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A Week In Seattle On A $377,000 Household Income
A Week In Seattle On A $377,000 Household Income

Refinery29

time13 hours ago

  • Business
  • Refinery29

A Week In Seattle On A $377,000 Household Income

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a community engagement consultant who has a $377,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on children's books about grief. 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: Community engagement consultant Industry: Consulting Age: 36 Location: Seattle, WA Salary: $212,000 (projection based on my business' revenue last year). Joint Income & Finances Setup: My partner A. makes $165,000 a year, so our joint household income is $377,000. Each month, I contribute $7,300 to our joint checking account and A. contributes $6,500. We use this to cover all our bills, groceries, and activities together. We each deposit $2,000 to our personal accounts for individual savings, activities we do individually, or buying ourselves anything that isn't a necessity — basically anything that you can't buy at a pharmacy or grocery store. (For the purposes of this diary, I am tracking spending from our joint checking account and my personal accounts.) Assets: Personal checking: $390; joint checking: $25,977; personal savings: $82,878; my retirement accounts: $221,597; my investment accounts: $114,040; house value: $1,143,000 (Zillow's estimate). I currently have $40,100 in my business account, which pays for my quarterly estimated taxes ($11,600 a quarter this year) and for two of the expenses I listed (phone bill and retirement savings). I don't have access to A.'s savings/retirement/investment accounts but based on our conversations, he has about two-thirds of the amounts I have. Debt: Mortgage: $959,000; car: $5,776; student loan I cosigned for my brother: $62,371. Paycheck Amount (Monthly): Mine: $9,300 (this is the amount I transfer from my business account to my personal accounts; taxes, retirement savings, and business expenses are paid directly from my business account). My partner's: $8,500 (post-tax and deductions). Pronouns: She/her Joint Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $5,926 — A. and I own our home, where we live with our 22-month-old daughter, J. It is a three-bed/two-bath with a bonus room, basement, and large yard. Loan Payments: $492.13 for our car loan. Daycare: $1,515 Car & Home Insurance: $247.49 (for two cars). Utilities: ~$50 for electric; ~$150 for water, sewer and garbage; ~$100 for gas (electric and water are billed every other month, gas is billed every month). Internet: $80 Streaming Services: $35 (Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu). Health & Dental Insurance: $1,000 (deducted from A.'s paycheck). Donations: $155 ($55 to Real Rent Duwamish and $100 to Sustainable Seattle). Personal Monthly Expenses Trainwell: $300 (quarterly). Therapy: $370 for two appointments a month. Phone: $75 (paid through business account). Savings: $300 (started putting this in my brokerage account instead of savings in January). Retirement: $1,000 (deposited from business account into SEP IRA; A. puts ~$500 in his 401(k) every month and his workplace has a 50% match). 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, both of my parents went to college and expected that would be the trajectory my siblings and I took as well. I am from a Latin American country, and my dad went to college in the US, so I wanted to follow his footsteps. I went to a US university with a campus in my country and did my first two years there. Then, I transferred to the main campus for my final 18 months. By doing this, I was eligible for in-state tuition, and my degree cost ~$32,000, which my parents were able to pay. I went on to get a master's degree, and my tuition was waived since I was a teaching assistant. I feel very fortunate to have no student loans, though as mentioned above I did cosign for my brother's graduate school loans, because I was the only family member that could cosign a loan in the US. At the time, the choices felt like they were either I cosign the loan or I tell him sorry, you don't get to go to grad school. Looking back, I wish I had encouraged him to think more deeply about taking on this debt, since he went to an expensive private university and this is only part of the debt (he ended up also taking out a bigger loan that my parents cosigned in my home country). I don't think he truly understood the magnitude of starting adult life with so much debt until after he graduated. This situation has been a cause of stress at times and put a strain on our relationship, because he has missed payments and not communicated about it until I started getting letters about a past due balance. But I can't change the past, and now we are focused on making sure he makes timely payments so we can apply to remove me as a cosigner. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? My parents opened a savings account for me as a child and told me about the importance of savings. They never spoke to me about credit cards or how to make big purchases like a house, and I learned in the past couple of years that my parents went into credit card debt sometimes to go on big vacations. I was surprised they had taken a vacation that they were not able to afford without credit card debt, because I have never done that before. What was your first job and why did you get it? I had some internships as an undergraduate and then I was a teaching assistant in graduate school. As an international student, the types of jobs I could take during my studies were very limited. I did not have a job in high school — it is not customary for teenagers to work in my country, unless they are doing it to supplement the household income. Did you worry about money growing up? No, and I now realize it's because my parents shielded me from their money worries. My dad was a small business owner, my mom had a 9-5 job when I was in elementary school, and our family was well-off. My mom was burnt out and left her job when I was in about 3rd grade, and a couple of years later my dad's business went under during an economic downturn (and also due to some family drama that I learned about later in life). As an adult, I learned that during this time all of the family assets had to go under my mom's name because otherwise they would have been seized to pay for debts left by the business. To stay afloat, they refinanced for a lower payment over a longer time period, sold one of their cars, and my mom went back to work as a real estate agent (my dad found other work as well). My parents were very stressed, but through it all, we still had all our basic needs met, and by the time I went to college, they made enough money to pay for my tuition. Do you worry about money now? Not very much. I make more money than I ever imagined possible when I was a child, and I can buy everything I want and need. I do worry about my brother continuing to pay his loan, since he has had instances of missing payments. The worry is greater now because my dad passed away last month, and he was the one person who said he would not let my brother's debt fall to me (in the last 10 years my dad and uncle started a new business together, which paid my dad very well). But every month that my brother makes a payment and we're closer to applying to no longer have a cosigner, I feel better. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? At 21, when I finished my undergraduate degree and was able to support myself with my teaching assistant salary. My safety net is my savings, and the ability to move back to my family home (outside of the US) if things were really dire. Since my dad died, I've had this heavy feeling that I would now be the safety net for my siblings and my mom (who is retired, and now that my dad died her only income is social security). A. assures me that his family has a large cushion if we hit a rough patch. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. A few years ago, we rented out a room in our previous house to one of our friends, who paid $800 a month. All of my grandparents are gone, and I didn't get an inheritance from them. My dad died with a couple thousand dollars left to pay on his credit card, so no monetary inheritance from him, but he and my mom did set me up for this incredible life I have, which is priceless. My siblings and I will likely inherit our family home, since it's paid off and my mom wants to keep living there. Day One: Thursday 7:30 a.m. — I gradually drift awake and lie around looking at my phone for about 15 minutes before I get up, pull on my favorite rainbow sweatpants, and head downstairs to wake up my 22-month-old, J. Today I'm getting her ready for daycare while my partner A. takes care of our pets and packs her daycare bag with multiple outfit changes for when she inevitably makes a mess. We switch up who does what depending on our moods. Then, I go drop her off and hand in this month's daycare payment (in monthly expenses). 9 a.m. — Back home, I eat two pieces of toast with avocado spread for breakfast and lounge around until my first and only call of the day. My dad passed away three weeks ago, and my motivation to work is at an all-time low. I'm taking every day as it comes and focusing on the essential tasks for now. I feel very lucky that as a self-employed person I can give myself the gift of working at my own pace. I take a call with a colleague (another consultant) to review some meeting notes and plan for an upcoming meeting. After my call is over, I prepare and send invoices, which I always do on the first of the month. Even with a haphazard work schedule, I managed to bill $16,500 last month! My monthly goal is to bill at least $14,000 to cover my salary, retirement savings, taxes, and business expenses. I pay myself a mid-year and end-of-year bonus based on excess revenue — last year I was able to pay myself $10,000 for each bonus! 12 p.m. — Every other week our daycare sends a bag of produce home with J., and today I make a salad with arugula, bell peppers, and shallots courtesy of the daycare produce bag, plus carrots and a hard-boiled egg that I had at home, and top it with an oil and red wine vinegar dressing. While I eat, I put together a grocery list and admire the condolences flowers a friend sent me a couple days ago. 2 p.m. — I can't bring myself to get my mind back into work, so instead I bring my yoga mat out to the backyard and do a 30-minute yoga flow. I was back in my home country for two weeks recently while my dad was in the hospital and when he passed away; one of my distractions during that time was doing yoga outdoors. Now that I'm back home and the weather is warmer, I've found a lot of peace in it. Afterwards, I shower and change into a boxy burnt orange T-shirt and my fanciest pair of patterned shorts to meet a new business contact for coffee. I debated wearing shorts for a business meeting, but it's an unusually warm 70 degrees out today, so who am I to argue with nature? 5 p.m. — The coffee meeting went well, and we ended up sitting outside, so the shorts were a good choice. My new colleague kindly paid for my chai latte. I drive to the grocery store and buy ingredients for burgers, a roasted vegetable orzo dish, and salmon chowder, along with eggs (they're at $7 a dozen, ugh), sparkling water, fruits, and coconut macaroons. A. is picking J. up from daycare today (we split drop off and pick up each day), so we all reconvene back at the house. I blow bubbles with J. in the backyard while A. grills the burgers, and the adults enjoy a beer to celebrate the beautiful weather. $95.93 7:30 p.m. — I do J.'s bedtime routine, which usually takes 15-20 minutes, while A. does the dishes and puts away her toys — another task we split depending on our moods. Once J.'s in her crib, I go back outside to sit in the hammock until it gets too chilly. Then, I put away laundry while I talk on the phone with my mom and sister (who is staying with my mom for an extended time to help after my dad's passing). Wrap up my night watching an episode of The Handmaid's Tale with A. So tense. Do my bedtime routine of removing contacts, washing my face, and brushing my teeth/flossing, and in bed by my usual bedtime of 11:30 p.m. Daily Total: $95.93 Day Two: Friday 8 a.m. — A. is dropping off J. at daycare today so I put on some activewear and go down to the basement to exercise. I've been using an app called Trainwell for about six months now, and it's been really good for my consistency and progression with strength training. Today is leg day and I'm sweating profusely. After I'm done, I take a quick shower and put on a short-sleeve green linen shirt and striped shorts. I put my hair in a ponytail with a scrunchie I bought at a craft market in my home country. 10 a.m. — I'm meeting a friend at a bakery, and it's beautiful out, so I ride my bike there. I get a chai latte, tomato focaccia, and a citrus shortbread cookie. We sit on the rooftop deck and have a good talk (...And cry) about life. On my bike ride back, I stop to admire the Olympic mountain range and take a few photos. Since my dad died, I keep thinking that Bad Bunny's right: debí tirar más fotos (I should have taken more photos). $20.66 12:30 p.m. — I get in the shower again and wash my hair this time. I wash and style with Briogeo's Curl Charisma products. Then, I head to the backyard with a can of sparkling water for a phone call with a fellow consultant turned friend who wanted to check on how I'm doing. Our conversation is 90% catching up and 10% about a project we're working on together. After an hour-long talk, I have Sichuanese takeout leftovers from two days ago for lunch. 2 p.m. — I get on my computer for a short but productive work session. As a community engagement consultant, my projects mainly focus on helping my clients get feedback about their plans, strategies, etc from the people who are affected by their work. I make a presentation for a community advisory group meeting I have next week. We're visiting friends later today, and once I'm done with work, I make a salad to bring with us. 4 p.m. — A. and I go pick J. up at daycare together and head to our friends' house. We chat and eat salad and homemade pizza and then head out for a walk. Our friends have two kids and two dogs, and it's hard to say whether J. has more fun playing with the kids or dogs. I've been asking friends if they have any kid clothes that they're ready to pass along, and we get sent home with a bag of hand-me-downs! 7:30 p.m. — Back home and get J. in bed. I have a love-hate relationship with her early bedtime: love how much free time I have after, hate that it means I'm usually home by 7:30 p.m. I lounge around, text friends about weekend plans, and catch up on the news until I get sleepy around 10:30 p.m. Daily Total: $20.66 Day Three: Saturday 8 a.m. — I wake up and lay around until 8:30 a.m. when we hear J. starting to stir. Words cannot express how happy I am to have a child who sleeps past 8 a.m. We all get dressed to go out to breakfast. Brunch has always been my favorite meal to eat at a restaurant, and we've turned J. into a brunch food enthusiast as well. It's chillier out today, so I decide on a blue striped button-back tank, teal pants, and a chunky brown cardigan. After becoming a parent, I'm constantly trying to balance looking cute with dressing comfortable to look after a child. 10 a.m. — We go to a Hawaiian spot and get a loco moco for me, chicken and bubble waffles for A., and hash brown patties for all ($50.14). We both share our food with J. After breakfast I get a chai latte and a steamer for J. from a nearby café ($10.38), and A. gets a Vietnamese iced coffee from a different spot (with his personal account, which I'm not tracking). Yes, chai lattes are my financial weakness. Back home, I video call my mom so she can be delighted by everything J. says and does. Both of my parents were over the moon when they became grandparents, and I get teary-eyed thinking about how much I wish my dad could also get to see her grow up. $60.52 1:30 p.m. — J. is down for a nap and I hype myself up to finish some neglected work. I make an agenda to go with the presentation I made yesterday. The meeting is in Spanish, and I draft the materials in Spanish so they sound more natural, but then I also have to translate to English for client review. Most of my contracts are with state and local government, and the topics tend to be things that I'm sure the current presidential administration would frown upon. Luckily, they are all funded by local and state revenue sources and business is as good as ever. Take that, orange man! 3 p.m. — Have a snack of cheese and crackers and wake up J. to meet with friends at the park. We're a total of six adults, six children, and two dogs walking, biking, and strolling along a 2.5-mile lakefront trail. Afterwards, some of us head to my favorite taproom for dinner and drinks. We order a plain burger for J. and two special burgers plus fries for A. and I for dinner. A. and I each have two draft beers, and we pick up a few canned and bottled beers on the way out (A. must have paid for the cans and bottles with his personal account). One of our friends gifts us a hand-me-down windbreaker, balance bike, and bike helmet as an early birthday present for J. So kind! $41.49 8 p.m. — We were having so much fun that we're back home slightly past J.'s bedtime. Whoops! I love active days when we're having fun with friends and don't get home until bedtime. After we get J. in bed, A. and I enjoy our weekly board game night. We play Azul while we split the bottled beer we got, and I eat a couple coconut macaroons. Sadly, I lose at the board game. Daily Total: $102.01 Day Four: Sunday 8 a.m. — Get up and put on some activewear since our plans for this morning are to try a new-to-us breakfast spot and go on a hike. At the breakfast spot, I order a salmon and veggie scramble, A. gets French toast, and we order an egg and fruit plate from the children's menu for J. I see several tables that include grandparents with their grandchildren, and it makes me miss my dad so much. I thought the future held so many more outings with both of my parents and J. $62.24 10:45 a.m. — We get to the trail and put J. in her hiking backpack. She is stoked. We picked an urban trail that goes down a bluff and into a beach on the Puget Sound. At the beach, we sit on a log and watch her play in the sand while we chat and enjoy the sunshine. I carried her in the backpack on the way in and A. carries her on the way out. 1:30 p.m. — Back home and I put J. down for a nap. Shower and change into a cropped light blue tank top and floral patterned pink and white shorts. It's warm again, so I head outside to relax in the hammock. While I'm there, I take a second to pay off my credit card. This month, there's $2,500 of unexpected travel expenses on it. Some of it is from traveling to my home country when my dad was hospitalized, and some is for an upcoming trip for A., J., and I to visit my brother in Texas, where my mom and sister will meet us. I thought seeing J. would lift my mom's spirits. I paid for the plane tickets with my personal account since we have two big trips planned for the year that took up our joint travel budget. I gulp as I see my checking account dip below $500, but it's important to be with my family right now and I know I'll replenish it. 3 p.m. — Get J. up from her nap and we take a walk to the garden store. A. is the gardener of the household and he wants to pick up grass seed, a couple garden tools, and something new to go in one of the garden beds. He decides on bok choy. He also continues to muse about planting a pear tree and asks the staff some questions about it. After we walk back, we let J. try out her new balance bike. She squeals with excitement when we show it to her, but let's just say it'll take some practice before she makes it very far in it. $71.68 5 p.m. — A. starts preparing the roasted vegetable orzo dish that I bought ingredients for, and I alternate between folding laundry and playing outside with J. She wants to sit in the hammock, but she doesn't want me to sit in it with her. Rude. I also sort through the hand-me-downs and put away fall/winter outfits for later in the year. After dinner, I sit outside with J. to split a pineapple and coconut flavored popsicle. 8 p.m. — I've been meaning to buy a couple of books about death and grief for children (Something Very Sad Happened and Everywhere, Still) and find them on I don't think J. realizes anything has happened, but I have told her that my dad died and that means we won't see him again. I want to tell her about my dad as she grows up, and I hope the books will help. I also do some prep for my upcoming trip to Texas: I text my neighbor about catsitting and browse around for rental cars. Looks like it would be in the $300 range for a mid-size SUV — I will book it in the next few days. My neighbor texts back that she can watch my cats! $41.64 10 p.m. — Watch Last Week Tonight with A. and fret about the cruelty of deporting people without due process. I became a US citizen a few years ago and I often find myself thinking that I didn't go through all that work for this. My upper back is feeling tense, so I find a 10-minute yoga video to stretch the neck, shoulders, and upper back and do that before bed. A. buys some diaper pail liner bags and pumpkin powder that we mix into our dog's food from Amazon. $44.13 Daily Total: $219.69 Day Five: Monday 7:30 a.m. — Start to drift awake and hear J. starting to stir shortly after. Her daycare is closed today, so A. and I have agreed to take the morning off together and then take turns working in the afternoon. He makes us eggs and bacon for breakfast and then heads to the Vietnamese coffee place in our neighborhood for a coffee. On a whim, I ask him to bring me a matcha latte, since I haven't tried one from that spot before (I end up finding it too sweet). $15.62 10 a.m. — We head out on a walk to a produce market in our neighborhood. I forgot to buy asparagus for the roasted vegetable orzo, so we buy some, plus a few pears, and A. grabs a flavored sparkling drink. Once we're back home, we put the asparagus in the oven and add it to the orzo. I have leftover orzo for lunch with J. and A. starts his work shift. $10.94 1:30 p.m. — Get J. down for a nap and head to the basement for a workout. After I'm done, I wash my hair, change into a cream colored A-line dress with buttons down the front, and head up to my office for my work shift. I work on a presentation for a different community advisory group meeting and have a client meeting to prepare for an advisory group meeting this week. I also log on to pay my state Business and Operations tax and realize that with all the commotion in my life, I forgot to pay last month. I hold my breath as I click through to see the penalty, and luckily it is only $7. I pay last month's tax and schedule this month's payment through my business bank account. 6 p.m. — A. and I just joined a book club with friends and today is our first meeting. Our babysitter arrives and we update her on J.'s current evening routine before we head out to meet our friends at a pub. A. and I split a green salad and a large pizza with one other friend (looks like we didn't venmo him, but his share would have only been ~$13). I get one beer, and A. takes full advantage of the fact I'm driving and gets three drinks. We discuss this month's book, North Woods, which was not my vibe. This group of friends is mostly parents, and it's nice to spend some adults-only time together. $103.97 10 p.m. — Get back home and pay the sitter. She is a neighbor and it's nice to have a familiar face to watch J. Chill on the couch with the local news in the background and head to bed at 11. $100 Daily Total: $230.53 Day Six: Tuesday 8 a.m. — I don't have much going on today, so I pull on some of my staple comfort clothes, a gray T-shirt with a cartoon golden frog on it and a pair of pink joggers. Head out to drop J. off at daycare and make myself two pieces of toast with cashew butter and honey for breakfast once I'm back. I call the vet to schedule my cats' annual checkup next week. 10 a.m. — I log on to my computer and start my day with a call with a former client who is interested in working together again. I spend the rest of the morning sending updates about various projects and setting up my new accounting reports for a renewed contract. I joke that I've become a self-taught accountant since starting my business, because as a small business owner you have to learn about all sorts of business administration tasks. 12 p.m. — Break for lunch and have most of the leftover orzo (minus a small portion for J.'s dinner). I watch a video about how productivity culture is wearing us down before I change into an activewear tank top and shorts to take a leisurely stroll to a post office dropbox to mail a check to a vendor. It's nice to combine outdoor time with a work errand. 2 p.m. — Back at my desk, I send a couple of emails and start to feel myself slow down. I've learned from previous experiences with grief that there's no use in forcing myself to work, it just means things take longer to do and I feel drained after. So I call it a day and head outside for some yoga in the backyard. I take a quick shower after and settle into the hammock to relax and read Land of Milk and Honey. I normally really enjoy dystopian novels, but the writing style of this one has been hard for me to click with, so it's taken me a few weeks to get through it. 5:30 p.m. — A. gets home with J. and we hang out in the backyard together until A. starts working on the salmon chowder. I give J. her dinner and then bring her back outside to use her balance bike. After a few minutes, she gives vibes that she would like to take a walk in the stroller instead. I set out for a walk with her and something about the late afternoon sun reminds me of the first time we took her out on the stroller when she was five days old and my parents were with us. I decide to indulge the nostalgia and retrace our steps from that day. 8 p.m. — J. is asleep and I have dinner with A. On weeknights we usually eat after she's in bed because we start cooking when she gets home from daycare, and it's nice to have the time for just the two of us. After dinner we sit on the front steps and reminisce. I point out a couple of crows that seem to be making a nest in a tree across the street. After it gets dark, I decide that I feel like baking and look around the kitchen to see what ingredients we have. I make brownies with a layer of shredded coconut in the middle. By the time they're out of the oven, it's too late to wait for them to cool down before I go to bed, so I just take a small test bite. Delicious! Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Wednesday 7:30 a.m. — Get up and put on some activewear to be ready to exercise later. Today is picture day at daycare, so A. and I carefully consider J.'s outfit and backup outfits, and I put her hair in space buns. When I drop her off, I see a kid come in wearing a tuxedo — sorry J., you don't own anything that fancy. 9 a.m. — I stop by the grocery store since I don't have anything for lunch today (we're having leftover salmon chowder for dinner, and I don't like eating the same thing twice in a day). I pick up romaine lettuce, a bell pepper, a red onion, and two avocados ($8.41). Then, I stop by my favorite bakery to pick up a loaf of bread to go with our chowder tonight. I decide on a polenta sourdough loaf, and also get myself an olive tapenade focaccia and chai latte for breakfast ($23.10). $31.51 10 a.m. — Log on to my computer and get on a call with a couple other consultants to debrief about a project we applied for but didn't get. While I'm on the call I see an email come through from a new client that she's gotten approval to proceed with a new project together, planning and facilitating two community feedback sessions. That's consulting in a nutshell! I write her back about next steps and then I head to the basement for a workout. My afternoon is busy with calls and I have a meeting after business hours today, so it's my one chance. It's arms and shoulders day, my favorite. 12 p.m. — I make a salad with the vegetables I bought today (plus carrots from the fridge), and I poach an egg and mash one of the avocados I bought with salt, pepper and lemon juice to spread on a slice of the polenta sourdough. Yum! I'll have enough for lunch tomorrow, too. Shower and change into a black short-sleeve floral shirt and my second fanciest blue shorts before I go back to my desk for three back-to-back calls. 4 p.m. — Wrap up my afternoon calls and head to the backyard and call back A.'s aunt, who called a few days ago to check on me. We have a nice chat about grief, work, and the state of the world. A. and J. get back home, and she is not wearing any of the picture day outfits we picked out. Hang out with them for a few minutes before I have to log back on for a 6 p.m. community advisory group meeting that I am facilitating. These tend to be outside of business hours since the participants do this in their spare time. I try not to have more than one evening call per week to keep a good balance between work, family time, and social time. 8 p.m. — The call is done, and I am so tired. It was a good meeting and I feel moved by how the participants trust me to share their personal experiences with vulnerable topics, but facilitating can feel like a workout sometimes. J. is already asleep, which is a downside of evening meetings. Eat my leftovers and finally get around to cutting up the brownies I made yesterday. I lay down on the couch to reserve the rental car for Texas (ends up being $268 and will be charged when I pick it up) and finish reading Land of Milk and Honey, so I mark it as read and leave a review on The Storygraph. Thanks for reading my Money Diary/grief journal! Daily Total: $31.51 The Breakdown Conclusion 'I thought this was a typical week in terms of how many activities we had and how many times we went out to eat or picked up coffee. Getting a babysitter is more of a monthly occurrence, so that would be the one expense that doesn't tend to happen every week. I feel like every week we end up spending ~$100 on random household purchases, like the diaper pail liner bags or children's books — but I also feel like that's just life with a young child! Writing the diary also made me think about how it's unfortunate that family emergencies can be so expensive, like spending money on last-minute plane tickets to see my dad. At the time, I didn't know that would be the last time I would see him, so I am glad that I have the means to cover an expense like that. After I submitted the diary, I found out that I will be getting $12,000 from my dad's life insurance. I plan to use it to start J.'s college savings account, and it's so special to me that even though he's not around anymore, my dad will still be able to give her a wonderful gift years from now.'

A Week In The Denver Area On A $223,000 Household Income
A Week In The Denver Area On A $223,000 Household Income

Refinery29

time2 days ago

  • Business
  • Refinery29

A Week In The Denver Area On A $223,000 Household Income

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a paramedic who has a $223,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on a metal yard flamingo. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Paramedic Industry: Emergency medicine/healthcare Age: 31 Location: Denver area Salary: My pre-tax salary is about $110,000, but my overtime really causes it to fluctuate. I have an hourly rate, not a technical salary, which is $28.84. Joint Income & Financial Setup: $223,000. My husband, A., makes $113,000 and our finances are mostly combined. We share the mortgage, streaming services, bills, etc, but each have our own car payment and 'fun money'. We contribute $2,250 monthly to a joint account for bills. We also have a high rewards credit card that we try to use and then immediately pay down. I have a second job teaching paramedic students part time, making about $400 monthly when I pick up shifts. Assets: HYSA: $3,465 (this is usually about $1,500 higher but I had to take some out at the beginning of the year to pay for classes up front); joint retirement and investment account: $11,390; 401(k): $22,000; personal savings: $500 (this should be higher, I know — my goal this year is to bulk up my savings. I do try to keep my larger savings in my HYSA); house worth: $533,800; joint savings: $176 — we redid our entire yard last summer and have struggled to build up our savings again. A. has slightly expensive tastes (and tbh I can be this way too). Debt: Joint credit card: $646; car: $43,000; mortgage: $431,191. Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly): $2,500-$4,000 (this varies depending on how much overtime I pick up). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $2,678 (mortgage payment). Utilities: $150-$300, depending on the heating or cooling time of year. HOA: $35 Water: $100 (this is higher in summer as A. has an obsession with having the nicest yard in the neighborhood). Internet: $113 Loan Payments: I pay $800 for my car, a little higher than the minimum. I don't know what A.'s payment is but I think it's about $1,200. Pet Insurance: $78 (I cannot overstate the lifesaver this has been). Verizon Phone Bill: $355 (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ are included). Car Insurance: $421 HBO: $20, I mooch Peacock and Paramount off my bff, and share mine with her. Church Donations: $70 Kindle Unlimited: $13 Gym: $15 Pilates: $124 Just the Recipe: $12.99 Dog Sitter: $100 Credit Card Fees: $25 for my personal card; $95 yearly for our joint card. Savings: I don't have a set savings amount, just whatever is left over after I pay down my credit card and contribute to the bills. Dog Food: $72 every six weeks. Dog Allergy Shot: $108 every seven weeks. Pest Control: $150 every three months. House Security System: $500 (annually). Instacart: $112 (annually). Amazon Prime: $70 (annually — I'm getting the student discount because I'm taking classes). Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? My parents are both very well educated, and all three of my brothers have some sort of bachelor's or master's degree, so education has always been an option, but I knew in high school that college wasn't for me. I was homeschooled until my senior year, took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do, and then took an EMT class at 19. I went to paramedic school in 2018. I got an AA degree last year and am working (very slowly) on my bachelor's degree, since I have about $5,000 available to use yearly. I was a pretty hard-working teenager and I think my parents knew I would land somewhere without a degree. I paid for EMT and paramedic school out of pocket, and my job paid for half of medic school. The AA degree was covered fully by my job. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? I don't remember specific conversations, but my parents required us to earn at least $1,000 each summer of high school. I do wish they had talked about credit cards, as I didn't open my first one until I was 22, and it's hurt my credit a little. I also didn't really understand the importance of retirement savings until probably about five years ago. What was your first job and why did you get it? Mother's helper at 12. I got it to help the neighbor out and the money was a bonus. I moved from babysitter to nanny with that kid until I graduated high school. I worked five jobs (food service, nanny, multiple babysitting jobs) the summer after I graduated high school. I saved all that money to move out the following summer when I got my first EMT job. Did you worry about money growing up? Not really, my dad has a good career, but I do remember a few times he was between jobs and my parents were worried about money. It usually didn't last long, and we were fortunate to go on nice vacations and always have nice birthdays and Christmases. I am sure their different money styles caused conflict between my parents as I remember 'budget meetings' where me and my brothers made ourselves scarce. Do you worry about money now? I try not to, but the world is changing fast and the economy seems shaky at best. We don't have a real savings account, beyond our retirement accounts. We are still on the fence about having kids, but I am adamant about wanting a decent savings and child account before we decide to start down that road. I could definitely tighten up my own personal spending and saving, and it's one of my goals for this year. I got cancer at 24 (cancer free now for six years!) and the medical bills were high for some years, with all my extra money going to pay them. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I would say 20, when I moved out and got my first EMT job. My parents would be my safety net, as my dad now has a very high salary. I know A.'s parents would also help us if we got into a tight spot. Honestly, if we just tightened up our finances and focused on saving, I think we could build up our savings account. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No inherited income, but both my and A.'s parents gave us $5,000 for our wedding. We used half of that for a nice mattress and bed frame, and the other half for our wedding. Day One: Monday 5:30 a.m. — This week starts with a bang: I'm on shift, and we get up for a call and don't have time to go back to bed before shift change. I grab a cup of coffee and finish my reports. We got wrecked this set, so I am very ready to go home. I work 48 hours on, 96 hours off, which is great unless you don't sleep for two days. 7:15 a.m. — On the way home, I pick up doughnuts for me and my husband, A. He works as a firefighter and we're very fortunate to work the same shift hours. $13.16 7:30 a.m. — I get home and let our two dogs, L. and M., out of the bedroom and am knocked over by their exuberant love. My best friend, B., stays at our house and dogsits while we're on shift. I give her $100 a month, which doesn't sound like much, but she lives with her parents and so having a house to herself for two days is something she loves. A. and I drink our coffee with donuts and chat about our shifts. 10 a.m. — B. and I drag ourselves to the gym and do arms and core. I chug a protein drink and have some leftover pizza when we get home before hopping in the shower. I do my AM skincare: hypochlorous acid spray, Naturium Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid, Experiment Super Saturated, Kopari Ceramide Cream, and Beauty of Joseon Sun Relief. I'm so tired I can barely see straight but I have one quick homework assignment to finish before the deadline tonight. After that, I crash hard for about two hours. 3:30 p.m. — B. and I go see The Accountant 2. She bought the tickets last week. The movie is really entertaining! 6:30 p.m. — We stop for pho on the way home, my favorite food. I get hers since she got the movie tickets. We take it out and feed the dogs before finishing Avatar: The Way of Water with chai espresso martinis. A. is out with friends tonight, so after we finish the movie, I make myself an old fashioned and play the new Assassin's Creed game until I can't keep my eyes open. $40.35 10:30 p.m. — I do my nighttime skincare: Prequel cleanser, Naturium Azelaic Acid, The Ordinary Niacinamide, prescription Tretinoin 0.05%, and CeraVe Night Cream, with CocoKind Eye Cream and a Frownie patch on my 11s lines. Teeth brushed and put the girls in their crates. I think A. gets home about 1 a.m. but I am unconscious. Daily Total: $53.51 Day Two: Tuesday 7:05 a.m. — I drag myself out of bed, wondering why I picked up a teaching shift the day after my real job. I do my AM skincare, let the dogs out for potty and breakfast, then kiss A. goodbye. Wildly jealous he's still asleep. I pack a blueberry yogurt parfait I made a few days ago and my leftover pho for lunch. The commute is trash today — Denver traffic is always a nightmare. So glad I usually only have to drive to work once a week. I get a Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks but I have a Christmas gift card still hanging on, so it's technically free. #girlmath 9 a.m. — We run medical scenarios all morning for the paramedic students, and then our boss offers to buy us Jimmy John's for lunch. This has literally never happened in the four years I've worked here?? Definitely not complaining. My leftover pho will have to wait another day. 11 a.m. — I work on homework on the lunch break, and purchase a wave curler and some cuticle lotion from Amazon. I got gel nails for the first time ever for our vacation at the beginning of the year, and it WRECKED my nails. I am going to try moisturization and see if it helps. $35.67 3 p.m. — I get done early, and on the drive home I call my dad to sweet talk him into buying his own ticket for a concert my brothers and I are getting my mom for Mother's Day. He agrees, but I'm waiting to hear back from two of my brothers if they're in. I'll buy the tickets and Venmo request them at some point. 4:30 p.m. — I swing home and change into gym clothes, and then drive two minutes to the Pilates studio and take a class. I just started Pilates and I find it a great balance to my normal strength training. After class, I get home to find A. making Cajun shrimp pasta for dinner. I take a body shower and make a gin and tonic before starting on the dishes he used to make dinner, which appears to be every pan we own? I feed the puppies before we eat. The food is worth the dishes. 7 p.m. — We start watching Havoc on Netflix but quickly realize neither of us are interested. We pick Draft Day instead. A. makes us each an old fashioned. We mosey to bed around 11 p.m. Daily Total: $35.67 Day Three: Wednesday 9 a.m. — I get out of bed slowly and do my morning skincare. Start a pot of coffee, feed the dogs, and have a bowl of cereal with vanilla yogurt and coffee with cream. I play Assassin's Creed for a couple of hours. I love my schedule, but trying to balance productivity and rest is always a struggle. I feel guilty for doing nothing but I can't go all out for four days and then try to go back to work. It's a never-ending battle. 11 a.m. — I do some quick chores around the house: plant a few flowers I bought last week, start a wash with bed sheets, and vacuum. The dogs get to run around the backyard for a while and somehow get soaking wet. 12:15 p.m. — I'm teaching at one of the fire departments my agency works with about some new medications, so I swing by our headquarters to pick up supplies. The lockbox won't work and I have to wait for our chief to come let me in. I call and let them know I'll be a little late. The training goes smoothly. I'll add these hours to my timecard when I get to work. 3 p.m. — A. and I take the dogs for a walk. Our golden retriever is getting chunky and May is her month to get her summer body ready. I play a little video games before switching the sheets around and showering. I do a little makeup (Saie Blush and Highlight, mascara) and diffuse my hair. 5 p.m. — A. is heating up leftovers when I leave for a painting event with friends. We're celebrating one of my old work partners becoming a paramedic. She's been a paramedic for like six months, which just speaks to how hard it is to get a group of adult friends together. I buy a bottle of wine because it's cheaper than two glasses. We're all painting our pets tonight. I agonized over which puppy to paint, and settled on the chocolate lab. We have a blast painting and everyone's pet turns out amazing. $14.12 9:30 p.m. — I drive home in the pouring rain. A. pulls the painting out of the bag, laughs until he cries, and immediately hangs it on the wall. He says I got her face perfect but her body looks like a seal. I have to agree. We watch an episode of Breaking Bad and I suddenly remember we need a few things from the store. I place an Instacart order for the following day for ranch dressing, olive oil, coffee creamer, baby wipes, chicken breast, rice, zucchini, and an orange. I use our joint checking account. I also realize I haven't had any real food since this morning, so I heat up a frozen burrito quickly. $41.15 11:30 p.m. — We finally mosey to bed and I do my nighttime skincare. The dogs beg to get on the bed but I just washed the sheets so I like at least one night of hair-free sleep. Daily Total: $55.27 8 a.m. — I was trying to sleep in later than this but once I wake up, I'm up. I waste time on my phone before doing morning skincare, dogs fed, etc. I'm headed to brunch so I make a small single-serve pour over for the drive (shoutout, Copper Cow Coffee!). It's churro flavored, which tastes slightly odd with my white chocolate mocha creamer, but I'll drink coffee in about any form. 10 a.m. — It's mostly the same work friends from last night at brunch. It's easy to bond with people when you work for the same 48 hours straight and deal with the type of things we do. We have a really fun time; I get French toast and an espresso martini. I also get a flight of bacon to take home for A. My voice is very sore, one of my vocal chords was damaged during my cancer surgery so loud social settings really tire me out. This has been a social week! $58.20 12 p.m. — I am SO tired when I get home. Day drinking will do that to ya. I mope around trying to find motivation to do anything until A. tells me to go take a nap. I don't need any more convincing. 2 p.m. — I feel much better. I start a load of laundry and play video games for a little bit. I bug my brothers about a Mother's Day gift and finally get the okay from all three of them. I'll buy the tickets tomorrow when I get paid. I clean the fish tank, switch the laundry, and update my one-sentence-a-day journal. Dinner is going to be crockpot butter chicken with rice and zucchini, so I put the chicken in on high. 5:30 p.m. — I take L. for a sniffing walk while A. plays fetch with M. I quickly shower and apply Jergen's tanning lotion, then fold the laundry while that dries. We eat dinner and watch a Breaking Bad. 7 p.m. — We head over to A.'s grandparents house to watch the Avalanche playoff game. My grandparents all died when I was pretty young, and I feel so fortunate that his are all alive, and I feel like I get to have grandparents again. We did make a terrible mistake eating before coming over, because Grandma has food and is horrified that we aren't hungry. Should have known better to not arrive to an Italian grandmother's house without an appetite. They rope A. into hanging a shelf. The Avs win! 11 p.m. — I realize I'm out of my azelaic acid so I place an online order. I find a 15%-off coupon. We rush home after the game to let the dogs run around a little bit before getting to bed a little later than normal. I did my nighttime skincare after my shower so I don't have to do it now. $27.18 Daily Total: $85.38 Day Five: Friday 5:30 a.m. — I definitely do not feel like I got enough sleep. I do my morning skincare, let the doggies out, and feed them. A. will put them back in their crates before B. gets here around 8 a.m. A. leaves a little later than me because his station is right around the corner. I kiss him goodbye and stop for fuel on the way to work. My car is a hybrid so I get amazing gas mileage, and it is ALMOST worth the car payment. $34.86 6 a.m. — I stop for an iced coffee as a pre-reward for my shift. $7.28 6:30 a.m. — Get to work, get report from the previous medics, and check out our ambulance. I'm training a new EMT, so we talk about the shift and some training we need to get done. I make my bed and set my room up for our two days on shift. The fire crew says we're doing Hibachi Friday for dinner tonight, which sounds amazing. 9 a.m. — I buy tickets for Andrea Bocelli and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for my mom. My dad and one of my brothers already sent me a Venmo for their portion. It costs $222.11, but I'll be reimbursed for all but $27 of that. $27 9:45 a.m. — I got paid, so I pay off my credit card fully, and put money into our joint checking and my car payment bank account. I keep about three months' worth of payments in that account so I don't ever have to worry about making the payments. I have about $500 left over after all that, which I keep in my checking account for the next two weeks until my next payday. I try and use my personal credit card for the points, and then pay it off fully every paycheck. My next paycheck should be able to all go to savings now that I caught up. 11:30 a.m. — I heat up some leftover pasta and then try to rest my eyes for a little bit, but we get a call. I finish a report and then get some homework done. I have one week of these two classes left (English 2 and Spanish 3) and they cannot end soon enough. I really don't like school, but I can't just let the education stipend go to waste and I know having a bachelor's degree may come in handy if I ever decide to get off an ambulance. 3 p.m. — I manage to read a few chapters of Red Sister by Mark Lawrence before we run calls all afternoon. I venmo one of the firefighters for meals this set. $19.27 6:30 p.m. — We manage to sit down for Hibachi Friday, which is delicious. There's a rousing discussion of 100 men versus one gorilla during dinner. I start on the dishes after dinner but we get a call, and don't make it back to the station until almost midnight. I speed-wash my face and collapse into bed, fingers crossed that the city will be kind. (Spoiler alert: the city was not kind.) 1 a.m. — We get up for a call an hour later. Thankfully, we don't have any calls past 2 a.m. Daily Total: $88.41 Day Six: Saturday 8:45 a.m. — I didn't set an alarm this morning, but the tones go off and the day starts with a bang. I finally sit down for breakfast around 11 a.m. The firefighters made breakfast hash, which is delish. My partner R. and I get caught up on reports. I browse the Mediheal sale but don't buy anything. A. and I chat on the phone, he got to sleep last night, the lucky duck. I am already planning for my nap today. 1 p.m. — I do end up being able to catch a nap for a few hours, and then we wash the ambulance and get a call right as we sit down for dinner. We run calls until about 9 p.m., when I get to watch the Avalanche get knocked out of the playoffs. Darn! 11 p.m. — I wash my face (just niacinamide and lotion at work) and hope for a slow night. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Sunday 6:45 a.m. — We ran a call at 4 a.m. but otherwise got to sleep! My relief is coming from another station, so I get a call right before she gets there. I am supposed to leave at 7 a.m. but don't get out until 8 a.m. 8:30 a.m. — I finally get home, say hi to the doggies, and B. shows me her new car. A. makes coffee and we chat about our shifts. We talk about going to church but I think I may fall asleep so we opt to not. 11 a.m. — I played video games for a few hours and A. organizes his football cards. It's a perfect relaxing Sunday. 1 p.m. — I run to Michael's because I saw a video about birds made out of pom-poms, and my friends and I are doing a craft day tomorrow and I need a craft. I get three skeins of yarn, a pom-pom maker, and a metal flamingo for the yard. I take the lab with me and she thinks everyone she sees is her best friend. I walk both dogs when I get home. $48.11 4 p.m. — I take a very needed nap, and then A. and I start getting ready to go out tonight. I wave curl my hair and throw some makeup on. 4:45 p.m. — We catch a Lyft to downtown Denver (I pay), and go to a bar where I heard there was an espresso martini flight. The bartender tells us that that bar is actually next door, and closed today. We stay for drinks at this bar. I get an old fashioned and a carajillo. A gets an old-fashioned and a tomato martini. He pays. $32.11 6:45 p.m. — I get the Lyft to a sushi restaurant, where we eat almost our bodyweight in sushi and saki. A. pays for dinner. $8.33 8 p.m. — We get a Lyft to the zoo (I pay), where it's the last night of a light display. It's SO cool, and we get to see some of the animals being more playful at night. A. buys himself a beer and gets me some rum drink. We haven't had much time together lately it feels like, and tonight was a perfect date night. $11.32 10 p.m. — I cover the Lyft home, and we let the dogs run around for a while. We watch a Breaking Bad episode before heading to bed. I do my nighttime skincare and pass out. $31.99 Daily Total: $131.86 The Breakdown Conclusion 'This was a really social week for me — I do hang out with friends, but the larger planned group setting is usually more rare. Overall I think it was a slightly higher-spending week, but I feel comfortable spending money on food and friends. If I cut out random Amazon and impulse purchases (the flamingo) then I think my savings problem will start improving. Just writing down my sad savings account was a motivator to stop impulse spending and start saving, and since this diary we got our credit card down to $0 and my savings account has almost $1,000 in it. Baby steps! My ego feels obligated to say I usually go to the gym more but it was a busy week. I also take a lot of naps, ha!'

A Week In The Denver Area On A $203,000 Household Income
A Week In The Denver Area On A $203,000 Household Income

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A Week In The Denver Area On A $203,000 Household Income

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. Today: a paramedic who has a $223,000 household income and who spends some of her money this week on a metal yard flamingo. If you'd like to submit your own Money Diary, you can do so via our online form. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we're not able to reply to every email. Occupation: Paramedic Industry: Emergency medicine/healthcare Age: 31 Location: Denver area Salary: My pre-tax salary is about $110,000, but my overtime really causes it to fluctuate. I have an hourly rate, not a technical salary, which is $28.84. Joint Income & Financial Setup: $223,000. My husband, A., makes $113,000 and our finances are mostly combined. We share the mortgage, streaming services, bills, etc, but each have our own car payment and 'fun money'. We contribute $2,250 monthly to a joint account for bills. We also have a high rewards credit card that we try to use and then immediately pay down. I have a second job teaching paramedic students part time, making about $400 monthly when I pick up shifts. Assets: HYSA: $3,465 (this is usually about $1,500 higher but I had to take some out at the beginning of the year to pay for classes up front); joint retirement and investment account: $11,390; 401(k): $22,000; personal savings: $500 (this should be higher, I know — my goal this year is to bulk up my savings. I do try to keep my larger savings in my HYSA); house worth: $533,800; joint savings: $176 — we redid our entire yard last summer and have struggled to build up our savings again. A. has slightly expensive tastes (and tbh I can be this way too). Debt: Joint credit card: $646; car: $43,000; mortgage: $431,191. Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly): $2,500-$4,000 (this varies depending on how much overtime I pick up). Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Housing Costs: $2,678 (mortgage payment). Utilities: $150-$300, depending on the heating or cooling time of year. HOA: $35 Water: $100 (this is higher in summer as A. has an obsession with having the nicest yard in the neighborhood). Internet: $113 Loan Payments: I pay $800 for my car, a little higher than the minimum. I don't know what A.'s payment is but I think it's about $1,200. Pet Insurance: $78 (I cannot overstate the lifesaver this has been). Verizon Phone Bill: $355 (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ are included). Car Insurance: $421 HBO: $20, I mooch Peacock and Paramount off my bff, and share mine with her. Church Donations: $70 Kindle Unlimited: $13 Gym: $15 Pilates: $124 Just the Recipe: $12.99 Dog Sitter: $100 Credit Card Fees: $25 for my personal card; $95 yearly for our joint card. Savings: I don't have a set savings amount, just whatever is left over after I pay down my credit card and contribute to the bills. Dog Food: $72 every six weeks. Dog Allergy Shot: $108 every seven weeks. Pest Control: $150 every three months. House Security System: $500 (annually). Instacart: $112 (annually). Amazon Prime: $70 (annually — I'm getting the student discount because I'm taking classes). Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? My parents are both very well educated, and all three of my brothers have some sort of bachelor's or master's degree, so education has always been an option, but I knew in high school that college wasn't for me. I was homeschooled until my senior year, took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do, and then took an EMT class at 19. I went to paramedic school in 2018. I got an AA degree last year and am working (very slowly) on my bachelor's degree, since I have about $5,000 available to use yearly. I was a pretty hard-working teenager and I think my parents knew I would land somewhere without a degree. I paid for EMT and paramedic school out of pocket, and my job paid for half of medic school. The AA degree was covered fully by my job. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances? I don't remember specific conversations, but my parents required us to earn at least $1,000 each summer of high school. I do wish they had talked about credit cards, as I didn't open my first one until I was 22, and it's hurt my credit a little. I also didn't really understand the importance of retirement savings until probably about five years ago. What was your first job and why did you get it? Mother's helper at 12. I got it to help the neighbor out and the money was a bonus. I moved from babysitter to nanny with that kid until I graduated high school. I worked five jobs (food service, nanny, multiple babysitting jobs) the summer after I graduated high school. I saved all that money to move out the following summer when I got my first EMT job. Did you worry about money growing up? Not really, my dad has a good career, but I do remember a few times he was between jobs and my parents were worried about money. It usually didn't last long, and we were fortunate to go on nice vacations and always have nice birthdays and Christmases. I am sure their different money styles caused conflict between my parents as I remember 'budget meetings' where me and my brothers made ourselves scarce. Do you worry about money now? I try not to, but the world is changing fast and the economy seems shaky at best. We don't have a real savings account, beyond our retirement accounts. We are still on the fence about having kids, but I am adamant about wanting a decent savings and child account before we decide to start down that road. I could definitely tighten up my own personal spending and saving, and it's one of my goals for this year. I got cancer at 24 (cancer free now for six years!) and the medical bills were high for some years, with all my extra money going to pay them. At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net? I would say 20, when I moved out and got my first EMT job. My parents would be my safety net, as my dad now has a very high salary. I know A.'s parents would also help us if we got into a tight spot. Honestly, if we just tightened up our finances and focused on saving, I think we could build up our savings account. Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain. No inherited income, but both my and A.'s parents gave us $5,000 for our wedding. We used half of that for a nice mattress and bed frame, and the other half for our wedding. Day One: Monday 5:30 a.m. — This week starts with a bang: I'm on shift, and we get up for a call and don't have time to go back to bed before shift change. I grab a cup of coffee and finish my reports. We got wrecked this set, so I am very ready to go home. I work 48 hours on, 96 hours off, which is great unless you don't sleep for two days. 7:15 a.m. — On the way home, I pick up doughnuts for me and my husband, A. He works as a firefighter and we're very fortunate to work the same shift hours. $13.16 7:30 a.m. — I get home and let our two dogs, L. and M., out of the bedroom and am knocked over by their exuberant love. My best friend, B., stays at our house and dogsits while we're on shift. I give her $100 a month, which doesn't sound like much, but she lives with her parents and so having a house to herself for two days is something she loves. A. and I drink our coffee with donuts and chat about our shifts. 10 a.m. — B. and I drag ourselves to the gym and do arms and core. I chug a protein drink and have some leftover pizza when we get home before hopping in the shower. I do my AM skincare: hypochlorous acid spray, Naturium Vitamin C and Azelaic Acid, Experiment Super Saturated, Kopari Ceramide Cream, and Beauty of Joseon Sun Relief. I'm so tired I can barely see straight but I have one quick homework assignment to finish before the deadline tonight. After that, I crash hard for about two hours. 3:30 p.m. — B. and I go see The Accountant 2. She bought the tickets last week. The movie is really entertaining! 6:30 p.m. — We stop for pho on the way home, my favorite food. I get hers since she got the movie tickets. We take it out and feed the dogs before finishing Avatar: The Way of Water with chai espresso martinis. A. is out with friends tonight, so after we finish the movie, I make myself an old fashioned and play the new Assassin's Creed game until I can't keep my eyes open. $40.35 10:30 p.m. — I do my nighttime skincare: Prequel cleanser, Naturium Azelaic Acid, The Ordinary Niacinamide, prescription Tretinoin 0.05%, and CeraVe Night Cream, with CocoKind Eye Cream and a Frownie patch on my 11s lines. Teeth brushed and put the girls in their crates. I think A. gets home about 1 a.m. but I am unconscious. Daily Total: $53.51 Day Two: Tuesday 7:05 a.m. — I drag myself out of bed, wondering why I picked up a teaching shift the day after my real job. I do my AM skincare, let the dogs out for potty and breakfast, then kiss A. goodbye. Wildly jealous he's still asleep. I pack a blueberry yogurt parfait I made a few days ago and my leftover pho for lunch. The commute is trash today — Denver traffic is always a nightmare. So glad I usually only have to drive to work once a week. I get a Venti Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks but I have a Christmas gift card still hanging on, so it's technically free. #girlmath 9 a.m. — We run medical scenarios all morning for the paramedic students, and then our boss offers to buy us Jimmy John's for lunch. This has literally never happened in the four years I've worked here?? Definitely not complaining. My leftover pho will have to wait another day. 11 a.m. — I work on homework on the lunch break, and purchase a wave curler and some cuticle lotion from Amazon. I got gel nails for the first time ever for our vacation at the beginning of the year, and it WRECKED my nails. I am going to try moisturization and see if it helps. $35.67 3 p.m. — I get done early, and on the drive home I call my dad to sweet talk him into buying his own ticket for a concert my brothers and I are getting my mom for Mother's Day. He agrees, but I'm waiting to hear back from two of my brothers if they're in. I'll buy the tickets and Venmo request them at some point. 4:30 p.m. — I swing home and change into gym clothes, and then drive two minutes to the Pilates studio and take a class. I just started Pilates and I find it a great balance to my normal strength training. After class, I get home to find A. making Cajun shrimp pasta for dinner. I take a body shower and make a gin and tonic before starting on the dishes he used to make dinner, which appears to be every pan we own? I feed the puppies before we eat. The food is worth the dishes. 7 p.m. — We start watching Havoc on Netflix but quickly realize neither of us are interested. We pick Draft Day instead. A. makes us each an old fashioned. We mosey to bed around 11 p.m. Daily Total: $35.67 Day Three: Wednesday 9 a.m. — I get out of bed slowly and do my morning skincare. Start a pot of coffee, feed the dogs, and have a bowl of cereal with vanilla yogurt and coffee with cream. I play Assassin's Creed for a couple of hours. I love my schedule, but trying to balance productivity and rest is always a struggle. I feel guilty for doing nothing but I can't go all out for four days and then try to go back to work. It's a never-ending battle. 11 a.m. — I do some quick chores around the house: plant a few flowers I bought last week, start a wash with bed sheets, and vacuum. The dogs get to run around the backyard for a while and somehow get soaking wet. 12:15 p.m. — I'm teaching at one of the fire departments my agency works with about some new medications, so I swing by our headquarters to pick up supplies. The lockbox won't work and I have to wait for our chief to come let me in. I call and let them know I'll be a little late. The training goes smoothly. I'll add these hours to my timecard when I get to work. 3 p.m. — A. and I take the dogs for a walk. Our golden retriever is getting chunky and May is her month to get her summer body ready. I play a little video games before switching the sheets around and showering. I do a little makeup (Saie Blush and Highlight, mascara) and diffuse my hair. 5 p.m. — A. is heating up leftovers when I leave for a painting event with friends. We're celebrating one of my old work partners becoming a paramedic. She's been a paramedic for like six months, which just speaks to how hard it is to get a group of adult friends together. I buy a bottle of wine because it's cheaper than two glasses. We're all painting our pets tonight. I agonized over which puppy to paint, and settled on the chocolate lab. We have a blast painting and everyone's pet turns out amazing. $14.12 9:30 p.m. — I drive home in the pouring rain. A. pulls the painting out of the bag, laughs until he cries, and immediately hangs it on the wall. He says I got her face perfect but her body looks like a seal. I have to agree. We watch an episode of Breaking Bad and I suddenly remember we need a few things from the store. I place an Instacart order for the following day for ranch dressing, olive oil, coffee creamer, baby wipes, chicken breast, rice, zucchini, and an orange. I use our joint checking account. I also realize I haven't had any real food since this morning, so I heat up a frozen burrito quickly. $41.15 11:30 p.m. — We finally mosey to bed and I do my nighttime skincare. The dogs beg to get on the bed but I just washed the sheets so I like at least one night of hair-free sleep. Daily Total: $55.27 Day Four: Thursday 8 a.m. — I was trying to sleep in later than this but once I wake up, I'm up. I waste time on my phone before doing morning skincare, dogs fed, etc. I'm headed to brunch so I make a small single-serve pour over for the drive (shoutout, Copper Cow Coffee!). It's churro flavored, which tastes slightly odd with my white chocolate mocha creamer, but I'll drink coffee in about any form. 10 a.m. — It's mostly the same work friends from last night at brunch. It's easy to bond with people when you work for the same 48 hours straight and deal with the type of things we do. We have a really fun time; I get French toast and an espresso martini. I also get a flight of bacon to take home for A. My voice is very sore, one of my vocal chords was damaged during my cancer surgery so loud social settings really tire me out. This has been a social week! $58.20 12 p.m. — I am SO tired when I get home. Day drinking will do that to ya. I mope around trying to find motivation to do anything until A. tells me to go take a nap. I don't need any more convincing. 2 p.m. — I feel much better. I start a load of laundry and play video games for a little bit. I bug my brothers about a Mother's Day gift and finally get the okay from all three of them. I'll buy the tickets tomorrow when I get paid. I clean the fish tank, switch the laundry, and update my one-sentence-a-day journal. Dinner is going to be crockpot butter chicken with rice and zucchini, so I put the chicken in on high. 5:30 p.m. — I take L. for a sniffing walk while A. plays fetch with M. I quickly shower and apply Jergen's tanning lotion, then fold the laundry while that dries. We eat dinner and watch a Breaking Bad. 7 p.m. — We head over to A.'s grandparents house to watch the Avalanche playoff game. My grandparents all died when I was pretty young, and I feel so fortunate that his are all alive, and I feel like I get to have grandparents again. We did make a terrible mistake eating before coming over, because Grandma has food and is horrified that we aren't hungry. Should have known better to not arrive to an Italian grandmother's house without an appetite. They rope A. into hanging a shelf. The Avs win! 11 p.m. — I realize I'm out of my azelaic acid so I place an online order. I find a 15%-off coupon. We rush home after the game to let the dogs run around a little bit before getting to bed a little later than normal. I did my nighttime skincare after my shower so I don't have to do it now. $27.18 Daily Total: $85.38 Day Five: Friday 5:30 a.m. — I definitely do not feel like I got enough sleep. I do my morning skincare, let the doggies out, and feed them. A. will put them back in their crates before B. gets here around 8 a.m. A. leaves a little later than me because his station is right around the corner. I kiss him goodbye and stop for fuel on the way to work. My car is a hybrid so I get amazing gas mileage, and it is ALMOST worth the car payment. $34.86 6 a.m. — I stop for an iced coffee as a pre-reward for my shift. $7.28 6:30 a.m. — Get to work, get report from the previous medics, and check out our ambulance. I'm training a new EMT, so we talk about the shift and some training we need to get done. I make my bed and set my room up for our two days on shift. The fire crew says we're doing Hibachi Friday for dinner tonight, which sounds amazing. 9 a.m. — I buy tickets for Andrea Bocelli and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for my mom. My dad and one of my brothers already sent me a Venmo for their portion. It costs $222.11, but I'll be reimbursed for all but $27 of that. $27 9:45 a.m. — I got paid, so I pay off my credit card fully, and put money into our joint checking and my car payment bank account. I keep about three months' worth of payments in that account so I don't ever have to worry about making the payments. I have about $500 left over after all that, which I keep in my checking account for the next two weeks until my next payday. I try and use my personal credit card for the points, and then pay it off fully every paycheck. My next paycheck should be able to all go to savings now that I caught up. 11:30 a.m. — I heat up some leftover pasta and then try to rest my eyes for a little bit, but we get a call. I finish a report and then get some homework done. I have one week of these two classes left (English 2 and Spanish 3) and they cannot end soon enough. I really don't like school, but I can't just let the education stipend go to waste and I know having a bachelor's degree may come in handy if I ever decide to get off an ambulance. 3 p.m. — I manage to read a few chapters of Red Sister by Mark Lawrence before we run calls all afternoon. I venmo one of the firefighters for meals this set. $19.27 6:30 p.m. — We manage to sit down for Hibachi Friday, which is delicious. There's a rousing discussion of 100 men versus one gorilla during dinner. I start on the dishes after dinner but we get a call, and don't make it back to the station until almost midnight. I speed-wash my face and collapse into bed, fingers crossed that the city will be kind. (Spoiler alert: the city was not kind.) 1 a.m. — We get up for a call an hour later. Thankfully, we don't have any calls past 2 a.m. Daily Total: $88.41 Day Six: Saturday 8:45 a.m. — I didn't set an alarm this morning, but the tones go off and the day starts with a bang. I finally sit down for breakfast around 11 a.m. The firefighters made breakfast hash, which is delish. My partner R. and I get caught up on reports. I browse the Mediheal sale but don't buy anything. A. and I chat on the phone, he got to sleep last night, the lucky duck. I am already planning for my nap today. 1 p.m. — I do end up being able to catch a nap for a few hours, and then we wash the ambulance and get a call right as we sit down for dinner. We run calls until about 9 p.m., when I get to watch the Avalanche get knocked out of the playoffs. Darn! 11 p.m. — I wash my face (just niacinamide and lotion at work) and hope for a slow night. Daily Total: $0 Day Seven: Sunday 6:45 a.m. — We ran a call at 4 a.m. but otherwise got to sleep! My relief is coming from another station, so I get a call right before she gets there. I am supposed to leave at 7 a.m. but don't get out until 8 a.m. 8:30 a.m. — I finally get home, say hi to the doggies, and B. shows me her new car. A. makes coffee and we chat about our shifts. We talk about going to church but I think I may fall asleep so we opt to not. 11 a.m. — I played video games for a few hours and A. organizes his football cards. It's a perfect relaxing Sunday. 1 p.m. — I run to Michael's because I saw a video about birds made out of pom-poms, and my friends and I are doing a craft day tomorrow and I need a craft. I get three skeins of yarn, a pom-pom maker, and a metal flamingo for the yard. I take the lab with me and she thinks everyone she sees is her best friend. I walk both dogs when I get home. $48.11 4 p.m. — I take a very needed nap, and then A. and I start getting ready to go out tonight. I wave curl my hair and throw some makeup on. 4:45 p.m. — We catch a Lyft to downtown Denver (I pay), and go to a bar where I heard there was an espresso martini flight. The bartender tells us that that bar is actually next door, and closed today. We stay for drinks at this bar. I get an old fashioned and a carajillo. A gets an old-fashioned and a tomato martini. He pays. $32.11 6:45 p.m. — I get the Lyft to a sushi restaurant, where we eat almost our bodyweight in sushi and saki. A. pays for dinner. $8.33 8 p.m. — We get a Lyft to the zoo (I pay), where it's the last night of a light display. It's SO cool, and we get to see some of the animals being more playful at night. A. buys himself a beer and gets me some rum drink. We haven't had much time together lately it feels like, and tonight was a perfect date night. $11.32 10 p.m. — I cover the Lyft home, and we let the dogs run around for a while. We watch a Breaking Bad episode before heading to bed. I do my nighttime skincare and pass out. $31.99 Daily Total: $131.86 The Breakdown Conclusion 'This was a really social week for me — I do hang out with friends, but the larger planned group setting is usually more rare. Overall I think it was a slightly higher-spending week, but I feel comfortable spending money on food and friends. If I cut out random Amazon and impulse purchases (the flamingo) then I think my savings problem will start improving. Just writing down my sad savings account was a motivator to stop impulse spending and start saving, and since this diary we got our credit card down to $0 and my savings account has almost $1,000 in it. Baby steps! My ego feels obligated to say I usually go to the gym more but it was a busy week. I also take a lot of naps, ha!'

A Week In New York On A $128,000 Salary
A Week In New York On A $128,000 Salary

Refinery29

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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.'

A Week In Hamburg, Germany On A $228,942 Household Income
A Week In Hamburg, Germany On A $228,942 Household Income

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time25-06-2025

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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.'

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