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Refinery29
a day ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In New York On A $128,000 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 product manager who makes $128,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on pigeon art. 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: Product manager Industry: Health and wellness Age: 26 Location: New York Salary: $128,000 Joint Income & Finances Setup: My boyfriend A. and I live together. I don't consider his money 'mine', just like he doesn't consider what I make 'his' — for now, we still have a fair amount of financial separation. That said, while we don't have a joint checking account, we'll usually split big purchases down the middle (e.g. groceries, rent). Assets: Savings: $110,000; investments: $70,000 (personal investments and my Roth IRA); 401(k): $50,000; education savings account: $12,000. Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $3,069 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: My share of monthly rent is $2,400 (I'm cringing a little as I'm writing down the number). I currently do an even split with A. on a one-bedroom in Manhattan. Monthly Loan Payments: $0 Phone Bill: $100; on a family plan with my parents (they pay). Internet: $55 (split with A.). Utilities: $55 (split with A.). Investments: $800-$1,000 (depending on the month, how my budget is looking, etc). Savings: $50-$200 (again, depending on the month, how my budget is looking, etc). Spotify Family Plan: $20 (for my entire family). The Cut Subscription: $5 Workout Class Subscription: $150 (my friend was nice enough to add me to the Friends and Family plan that he gets through work, which gives me access to a bunch of different boutique fitness classes for a fixed cost). Annual Expenses Citibike: $119 Amazon Prime: $139 Microsoft Word: $100 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? 100%. My parents have always stressed the importance of higher education. As the oldest child, it was constantly drilled into my head that I needed to work hard to go to a good school, which would, in turn, lead to a high-paying job in the future. I was lucky enough that I went to a school that offered a need-based financial aid package (essentially, looking at what the student's family made and scaling tuition to fit what they could afford, without having us take out any loans). I graduated without any student debt thanks to my parents covering my tuition. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? I was never explicitly educated about money (i.e. investments, savings accounts), but my parents did consistently emphasize that I should never spend more than I make. In addition, I've always been pretty frugal with my money, and had a habit of squirreling away gift cards and loose bills that I got for Christmas in a box under my bed (I still have some of those gift cards today). What was your first job and why did you get it? In high school, I got a job at a local event venue making $10 an hour. It was mostly so I could have some spare spending money, since my parents didn't give me an allowance. To be honest, it wasn't bad. I was sort of a jack of all trades: serving food, helping out with decorations, cleaning up for the night. Did you worry about money growing up? No, I didn't. My family was not wealthy by any means (we were on food stamps until I was in elementary school) but I was lucky enough that my parents shielded me from the brunt of things. By the time I was in my formative years, I'd say we were middle class. Do you worry about money now? I do, but in what I'd consider a superficial way. I graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant I went home for a year and a half. During that time, I saved literally every dollar I made from my full-time job, which is how I built up my savings and investment accounts. Now, my concerns about money are whether I'll be able to maintain my current lifestyle (e.g. if I'll be able to travel as frequently as I want to), which I understand comes from a place of enormous privilege. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I became financially responsible for myself after I moved to NYC at 23. If things went haywire, I do have a financial safety net in my savings account. I also know my parents would help me if I ever needed it, but I consider that an absolute last resort. No. Day One: Thursday 8:49 a.m. — If there's one thing about me, it's that I'm not a morning person, no matter how hard I try. I roll out of bed at 8:49 a.m. (yes, my alarms are set at weird times. I don't know what it is, but I swear every second of sleep matters). I check Slack first thing in the morning to make sure there's no crisis, and then get dressed for the day. Usually, my boyfriend A. would already be up, but he's in Europe solo-travelling, so it's just me at the moment. 9:15 a.m. — I grab my keys, make sure I have my laptop, and bike to work. I have an annual Citibike membership that's partially subsidized through my job. Normally, the membership would cost $220 a year; with my company's subsidy, the annual fee is reduced down to $119. To me, the $119 is more than worth it, since I bike everywhere in the city (plus, $2.90 subway fees add up pretty quickly). Last year, I took 430 bike rides, so with enough Girl Math, this 15-minute trip to the office is basically free. 9:30 a.m. — I get into the office, and start taking a mental inventory of everything I have to do today. I'm in four days a week, which I hated at first, but now actually isn't bad (please don't let any execs see this). It helps that I have a couple of friends in the office that I'm close to. My college friend actually referred me to this job and I love that we get to catch up in between work. 11:05 a.m. — After my morning meetings, I pop out for a quick Solidcore class. One of the perks of my job is we're allowed to work out in the middle of the day (so long as all your other work is done), and I definitely like to take advantage. Within a few minutes of getting on the reformer, it genuinely feels like my organs are shrinking. I don't know how the girlies on their toes do it, but I'm strictly in modified positions the entire time. 2:30 p.m. — After my Solidcore class, I head back to the office to get some more work done. My friends and I sit down for lunch at around 2:30 p.m. I don't normally eat breakfast as it usually just makes me feel sluggish and sleepy, so I always make sure I eat enough for lunch. Today, I've brought some food that I meal-prepped at home: a bacon, egg, cheese bagel sandwich, a side of tortilla chips, salsa, and sparkling water. 5:15 p.m. — After work, I bike down to SoHo to meet my friend, K. She works in the music industry, and her company is throwing a trivia event with amazing prizes (can you believe first place got a pair of Kendrick Lamar tickets?). Unfortunately, only employees from her company are allowed in, so I'm stopped at the door and (very kindly) told to get out. K. and I end up walking around SoHo for 30 minutes catching up, and then I send her off to trivia to try and win us Kendrick tickets (spoiler alert: She lost). 6 p.m. — On my bike ride back up to my apartment, I decide to stop by Trader Joe's for some groceries. K. and I are baking cupcakes on Saturday, plus some other friends and I are doing a picnic on Sunday. The line is long, but nothing terrible. I buy a Cheddar snack pack, salami, brie, garlic and herb spread, a vanilla bean mini sheet cake, sour cream, heavy cream, eggs, two bags of chips, two potatoes, and a rib-eye steak. $56.54 8:30 p.m. — I don't usually enjoy cooking, but if there's one single talent I have in the kitchen, it's making steak. I put on some TikToks I've saved (I'm just catching up with the car camping disaster at this year's Coachella), which play in the background as I season my steak and toss it into a pan. After basting for about three minutes, I pull it out and let it rest. When I cut into it, it's perfectly medium — not bad for a girl who normally eats potato chips for dinner. I eat my steak with a side of mashed potatoes, while scrolling through TikTok. 11:30 p.m. — My skincare routine is pretty simple: cleanser plus whatever moisturizer I have on hand. I used to work at a media company that got a bunch of free full-size samples, so I usually switch between three or four different bottles. Tonight, it's a DHC oil cleanser I bought when I was in Japan late last year, along with a big bottle of Kiehl's moisturizer I've been trying to use up. I've also been trying to get back into reading instead of just rotting on social media, so after I'm done with my skincare, I read some of Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard and head to bed by midnight. Daily Total: $56.54 Day Two: Friday 9 a.m. — I wake up a bit later on Fridays, since we're able to WFH. Like usual, I check Slack first, then get up (slowly) to start my day. I answer a few emails, go through some Jira tickets, and speak to my engineers. For some reason, mini fires always seem to pop up on Fridays (why??), so I stamp those out before running downstairs to do a quick load of laundry. 12:15 p.m. — I might have chef'd it up with the steak last night, but we are officially back to our regularly scheduled programming. For lunch, I grab some leftover Shin Ramyun. I cook it and drain the water, then sprinkle the seasoning over it (I like my ramen dry. Weird, I know). I also eat three little bags of gummy candies that I got from Japan, along with half a bag of chips. If there's anything about me, it's that I'm a fiend for snacks. 4:30 p.m. — The rest of the day passes pretty quickly. I have one call, but that's about it. I do briefly consider going to a workout class, since it's 75 degrees and I have literally no excuse not to go outside. Instead, I tell myself that I'll be out and about all weekend, and I have to conserve my energy (lmao). 7:10 p.m. — Once a month, a group of friends and I will do a book club where we'll order a bunch of food and then pick a book to discuss. We always try to pick a different genre to mix it up. This month, we're reading Look Closer by David Ellis. I don't typically read thrillers, but I actually really enjoyed this one. The twists were sooo good, and there were multiple moments when I had to physically put the book down, because I was ready to (lovingly) throw it across the room. Today, the friends that are hosting live in Turtle Bay. I walk over to the Citibike dock, and bike the 20 minutes over. 8:15 p.m. — Another successful book club! We order at least seven or eight dishes from a nearby Thai restaurant, including fried rice, two curries, and a delicious fried pork. My friends who are hosting also have a couple of bottles of wine on hand, including a sparkling red that I destroy. Soon, talking about books devolves into catching up about each other's lives. Afterward, I venmo the hosts for my portion of dinner. $29 11:55 p.m. — It's not too late for a Friday night, but all of us have busy weekends ahead. We call it an earlyish night. My friend C. walks me back to my apartment, where we gossip for the 35-minute trip back. Daily Total: $29 Day Three: Saturday 10:20 a.m. — When I say I'm up unusually early for a Saturday, I mean it. There's a pop-up happening in SoHo at 11 a.m. today, and from experience, New York lines can get pretty out of control. I brush my teeth, pull on a change of clothes, and decide to bike to SoHo. MISTAKE. I might possibly be the world's slowest biker today. It takes a full 45 minutes to get there, and I swear there are some people walking on the sidewalk who are faster than I am. 12:30 p.m. — Luckily, there's no line at the pop-up, which is for influencers selling their clothes. I browse for a bit, and while I find a couple of cute tops, there's nothing that gives me that must-have feeling. I wander around SoHo, and end up on the corner of Prince and Mott, with the weekend vendor fair. There's one particular pigeon art booth called Pigeon Be Pigeon that I'm obsessed with, and I stop by to browse. The owner is super kind, and we chat for a bit. I buy a piece of art to go along with the three others that I already have at home. $27 1 p.m. — I bike up to Chelsea to attend a Rumble class, which is included with my monthly fitness pass. I rent a pair of gloves, and proceed to get absolutely eviscerated for the next 45 minutes. $5 2:30 p.m. — By the time I bike back to my apartment, I'm starving. I cook a packet of ramen, crack an egg on top, and then hop into the shower quickly to wash my hair. 3 p.m. — K. stops by my apartment to make cupcakes! I don't know what got us into the baking mood, but we're both convinced we're going to be the next Dominique Ansel. Unfortunately, it takes us a full three and a half hours to make and frost our 12 cupcakes, so maybe we're not as efficient as I thought we'd be. For the ingredients, I already had most on hand, like flour, sugar, and baking powder. For any we didn't have (sour cream), I picked them up in my Trader Joe's run yesterday, while K. brought over supplies, too. Final verdict on the cupcakes is they're… fine. I don't think Dominique Ansel will have competition anytime soon. 8 p.m. — I grab dinner with my friend E. who lives near me. He's been in California for the last couple weeks, so it's good to catch up. We go to a new udon place that's opened up in Hell's Kitchen. He thinks it's great, I think it's okay. He pays, and I venmo him for my portion afterward. $26 11:50 p.m. — Once I get home, I take a second shower (I refuse to allow dirty clothes on my bed). I do my skincare, crawl into bed, and then scroll on TikTok until the wee hours of the morning. Daily Total: $58 Day Four: Sunday 11:30 a.m. — I wake up around 11:30 a.m., which is much closer to my normal weekend wake-up time. I lay in bed for a while, debating whether or not I want to go back to sleep. Eventually, the shame of sleeping until almost noon gets to me. I drag myself out of bed to go brush my teeth. 1:30 p.m. — My boyfriend, A., is finally back from Europe! I'm not the gushy, bleeding heart type, but I really am glad that he's home. We've been together since college, and there's truly something to be said about being so genuinely comfortable around a person that you can be your full self. He shows me the different things he brought back, including five bags of my favorite gummy candy, which can only be found in the UK. I eat one bag immediately, and stash away the other four for later. 2 p.m. — A. goes to get a haircut in Chinatown, and I head to Central Park to meet up with some friends. I bring the snacks that I bought from Trader Joe's, and we decide to do a power hour with some seltzers, because the weather is finally warm and we're all defrosting. We also celebrate one of my friends getting into business school with some mimosas. By the end of our picnic, we're all incredibly drunk, but the vibes are great and our playlist is elite. 8 p.m. — I get home just as A. is coming back from a run. He makes me double-cooked pork belly with leeks, which is delicious. When he learns I've basically just been eating chips and ramen while he's been in Europe, he's horrified, but not surprised. Afterward, we hang out on the couch for a bit, catching up about the past week. 11:30 p.m. — A. is still jetlagged and I'm mildly tipsy from my Central Park afternoon. He packs me lunch for tomorrow, and we call it an early night. Daily Total: $0 Day Five: Monday 8:50 a.m. — When my alarm goes off this morning, I find myself thinking how much I wish I could work from home. Instead, after a lot of grumbling, I roll out of bed, brush my teeth, and get dressed for the day. 12 p.m. — The morning passes by fairly quickly. Around noon, I head to F45. It's only my second time doing it, but it's also included on my gym pass, so I figured I might as well take advantage. I make the mistake of wearing my New Balance 990s to F45 — great for walking, but terrible for HIIT. 1:30 p.m. — I get a couple of last-minute calls thrown on my calendar, so I don't have a chance to eat with friends today. I heat up my leftover pork belly, which is just as good as it was last night. After that, I'm heads down for the rest of the day, writing tickets for a new product that my engineers are debugging. 5:10 p.m. — I bike back home, and immediately faceplant onto my couch. A. asks if I want to go to a run club with him, but I tell him I'll pass. For dinner, I make a pasta recipe that I found on TikTok. First, I cook the pasta in chicken broth. Then I add in heavy cream and a pad of butter. Once everything cooks down, I throw in a handful of spices and top it off with some cheese. It's definitely one of the better things I've made (thank you, TikTok!), and I eat while watching an episode of The Blacklist on Netflix. 9 p.m. — A. comes home from his run. He finishes my leftover pasta, and whips together a quick mushroom pasta dish of his own. After that, he gets some more work done while I read more of Realm Breaker. Daily Total: $0 Day Six: Tuesday 8:53 a.m. — If there's one thing that's worse than Mondays, it might be Tuesdays. Today, my team is meeting in our second office because of a company-wide town hall. I get dressed and grab a bike from the Citibike dock. 11:30 a.m. — Because of the town hall, there's free food today! We don't get freebies often, so I'm fully prepared to devour whatever's in front of me. Today, it's Middle Eastern. I load my plate up with rice, chicken, two falafels, hummus, and pita. The town hall is fairly standard... shareholder value, winning as a team, looking ahead to the future. 4:30 p.m. — My team decides to go for happy hour. We visit one of the bars in Hudson Yards, and I get a $7 sangria. My manager puts everyone's drinks on her card, which I'm pretty sure is going to get expensed. 6:30 p.m. — I'm a little buzzed as I'm biking back from Hudson Yards, but there are plenty of bike lanes and I'm definitely sober enough to be aware of my surroundings. It's one of those moments where everything is perfect: the weather is lovely, the vibes are good, and I'm listening to Lorde's Melodrama album (with just one AirPod in). Did I say I hate Tuesdays? I meant what a time to be alive. 8 p.m. — A. makes pesto pasta with shrimp for dinner then goes on a run. I read more of Realm Breaker before watching another few episodes of The Blacklist on Netflix. I like it so far, but I've heard the writing really falls apart in later seasons. We'll see if I have it in me to keep going, or if I'll just stop watching altogether and jump right to the Wikipedia synopsis to see what happens. 11:50 p.m. — I jump in the shower, do my skincare, and then get ready for bed! Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Wednesday 9:30 a.m. — It's a calm morning in the office (thank goodness!). I get some work done, write a few tickets, and manage a stand-up. The lead engineer and I have been bamboozled over one particular ticket for the last few days, so we go back and forth with the platform engineering team to see if they have any good ideas on how to handle things. 11:50 a.m. — I walk over to Orange Theory, which is also included in my monthly gym plan. This is my first ever Orange Theory class, and I'm a little nervous. A. is a big runner, and while I ran the NYC Marathon out of sheer spite and willpower a couple years ago, I've really fallen off since. All that to say: I've heard Orange Theory is big on running, so I show up a few minutes early to get my bearings. 1 p.m. — First Orange Theory class officially done! I actually really liked it, and I think I'll be incorporating it more into my fitness routine going forward. The front desk worker tries to sell me one of the heart rate bands, but I tell him I'll pass for now. It's not mandatory for class and my budget this month is already pretty much maxed out. 5:15 p.m. — A new bakery has opened up near the office, so two of my work friends and I decide to check it out. K. is working from home today, and since she lives nearby, she comes to join us. The bakery is actually incredible. It's French/Asian inspired, and a lot of their pastries have the cutest shapes (my favorite was the mushroom one)! We ended up getting an orange-shaped pastry, a yuzu-flavored one, and a mini mango sticky rice cake. It came out to about $40. K. paid and we all venmoed her back for our share. We eat outside in a nearby park, people watching and chatting about our day. $10 6:30 p.m. — A. is getting home late from work today, so I root around in the fridge and toss together an assortment of leftovers for dinner: dino chicken nuggets, pesto pasta, and a side of rice with soy sauce. As a snack, I polish off my family-sized bag of Cheetos (there wasn't that much left, I swear) and pop a can of Sprite as a special treat. I doomscroll on TikTok while eating my dinner. 9 p.m. — A. gets home and we talk about our next trip. While scrolling on TikTok, I came across a pretty good Delta deal of round trip flights to Taipei for 45,000 points each. We've been meaning to get away together for a while, so the two of us check the Delta website for ourselves. After calculating our PTO and transferring our points, we decide to bite the bullet and just book our tickets, since the deal is only live for 72 hours. A. books, and charges me on Venmo for the fees for my ticket. $45 11 p.m. — It's starting to sink in that we just impulse bought tickets to Taipei for the fall. I have a slight existential crisis about the whole thing, and comb through my budget to double check that things are, in fact, fine. After the dust settles, I begin to feel much better about everything (celebratory, even?). We pour out a glass of ice wine to celebrate, then call it a night. Conclusion 'This week feels pretty normal in terms of spending. In the past year or so, the bulk of my personal expenses (outside of fixed costs like rent) have come from travelling, like when I'm booking flights or hotels. Other than that, I'd generally consider myself pretty frugal. I'd say it's normal for me to eat out a few times a week, while spending less on miscellaneous items — I enjoy shopping, but I typically thrift or buy things second hand, which helps with my budget. Overall, I'm happy with my weekly breakdown, and it shows me I could have panicked a bit less when I bought my tickets to Asia.'
Refinery29
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Freelance TV Producer On £0
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny. Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. If you would rather email us, please send a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay £100 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. This week:"I'm a 30-year-old freelance TV producer, living in London. I've been working in the TV industry ever since I left uni and absolutely love what I do. I've always been freelance and have moved about a fair bit, but this is the first time I've found myself ocut of work for longer than a few weeks, with no contract or potential role lined up for the future. Last year was the best of my life: I married my husband E, we bought a beautiful flat in London and I was working on a shoot in the most beautiful, tropical location. So 2025 has felt a bit like coming down from a massive high. I've been out of work for months and it's been really stressful, as my savings are very quickly dwindling. The TV industry is really struggling right now and it's been hard to keep positive and motivated. Despite this, I'm aware I have a great life and am very grateful for all the amazing experiences I've had, and all the incredible people in my life." Occupation: Freelance TV Producer Industry: Film and Television Age: 30 Location: London Salary: Currently £0 Paycheque Amount: Currently £0 Number of housemates: One, my husband E. Pronouns: she/her Monthly Expenses Housing costs: Our mortgage is £2,443.14. Last year, I paid a greater share of this as I was earning more. This year, E has been paying more as I'm currently living off savings. I also have a mortgage on a flat I own outside of London, which I bought with savings when I was 27. I have a tenant whose rent covers the mortgage in full. So, although I'm not making a profit from the flat, it basically pays for itself. The mortgage on that flat is £1,295. Loan payments: None currently. Savings?: My personal savings are now down to £2,663. E has around £2,000, plus £800 in investments. When my most recent contract finished, I had £10,000 in savings. But they quickly depleted on paying the mortgage, bills, a financially irresponsible but absolutely amazing trip around Southeast Asia and general London living. Pension? Currently not paying into a pension as unemployed. I think I have around £9,000 split between two pension pots, but I should really check this! Utilities: Our water bill has gone up recently and is now £56. Our council tax is £77. Internet, gas and electricity are all with one provider and we pay £200 for these. We used to split bills evenly, but now that I'm not working E pays the lion's share. All other monthly payments: £41.80 on British Gas insurance for the flat I own outside of London, £49.50 on my contact lenses, £27 for my mobile phone. Subscriptions: £10.99 for Netflix, which we split evenly. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I went to university, taking out a student loan to pay for accommodation. My parents also generously gave me £400 a month to live off. At the time, it was more than enough for all my clothes, food and nights out. It just goes to show what hideously cheap booze I used to drink in those days! Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? My parents didn't really discuss finances with me. As a kid, I assumed we were rich as we lived in a nice house in a nice town and went on a lovely summer holiday every year. It was only once I got older that I realised my parents never really had much financial stability, as my dad is also a contract worker. They've also never put into a pension. They've since told me to learn from their mistakes, encouraging me to invest in property and to try and avoid debt. If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house? I moved out for university at 18. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? I became fully financially responsible at 22, when I left university and moved to a new city where I knew no one, to start my first job in TV. Now that I'm married, I consider myself part of a team and know that E and I will always financially support each other when needed. I also know that my parents would take us in if the worst were to happen and would always try to help in any way they could. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was babysitting at 16, which I got so I could have more money for clothes, the cinema and Wagamama. Do you worry about money now? I worry about money a lot now, as the TV industry is really struggling. I've been out of work for a few months, and we have a ridiculously expensive mortgage. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? E's dad died when he was at university, so he inherited £50,000, which we put towards the deposit on our London home. My parents gifted us £12,000 for our wedding last year and E's mum gifted us £2,500. My grandma paid for my wedding dress and my uncle also gifted us £1,000 towards the wedding. Day One 10:43 a.m. — I wake up bleary-eyed and check the time… and almost have a heart attack. How have I slept in this late?? Text my friend C who was making fun of me just yesterday for being able to sleep in late now. 11 a.m. — I forget E's on a work Zoom in the living room, and almost flash his entire team. Quickly grab my sports bra (we're painting our bedroom, so have moved some of the furniture into the living room for now) and get the hell outta there. Have Weetabix for breakfast as we can't afford the good stuff anymore. 11:15 a.m. — I spend a few hours sending speculative emails and fruitlessly searching for jobs. Realise I forgot to cancel my free trial to Production Base and have been charged £77.99. I'm so mad at myself. Send them an email begging for a refund. They reply saying I can switch to a monthly subscription and then get a refund for the annual one. This whole mess ends up costing me £14.39. 2 p.m. — I do a workout in the living room with some dumbbells, as I cancelled my gym subscription to save money. Then make chicken wraps for E and I. Throw together a homemade salsa made up of sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, spring onion, red chili, red wine vinegar and olive oil. Recipe courtesy of my culinary hero, Em the Nutritionist. I use leftover chicken from a whole chicken we cooked a few days ago. We started doing this to save money and it honestly lasts so long. 3 p.m. — Spend another hour job hunting and then decide to make the most of the glorious weather and go on a walk. I end up walking all the way to Chelsea and back, which takes two hours. I talk to my mum on the phone for most of that time. At one point this really lovely girl stops me on the street to tell me I'm super pretty, which makes my day. Then I get home to a job rejection email, so swings and roundabouts… 5:30 p.m. — I was going to do a big grocery shop today but feel ravenous after that walk, so opt for a quick trip to Sainsbury's to buy an easy dinner instead. E works evenings so oven meal for one it is. I pay from our joint UW account, which we both put £100 on yesterday. We use this for groceries, meals out and all ad hoc joint expenses. The more we use it, the more money we get off our bills. Then we have an additional joint account that our bills and mortgage come out of. My half for some strawberries and an oven meal comes to £4.12. 6:15 p.m. — Have dinner in front of a film, do a bit of research for a meeting tomorrow and wash my hair. 11 p.m. — E gets home and we go to bed. Total: £18.51 Day Two 8 a.m. — Wake up far earlier than I'm used to these days and get ready for a meeting. It feels so nice to leave the house in the morning with real purpose! 10 a.m. — I have a really good meeting with a Head of Production at a prolific film and TV company. They don't have any jobs going at the moment, but she says she'll send my CV round and let me know if they get any greenlights. I also bump into the MD of a sister company of theirs, who I met on Zoom on Friday! He's talking to someone but we say a quick hi and then he emails me later to say it was nice to bump into me. Really sweet of him to take the time to email me, especially considering how busy he is. 11:10 a.m. — Check my emails and I didn't get a job I'd applied to. I also have an email from someone at another production company I reached out to, saying they'd love to meet in case of any future greenlights. So that's good at least. 11:40 a.m. — I get the train back home. I realise my card was declined this morning, because the direct debit for my contact lenses has come out of my account today, as has the mortgage on the flat I own outside of London. This means I'm now overdrawn. I use our joint account to pay for my return journey (sorry E!) and then temporarily top up my current account from savings. I'll transfer it back once the rent arrives from my tenant. £1.05 for my half of the journey. 12 p.m. — Whilst E's working on our bedroom, I meal plan for the week and go to Sainsbury's for a big shop. Buy Weetabix, avocados, peppers, salmon, prawns, a whole small chicken, meatballs, bread, tuna, anchovies, Dolmio sauce, garlic powder and crisps. I pay on the joint account, and it comes to £15.23 for my half. This should cover all our breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the week. 1 p.m. — Make scrambled eggs for lunch for E and I. Slather on Siracha like there's no tomorrow. 1:55 p.m. — Our friends ask if we want to go to a silent disco at the Natural History Museum at the end of this month. I have ALWAYS wanted to attend one of these, so throw all financial responsibility out the window and say yes to partying with the dinosaurs. £40 for my ticket. 2:30 p.m. — I've been sucked into a depressing LinkedIn hole. My old boss texts to say she wants to have a chat regarding my writing, which sounds…promising? Hopefully! I met her for dinner last week and mentioned that I'd started writing and would love to be considered to write an episode of the show she currently works on. I've also spoken to an agent about this. It would honestly be an absolute dream come true if I could transition into screenwriting in the future. 3 p.m. — It's gorgeous outside so I go for a walk and call my cousin for company. See many cute dogs. 4 p.m. — Get home and put away laundry, clean the kitchen and tidy the house. Text another old boss of mine who's started a new role, and he suggests we have a Zoom next week. 5 p.m. — Get cosy on the sofa and write more of my spec script. 7:25 p.m. — Make dinner: roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots and anchovy salmon. I know this sounds diabolical but trust me anchovies on salmon is a game changer. I save half for E to take to work tomorrow. 9 p.m. — Start to feel a bit down about the lack of jobs and how long I've been unemployed for. I have another meeting tomorrow just to network and get my name out there, but sometimes it just feels absolutely exhausting. Watch the new Mufasa film whilst eating strawberries to cheer myself up. Total: £56.28 Day Three 7:45 a.m. — Up early again for a meeting in central. 8:45 a.m. — Get the train and Tube into central, and then potter around a bit to kill time as I've arrived way too early. 10 a.m. — Have a really good meeting at another prolific film and TV company. Sadly no jobs available, but good to network. I spend about five minutes side-eyeing this guy in the waiting room, thinking I know him personally, before realising he's a famous actor. He's quite obnoxious so that gave it away. 11:15 a.m. — I walk to the station rather than Tube it, as it's so lovely outside. Confirm that Zoom with my old boss, as well as a Zoom with the production company who emailed yesterday. The journey into central costs £8.90 in total. 12 p.m. — I was meant to be Zooming an agent today, but she's asked if we can rearrange to Monday. I spent time with E instead, who's very kindly cooked food so I don't have to! I send a few more speculative emails out and eat the leftover salmon as E doesn't want it. 3:10 p.m. — E's brother has been in London for work this morning, so we walk to meet him for a quick pint in the sunshine. It's glorious outside and I feel like I'm on holiday, if you ignore the stench of piss and fags. Got to love London! E buys me a glass of Prosecco. 5 p.m. — End up spending an hour trying to guess one woman's email address. The only good thing to come out of this is that it's now an acceptable time to have dinner. E made his famous prawn linguine whilst I was out, so I gratefully heat this up for dinner. 6:40 p.m. — Demolish another packet of crisps and binge watch rom-com after rom-com until E comes home. Realise that unemployed me watches a LOT of movies. I can't even pretend that I'm broadening my horizons as I've seen every single one of these films before. But sometimes a girl just needs a little James McAvoy/Chris Evans, okay? 11:55 p.m. — Bed. Total: £8.90 Day Four 9:40 a.m. — Wake up to two more emails from exec producers, suggesting Zoom meetings. They preface by saying there are no jobs currently available at their companies, nor can they imagine that changing in the near future. Try and stay positive as I reply, saying I'd still love to meet. 10:20 a.m. — Eat Weetabix on the sofa and write more of my spec script. I'm using a free trial of Final Draft as I can't afford to buy it right now, which is quite useful as it gives me a set deadline to finish my script. 11:30 a.m. — Do some weight training in the living room, focussing on arms. Instantly feel like a superhero for bothering to work out. 12:15 p.m. — E puts the whole chicken in the air fryer, so that we can have chicken sandwiches for lunch. We fill a tub full of leftovers. Then I quickly wash my hair and get ready as I'm meeting a friend for a walk in the park. E ends up driving me there as I'm running late. 2:15 p.m. — Send my poor friend B on a wild goose chase as I get my location in the park completely wrong. How am I still so bad at directions even with Google Maps?! We have a lovely catch up and B really kindly buys me a drink. We walk around for over two hours, soaking up the sun, and make plans to meet up next week too. I catch the bus back home, which costs £1.75. 4:45 p.m. — Get home and I am CRAVING chocolate. I have my heart set on a brownie from this amazing coffee shop near us, but sadly it closes at 4 p.m. I need a few bits from Boots anyway so decide to walk to the shops and grab a chocolate bar on the way instead. I spend £23.56 stocking up some essential toiletries. This includes toothbrush heads, as it suddenly occurred to me I probably haven't changed mine in at least a year. That can't be good. I also splurge on a Tony's bar, which costs me £3.50. 5:15 p.m. — My mum calls as soon as I get home. She's in McDonald's and it instantly makes me want one. So I head back out and buy myself some fries for £2.19. An absolute bargain for happiness. 5:30 p.m. — I start (re)watching The OC. I forgot how brilliant and iconic the pilot episode is. I continue to have it on in the background whilst I work on my spec script. 8:15 p.m. — I suddenly realise I haven't had dinner, so quickly rustle up some chicken tacos and homemade guacamole. This is another Em the Nutritionist recipe, and one of my absolute favourites! 11:30 p.m. — E gets home, we hang out for a bit and then go to bed. Total: £29.25 Day Five 10:15 a.m. — Get up and have a slow morning, working on my spec script with my headphones in whilst E plays video games. He heads to the gym and I briefly consider doing a workout, but then think better of it and finish off the Tony's chocolate instead. 1 p.m. — I heat up leftover chicken tacos for lunch for me and E. 2 p.m. — We head into central for a date! E's mum bought us a pottery experience for his birthday, and we have an absolute blast making clay vases on a pottery wheel, decorating, and painting them. We take a bottle of Prosecco a friend brought over last week, as it's BYOB. Return trip into central costs me £8.90. 6 p.m. — We trip and fall into Flat Iron. We both get steak, beef dripping fries and peppercorn sauce, and share an aubergine side. E also gets a beer. My half comes to £27 and we pay on the UW card. The food was phenomenal and today felt like a special date day, so we tell ourselves it's fine. Check my emails and I've secured two more work meetings. 7:55 p.m. — We cuddle up and watch Children of Men, which is good but not the masterpiece Reddit told me it would be. 12:30 a.m. — Hang out for a bit and then go to bed. Total: £35.90 Day Six 9 a.m. — Wake up and quickly get ready, as we're driving down South to our friends A and G's house. It's G's birthday and we're surprising him! 10 a.m. — We signed up to an app yesterday, where you can rent your car out. We have our first customer, someone who happens to live on our road, who wants to use the car over the bank holiday weekend. The app tells us we'll earn £80 from this. Absolutely buzzing! 11:50 a.m. — G is thoroughly surprised. We hang out for a bit, get acquainted with their friends' gorgeous new dog, then head to this stunning garden centre for lunch. It feels peak early 30s and I'm here for it. I get the 'hipster brunch' which is a delicious concoction of sourdough, avo, poached eggs, halloumi, bacon and chilli jam. E pays for both our meals on the UW card. My share comes to £15.90. 1 p.m. — We go for a coastal walk in the sunshine. Feeling very grateful for this weather. 5 p.m. — Back to A and G's house for drinks in the garden. A couple more of their friends arrive for dinner. They've cooked up an absolute feast for us, including lasagne, homemade focaccia and three different types of salad. It is all absolutely incredible. We have an awesome time and are very sad to leave around 10:30 p.m. — though taking leftovers home definitely makes us feel better. 12:10 a.m. — Get back home and quickly get ready for bed before passing out. Total: £15.90 Day Seven 8:30 a.m. — Wake up earlier than I'd like, as I'm heading to Brighton today. E's brother (B) is running a race and as E is working, I'm representing the London contingency. 10:30 a.m. — Get the train to Brighton to meet E's family. A return ticket costs £23.04 with my 26-30 railcard. It expires soon and it's honestly going to be devastating having to pay full train fare for the first time in my life. To try and save money, I bring the leftover focaccia for lunch. It tastes even better the next day. 12:30 p.m. — We battle through the mayhem to try and catch a glimpse of B running. Despite my sister-in-law's best attempts to use her daughter's pram as a battering ram, it's really slow going and we end up missing B. We head to the finish line to catch him instead. It's a great atmosphere and we have a blast cheering everyone on. We chill out in the sunshine for a bit afterwards. 5:09 p.m. — Catch the train back to London. Feel proud of myself for resisting the temptation to get food out. Feel a little light-headed and realise I caught the sun. 6:30 p.m. — Back home and ravenous. I eat leftover lasagne from yesterday, plus a homemade cookie A made. I'm absolutely shattered, so collapse in front of The OC for the rest of the evening. I have two Zoom meetings tomorrow so also do a little bit of prep for them. But let's be honest, mostly I just watch The OC. Total: £23.04 The Breakdown Conclusion "I think I did really well keeping costs low this week, whilst also enjoying life and socialising with friends. I did splurge on the silent disco tickets and that feels like a one-off whilst I'm unemployed, so hopefully next week's costs will be the same if not lower. The only cost I'm annoyed about is the wasted subscription, but we live and learn! Also… life update. I've just been offered a three-month contract doing script work on a returning series. This will be £1,000 per week for 12 weeks. Yay!"
Refinery29
3 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week In Hamburg, Germany On A $228,942 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 legal counsel who has a $228,942 household income and who spends some of her money this week on Bluey-branded oats. 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: Legal counsel Industry: Beauty Age: 33 Location: Hamburg, Germany Salary: $137,772 (plus a ~$20,000 bonus). Joint income: $228,942. My husband M. and I both have separate accounts as well as a joint account where we both add money for our fixed costs (which we calculate each month because of my husband's side hustle). The ratio is around 70:30, with me being the higher income earner. Assets: Savings: ~$25,028 in a HIA. I was on parental leave for almost two years, but I have now been able to save enough to have an emergency fund of around four months. In Germany, you get paid for your maternity leave with your full salary, starting from around seven weeks before the ETA (haha) and 12 weeks afterwards. After that, you get parental leave money (Elterngeld), which is max. $2,050 a month for nine months (so you get one year paid). After that, you can stay on parental leave (unpaid), which is what I did, but I used my savings for this. Investments: ~$13,650.48. Debt: $0 Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $7,339.36 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $3,754.91 for our three-bed apartment (this includes water, electricity and heating). Public Pension Scheme: $851.89 (you only receive 45% of your last salary here, and it's capped at something like $2,784. It's absolutely ridiculous. I am in the process of switching to the law association pension scheme, but it's taking forever). Voluntary Public Health Care: $1,069.79 (in Germany, if you earn more than $83,999.53 you are eligible to be solely privately insured, but you can also choose to be voluntarily publicly insured, which is what I have done. Kids are free under the public one and not under the private one. This is a very different scheme compared to the rest of Europe, where everyone is publicly insured and then you can get additional private insurance). Phone: $ 57.42 (this is quite high but it includes paying off my iPhone 15). Streaming Services: Mooch Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Disney+off my husband and family, hehe. Household Contents Insurance: $6 (for an insured sum of $90,000). Occupational Disability Insurance: $317. I chose this insurance primarily because it goes off my gross salary and if I retire and don't make use of it, I get the money back and only pay 27% tax. Corporate Pension: $291 — my employer matches this. Work Gym Membership: $17 Company Nursery: $1,377 (this is for a full day, five days a week — 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. — including food, for both children). Saving contributions: $250 Children's Investment Portfolio: $287 (in Germany you receive a child allowance of $287 per child until they are 27). 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, but honestly, I never really thought about doing anything else. Everyone in my year went on to study so I did, too. I also wanted to study something where I could work internationally and in a broad field. I did my degree abroad, which was paid for by my parents (including housing). I grew up in a very privileged bubble, but my parents always reminded us of that — and that if we wanted the same lifestyle, we would have to work for it. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? No, not at all. What was your first job and why did you get it? My first job was an internship at my dad's lawyer practice when I was 16. It wasn't paid and I did it for the experience. Did you worry about money growing up? When my parents divorced, I remember the tax advisor coming to our home and having negative connotations with it. My mom had a savings account for me and my brother but I remember her asking us if it was okay for her to liquidate it because she needed the money. It was around $7,466 and I must've been around 12. My dad, on the other hand, used to often say 'I don't have money' when we wanted something as kids and it kind of made me financially conscious, so I would always save all my money because I was worried. I went to a private school, went on several holidays throughout the year, and had a roof over my head and food on the table, but I still felt more comfortable when I had my own money. Do you worry about money now? Kind of. I worry about keeping my lifestyle when I retire or providing my kids with the same things I had growing up. Although I earn very well, we live in a HCOL city and I feel like we can't afford nice holidays — for example, for a week in Greece, a four-star hotel alone would cost us $5,685 in the summer. These things were way cheaper when I was younger and I feel like in the early 2000s I could have had like a two-week holiday in Maldives with flights for that money. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? Probably when I started my first job — however, I lived for free in one of my dad's apartments so I could save some money to do the bar exam. In my second job I paid for everything myself, although my dad did help me with the deposit of my apartment before starting that job. My financial safety net would probably be my husband, M., and my parents. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. I received around $3,700 for an accident I was in in my 20s (I used it for traveling). I also received random bits of money, like $1,705 for my 18th birthday or my dad gave M. and me $7,000 to buy our kitchen. My dad always says my brother and I are his investments and that's why I consider all my education, housing, etc as inherited income. I will probably get something when my parents pass, but I am hoping they live until they are 100, so I'm not counting on anything. Day One: Monday 7 a.m. — My son, T., 1, gets into my bed and we cuddle for a bit. His sister, G., 3, already joined me at 12:30 a.m. after screaming for 30 minutes. I still don't know why. We are waking up way too late but I am trying to become more zen about these things, especially because I don't have any early morning meetings. 7:30 a.m. — Get the kids breakfast: brioche with ham and cheese and, most importantly, butter (my kids LOVE butter and eat it like a snack, lol). Brush teeth, hair, and get them dressed, and get myself ready in between (Benefit's They're Real Mascara, MAC Soft and Gentle highlighter, The Body Shop brown eyebrow pencil — same make up every day this week, so not going to repeat). T. wants to wear flowery pink leggings like G. but my husband, M., refuses, because those are apparently for girls. M. and I have a discussion about it. Can our daughter not wear pants because those are for boys? M. doesn't want him to be bullied and doesn't want him to fight this fight as he is only 3. T. ends up wearing black jeans like me. 8:50 a.m. — Arrive at day care. Of course the zipper of my jacket breaks. Get inside, take off jackets and shoes, and put house shoes on. G. lets me know she had an accident, so I change her trousers. Then I have a quick chat with the teacher, who lets me know, once again, she does not recommend the kindergarten at our establishment and that we should look for other options. 9:15 a.m. — Finally get to the office and low and behold — someone brought gooey chocolate cake. Score! Time for breakfast. Holy shit, this is like chocolate lava cake and each bite is like heaven. 11:50 a.m. — Continue working on some files, have a meeting, and respond to emails. I get changed and go to my lunch barbell class. I am super unmotivated, but I wasn't able to work out as much as I would have liked last week, because my kids were sick. My work offers on-site gym classes for only $17 a month. So I don't feel bad if I don't always make classes because I've definitely made worse purchases for $17. 1 p.m. — Proud of myself that I went to the class — I noticed that my strength has improved! Buy a chicken salad from the vending machine, change clothes in the bathroom, and settle for a desk lunch. 2:30 p.m. — Getting snackish, so I pop down to my car as I forgot my snack (apple rings and a Koro vegan chocolate raspberry protein bar). Of course, I miss my boss' phone call and call him back when I get back to my desk. 3 p.m. — Text with M. about where I should buy shares as the market has tanked (thank you, Trump). I decide to sell my ETF bond, as it has been sitting at -10% for four years now and I think it will be better to invest it in another option. I contemplate between Estee Lauder and LVMH. 4 p.m. — Work has been slow and, in order to procrastinate, I read today's Money Diary. I love it when people include what they eat — I always google it when I don't know how it looks like (lo mai gai — yum!). 4:30 p.m. — Boss finally calls back and we align on a few things. I inform him that it's a public holiday next Friday, which is different in the European country he is in. 5:10 p.m. — Log off from work and pick up the kids from day care. End up chatting to the teacher again re: kindergarten. I surprise the kids with Paw Patrol oat snacks and they are so happy. It's the little things. 6 p.m. — Arrive home to M. who had tooth surgery today and who cooked some bone broth. We have it with Backerbsen (childhood memory) and the kids love it. Log into work again because I need to respond to some emails regarding a private equity fund we are setting up at work (I need to work eight hours and also need to take a 45-minute break). Then it's bedtime routine and surprisingly, G. wants to go to bed with M. in our bedroom rather than me. I fall asleep with T. in his house bed. Daily Total: $0 Day Two: Tuesday 7 a.m. — T. was awake for two hours at night, which is very unusual. He was quiet because he couldn't fall asleep. M. makes avocado and hard boiled eggs for the kids. I head to day care and change G.'s nappy again because it is pretty full and I feel like the day care doesn't change the kids as much as I like. At work I grab my yoghurt and banana (which I technically brought yesterday) and have a desk breakfast while responding to emails, then I get cracking on a letter of intent. 11 a.m. — I take a break and order our groceries online. Getting them delivered to our house has been life changing. We buy 95% organic and the butter we like now costs $4.60… We bought quite a lot last week so this week's shop is quite small. I want to make healthy ice cream with the kids on the weekend, so I order baby dates, baby fruit purees, (De Cecco forever <3) Pinsa, hummus, lentil waffles, seaweed snack, sauerkraut, pasta, salami, cream, yoghurt, halloumi, cream cheese with herbs, gouda, cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, curd cheese, chocolate eggs, cucumber, Ben & Jerry's and frozen broccoli. $114.19 12 p.m. — Had a couple of meetings and am now topping up my card for some lunch at the canteen with my colleague. I eat Schupfnudeln (potato noodle) with vegetables and black currant soda, which costs around $ 6.83. $56.83 1:30 p.m. — Ask M. to buy Play-Doh for a friend of the kids whose birthday we are celebrating on Sunday. He has Amazon Prime. I don't. $14.76 3 p.m. — Bleugh, I need to do some boring things and I procrastinate by eating snacks (apple rings and protein balls). I even make myself a coffee (I'm actually not a coffee drinker, but after last night, zzzzzz) with soy milk (we have soy milk in the office!!). 5 p.m. — Pick up the kids from day care and we get home and have soup again. I buy one Airbus share. Then it's time for children's bedtime routine. It's actually M.'s turn but he is not feeling well from his tooth surgery, so I do it. $147.78 9 p.m. — Watch the last episode of The White Lotus. This season has been so boring but I have to say, the ending was good. I honestly don't know why I continued watching — and don't even get me started on the theme song. Daily Total: $333.56 Day Three: Wednesday 7 a.m. — Home office day! That means M. takes the kids to day care but I end up doing the most things (changing diapers and clothes, combing hair, brushing teeth). At least M. serves them breakfast and prepares their water bottles (*eye roll* doing the easy bits). After the kids and M. are out the door, I clean up the breakfast table and pick up some things up before the cleaner comes. I don't want her to waste time picking up things like Duplo. Wednesdays are my fave because she comes, haha. 9:20 a.m. — Wow, work has been unusually quiet. I work on a guideline on loan agreements for my team. Our grocery shop gets delivered and I put everything away. 12 p.m. — Step outside to bring back a Zara package and realise that it's a different delivery provider than I thought it was. Uuugh. Schlepp everything back. Pick up cash on the way back and realise I need to go to the supermarket and purchase something so I can get the right change for the cleaner. Great. Go to the supermarket and buy blueberries, Turkish goat cheese, chewing gum, and rubber gloves, all while holding this stupid package. $15.45 12:45 p.m. — Finally get home and pay the cleaner. She comes for four hours every week. Make avocado toast with Everything But The Bagel mix. I also have cinnamon toast crunch (called Cini Mini in Europe) with blueberries, which makes me really happy because M. put them in our grocery shop without me realizing. Kismet. $68.22 4 p.m. — Have a meeting about a project in America. The American counsel is really not that great and this is the second time he misadvises us. Ugh. TBD how this project works out. After I am done with work, I make a conscious decision to just sit down and chill because I don't get that a lot as a mom of two. I start watching Mad Men. 6 p.m. — The kids come home and it's bath time. Get them dressed and we have sausages with sauerkraut and ketchup for dinner. The kids are obsessed with passionfruit, so we also have some of those. I am trying to eat five fruits and/or veggies a day because apparently eating more than 30 fruits/veggies a week is really good for your gut health. 8 p.m. — I tell my kids I am meeting a friend and they are sad but accepting. Me pretending to leave the house is the only way M. can put them to bed by himself. I hide in the office for a bit before coming out to pick up and clean things before going to bed and watching the first episode of Parenthood. I decided to start watching it after hearing Lauren Graham on Call Her Daddy (a podcast I found out about on Money Diaries). Fun fact: Lauren Graham was on the table next to me at a restaurant at my master's graduation dinner and it was just the icing on the cake. 10 p.m. — Bed time! I haven't mentioned my bedtime routine yet: I cleanse with Ziaja Manuka Gel, sometimes I double cleanse with Reviderm AHA Cleansing Foam, and then I either slather my face with The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid or Reviderm Skin Fluid Gel. I top that off with Weleda Skin Food Light. I decide to buy the 3Bears x Bluey collab porridge oat snacks — Instagram has been pestering me with them for a couple of months and now I have caved. $32.89 Daily Total: $116.56 Day Four: Thursday 7:30 a.m. — Okay, wow, I swear we don't usually get up so late, but I have stopped using an alarm (unless it's important) and just wait for my kids to wake me up because it's usually between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Today, G. is the first to wake up, which is unusual as well. I take her with me and let T. sleep because he has a stuffy nose. I comb G.'s hair, change her diaper, and get her dressed. 8:10 a.m. — My kids have two lentil waffles with butter, one apple, and one pear for breakfast. We leave for daycare and listen to The Gruffalo audiobook. We arrive at day care and G. forgot her Paw Patrol watch (It's not really a watch, it's a picture of Skye and it glows red and green), so I go back to the car and fetch it for her. Get in at work and start responding to emails. I have a Greek yoghurt with blackberries, a pear and a tiny piece of brioche for breakfast. 12 p.m. — Go for an early lunch with my colleagues to a pizza place. Their pizzas are ginormous. I choose parmigiana and a blackcurrant soda. After that, I get back to my desk and eat gummy bears that I got for free from the pizza place and get cracking on some admin work. $25.26 3 p.m. — Working on my guidelines and fielding calls re: the signing of a project I am currently managing. Make myself a matcha latte with soy milk because wow, that pizza was filling and I am TIRED. My secret matcha latte trick is to use a milk frother and just pour in the matcha powder directly in there. So creamy! Also kick myself that I did not buy the Estee Lauder shares, as now Trump has frozen his tariffs for 90 days. 3:30 p.m. — I decide to pick up the kids early, but they want to continue playing with their friends so it takes me a solid 30 minutes to get them out of there. I lure them out with the promise of a cocoa-covered snack. Mother of the year award, ladies and gentleman. Go to our playground and let them swing a bit before I bathe them and they make pizza with my husband. 10 p.m. — Wow, bedtime took forever. I try to savour the moments but sometimes almost two hours of bedtime is just too long. Daily Total: $25.26 Day Five: Friday 7 a.m. — Friyay and another home office day. I get the kids ready and we realise the eggs M. ordered in our grocery shop for the week weren't delivered so they have yoghurt with spirulina, cocoa, and passionfruit. After the kids and M. are out the door, I clean up and start laundry before my meetings this morning. 10:45 a.m. — Meetings done; I head to the post office to pick up a package that was apparently delivered last week. Thank the lord — it was meant to be returned today the woman at the post office managed to fish it out. It's a special toothpaste for kids with molar incisor hypomineralisation. Yet another fun fact: MIH has increased among children because of microplastics. I get an ice cream from my favourite Italian ice cream shop (Team Vanilla) and head back home. On the way I stop by the drug store because the Play-Doh hasn't arrived so I need to buy some more. $10.23 2 p.m. — Field some calls and make lunch bowls for me and M. We're having hot-smoked salmon mixed with yoghurt, sriracha, and green onion, rice — we don't have sushi so we use risotto (I know, blasphemous) — avocado, and a Chinese cucumber salad. The hot-smoked salmon doesn't really fit but I eat it anyway. After lunch I start having meetings again. 5:05 p.m. — Kids are back home and are proud because they went to the supermarket with their dad. They show me everything they got. They have dinner (aka the meal I made for lunch), then play with their Duplo train. Then M. and I have dinner, which M. made: shell pasta with tomato sauce, carrots, and salsiccia. Daily Total: $10.23 Day Six: Saturday 7 a.m. — My kids and I wake up and make waffles with apple sauce. M. enjoys a lie in because his tooth still hurts. 10:20 a.m. — I need to run some errands so I take the S-Bahn. We drive everywhere with our car, which I hate. I wish we could live more central but it doesn't make sense because our commute during the week would be wild. I buy a ticket. I get off and walk to the city center. God, I miss walking — I used to walk 5km a day and now I barely make 2km. $2.28 11 a.m. — I stop by Villa Sophia to exchange two pairs of shorts I bought last week. I see they have an oversized blazer on sale so I get that, too. $63.71 11:20 a.m. — I go to the drugstore and buy wrapping paper, disinfectant spray, chocolate Schleich eggs (which are all the rage in Germany right now), and a wet bag. $25.31 11:45 a.m. — I get some Five Guys — a cheese burger and small fries ($20.47). It's expensive for fast food but unfortunately, it's so damn good. I take a bite and I feel bad because I probably should've gotten M. some, too. Oops. I walk back to the train station and purchase another ticket. On the way home I finally find a starry sky birth poster I like. I get ones that show the night sky of the kids' birth time and it also shows the animals you can see. $22.75 12:30 p.m. — I get back home, drop my bags, wash my hands, and bring the kids to bed. They are obsessed with Paddington and the Gruffalo right now. They fall asleep and I doom scroll on my phone and see that there is a Peppa Pig movie coming out (Mommy Pig is pregnant!). I see if there are tickets available in our city. There are! I purchase tickets for me, the kids, and my MIL for the weekend where she is in town. The tickets are super cheap — marketing done right. My son starts crying because I bought Play Doh for his friend and not for him. $22.74 2:30 p.m. — Kids are awake. They have the pasta from last night for lunch and then we are all off to the birthday party, which is taking place in a playground. We arrive and we hand over our gifts (Play-Doh, matching socks, and one of those Schleich eggs). The kids have a great time because it's basically all their day care friends, and minus their teachers. 8 p.m. — Get home, bathe the kids (who are full of sand), and bedtime is quite quick this time around. Daily Total: $136.79 Day Seven: Sunday 7 a.m. — Kids wake up and they both have a bit of a raised temperature so we decide to cancel our plans of going to a lake for them to scooter and just stay home instead. The kids have hard boiled eggs and toast with butter. M. makes them spirulina babyccinos. They taste gross, can't believe they are drinking those. 12 p.m. — After picking up around the house, playing with the kids and more snacks, it's nap time. I nap with them — I was thinking of working out while they nap, but I am in my luteal phase so don't bother. 3 p.m. — That nap felt good! M. made merguez sausages with a salad for us, so we have that and with the last bits of pasta. I sort out some of the kids' old clothes. M. and I start talking about what to buy for our guest room/office. We moved in around 18 months ago but there is still no real bed in there. We decide to get a yellow Hemnes bed from IKEA, and two more PAX because unfortunately, we do not have a store room, so our cleaning supplies and vacuum cleaner just lie around. We go to pay and the bed is not deliverable, UGH. We decide to wait until tomorrow and hope that changes. 6 p.m. — I make the same waffles I made yesterday but double the batch because there was only enough for me to have one last time. The kids have theirs with homemade raspberry jam and lemon curd. I also make some salty ones with cream cheese and Everything But The Bagel seasoning. 8 p.m. — M. brings the kids to bed and I pick up around the house and decide to finally watch the third Bridget Jones movie on Amazon Prime. $4.55 9:45 p.m. — G. is a night owl like M. and T. is more of an early bird like me — aka I barely have time for myself when they are home, but that's okay. I still decide to watch some more of the film, although tomorrow is a work day. Rebel rebel. Daily Total: $4.55 The Breakdown Conclusion 'Seeing everything added up it feels like I spent a lot, but I would say this is a pretty average week for us. I now also have it in black and white that Insta commercials really do influence me to buy things (Peppa Pig movie tickets, Bluey oats…), but I did have a think about these before purchasing. I also need to stop being scared to buy when the market dips. I could've made some money. Argh.'
Refinery29
3 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A Senior Fraud Analyst On £32,226
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny. Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. If you would rather email us, please send a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay £100 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. This week: "I'm a 45-year-old forever singleton living in the North West. Whilst I wish I weren't single, you take what life throws at you and roll with it, one day my prince will come along and I can stop kissing frogs (don't worry though I have a 'friend' so I don't live in a drought, lol). I work full-time as a Senior Fraud Analyst for a major high street banking provider, working 35 hours a week condensed into four days. As a department, we deal with incoming calls from customers whose accounts and/or transactions we block due to suspected scam and fraud activity. I moved out of my parents' home in 2007, initially buying the property I live in with a friend, K (best friends before living together and still are to this day). We bought back when we could borrow more than 100% and borrowed a total of 115%...then the financial crisis hit and we went into negative equity. She moved out when she got pregnant in 2013 and I took in a part-time weekday lodger to help cover the mortgage. I did this until we reached 2017 and had equity so I could buy her out (I only gave her £2,500, which she was happy with to come off the mortgage). To help do this, I borrowed £35k from my parents, which meant I could get a much more favourable mortgage rate, which halved my payments. I had 10 years to pay them back, but did this in five thanks to some inheritance received from my late grandfather. I now have approx. £96,000 equity and my property is currently for sale as I'm looking for somewhere slightly bigger so I can have a dedicated office and a walk-in wardrobe space. Outside of work, I class myself as having lots of hobbies and spend my time walking, attending gym classes, going to the theatre, reading, cinema trips, spending time with friends, eating out and most importantly, going on holidays. I save each month for various things but nothing long-term other than a pot of money which is earmarked for my house move. I have a personal loan I took out at 2.9% for a car and home improvements and a 0% interest credit card, the total across the two come to about £23k and I will pay these off when it comes to move, but at the moment, I am earning more in interest on the lump sum savings of £25k. If I want something, I'll work for it and do regular overtime on weekends, this pays for life's luxuries such as the musical theatre tickets, clothes and holidays." Occupation: Senior Fraud Analyst Industry: Financial Services Age: 45 Location: North West Salary: £32,226 (pay rise of 3.6% due in July) plus annual bonus and monthly overtime. Out of my salary, £9 is deducted for dental cover and £104 for holiday buy. I also get £110 a week from my part-time lodger on the weeks they stay. Paycheque Amount: Approx £2,300 after deductions (depends on how much overtime worked). Number of housemates: None, although I do have a part-time weekday lodger, but I don't class them as a housemate and rarely actually see them. Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing costs: £408 mortgage (due to go up to £503 due to five-year rate ending). Loan payments: £344.51 for my car and home improvements loan (42 months remaining at 2.9% and will pay this off when I move). £100 credit card. Savings?: £25,000 earmarked for house move, £1,500 spread across five pots that I save into monthly for specific things. Pension? My employer pays £12% and I pay 7%, which could increase if I wish to. Utilities: £100 gas & electric, £128 council tax, £41 water. All other monthly payments: £38 critical illness cover, £9 life insurance, £41 Sky TV & broadband, £12.25 postcode lottery, £10 National Lottery, £33 phone contract, £50 diesel. Subscriptions: £13 Netflix £11.50 prepaid prescription, £25 gym membership. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? I didn't attend higher education. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Up until the age of 12, finances were always tight. I received weekly pocket money which then turned to a monthly allowance as I got into my teens. I was encouraged to save holiday and birthday money if I wanted to save up for something to buy. Although I was not educated about finances specifically, I was always taught about money and how to manage it. If you have, when did you move out of your parents/guardians house? 27. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself? Does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? When I moved out at age 27. However, I get £110 a week from my part-time lodger on the weeks they stay. What was your first job and why did you get it? At aged 13, I got a job in an old people's home, hoovering and doing the ironing. I got it so I had more money to spend in Topshop at weekends. I also used to babysit and by the time was 16 also had a second part-time job cleaning holiday lodges, which then turned into my main source of income until aged 18, when I started working full-time. Do you worry about money now? I think it's only natural to worry about money! Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? I received £22,500 when my grandfather passed. From this, I paid back the remaining £17,500 I owed my parents and got my garden re-landscaped. Day One 6:40 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I quickly snooze this, for 10 minutes before getting up to go to the toilet and open all the house curtains to let the light come in. I turn my work laptop on for the day ahead. 7 a.m. — It's payday, whoop whoop! I log onto my mobile banking to sort finances out for the month. My salary wasn't as great this month as I was off for a month due to an operation, so I wasn't able to work overtime. 7:20 a.m. — Jump out of bed and get ready for the day. Last night was hair wash night so after applying my makeup, I sit and straighten my hair before throwing on some clothes. 8 a.m. — Start the work day and it is nonstop from the minute I log on. It's the only sunny day of the week so I also keep jumping up to peg the washing out. 10:20 a.m. — 10 min break and nip to the corner shop for a loaf of bread, for once have some change in my purse rather than having to use my card, £1.25. 10:30 a.m. — Once back have a bowl of Frosties. 12:30 p.m. — Last load of washing goes onto the line using every single peg I own, make myself a cheese and ham sandwich and prawn cocktail crisps. 3 p.m. — Decide that I'm not going to the gym tonight due to having fresh hair and it being nice out. I log onto the app to cancel my class and decide to walk instead. 5:15 p.m. — End of the working day for me, although my VPN crashed and I had to restart twice from 5 p.m., joys of WFH). 6 p.m. — My friend L turns up with my M&S parcel that she kindly collected for me (nothing exciting just two plain basic cardigans) and we head for a walk for an hour. Once back, I head to see my parents and have some tea with them. Tonight is meatballs in tomato sauce and orzo. 6:30 p.m. — Get back home and decide to do some weeding out the front, technically the front garden belongs to the flat upstairs; however, in all the years I've lived here, nobody but myself has ever touched it. 9:15 p.m. — After some TikTok time, my eyes start to get tired so pop a melatonin sleep gummy. I discovered these in New York in November when I needed something to help me sleep through my friend's horrific snoring and have taken them ever since. Literally amazing. Lights out 30 mins later. Total: £1.25 Day Two 5:30 a.m. — Wake up needing a wee nooooooooooooooooo far too early to be waking up, please let me go back to sleep. 7:15 a.m. — Check how much sleep I got the night before (a good nine hours and three minutes). I then do a bit of scrolling, ordering two bikinis from Next (added to my account that I pay off in full each month if owe anything). I then call my friend K for our daily morning call. 8:40 a.m. — Decide its time to finally get up and throw some gym clothes before heading out the door first stop Aldi for some pork and Bramley apple sausages and some Haribos, £3.74. Then drive to the gym for my spin class. I've been trying not to do so much spinning lately, but there aren't any instructor-led classes on as it's BH weekend, so it's my only option. 10:45 a.m. — Start work for the day. We each get asked to work two BH a year and I wanted to get them out the way. BH's are double pay so today I'll have earned an extra £309.86. 2 p.m. — Work is quiet, so I've been doing a lot of catching up and chatting with colleagues. I decide to make myself a sausage sandwich for lunch. I invested in a double-stack Ninja air fryer after Christmas and it's a game changer compared to my old one. 3:50 p.m. — Take my 30 min break, jump in the shower and wash my hair then stick some fresh PJs on. This is something I would normally only ever do when working a Sunday but today feels like one so logic telling me it's okay. 5 p.m. — I'm the only senior on shift now until finish so my day gets busier, although very little support needs come through. 6 p.m. — Decide I'm a bit peckish so have a prawn cocktail crisp butty… if you know you know and a few handfuls of Haribos throughout my shift to keep me going. 8 p.m. — Log off… wow that felt like a very longggg day. 8:15 p.m. — Stick a chicken burger in the air fryer and go slonk on the sofa for a bit doom scrolling and eventually bed. 7:40 a.m. — Get up, do the curtains and get back into bed for my daily scroll. 9 a.m. — Time to get up and ready for the day. Makeup, hair straightened and put on jeans, a white vest and a nice striped cardigan. The weather can't make up its mind. 9:40 a.m. — Set off to K's house. I am going to Preston with her, her husband M and my godson M. Stop to go to the chemist on the way to pick up a prescription for her (which isn't ready). I grab myself a box of Solpadeine whilst there, £7.60. 11:40 a.m. — Arrive in Preston, park up and head to the shops. Pop into M&S to do a return and mouch about for a few hours. Decide I'm peckish, so go into Poundland and pick up some Skinny Whip bars and have one to keep me going, £1. 1 p.m. — We leave the shops and I pay for parking, £2. We head for some at Hickory's Smokehouse, I've never even heard of it before but M has been wanting to try for ages. I'm very impressed with the setting and we get seated in a booth: always love a booth. I opted for three sides rather than a main, spicy creole rice, mac n cheese and poutine tater tots. My share comes to £20 which I transfer to M as he pays. Would defo go back there again. 3 p.m. — While in the car on the way home, I buy some Zara denim shorts from Vinted after the seller responds to my question about the actual size. Does anyone else find that the way Vinted lists sizes isn't always true to what the item label says? £8.85 on the credit card. 4 p.m. — We get back home, and K and I decide to take the dog for a walk. We go via Next to do some returns, and then we go to pick up her prescription, which is now ready. 6:30 p.m. — Decide that even after today's big lunch, I'm hungry so I make a sausage sandwich (although my eyes are bigger than my belly). Text the lady I've been going to for colonic irrigation for the past 15 years, she's slowly retiring, so I want to get booked in before she does. A few messages later, an appointment is booked for two weeks' time. 8 p.m. — Get into bed to watch The 1% Club. I always play along on the app and K and I text each other through with updates on our progress. I did appallingly this week. Watch some more TV then lights out. Total: £39.45 Day Four 5 a.m. — No no no. Have a wee but back to sleep. 7:30 a.m. — Awake for the day, normal routine of opening the curtains and getting back into bed for a scroll. Nine hours and 17 minutes of sleep last night. 8 a.m. — Get up for the day and throw on gym clothes and head straight out the door. Go to K's as we are heading out for a walk to a local beauty spot and we pick the perfect day for it as the weather is gorgeous. Glad we got up and went early as on the way back down a lot more people are heading up. We have missed the crowds. On the way back, she decides to get little M a McDonald's, which means we also get one. I opt for a sausage muffin (no egg or cheese) and hash brown with an apple juice, £5.29. 11 a.m. — Head home, get properly ready for the day, jump in the shower then sort hair and makeup. I then sort my bag out and stick the small change from my purse (approximately £2) into my savings tin. 12:45 p.m. — Head back to K's as we're going out for lunch for a friend C's birthday. We pick her up and then drive to the pub where we have a reservation and meet a few others. I opt for my favourite pub grub classic of scampi and chips washed down with two pints of blackcurrant, £17.35. I also pay £3.25 going halves on a class of wine for C. 3 p.m. — Decide I need some cash, so on the way back, I find a machine that actually has some left and withdraw £30. I need some money to get my nails done for later in the week so part of it is for that. 4 p.m. — We head to the cricket club to meet M and a few other friends. I go to the bar to get a drink but M kindly buys me a pint of Diet Coke. We sit outside in the sunshine for a few hours listening to music and chatting away. 6:30 p.m. — Head back home, stopping at the shop for a packet of crumpets, which can only ever be Warburtons, £1. Eat two of these later on with a packet of crisps. 8:30 p.m. — Decide to call it a day as I don't feel great — think it's hayfever from being outside most of the day. I've been knocked really badly with it this year but I've had my annual hayfever jab now, so not feeling as bad as I was previously. Total: £56.89 Day Five 6:40 a.m. — Wake with a start to my alarm going off and promptly snooze it as I was awake in the night with restless legs. I'm seven weeks post op for a nerve issue on my leg and doing through different stages of it repairing itself and this week's stage is definitely restless legs. For some reason when I was awake during the night decided to do a Boots order to stock up on essentials, £40.18. I put this on my credit card and will get £3.70 back via TopCashback (now have £124.38 pending payout on Top CB). The order includes an eyeshadow palette, body sprays, face wipes and some travel sickness pills. 7 a.m. — Standard morning routine of getting up, opening curtains etc. Grab my laptop to log on for work and get back into bed. 7:40 a.m. — Decide I probably should get up, throw on some gym clothes, wash and brush teeth and hair. 8 a.m. — Start work but take advantage of it being dead so I manage to get the housework done in the first hour. Dust, polish, hoover and tidy up. There's got to be some advantages of WFH. Grab a bowl of Crunchy Nut at some point during the morning for breakfast. 12:30 p.m. — Lunch break from work. Meet my friend L for a walk and post a Vinted parcel too. 1:30 p.m. — Get back to work and the afternoon absolutely drags. The crappy weather out is giving me a headache so I have some of the Solpadeine I bought on as they are the only thing that really works for me when have a bad head. 2:30 p.m. — Make myself a sausage sandwich. That's them all gone now, but they really are good sausages. This is followed by a handful of Haribos and some chocolate. 5:15 p.m. — Log off for the day. Contemplate another walk or going to spin but I opt for a pamper shower instead. Hair wash, body scrub, full shave. 8 p.m. — Spend the rest of the evening chilling, make myself chicken kiev and a jacket potato for tea. Find a new three-part series on Netflix so watch all of that before lights out at 10ish. Total: £1.25 Day Six 6:40 a.m. — Ugh is it that time already. Standard morning routine before starting work at 8 a.m. The washer has finished just in time to get the first load on the line before I start puttingthe second in. As a singleton living alone I do not know where it all comes from! 8 a.m. — Time to start work and it's a busy one. I have a 10-minute break mid-morning where I sort the washing, but it's straight through to lunchtime otherwise. 1 p.m. — Stop for 30 minute lunch and decide to head for a walk. Accidentally end up at the ice cream van and buy a Feast for £2.70. Straight back to the desk and plough through to finish. 5:15 p.m. — Work finishes and I'm straight out the gym for a class. Luckily it only takes me three minutes to drive so I get there in time. Tonight is a bodyfit class which is 30 mins of cardio and 15 mins of core which is all done with resistance bands… ouchhhhh. 6:30 p.m. — Get home, have shower time and then make sausage and mash for tea. Settle down for the evening and catch up on Handmaid's Tale. Never want this to end. Total: £2.70 Day Seven 6:30 a.m. — My favourite day of the week are Wednesdays as this is my non-working day. I don't appreciate the early morning wake up, but lately I just cant lie in. Standard morning socials scroll. 8 a.m. — Get up and ready for the day, today myself and K are starting the 75 Medium trend so I head to hers where we measure and weigh and set our goals. We then head out for a 45 minutes on the promenade. 10 a.m. — Go to a house viewing. It's really nice and I come away with a good feeling. Its only just gone on the market and I can't imagine it being around for long but its definitely going on my short list. 10:45 a.m. — Jump in the car with the dog and head out for a woodland walk. We haven't done this one for a few months ever since I got infected mosquito bites all over my legs, but it's good with lots of rocky steep inclines. 1 p.m. — Walk finished, I drive straight to Aldi for this week's shop which is a mixture of food, cleaning products and some toiletries, £29.38. We then head back to K's where we have a lunch of chicken tikka sandwiches and some strawberries. 2:45 p.m. — I take the dog for another quick walk. My godson M asks me to pick him up from school, so it's cut short. 4:15 p.m. — Time for my nail appointment. Get the same colour as last time which is bright pink as it matches my toes. I always go for the brights in the summer months. Pay using my cash from the other day. 5:30 p.m. — Make it to the gym. Tonight's class is 'clubbercise'. We've got a new instructor and the past few weeks sadly havn't been as good as normal. That's a shame as it's usually one of my favourite classes and a good laugh. 6:30 p.m. — Drop a friend off after class and then head home for shower and PJs. Have a nice simple tea of pasta and sauce and chicken as I don't have much energy after tonight's class. 8:30 p.m. — Get into bed for a TV scroll knowing I've got another day off tomorrow (which is in lieu for working this coming Saturday). I have a busy day planned so it is not long before I start to fall asleep. The Breakdown Conclusion "I definitely churn money when I first get paid, but I don't mind this week as it was a bank holiday. Although I worked, I was out and about with friends enjoying myself. Writing it down really does make you realise how much though! I rarely drink nowadays and as you can see didn't consume any alcohol this week. I find I can enjoy myself spending time with friends without drinking, plus I cant stand the hangovers. This week was deffo higher than normal as well due to the Boots order. I also got my nails done which happens every third week-ish. I can live really frugally if needed and I'm always stocked up with food, cleaning products, toiletries etc so if gets to the end of month and money is running low I know I have everything I need to survive. Roll on next payday as I'll have a really good overtime month. All the extra money will go in my holiday pot."
Refinery29
5 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
A Week As A Student In Los Angeles
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a law student who is not currently earning a salary and who spends some of her money this week on a mint stracciatella gelato. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Law student Age: 28 Location: Los Angeles Salary: Currently $0, but with an expected income of ~$40,000 from a summer job. Joint Income & Financial Setup: I live with my boyfriend, K., and we split expected expenses like rent, utilities, and pet costs equally. We do cover things for one another occasionally, him more often than me, since I don't have a steady income. Assets: Investment accounts: $211,400; Roth IRA: $36,800; 401(k): $64;000; checking: $6,300; HYSA/savings: $9,750; crypto: $4,000; HSA: $2,600, car: ~$38,000 (this is how much I've paid toward it, but the value is actually less since it's depreciated since I bought it). Debt: Car loan: $4,400; student loans: ~$40,000. Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $1,150 (split rent with my boyfriend, K.). Loan Payments: $405.62 (car loan). Car Insurance: $126 Apple iCloud: $2.99 Spotify: $5.99 Internet: $20 Water/Power: ~$60 Gas: ~$18 Capital One Member Fee: $95 (annually). Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes! I grew up in a town where going to college after high school was the path for the overwhelming majority. I got an undergraduate degree and am currently in law school after working for four-ish years after college. My parents paid for my undergrad experience, including both tuition and living expenses, which I am very grateful for. I'm paying for law school myself with a combination of scholarships, savings, and loans. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Growing up, I saw my parents fight about their different views on spending and saving, so I definitely understood that stress surrounds money for a lot of adults. However, I was never aware of any financial strain growing up, as I did club sports, traveled, etc. I definitely know my upbringing was privileged. Beyond the importance of saving, I didn't learn much from my parents — I gained most of my financial knowledge in early adulthood from coworkers and my own research online. What was your first job and why did you get it? I was a (very bad, probably) math tutor in high school, which I think I did because a friend offered me the job when she was no longer able to do it. My first official job was on campus in college at an organization that sends students into the community to tutor kids. Did you worry about money growing up? Other than seeing my parents argue about it, no. Do you worry about money now? Not too much since I think I'm in a pretty good situation financially, but eventually buying a house in LA and raising children is definitely something I think about often now that I'm 28. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? At 26, when I moved out of my parents' house to attend law school. My family or my boyfriend K. would be my financial safety net if something happened. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. As mentioned earlier, my parents paid for my college experience and let me live at their house rent-free for about four years after I graduated. They also bought me a used car in college that I sold for $10,000, which went toward the down payment on my current car. Day One: Wednesday 8:30 a.m. — No class today! My boyfriend, K., already fed the cats, so I get out of bed, write my to-dos, and make avocado and cottage cheese toast with an egg on the side. I'm a recent cottage cheese convert. I follow breakfast with an Earl Grey matcha, one of my favorite daily rituals. 9:35 a.m. — Clean up emails and do 'computer stuff' like filling out a survey from my law school. Most of the cleaning up is just deleting emails, so it only takes 15 minutes. 12 p.m. — I finish listing a bunch of old and unwanted clothes on Depop and Poshmark. It always takes me forever, since I model each item and try to be ultra-descriptive to avoid unhappy buyers, so I've been putting it off. Secondhand platforms are one of my side hustles during the school year. I don't make that much, but it's a nice way to counteract my spending and keep the clutter at bay (especially in light of my small shared closet and thrifting addiction). 12:42 p.m. — Lunch is a gorgeous bowl of soup made by K.'s mom and zucchini made by me. His mom gives us tupperwares full of homemade food pretty often, and I'm so grateful for her. 3 p.m. — Video call with a prospective law student! She was so sweet and had great questions. As a first-generation law student, I love talking about my experience and making honest information about the field more accessible. I connect her with a few law friends as well. 4 p.m. — K. recently took my body lotion to the kitchen sink to act as hand cream, so I head to Marshall's in search of actual hand cream (and cat treats). I find just what I need and can't resist getting some cat toys, too. Marshall's is my favorite for when I need stuff but am not specific about what brands they are. When I get home, I promptly move the body lotion back to its rightful place in our medicine cabinet. $17.52 6 p.m. — I cave to my guiltiest pleasure and ask K. to pick up Wingstop on his way home: they have a good tender deal right now. Wingstop always makes me feel gross after, but the joy I feel eating it is unfortunately unparalleled. It's $17 for the two of us, but K pays. 6:40 p.m. — Two of the items I listed for sale today sold! I immediately pack them up. I made $10 on an Artizia shirt and $32 on a pair of Vuori leggings. 11 p.m. — After spending way too much time browsing wedding guest dresses (Club L London, Meshki, Revolve, and Selfie Leslie) and cycling between my usual rotation of TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram, I do my readings for school and get ready for bed. I'm very committed to doing my assigned readings because I prefer to 'study' by being prepared for class rather than cram new material during finals. Goodnight! Daily Total: $17.52 Day Two: Thursday 6:55 a.m. — Rise and shine. I get ready, make a to-go matcha, grab my lunch, and head out the door to campus. 12 p.m. — Two classes down. I have a lunch break before my next class, so I eat (short rib, japchae, and a Korean pancake) while I parse through a classmate's research paper. I have to provide comments on it in my next class, which I didn't realize I had to do until this morning… And it's 37 pages. 2 p.m. — In the middle of my last class and after surviving my own paper's critique, I remember an email I got from Wikipedia this morning asking for a donation. I appreciate that Wikipedia doesn't have ads or a paywall, so I donate a very law student-y amount ($10.40). I also make $24 selling an Artizia hoodie on Depop, so I make a mental note to pack that up when I get home. 4:30 p.m. — I get home and productively couch rot by running the laundry while I lay down. I get munchy around 7 p.m., but for some reason have no interest in eating a real meal, so I eat the weirdest combination for dinner: a leftover vegetable smoothie K. made, a Greek yogurt bowl, and instant ramen (yes, in this order). Not my best work, but the heart wants what it wants. 8 p.m. — K. comes home with a boba for me (my love for boba has not changed since my last diary). We watch an episode of Severance before going to bed around midnight. Daily Total: $10.40 Day Three: Friday 9 a.m. — I habitually wake up at 7 a.m. to feed the cats, but I go back to sleep until 9 a.m. since I don't have class today. Once I'm up, I eat the same breakfast as on Wednesday. 12:45 p.m. — Make it to the gym! I do lower body and some light cardio on the treadmill. I wasn't feeling the best mentally on the way here, but the endorphins help some. I charge my car on the way home and try to stop at a thrift store nearby but find it closed. I'll take that as fate! $8.99 4 p.m. — I eat a small bowl of short rib and rice, then do my full shower-hair-makeup routine in time for a dinner reservation with K. and our friends at 7 p.m. I'm finally starting to get better at blowing my hair out with my Shark. 11 p.m. — Dinner is amazing! We go to K.'s friend's restaurant, which I can best describe as Japanese-influenced fine dining. They always give us extra dishes and discount the bill, which is so kind and not expected. K. and one of his friends cover the bill for the table. 12 a.m. — We meet some more friends at a bar nearby in Chinatown. I agree to drive everyone home, so I don't get any drinks, but it's a great time nonetheless. After we leave the bar, I give my friends some cash to get themselves water and street dogs. $15 Daily Total: $23.99 Day Four: Saturday 11 a.m. — I once again get up at 7 a.m. to feed the cats, but promptly go back to sleep afterwards, since it was a late night. Brunch is rice and the rest of the soup from Wednesday. 3 p.m. — I binge some YouTube, chill, and nap for a majority of the afternoon. I typically feel pretty lazy after nights out, even if I don't drink. I think the sheer extroversion exhausts me. I do sell two more items (Aerie leggings and a random corset top) for $30, which I pack up to ship on Monday. 5 p.m. — I finally mobilize myself and get ready to visit my parents with K. I'm so grateful I chose to go to law school near my family; I see them at least once a week, and it's one of the best parts of each week. I bring shawarma for everyone and, despite my protests, my mom insists on venmoing me the $70 it cost. 7:30 p.m. — I take us out to a new gelato place nearby and finally get to treat everyone. A mint stracciatella gelato hates to see me coming. $33.88 Daily Total: $33.88 Day Five: Sunday 9 a.m. — Good morning! I pack up another item (Sanctuary linen pants, $14) and eat — you guessed it — an avocado and cottage cheese toast with an egg. This diary is making me realize I'm quite a creature of habit. 11 a.m. — I do one of my two readings for tomorrow's classes. I typically procrastinate my readings until nighttime, so this is an accomplishment for me. 12:50 p.m. — Meet up with my sister and mom to grab tempura for lunch. My mom pays. We get matcha and coffee drinks after, which I cover. We originally wanted to go thrifting today, but all the thrift stores are closed for Easter. The universe is really against me thrifting this week! $24 3:30 p.m. — I get home and pack another few items (Aritzia pants, $14; earrings, $4). This is a particularly good week for sales. I wonder if the tariffs are encouraging people to buy secondhand? Anyway, I fully intend to start my last reading before K. gets back from a day trip to Santa Barbara, but the consumerism demons summon me. I browse Mango and heavily contemplate buying the Anja glasses from Gigi Studios on Farfetch, but ultimately add the sunglasses to my summer wishlist when I see that shipping is $24. (Update: I ended up getting the sunnies at the start of my summer job. They were a bit of a treat, considering they were around $240 after shipping charges, and I really like them!) 6:30 p.m. — Okay, now I'm doing my reading. I finish by 7:45 p.m. (though not without distractions). 8:30 p.m. — K.'s back! We get ready for bed, then settle in to watch some YouTube on the couch. We get hungry when we see someone in a YouTube video eating a PB&J, so K. makes us mini grilled cheeses and PB&Js. They absolutely hit the spot. We're in bed by 11:15 p.m. Daily Total: $24 Day Six: Monday 6:45 a.m. — After a night of super weird dreams, I get up slightly earlier than usual to dedicate a bit more time to get ready since I have a school event tonight. Make it out the door, matcha and Depop packages in hand, with just enough time to get to class. 11 a.m. — I realize in my second class that I forgot about an Emi Jay sample sale I intended to check out at 9 a.m. By the time I notice, all the clips I might have wanted are sold out. I'm disappointed because they were selling clips that were actively on the Emi Jay site. Even at half off, $18 for one claw clip is crazy, but I've heard they really do hold — and I have fine hair, so I was eager to try them out. Oh well. 12:40 p.m. — Back at home after dropping my packages at the post office. I eat short rib, rice, and a Korean pancake again for lunch. I can't tell if it tastes old or my mind is playing tricks on me, since I know it's been in the fridge for a while. 5 p.m. — I end up doing nothing I'm supposed to do (two readings for class tomorrow) before it's time to leave for a pregame for the event tonight. I feel guilty for slacking on school stuff, but I rush over and a group of us collectively trek out to the event venue. 10 p.m. — The event ends up being a lot of fun! My friends and I are all hungry after, so we split off between Panda Express and McDonald's. I go for Panda, which is delicious until my stomach starts to feel uneasy. Evidently orange chicken and the Beatbox already swirling around my stomach is not a good combination. $11.63 11:15 p.m. — I get home and go straight to sleep after getting ready for bed. Daily Total: $11.63 Day Seven: Tuesday 6 a.m. — I get up extra early to do one of the readings I didn't get to yesterday. I choose to do this one instead of the other (that I also skipped yesterday) because the professor in this class cold calls. So much for always doing all my readings… 8:20 a.m. — Out the door and off to charge my car. I'm really paying the price for not using my time wisely yesterday. I charge just what I need and get to class five minutes late. $4.17 12 p.m. — Two classes down, and I'm starving! I didn't bring lunch from home today, so I grab a buffalo chicken wrap and Kettle Chips from the school store to eat during my break before my last class. It's finally warming up in LA and eating outside with my friends is lovely, albeit a little bit sweaty. $9.48 6:30 p.m. — Home and chilling for the inevitable future. I'm always burnt out after three-class days. I snack on watermelon, then have beef and radish soup, shredded rotisserie chicken, and rice for dinner. 9:30 p.m. — I finish Gone Girls on Netflix and promptly get up to make sure my doors are locked. I used to be obsessed with true crime until I realized it gave me anxiety and that it kind of sucks to make entertainment out of real-life victims, but alas, I still indulge once in a while. 10 p.m. — K. gets home and we're both super tired, so we're in bed by 11 p.m. Goodnight! The Breakdown Conclusion 'I definitely watch my spending when I'm in school and unemployed, but this still felt like an unusually inexpensive week for me — I think because I went grocery shopping the week before the diary and somehow avoided any online shopping. Plus, my mom paid for two of my meals out. Since starting law school and living off my savings (versus living at home rent-free while I was employed), my spending has definitely tightened up, but it's been a great financial exercise for me and has made me way better at resisting impulse purchases. I'm definitely looking forward to getting paid this summer though. My life has changed so much since my last diary; I'm glad I did this again!'
