made ourselves scarce. Do you worry about money now? I try not to, but the world is changing fast and the economy seems shaky at best. We don't have a real savings account, beyond our retirement accounts. We are still on the fence about having kids, but I am adamant about wanting a decent savings and child account before we decide to start down that road. I could definitely tighten up my own personal spending and saving, and it's one of my goals for this year. I got cancer at 24 (cancer free now for six years!) and the medical bills were high for some years, with all my extra money going to pay them. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I would say 20, when I moved out and got my first EMT job. My parents would be my safety net, as my dad now has a very high salary. I know A.'s parents would also help us if we got into a tight spot. Honestly, if we just tightened up our finances and focused on saving, I think we could build up our savings account. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No inherited income, but both my and A.'s parents gave us $5,000 for our wedding. We used half of that for a nice mattress and bed frame, and the other half for our wedding. Day One: Monday 5:30 a.m. — This week starts with a bang: I'm on shift, and we get up for a call and don't have time to go back to bed before shift change. I grab a cup of coffee and finish my reports. We got wrecked this set, so I am very ready to go home. I work 48 hours on, 96 hours off, which is great unless you don't sleep for two days. 7:15 a.m. — On the way home, I pick up doughnuts for me and my husband, A. He works as a firefighter and we're very fortunate to work the same shift hours. $13.16 7:30 a.m. — I get home and let our two dogs, L. and M., out of the bedroom and am knocked over by their exuberant love. My best friend, B., stays at our house and dogsits while we're on shift. I give her $100 a month, which doesn't sound like much, but she lives with her parents and so having a house to herself for two days is something she loves. A. and I drink our coffee with donuts and chat about our shifts. 10 a.m. — B. and I drag ourselves to the gym and do arms and core. I chug a protein drink and have some leftover pizza when we get home before hopping in the shower. I do my AM skincare: hypochlorous acid spray, Naturium Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid, Experiment Super Saturated, Kopari Ceramide Cream, and Beauty of Joseon Sun Relief. I'm so tired I can barely see straight but I have one quick homework assignment to finish before the deadline tonight. After that, I crash hard for about two hours. 3:30 p.m. — B. and I go see The Accountant 2. She bought the tickets last week. The movie is really entertaining! 6:30 p.m. — We stop for pho on the way home, my favorite food. I get hers since she got the movie tickets. We take it out and feed the dogs before finishing Avatar: The Way of Water with chai espresso martinis. A. is out with friends tonight, so after we finish the movie, I make myself an old fashioned and play the new Assassin's Creed game until I can't keep my eyes open. $40.35 10:30 p.m. — I do my nighttime skincare: Prequel cleanser, Naturium Azelaic Acid, The Ordinary Niacinamide, prescription Tretinoin 0.05%, and CeraVe Night Cream, with CocoKind Eye Cream and a Frownie patch on my 11s lines. Teeth brushed and put the girls in their crates. I think A. gets home about 1 a.m. but I am unconscious. Daily Total: $53.51 Day Two: Tuesday 7:05 a.m. — I drag myself out of bed, wondering why I picked up a teaching shift the day after my real job. I do my AM skincare, let the dogs out for potty and breakfast, then kiss A. goodbye. Wildly jealous he's still asleep. I pack a blueberry yogurt parfait I made a few days ago and my leftover pho for lunch. The commute is trash today — Denver traffic is always a nightmare. So glad I usually only have to drive to work once a week. I get a Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks but I have a Christmas gift card still hanging on, so it's technically free. #girlmath 9 a.m. — We run medical scenarios all morning for the paramedic students, and then our boss offers to buy us Jimmy John's for lunch. This has literally never happened in the four years I've worked here?? Definitely not complaining. My leftover pho will have to wait another day. 11 a.m. — I work on homework on the lunch break, and purchase a wave curler and some cuticle lotion from Amazon. I got gel nails for the first time ever for our vacation at the beginning of the year, and it WRECKED my nails. I am going to try moisturization and see if it helps. $35.67 3 p.m. — I get done early, and on the drive home I call my dad to sweet talk him into buying his own ticket for a concert my brothers and I are getting my mom for Mother's Day. He agrees, but I'm waiting to hear back from two of my brothers if they're in. I'll buy the tickets and Venmo request them at some point. 4:30 p.m. — I swing home and change into gym clothes, and then drive two minutes to the Pilates studio and take a class. I just started Pilates and I find it a great balance to my normal strength training. After class, I get home to find A. making Cajun shrimp pasta for dinner. I take a body shower and make a gin and tonic before starting on the dishes he used to make dinner, which appears to be every pan we own? I feed the puppies before we eat. The food is worth the dishes. 7 p.m. — We start watching Havoc on Netflix but quickly realize neither of us are interested. We pick Draft Day instead. A. makes us each an old fashioned. We mosey to bed around 11 p.m. Daily Total: $35.67 Day Three: Wednesday 9 a.m. — I get out of bed slowly and do my morning skincare. Start a pot of coffee, feed the dogs, and have a bowl of cereal with vanilla yogurt and coffee with cream. I play Assassin's Creed for a couple of hours. I love my schedule, but trying to balance productivity and rest is always a struggle. I feel guilty for doing nothing but I can't go all out for four days and then try to go back to work. It's a never-ending battle. 11 a.m. — I do some quick chores around the house: plant a few flowers I bought last week, start a wash with bed sheets, and vacuum. The dogs get to run around the backyard for a while and somehow get soaking wet. 12:15 p.m. — I'm teaching at one of the fire departments my agency works with about some new medications, so I swing by our headquarters to pick up supplies. The lockbox won't work and I have to wait for our chief to come let me in. I call and let them know I'll be a little late. The training goes smoothly. I'll add these hours to my timecard when I get to work. 3 p.m. — A. and I take the dogs for a walk. Our golden retriever is getting chunky and May is her month to get her summer body ready. I play a little video games before switching the sheets around and showering. I do a little makeup (Saie Blush and Highlight, mascara) and diffuse my hair. 5 p.m. — A. is heating up leftovers when I leave for a painting event with friends. We're celebrating one of my old work partners becoming a paramedic. She's been a paramedic for like six months, which just speaks to how hard it is to get a group of adult friends together. I buy a bottle of wine because it's cheaper than two glasses. We're all painting our pets tonight. I agonized over which puppy to paint, and settled on the chocolate lab. We have a blast painting and everyone's pet turns out amazing. $14.12 9:30 p.m. — I drive home in the pouring rain. A. pulls the painting out of the bag, laughs until he cries, and immediately hangs it on the wall. He says I got her face perfect but her body looks like a seal. I have to agree. We watch an episode of Breaking Bad and I suddenly remember we need a few things from the store. I place an Instacart order for the following day for ranch dressing, olive oil, coffee creamer, baby wipes, chicken breast, rice, zucchini, and an orange. I use our joint checking account. I also realize I haven't had any real food since this morning, so I heat up a frozen burrito quickly. $41.15 11:30 p.m. — We finally mosey to bed and I do my nighttime skincare. The dogs beg to get on the bed but I just washed the sheets so I like at least one night of hair-free sleep. Daily Total: $55.27 8 a.m. — I was trying to sleep in later than this but once I wake up, I'm up. I waste time on my phone before doing morning skincare, dogs fed, etc. I'm headed to brunch so I make a small single-serve pour over for the drive (shoutout, Copper Cow Coffee!). It's churro flavored, which tastes slightly odd with my white chocolate mocha creamer, but I'll drink coffee in about any form. 10 a.m. — It's mostly the same work friends from last night at brunch. It's easy to bond with people when you work for the same 48 hours straight and deal with the type of things we do. We have a really fun time; I get French toast and an espresso martini. I also get a flight of bacon to take home for A. My voice is very sore, one of my vocal chords was damaged during my cancer surgery so loud social settings really tire me out. This has been a social week! $58.20 12 p.m. — I am SO tired when I get home. Day drinking will do that to ya. I mope around trying to find motivation to do anything until A. tells me to go take a nap. I don't need any more convincing. 2 p.m. — I feel much better. I start a load of laundry and play video games for a little bit. I bug my brothers about a Mother's Day gift and finally get the okay from all three of them. I'll buy the tickets tomorrow when I get paid. I clean the fish tank, switch the laundry, and update my one-sentence-a-day journal. Dinner is going to be crockpot butter chicken with rice and zucchini, so I put the chicken in on high. 5:30 p.m. — I take L. for a sniffing walk while A. plays fetch with M. I quickly shower and apply Jergen's tanning lotion, then fold the laundry while that dries. We eat dinner and watch a Breaking Bad. 7 p.m. — We head over to A.'s grandparents house to watch the Avalanche playoff game. My grandparents all died when I was pretty young, and I feel so fortunate that his are all alive, and I feel like I get to have grandparents again. We did make a terrible mistake eating before coming over, because Grandma has food and is horrified that we aren't hungry. Should have known better to not arrive to an Italian grandmother's house without an appetite. They rope A. into hanging a shelf. The Avs win! 11 p.m. — I realize I'm out of my azelaic acid so I place an online order. I find a 15%-off coupon. We rush home after the game to let the dogs run around a little bit before getting to bed a little later than normal. I did my nighttime skincare after my shower so I don't have to do it now. $27.18 Daily Total: $85.38 Day Five: Friday 5:30 a.m. — I definitely do not feel like I got enough sleep. I do my morning skincare, let the doggies out, and feed them. A. will put them back in their crates before B. gets here around 8 a.m. A. leaves a little later than me because his station is right around the corner. I kiss him goodbye and stop for fuel on the way to work. My car is a hybrid so I get amazing gas mileage, and it is ALMOST worth the car payment. $34.86 6 a.m. — I stop for an iced coffee as a pre-reward for my shift. $7.28 6:30 a.m. — Get to work, get report from the previous medics, and check out our ambulance. I'm training a new EMT, so we talk about the shift and some training we need to get done. I make my bed and set my room up for our two days on shift. The fire crew says we're doing Hibachi Friday for dinner tonight, which sounds amazing. 9 a.m. — I buy tickets for Andrea Bocelli and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for my mom. My dad and one of my brothers already sent me a Venmo for their portion. It costs $222.11, but I'll be reimbursed for all but $27 of that. $27 9:45 a.m. — I got paid, so I pay off my credit card fully, and put money into our joint checking and my car payment bank account. I keep about three months' worth of payments in that account so I don't ever have to worry about making the payments. I have about $500 left over after all that, which I keep in my checking account for the next two weeks until my next payday. I try and use my personal credit card for the points, and then pay it off fully every paycheck. My next paycheck should be able to all go to savings now that I caught up. 11:30 a.m. — I heat up some leftover pasta and then try to rest my eyes for a little bit, but we get a call. I finish a report and then get some homework done. I have one week of these two classes left (English 2 and Spanish 3) and they cannot end soon enough. I really don't like school, but I can't just let the education stipend go to waste and I know having a bachelor's degree may come in handy if I ever decide to get off an ambulance. 3 p.m. — I manage to read a few chapters of Red Sister by Mark Lawrence before we run calls all afternoon. I venmo one of the firefighters for meals this set. $19.27 6:30 p.m. — We manage to sit down for Hibachi Friday, which is delicious. There's a rousing discussion of 100 men versus one gorilla during dinner. I start on the dishes after dinner but we get a call, and don't make it back to the station until almost midnight. I speed-wash my face and collapse into bed, fingers crossed that the city will be kind. (Spoiler alert: the city was not kind.) 1 a.m. — We get up for a call an hour later. Thankfully, we don't have any calls past 2 a.m. Daily Total: $88.41 Day Six: Saturday 8:45 a.m. — I didn't set an alarm this morning, but the tones go off and the day starts with a bang. I finally sit down for breakfast around 11 a.m. The firefighters made breakfast hash, which is delish. My partner R. and I get caught up on reports. I browse the Mediheal sale but don't buy anything. A. and I chat on the phone, he got to sleep last night, the lucky duck. I am already planning for my nap today. 1 p.m. — I do end up being able to catch a nap for a few hours, and then we wash the ambulance and get a call right as we sit down for dinner. We run calls until about 9 p.m., when I get to watch the Avalanche get knocked out of the playoffs. Darn! 11 p.m. — I wash my face (just niacinamide and lotion at work) and hope for a slow night. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Sunday 6:45 a.m. — We ran a call at 4 a.m. but otherwise got to sleep! My relief is coming from another station, so I get a call right before she gets there. I am supposed to leave at 7 a.m. but don't get out until 8 a.m. 8:30 a.m. — I finally get home, say hi to the doggies, and B. shows me her new car. A. makes coffee and we chat about our shifts. We talk about going to church but I think I may fall asleep so we opt to not. 11 a.m. — I played video games for a few hours and A. organizes his football cards. It's a perfect relaxing Sunday. 1 p.m. — I run to Michael's because I saw a video about birds made out of pom-poms, and my friends and I are doing a craft day tomorrow and I need a craft. I get three skeins of yarn, a pom-pom maker, and a metal flamingo for the yard. I take the lab with me and she thinks everyone she sees is her best friend. I walk both dogs when I get home. $48.11 4 p.m. — I take a very needed nap, and then A. and I start getting ready to go out tonight. I wave curl my hair and throw some makeup on. 4:45 p.m. — We catch a Lyft to downtown Denver (I pay), and go to a bar where I heard there was an espresso martini flight. The bartender tells us that that bar is actually next door, and closed today. We stay for drinks at this bar. I get an old fashioned and a carajillo. A gets an old-fashioned and a tomato martini. He pays. $32.11 6:45 p.m. — I get the Lyft to a sushi restaurant, where we eat almost our bodyweight in sushi and saki. A. pays for dinner. $8.33 8 p.m. — We get a Lyft to the zoo (I pay), where it's the last night of a light display. It's SO cool, and we get to see some of the animals being more playful at night. A. buys himself a beer and gets me some rum drink. We haven't had much time together lately it feels like, and tonight was a perfect date night. $11.32 10 p.m. — I cover the Lyft home, and we let the dogs run around for a while. We watch a Breaking Bad episode before heading to bed. I do my nighttime skincare and pass out. $31.99 Daily Total: $131.86 The Breakdown Conclusion 'This was a really social week for me — I do hang out with friends, but the larger planned group setting is usually more rare. Overall I think it was a slightly higher-spending week, but I feel comfortable spending money on food and friends. If I cut out random Amazon and impulse purchases (the flamingo) then I think my savings problem will start improving. Just writing down my sad savings account was a motivator to stop impulse spending and start saving, and since this diary we got our credit card down to $0 and my savings account has almost $1,000 in it. Baby steps! My ego feels obligated to say I usually go to the gym more but it was a busy week. I also take a lot of naps, ha!'
Refinery29
30-06-2025
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In The Denver Area On A $203,000 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: a paramedic who has a $223,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on a metal yard flamingo. 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: Paramedic Industry: Emergency medicine/healthcare Age: 31 Location: Denver area Salary: My pre-tax salary is about $110,000, but my overtime really causes it to fluctuate. I have an hourly rate, not a technical salary, which is $28.84. Joint Income & Financial Setup: $223,000. My husband, A., makes $113,000 and our finances are mostly combined. We share the mortgage, streaming services, bills, etc, but each have our own car payment and 'fun money'. We contribute $2,250 monthly to a joint account for bills. We also have a high rewards credit card that we try to use and then immediately pay down. I have a second job teaching paramedic students part time, making about $400 monthly when I pick up shifts. Assets: HYSA: $3,465 (this is usually about $1,500 higher but I had to take some out at the beginning of the year to pay for classes up front); joint retirement and investment account: $11,390; 401(k): $22,000; personal savings: $500 (this should be higher, I know — my goal this year is to bulk up my savings. I do try to keep my larger savings in my HYSA); house worth: $533,800; joint savings: $176 — we redid our entire yard last summer and have struggled to build up our savings again. A. has slightly expensive tastes (and tbh I can be this way too). Debt: Joint credit card: $646; car: $43,000; mortgage: $431,191. Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly): $2,500-$4,000 (this varies depending on how much overtime I pick up). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $2,678 (mortgage payment). Utilities: $150-$300, depending on the heating or cooling time of year. HOA: $35 Water: $100 (this is higher in summer as A. has an obsession with having the nicest yard in the neighborhood). Internet: $113 Loan Payments: I pay $800 for my car, a little higher than the minimum. I don't know what A.'s payment is but I think it's about $1,200. Pet Insurance: $78 (I cannot overstate the lifesaver this has been). Verizon Phone Bill: $355 (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ are included). Car Insurance: $421 HBO: $20, I mooch Peacock and Paramount off my bff, and share mine with her. Church Donations: $70 Kindle Unlimited: $13 Gym: $15 Pilates: $124 Just the Recipe: $12.99 Dog Sitter: $100 Credit Card Fees: $25 for my personal card; $95 yearly for our joint card. Savings: I don't have a set savings amount, just whatever is left over after I pay down my credit card and contribute to the bills. Dog Food: $72 every six weeks. Dog Allergy Shot: $108 every seven weeks. Pest Control: $150 every three months. House Security System: $500 (annually). Instacart: $112 (annually). Amazon Prime: $70 (annually — I'm getting the student discount because I'm taking classes). 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? My parents are both very well educated, and all three of my brothers have some sort of bachelor's or master's degree, so education has always been an option, but I knew in high school that college wasn't for me. I was homeschooled until my senior year, took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do, and then took an EMT class at 19. I went to paramedic school in 2018. I got an AA degree last year and am working (very slowly) on my bachelor's degree, since I have about $5,000 available to use yearly. I was a pretty hard-working teenager and I think my parents knew I would land somewhere without a degree. I paid for EMT and paramedic school out of pocket, and my job paid for half of medic school. The AA degree was covered fully by my job. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? I don't remember specific conversations, but my parents required us to earn at least $1,000 each summer of high school. I do wish they had talked about credit cards, as I didn't open my first one until I was 22, and it's hurt my credit a little. I also didn't really understand the importance of retirement savings until probably about five years ago. What was your first job and why did you get it? Mother's helper at 12. I got it to help the neighbor out and the money was a bonus. I moved from babysitter to nanny with that kid until I graduated high school. I worked five jobs (food service, nanny, multiple babysitting jobs) the summer after I graduated high school. I saved all that money to move out the following summer when I got my first EMT job. Did you worry about money growing up? Not really, my dad has a good career, but I do remember a few times he was between jobs and my parents were worried about money. It usually didn't last long, and we were fortunate to go on nice vacations and always have nice birthdays and Christmases. I am sure their different money styles caused conflict between my parents as I remember 'budget meetings' where me and my brothers made ourselves scarce. Do you worry about money now? I try not to, but the world is changing fast and the economy seems shaky at best. We don't have a real savings account, beyond our retirement accounts. We are still on the fence about having kids, but I am adamant about wanting a decent savings and child account before we decide to start down that road. I could definitely tighten up my own personal spending and saving, and it's one of my goals for this year. I got cancer at 24 (cancer free now for six years!) and the medical bills were high for some years, with all my extra money going to pay them. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I would say 20, when I moved out and got my first EMT job. My parents would be my safety net, as my dad now has a very high salary. I know A.'s parents would also help us if we got into a tight spot. Honestly, if we just tightened up our finances and focused on saving, I think we could build up our savings account. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No inherited income, but both my and A.'s parents gave us $5,000 for our wedding. We used half of that for a nice mattress and bed frame, and the other half for our wedding. Day One: Monday 5:30 a.m. — This week starts with a bang: I'm on shift, and we get up for a call and don't have time to go back to bed before shift change. I grab a cup of coffee and finish my reports. We got wrecked this set, so I am very ready to go home. I work 48 hours on, 96 hours off, which is great unless you don't sleep for two days. 7:15 a.m. — On the way home, I pick up doughnuts for me and my husband, A. He works as a firefighter and we're very fortunate to work the same shift hours. $13.16 7:30 a.m. — I get home and let our two dogs, L. and M., out of the bedroom and am knocked over by their exuberant love. My best friend, B., stays at our house and dogsits while we're on shift. I give her $100 a month, which doesn't sound like much, but she lives with her parents and so having a house to herself for two days is something she loves. A. and I drink our coffee with donuts and chat about our shifts. 10 a.m. — B. and I drag ourselves to the gym and do arms and core. I chug a protein drink and have some leftover pizza when we get home before hopping in the shower. I do my AM skincare: hypochlorous acid spray, Naturium Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid, Experiment Super Saturated, Kopari Ceramide Cream, and Beauty of Joseon Sun Relief. I'm so tired I can barely see straight but I have one quick homework assignment to finish before the deadline tonight. After that, I crash hard for about two hours. 3:30 p.m. — B. and I go see The Accountant 2. She bought the tickets last week. The movie is really entertaining! 6:30 p.m. — We stop for pho on the way home, my favorite food. I get hers since she got the movie tickets. We take it out and feed the dogs before finishing Avatar: The Way of Water with chai espresso martinis. A. is out with friends tonight, so after we finish the movie, I make myself an old fashioned and play the new Assassin's Creed game until I can't keep my eyes open. $40.35 10:30 p.m. — I do my nighttime skincare: Prequel cleanser, Naturium Azelaic Acid, The Ordinary Niacinamide, prescription Tretinoin 0.05%, and CeraVe Night Cream, with CocoKind Eye Cream and a Frownie patch on my 11s lines. Teeth brushed and put the girls in their crates. I think A. gets home about 1 a.m. but I am unconscious. Daily Total: $53.51 Day Two: Tuesday 7:05 a.m. — I drag myself out of bed, wondering why I picked up a teaching shift the day after my real job. I do my AM skincare, let the dogs out for potty and breakfast, then kiss A. goodbye. Wildly jealous he's still asleep. I pack a blueberry yogurt parfait I made a few days ago and my leftover pho for lunch. The commute is trash today — Denver traffic is always a nightmare. So glad I usually only have to drive to work once a week. I get a Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks but I have a Christmas gift card still hanging on, so it's technically free. #girlmath 9 a.m. — We run medical scenarios all morning for the paramedic students, and then our boss offers to buy us Jimmy John's for lunch. This has literally never happened in the four years I've worked here?? Definitely not complaining. My leftover pho will have to wait another day. 11 a.m. — I work on homework on the lunch break, and purchase a wave curler and some cuticle lotion from Amazon. I got gel nails for the first time ever for our vacation at the beginning of the year, and it WRECKED my nails. I am going to try moisturization and see if it helps. $35.67 3 p.m. — I get done early, and on the drive home I call my dad to sweet talk him into buying his own ticket for a concert my brothers and I are getting my mom for Mother's Day. He agrees, but I'm waiting to hear back from two of my brothers if they're in. I'll buy the tickets and Venmo request them at some point. 4:30 p.m. — I swing home and change into gym clothes, and then drive two minutes to the Pilates studio and take a class. I just started Pilates and I find it a great balance to my normal strength training. After class, I get home to find A. making Cajun shrimp pasta for dinner. I take a body shower and make a gin and tonic before starting on the dishes he used to make dinner, which appears to be every pan we own? I feed the puppies before we eat. The food is worth the dishes. 7 p.m. — We start watching Havoc on Netflix but quickly realize neither of us are interested. We pick Draft Day instead. A. makes us each an old fashioned. We mosey to bed around 11 p.m. Daily Total: $35.67 Day Three: Wednesday 9 a.m. — I get out of bed slowly and do my morning skincare. Start a pot of coffee, feed the dogs, and have a bowl of cereal with vanilla yogurt and coffee with cream. I play Assassin's Creed for a couple of hours. I love my schedule, but trying to balance productivity and rest is always a struggle. I feel guilty for doing nothing but I can't go all out for four days and then try to go back to work. It's a never-ending battle. 11 a.m. — I do some quick chores around the house: plant a few flowers I bought last week, start a wash with bed sheets, and vacuum. The dogs get to run around the backyard for a while and somehow get soaking wet. 12:15 p.m. — I'm teaching at one of the fire departments my agency works with about some new medications, so I swing by our headquarters to pick up supplies. The lockbox won't work and I have to wait for our chief to come let me in. I call and let them know I'll be a little late. The training goes smoothly. I'll add these hours to my timecard when I get to work. 3 p.m. — A. and I take the dogs for a walk. Our golden retriever is getting chunky and May is her month to get her summer body ready. I play a little video games before switching the sheets around and showering. I do a little makeup (Saie Blush and Highlight, mascara) and diffuse my hair. 5 p.m. — A. is heating up leftovers when I leave for a painting event with friends. We're celebrating one of my old work partners becoming a paramedic. She's been a paramedic for like six months, which just speaks to how hard it is to get a group of adult friends together. I buy a bottle of wine because it's cheaper than two glasses. We're all painting our pets tonight. I agonized over which puppy to paint, and settled on the chocolate lab. We have a blast painting and everyone's pet turns out amazing. $14.12 9:30 p.m. — I drive home in the pouring rain. A. pulls the painting out of the bag, laughs until he cries, and immediately hangs it on the wall. He says I got her face perfect but her body looks like a seal. I have to agree. We watch an episode of Breaking Bad and I suddenly remember we need a few things from the store. I place an Instacart order for the following day for ranch dressing, olive oil, coffee creamer, baby wipes, chicken breast, rice, zucchini, and an orange. I use our joint checking account. I also realize I haven't had any real food since this morning, so I heat up a frozen burrito quickly. $41.15 11:30 p.m. — We finally mosey to bed and I do my nighttime skincare. The dogs beg to get on the bed but I just washed the sheets so I like at least one night of hair-free sleep. Daily Total: $55.27 Day Four: Thursday 8 a.m. — I was trying to sleep in later than this but once I wake up, I'm up. I waste time on my phone before doing morning skincare, dogs fed, etc. I'm headed to brunch so I make a small single-serve pour over for the drive (shoutout, Copper Cow Coffee!). It's churro flavored, which tastes slightly odd with my white chocolate mocha creamer, but I'll drink coffee in about any form. 10 a.m. — It's mostly the same work friends from last night at brunch. It's easy to bond with people when you work for the same 48 hours straight and deal with the type of things we do. We have a really fun time; I get French toast and an espresso martini. I also get a flight of bacon to take home for A. My voice is very sore, one of my vocal chords was damaged during my cancer surgery so loud social settings really tire me out. This has been a social week! $58.20 12 p.m. — I am SO tired when I get home. Day drinking will do that to ya. I mope around trying to find motivation to do anything until A. tells me to go take a nap. I don't need any more convincing. 2 p.m. — I feel much better. I start a load of laundry and play video games for a little bit. I bug my brothers about a Mother's Day gift and finally get the okay from all three of them. I'll buy the tickets tomorrow when I get paid. I clean the fish tank, switch the laundry, and update my one-sentence-a-day journal. Dinner is going to be crockpot butter chicken with rice and zucchini, so I put the chicken in on high. 5:30 p.m. — I take L. for a sniffing walk while A. plays fetch with M. I quickly shower and apply Jergen's tanning lotion, then fold the laundry while that dries. We eat dinner and watch a Breaking Bad. 7 p.m. — We head over to A.'s grandparents house to watch the Avalanche playoff game. My grandparents all died when I was pretty young, and I feel so fortunate that his are all alive, and I feel like I get to have grandparents again. We did make a terrible mistake eating before coming over, because Grandma has food and is horrified that we aren't hungry. Should have known better to not arrive to an Italian grandmother's house without an appetite. They rope A. into hanging a shelf. The Avs win! 11 p.m. — I realize I'm out of my azelaic acid so I place an online order. I find a 15%-off coupon. We rush home after the game to let the dogs run around a little bit before getting to bed a little later than normal. I did my nighttime skincare after my shower so I don't have to do it now. $27.18 Daily Total: $85.38 Day Five: Friday 5:30 a.m. — I definitely do not feel like I got enough sleep. I do my morning skincare, let the doggies out, and feed them. A. will put them back in their crates before B. gets here around 8 a.m. A. leaves a little later than me because his station is right around the corner. I kiss him goodbye and stop for fuel on the way to work. My car is a hybrid so I get amazing gas mileage, and it is ALMOST worth the car payment. $34.86 6 a.m. — I stop for an iced coffee as a pre-reward for my shift. $7.28 6:30 a.m. — Get to work, get report from the previous medics, and check out our ambulance. I'm training a new EMT, so we talk about the shift and some training we need to get done. I make my bed and set my room up for our two days on shift. The fire crew says we're doing Hibachi Friday for dinner tonight, which sounds amazing. 9 a.m. — I buy tickets for Andrea Bocelli and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for my mom. My dad and one of my brothers already sent me a Venmo for their portion. It costs $222.11, but I'll be reimbursed for all but $27 of that. $27 9:45 a.m. — I got paid, so I pay off my credit card fully, and put money into our joint checking and my car payment bank account. I keep about three months' worth of payments in that account so I don't ever have to worry about making the payments. I have about $500 left over after all that, which I keep in my checking account for the next two weeks until my next payday. I try and use my personal credit card for the points, and then pay it off fully every paycheck. My next paycheck should be able to all go to savings now that I caught up. 11:30 a.m. — I heat up some leftover pasta and then try to rest my eyes for a little bit, but we get a call. I finish a report and then get some homework done. I have one week of these two classes left (English 2 and Spanish 3) and they cannot end soon enough. I really don't like school, but I can't just let the education stipend go to waste and I know having a bachelor's degree may come in handy if I ever decide to get off an ambulance. 3 p.m. — I manage to read a few chapters of Red Sister by Mark Lawrence before we run calls all afternoon. I venmo one of the firefighters for meals this set. $19.27 6:30 p.m. — We manage to sit down for Hibachi Friday, which is delicious. There's a rousing discussion of 100 men versus one gorilla during dinner. I start on the dishes after dinner but we get a call, and don't make it back to the station until almost midnight. I speed-wash my face and collapse into bed, fingers crossed that the city will be kind. (Spoiler alert: the city was not kind.) 1 a.m. — We get up for a call an hour later. Thankfully, we don't have any calls past 2 a.m. Daily Total: $88.41 Day Six: Saturday 8:45 a.m. — I didn't set an alarm this morning, but the tones go off and the day starts with a bang. I finally sit down for breakfast around 11 a.m. The firefighters made breakfast hash, which is delish. My partner R. and I get caught up on reports. I browse the Mediheal sale but don't buy anything. A. and I chat on the phone, he got to sleep last night, the lucky duck. I am already planning for my nap today. 1 p.m. — I do end up being able to catch a nap for a few hours, and then we wash the ambulance and get a call right as we sit down for dinner. We run calls until about 9 p.m., when I get to watch the Avalanche get knocked out of the playoffs. Darn! 11 p.m. — I wash my face (just niacinamide and lotion at work) and hope for a slow night. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Sunday 6:45 a.m. — We ran a call at 4 a.m. but otherwise got to sleep! My relief is coming from another station, so I get a call right before she gets there. I am supposed to leave at 7 a.m. but don't get out until 8 a.m. 8:30 a.m. — I finally get home, say hi to the doggies, and B. shows me her new car. A. makes coffee and we chat about our shifts. We talk about going to church but I think I may fall asleep so we opt to not. 11 a.m. — I played video games for a few hours and A. organizes his football cards. It's a perfect relaxing Sunday. 1 p.m. — I run to Michael's because I saw a video about birds made out of pom-poms, and my friends and I are doing a craft day tomorrow and I need a craft. I get three skeins of yarn, a pom-pom maker, and a metal flamingo for the yard. I take the lab with me and she thinks everyone she sees is her best friend. I walk both dogs when I get home. $48.11 4 p.m. — I take a very needed nap, and then A. and I start getting ready to go out tonight. I wave curl my hair and throw some makeup on. 4:45 p.m. — We catch a Lyft to downtown Denver (I pay), and go to a bar where I heard there was an espresso martini flight. The bartender tells us that that bar is actually next door, and closed today. We stay for drinks at this bar. I get an old fashioned and a carajillo. A gets an old-fashioned and a tomato martini. He pays. $32.11 6:45 p.m. — I get the Lyft to a sushi restaurant, where we eat almost our bodyweight in sushi and saki. A. pays for dinner. $8.33 8 p.m. — We get a Lyft to the zoo (I pay), where it's the last night of a light display. It's SO cool, and we get to see some of the animals being more playful at night. A. buys himself a beer and gets me some rum drink. We haven't had much time together lately it feels like, and tonight was a perfect date night. $11.32 10 p.m. — I cover the Lyft home, and we let the dogs run around for a while. We watch a Breaking Bad episode before heading to bed. I do my nighttime skincare and pass out. $31.99 Daily Total: $131.86 The Breakdown Conclusion 'This was a really social week for me — I do hang out with friends, but the larger planned group setting is usually more rare. Overall I think it was a slightly higher-spending week, but I feel comfortable spending money on food and friends. If I cut out random Amazon and impulse purchases (the flamingo) then I think my savings problem will start improving. Just writing down my sad savings account was a motivator to stop impulse spending and start saving, and since this diary we got our credit card down to $0 and my savings account has almost $1,000 in it. Baby steps! My ego feels obligated to say I usually go to the gym more but it was a busy week. I also take a lot of naps, ha!'
