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 project manager who makes $150,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on an astrology reading.

Occupation: Project Manager
Industry: Pharmaceutical Research
Age: 30
Location: The Island Of Hawai’i
Salary: $150,000
Net Worth: $140,800 ($90,000 in 401(k), $15,000 in emergency fund, $28,800 in investments, $7,000 in liquid savings. I am single and financially independent. I currently live with my dad and don’t own a home or have any large assets.)
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $3,713 after 8% 401(k) contribution
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Housing: I moved into my father’s house at the start of COVID and contribute $500 a month to groceries/household costs. I do not pay rent.
Loan Payments: $0 (I was able to pay off my car in the first six months of living at home.)
Storage Unit: $200
Phone Bill: $85
Streaming: $50
Gym Membership: $162
Car Insurance: $115

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?
The expectation was that I would attend higher education if I didn’t have a trade and/or business plan. I am the first person in my family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree — both my father and my brother own construction companies, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom until I was in high school. My college was paid for by my parents. I attended a state university, where my mother worked, so they received 50% off tuition. They also paid for my books and fees. I worked through school to pay for bills/spending, but I had a credit card under my dad’s account for basics.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My family didn’t talk extensively about finances when I was growing up. The most-stressed lesson was always not to live beyond your means and do not get into debt. I witnessed my dad working very hard for his company, and he was very proud of not having any type of debt beyond a mortgage.

What was your first job, and why did you get it?
Beyond doing clerical work for my dad’s company to earn my allowance, I was a sandwich artist at Subway, where I started when I was 16. I got the job to afford my gas and earn spending money. My parents bought my first car and paid for the insurance, but everything else was up to me. I’ve worked nearly full-time since then, with a few small gaps in college.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I don’t recall ever worrying about money during my childhood. Both my brother and I were provided with everything we needed, as well as the “fun” things. We were both involved in very competitive sports teams, which included traveling and private coaches, and were never asked to contribute to or fundraise the cost. I attended a very wealthy high school and in relation to a lot of my classmates, I knew my family wasn’t wealthy, but we were very comfortable. I did not have to contribute to any family bills, but I did work to earn certain things my parents provided me.

Do you worry about money now?
I don’t worry about money on a day-to-day or month-to-month basis. I worry about being able to afford buying a home on a single income. Even before living at home, I made enough to cover my monthly costs, contribute to my 401(k) and savings, and have a decent amount of expendable income. Living at home, I have had the privilege of paying off my car, contributing a very large amount to my retirement, saving up for a down payment, and still having plenty of spending money. But when it comes to buying a home, I feel an immense amount of pressure to continue making six figures just to be able to stay afloat.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself, and do you have a financial safety net?
I became 100% financially responsible for myself at the age of 24, when I graduated from college and moved away from my hometown. Since then, I haven’t received any type of financial assistance. I currently have a financial safety net of $15,000 that is in an index fund and not touched. In the event that I deplete all of my savings and my financial safety net, I do know that I have family and a family business that could help me. On the other side of the coin, I currently help one of my parents financially.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I received a $10,000 inheritance when a family member passed away, which I used to live on during part of my college years. I have never received any other type of financial inheritance.

Day One

6 a.m. — As I do most days, I wake up at 4 a.m. to log on to work. I work remotely for an East Coast–based company, so I operate five hours earlier to coincide with their working hours. I make coffee at home. My dad makes cold brew concentrate and it’s what I drink every single day. I also make my breakfast at home. Because I don’t pay rent or household bills, I buy most of the groceries for the house. Food prices in Hawaii are sky-high, so I make a concerted effort to eat at home as much as possible. I work from home for the remainder of the morning.

9 a.m. — I scroll through Instagram between meetings and come across a post for the local humane society that is running a fundraiser. I donate $20. $20

2 p.m. — I go to a lunchtime workout class, which is part of my monthly membership. Because of my early schedule, the lunch hour is the best time for me to work out and it’s honestly a great relief to get out of the house most days. After the gym, I force myself to get an oil change, seeing as the oil-change light has been on for a week. I add on a car wash. After, I drive home and eat a lunch of leftover pizza, which a friend and I ordered last night while we binge-watched Yellowjackets. $116.51

7 p.m. — I meet my friend to go surfing for a couple of hours and when I get home, I put together a meal of leftover poke and rice that I got at the grocery store a few days ago. Because I work so early, I’m in bed by 9 or 10 at the latest. I typically read a book or watch a TV show to fall asleep.

Daily Total: $136.51

Day Two

6 a.m. — My morning looks the same as every other weekday morning: coffee, breakfast, more coffee, and working from home until the lunch hour.

2 p.m. — I meet a friend at the beach after work. We catch up and spend some time reading. I ride my moped to the grocery store to get some items for a new recipe I want to make tonight. I buy Portuguese sausage, an onion, half-and-half, red curry paste, arrowroot flour, garlic, fish sauce, sriracha, a potato, lemon, and lime. $56.76

8 p.m. — I make Panang curry meatballs for dinner and pair them with rice and red wine. A friend invites me to go camping next weekend, so I book a camping permit online. I have another glass of wine and finish my Netflix show before bed. $6

Daily Total: $62.76

Day Three

10 a.m. — My morning is another rinse-and-repeat morning: coffee, breakfast, and work from home. While on Instagram, I remember I need new sandals for an upcoming family trip. I buy some Birkenstocks from Nordstrom for $42.30, using a $10 coupon I had. I continue my social media binge, make a couple of TikToks, and wrap up work for the day. I eat some leftover meatballs for lunch and then meet my friend to go surfing for the afternoon. $42.30

7 p.m. — My friends-with-benefits invites me over for dinner — he’s making blackened ono. We cook dinner and drink wine. We spend the night playing with our dogs and watching an old season of The Great British Baking Show.

Daily Total: $42.30

Day Four

6 a.m. — Same morning routine. Today I have endless meetings, and truly not enough coffee.

2 p.m. — Once I finally end my meetings, I go for a run and bring my dog. We run about three miles, and I am not feeling great at all afterward. I cancel my plans to go surfing because I have dinner plans tonight for a friend’s birthday and need to see how I’m feeling. I stop at the store on the way home and buy a lei for the birthday girl to bring to dinner. $23.03

7 p.m. — After a quick nap, I’m feeling much better. I get ready and meet friends at a restaurant with a Taco Thursday special! It is somewhat of a surprise since we haven’t been able to be together much during COVID. I give my friend the lei I bought her, which she absolutely loves. We order beers, mai tais, and lots of street tacos, and her husband insists on paying the bill. I head home to do my skincare and fall asleep knowing I have an early morning.

Daily Total: $23.03

Day Five

10:30 a.m. — It’s Aloha Friday! I still have my same morning routine and get to end my workday a little early today for an appointment. I’ve booked a call with an astrologist, which costs me $225 for an hour. She does a reading, calling in my spirit guides, and we focus a lot on relationships, traveling, and family. I don’t believe in astrology as a way to dictate my life decisions, but I do find it validating and thought-provoking, especially in times of uncertainty. I work out at home, then take my dog to the beach for the afternoon. $225

7 p.m. — When I get home from the beach, I’m truly not sure I have the energy to cook dinner. My dad suggests ordering Chinese food and I would love nothing more. He orders, pays for it, and picks it up while I shower and get comfy for the night. Fridays are full of skincare, Dateline, and wine.

Daily Total: $225

Day Six

6 a.m. — I would love to be able to sleep in on the weekends, but it’s just not in the cards. I make my coffee and have a light breakfast before taking my dog for a run. Afterward, I stop at the grocery store to get a few things I need for the weekend. I buy a pack of eight hard pineapple ciders, Parmesan cheese, and hot cocoa. Then we go to a tide pool to go swimming and I run into a few friends. We drink half the ciders I bought. $37.09

5 p.m. — I offered to help my friend-with-benefits deliver a car to a customer a couple of hours away. He drives their car and I follow him in his car. Once we drop it off, we drive to a volcano to hike and see the lava. We eat sandwiches I packed for dinner. After our hike, he drives us home, and I am up way past my bedtime.

Daily Total: $37.09

Day Seven

8 a.m. — We wake up in the morning starving and decide to go out to breakfast. We walk our dogs and then go to one of our favorite breakfast spots. He pays the bill since I did him a favor, but I buy a coffee to go. We decide to go to the beach to watch the waves and swim for a while. $4.95

5 p.m. — After, I shower and get my life together. My friend picks me up and we go to the grocery store, where I buy salsa, chips, and a Diet Coke. We take our snacks to a friend’s vintage store, where we’re having a craft night. Our friend has hundreds of boxes of vintage items and we spend the night snacking and making collages. Naturally, I’m in bed by 9 p.m., ready for the next week of work. $14.79

Daily Total: $19.74

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Refinery29, DMT.NEWS, DMT BeautySpot,

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.

This week, a managing director working in banking/investments who makes $280,000 per year and spends some of it on tiramisu.

Occupation: Managing Director
Industry: Banking/Investments
Age: 35
Location: Manhattan, NY
Salary: $280,000 + discretionary bonus (varies greatly — last year was $60,000)
Net Worth: About $700,000 ($250,000 in retirement accounts, $150,000 in real estate investments, $250,000 in managed portfolios, about $10,000 in crypto, and the rest in checking/savings accounts; I am actively looking for more investment opportunities.)
Debt: $0 (I pay down my credit card bills in full every month.)
Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $14,200
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $3,862.50 (I live in a nice one-bedroom in a full-service building with great amenities.)
Loan Payments: $0
ClassPass: $20 for 10 credits
Cell Phone: $75
Internet: $55
Electricity: $50-$80 (usually higher in summer because of AC)
Netflix: $8 (A friend and I split the four-screen option. We each have one other person mooching off us.)
HBO Max: $99 annually (A few friends use mine.)
Hulu: $0 (I use a friend’s account.)
Amazon Prime: $119 annually
Apple iCloud: $0.99
Private Health Insurance: $1,045, for which the company pays half, so my share is $522. I know this sounds expensive, but I have no deductibles and no copay for anything including all medication, mental health sessions, and physical therapy.

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, absolutely. I don’t think I was even aware that not going to college would be an option. Not only that, but I knew my only choices were “useful subjects” to study, meaning things like history and drama were absolutely out of the question. I chose law, which was just on the border of being acceptable (medicine would have been more desirable). I got both my undergrad and graduate degrees in the U.K., and being an E.U. citizen, it was a little over £1,000 (currently $1,341.55) per year for undergrad at the time, and just over £10,000 ($13,415.55) for my graduate school. Parents paid for everything, along with living costs, some of which were reimbursed by their work.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We didn’t have any conversations about money at all. I know we were comfortable but not rich, not compared to some of my friends who went to the same private school where my tuition was again subsidized by my parents’ company. My parents firmly believed that money was not a topic suitable for kids, and my only concern in life should be getting good grades in school.

What was your first job, and why did you get it?
My first paying job was as a counselor at a summer camp after my first year of college. I only got this because my boyfriend at the time worked there, and I wanted to spend the summer with him and have a little spending money on the side. I think I was paid €300 per week, which was a lot of money to me at the time.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I didn’t, because I don’t think I truly grasped the concept of money. Yes, I had friends who lived in much bigger houses and bought more stuff, but I don’t ever remember being aware of the difference between ultra-wealthy and middle-class. I never felt deprived, and my parents always bought me whatever I needed. Granted, I also didn’t have extravagant taste or demanded anything outrageous, either.

Do you worry about money now?
Not really. I think I worry more for the long term — like will I have enough to retire? Or if I lose my job, how long would I last? But I don’t really worry day-to-day. Luckily, I can afford my current lifestyle without worrying about having a budget.

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 graduating with my master’s degree when I was 22. During that last year, my parents still paid for tuition and accommodation, but I was already responsible for all of my daily expenses, which I paid for from the earnings from my summer banking internship and part-time data-entry jobs during the school year. After graduating, I got my first job and never asked for money from my parents again. I know they would be there for me if something drastically goes wrong. I can always move back home, but I really hope to never have to do that.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
None. I am an only child, so whatever my parents do have will pass down to me, but I have no idea how much that would be, and hopefully, that won’t happen for a long, long, LONG time yet, so I don’t really count that when I think about my financial situation.

Day One

8:30 a.m. — Wake up late because I went to bed late. My ideal morning routine will have to be sidelined. I listen to the news as I make my bed, brush my teeth, wash my face with cold water to wake myself up, and spritz my face with a facial spray. I don’t know if this does anything, but it smells nice.

9 a.m. — Log into work, fill up my water bottle (trying to drink at least a liter, or 34 ounces, a day), take my assortment of vitamins, and start making coffee at home. I bought a small coffee machine during Black Friday, which is easily one of my best purchases. Just the ritual of making coffee — and the smell — wakes me up.

10 a.m. — Log on to a sales call for another side of the business I am not super involved in. It is not mandatory for me to attend, but I like to listen to how the rest of the business is doing. I multitask and field emails at the same time.

12:30 p.m. — I heat up some leftover Indian food from the weekend and listen to a true-crime podcast to relax.

3 p.m. — I log on to a Zoom panel call. I’ve been actively involved in a charity aimed at helping first-generation university students get job-ready. All of our events have been sidelined because of COVID, and we try to host virtual sessions monthly and break out into smaller groups to help students practice Zoom interviews. I really feel bad for them; I don’t know if I’d been able to handle this at their age!

6 p.m. — I go with a friend to a workout class nearby, which I signed up for via ClassPass. We grab dinner afterward at a cute sushi place close by (this has become a really good Monday ritual for us). I, and everyone I hang out with, have been vaccinated and boosted, and I’ve been testing regularly for the past month, but so far I’ve been very lucky. We also mask up whenever/wherever is necessary. $45.32

8 p.m. — Get home and am feeling super full. Mindlessly put on the TV and scroll through my phone. I just ended a long “situationship” a week ago. After two years of us talking every day and becoming each other’s emotional support and best friend during the pandemic, the man still refused to commit, so I finally cut the cord. Everything reminds me of him and I wallow in self-pity for a bit. I am struggling to find a TV show to watch that we haven’t seen/talked about together, so I end up putting on some reruns of Criminal Minds and cry.

12 a.m. — Finally drag myself to bed. This feels like an achievement because I’ve been falling asleep with the TV on as background noise more often than I’d like to admit in the past week. I don’t like being alone with my thoughts in the silence, so I put on a soothing meditation podcast and fall asleep at some point.

Daily Total: $45.32

Day Two

7:30 a.m. — Miraculously wake up on time, put on a meditation podcast, and promptly fall back asleep. I have not yet been able to meditate successfully, but this is definitely something I want to take more seriously.

8:30 a.m. — Finally out of bed and do the usual morning routine: listening to news while brushing my teeth and washing my face. I put on some vitamin C oil and a moisturizer with SPF. I usually don’t wear makeup and generally am pretty lax about my skincare, but SPF is a must!

9 a.m. — I am running a meeting, so I don’t have time to make coffee. Thankfully, it ends on time, so I run out and grab a skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks. I am a coward and walk a couple more blocks to another Starbucks instead of going to the one I used to go to with my ex. It is freezing out, but at least the fresh air feels good. $5.39

12:30 p.m. — I got a coupon for the new year for MealPal, so I signed back up for the month. I’ll cancel once the discount runs out. I opt for a Sweetgreen salad today; with the credits, it works out to about $6.35 instead of the usual $14+. $6.35

3 p.m. — I do a networking call online through a club. I used to attend a lot of networking events pre-pandemic. I am trying to be active online, but it’s really not the same. The idea is that they blindly pair you up with another member, hoping you’ll make an interesting/useful connection. However, most of my matches happen to be founders looking for funding, or coaches/mentors/entrepreneurs/whatever-they-call-themselves looking to “help” someone grow in their life both professionally and personally. I get another life coach today — not super interesting to me.

7:15 p.m. — I attend a free spin class at my local spin studio. It is for a new teacher, so they are trying to drum up some interest for him. Good workout, but he was super chatty and had a lot of “choreography,” which made me feel like I was falling off the bike half the time. Still worked up a good sweat, though!

8:30 p.m. — Quickly rinse off and meet up with a friend for dinner nearby. The restaurant is really empty, a combination of the cold weather and COVID. We share a couple of appetizers, one entrée, and one dessert. I also get a glass of red wine. It feels decadent to drink on a Tuesday. $74.19

11 p.m. — Home, showered, cozy PJs, and fuzzy socks on. I got a three-month free trial to Peacock because I’ve heard such good things about Yellowstone. Episode one is so long, though! I fall asleep at some point and drag myself to bed at 2 a.m.

Daily Total: $85.93

Day Three

7:30 a.m. — Wake up, same morning routine. I hastily read over some materials to prep for our investment call later.

9 a.m. — We have our monthly investment committee meeting. These are usually very informative, but can drag on. When we were in the office, I used to look forward to these, as we’d get a great catered breakfast spread, but today I make do with coffee from home.

1 p.m. — The morning flies by, as we have to update a number of things based on the investment meeting, with a lot of emails back and forth with our investment teams and both internal and external managers. I break for lunch with a friend. We take advantage of a great place in Midtown with an affordable lunch menu. I catch her up on my breakup, and to her credit, she doesn’t tell me “I told you so,” which I totally would have deserved. I can’t talk about it without crying, so we switch gears and strategize on how she can find a new job instead. The market is super hot right now. I promise to put her in touch with a couple of recruiters I know. $17.50

3 p.m. — I spend most of the afternoon drafting up various pertinent points to email out to our UHNW (or ultra-high net worth) clients. Someone from my team will polish up the emails and send to compliance for approval before they can be sent out.

7 p.m. — I take the subway uptown to a friend’s place for dinner ($2.75). We have delicious homemade lasagna and the tiramisu I pick up from Eataly ($15.90). She is stressed about having to move because she got a great COVID deal and now the rent has gone up so much. I know I will be facing the same in the summer, which gives me some anxiety. We end up having a glass of wine and watching some old episodes of 30 Rock. $18.65

10:30 p.m. — Get home by subway ($2.75) and am super full. Resist the urge to veg out on the couch. Instead, I brush my teeth, wash my face with a mild cleanser, put on toner and moisturizer, and get into bed. This is as much of a nighttime skincare routine as I’ve got going on at the moment. $2.75

11:30 p.m. — I alternate between reading a book (Empire of Pain, about the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma) and writing down random things I have to do tomorrow on my phone. Finally, it’s lights out around 12:30 a.m.

Daily Total: $38.90

Day Four

7:30 a.m. — Wake up, same morning routine, and remember to put in an order for biotin as I just ran out. $15.99

10 a.m. — A fund manager we work with is hosting a webinar on the outlook of 2022. I tune in, but also multitask by working on a pitch we have to present to a big prospective client. Send it off to marketing to flesh it out properly.

11:30 a.m. — I run a few 10-minute individual check-ins with various members of my team. Since we haven’t been in the office for so long, it becomes even more crucial to do a “non-agenda” check-in on a regular basis. Everyone is doing well, which is great to hear!

1 p.m. — I pick up Thai food from a truck nearby using my MealPal credit. $4.76

3 p.m. — I booked a trial Spanish class with a teacher online. I took it in high school and have always loved the language. This is one of the things I decided to pick back up in 2022. The trial class is free and I really like the teacher, so I will be doing an hour per week with her. We agree on a time, and it will be $25 per class, starting next week.

5 p.m. — My concentration starts slipping as I get an email informing me that something from Amazon is being delivered to my ex’s house. He shared my account and I regularly ordered stuff for him. I wonder if it is too late to cancel, and then reflect on whether that is too petty of me? I end up not canceling, but it’s affected my mood more than I thought, so I have another good cry session. Surely, I should be cried out at this point?

6 p.m. — Talk to a couple of friends on the phone — they are the best. I snack while I talk — some carrots with hummus, seaweed snacks, chocolate pretzels, and cereal.

9 p.m. — I drag my sorry ass to the gym. I do a 30-minute run on the treadmill, followed by 10 minutes of abs and 10 minutes of stretching. I’m not miraculously transformed from working out once, but I do feel somewhat accomplished.

11:30 p.m. — Showered and in bed, listening to some random celebrity gossip podcasts, the kind of mindless drivel that effectively puts me to sleep.

Daily Total: $20.75

Day Five

8 a.m. — Wake up and luxuriate in the feeling that it is finally Friday. I don’t have any meetings today, so it’s a slower start in general. I listen to a few podcasts as I work.

11 a.m. — Not having a real dinner means I am hungry earlier than usual. I toast some bread, make a sandwich with some turkey slices, cucumber, and tomatoes. I have it with the French onion soup from Trader Joe’s.

1:30 p.m. — I have my therapy session online. I used to see my therapist in person, but everything is online now, of course. She’s been very supportive in helping me navigate my emotional mess, but there’s really nothing to it but time. I know it was the right decision, but it just sucks. It also doesn’t help that he reached out and tried to start conversations as if nothing happened. He texted me to say he missed me as we were best friends, he even suggested to “scale back” from talking multiple times a day, to at least weekly. I just can’t. Like my therapist said, I need to take care of myself first, and that means not having any contact with him. Session is free with my insurance.

3:30 p.m. — Taking advantage of a slow day, I impulsively decide to go visit my friend who owns a beauty salon. I buy us coffees and a lemon tart to share. $16.85

4 p.m. — The place isn’t too crowded, and we catch up as she does some experimental designs on my nails. She never charges me, but I put in $20 to the general tip jar they have. I wish I had more, but that’s all the cash I have on me. $20

7 p.m. — Get home and finish up loose ends for the week. We start our self-assessment/goal setting next week, which I am dreading, but that is a future problem that I don’t have to deal with just yet. I get ready to head to my friend’s place in Brooklyn. $2.75

8 p.m. — I get two bottles of wine and they get Thai food for us to share. We catch up, play some board games, plan trips that are basically still fantasies at this point, and generally have a great time. $30.12

1 a.m. — I call myself an Uber home ($22.45 + $2 tip) and pass out. $24.45

Daily Total: $94.17

Day Six

9 a.m. — It is FREEZING out. I stay cocooned in my blanket for an hour or so, mindlessly scrolling the internet and texting various friends.

10:30 a.m. — Finally up and get myself ready to run some errands. I go pick up a book from the library, go to TJ Maxx to get a new coffee mug, as I broke one a few weeks back, and grab two sweaters that look cute. I will probably return at least one, if not both. I want to walk around a bit more, but it’s so cold, so I head home. $57.84

11:30 a.m. — Go to my building gym for a quick workout — a dumbbell-based strength routine from YouTube. I place an order for some Chinese food as I start my stretching routine. $28.94

1 p.m. — Showered and munching on food. It’s not as delicious as I thought it would be. I put more than half of it away, as I have an early dinner and don’t want to spoil my appetite.

6 p.m. — I don’t know where the afternoon went. I read for a bit, tidied up, cried a little, which led me into a nap. My friend comes to pick me up, and we head down to Chinatown for AYCE hot pot. I’m so glad he has a car. I probably wouldn’t have left the house otherwise.

8 p.m. — We have to wait for over an hour for a table, but it’s so worth it. It’s the perfect meal in this cold and we leave feeling very satisfied. My friend talks about leaving NYC for good. He’s been traveling quite a bit during COVID and I think he’s actually going to make the move and become a permanent nomad. Super happy for him, but I also know that no matter how much I dream of that lifestyle, I will end up missing the comfort of a place I can call home. $54

10 p.m. — I get into bed early but can’t sleep. When it’s late and quiet, I find myself dwelling on my ex and the past and what I could have done — very unhelpful. I put on a podcast and finally drift off.

Daily Total: $140.78

Day Seven

9 a.m. — Another cold day, but at least it is sunnier. I FaceTime my parents. They live abroad, so we try to catch each other on the weekends. I miss them a lot since I haven’t been able to visit for more than two years now.

11 a.m. — I text with a friend who lives upstate. I was supposed to head up to her today and stay overnight, but the weather forecast is not great and I am worried the train service may be impacted. Decide to take a raincheck and plan for another weekend instead.

1 p.m. — Since my plans got derailed, I really don’t have anything to do today. It is not great to be idle, though. I tidy up a little around the house and sit down to hone in on some positive habits I want to develop this year. Writing things down has always calmed me. I also heat up the second of my Trader Joe’s French onion soups and have it with some toast.

4 p.m. — I meet up with a friend at a nearby café. I get a matcha latte and a hazelnut pastry. It’s our mutual friend’s birthday soon and we want to do something together, so we brainstorm some fun ideas. $10.11

6 p.m. — Try to watch another episode of Yellowstone, but I’m just not into it yet. I’m also not super hungry, as I wasn’t very active at all today and the pastry was quite filling. I snack on some popcorn and chocolate.

9 p.m. — Look at my calendar for next week and plan out my days, including my workouts. They don’t always get done, but having it on the calendar makes me want to be more accountable to myself. I toy with the idea of asking some friends to become accountability buddies.

11 p.m. — Lights out at a decent time! It’s so hard for me to go to bed early on a Sunday night, but it does affect my Monday mornings if I am not well-rested, so I am really trying to do better. Another positive habit I hope to establish!

Daily Total: $10.11

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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 communications coordinator who has a joint income of $150,500 per year and spends some of her money this week on glasses.

Occupation: Communications Coordinator
Industry: Housing
Age: 25
Location: Seattle, WA
Joint Salary: $150,500 (My salary is $68,000, my husband’s is $82,500.)
Net Worth: $275,864.43 (Current home value: $654,701, car values: $34,398 combined, $8,005.40 in mutual funds, $15,941.53 in investments, $25,122 in combined savings, $7,713.49 in credit union savings, $29,447.02 combined retirement 401(k); $13,681.72 in company restricted stock units minus debt.)
Debt: $513,146.18 (mortgage balance)
My Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,154.62
My Husband’s Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,462.54
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $3,270.02 (mortgage + HOA fee)
Water/Sewage: $118.69
Electricity: $94.50
Gas: $17
Garbage: $47
Car Insurance: $91.62
Long-Term Care Insurance: $81 (We got this plan to opt-out of the WA Cares Fund, and I’m glad we did because it was extremely problematic.)
Health Insurance: $0 (Husband’s company pays.)
401(k): $264
Peloton Bike/App: $18.57 ($75 expensed through work.)
Spotify: $10
Seed Probiotic: $50
Bark Box: $28.67
Netflix/HBO Max/Hulu: Family shares logins
Therapy: $40 for my husband, $24 for me

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. My parents told me early on that attending college was my path and I never questioned it. I loved school, and college was the opportunity I needed to get out of my small town. I was fortunate enough that my parents paid for my college education. The one condition was that I needed to work during high school and college to make money for myself. My senior year of college was paid for with a credit union account and whatever was leftover I got to keep to jump-start my savings. I ended up finishing college a quarter early and that leftover money went to a new car and down payment on our house.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Honestly, not a lot. I was fortunate that money was not a huge concern in our household (that I knew of). However, I wish we had more useful conversations about insurance, budgeting, saving, etc.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was as a cashier at my family’s store. The store has been around for over 50 years. My brother and I both worked at the family business because we always had a job there. It was a good first job, fun to work with my dad, but it always felt lame compared to my friends who worked at coffee shops.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No. The only time I remember being worried was during the Great Recession of 2008. My parents were worried about our store. Everything turned out fine, but I remember being very worried that our business would go under.

Do you worry about money now?
All. The. Time. Which is funny, because my husband and I both have good, well-paying jobs. After we bought our townhome, we were really stressed about money. A mortgage was so much more than rent — even though we knew it was helping us build equity — and we were worried about being “house poor,” or only having money to buy a house and having nothing left for activities. That has not been the case so far and I love owning our home. But we do have to pay extra attention to where our money goes and how much we have at the end of the month. We want to start to rebuild our savings (since we spent almost all of it to buy a house), so there’s a lot of financial balancing that needs to happen to do so.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially independent after I graduated college at age 22. I started paying for my own rent, groceries, bills, you name it. I had a job at the time, so it was a good lesson on how to budget my money and learn what I could afford. It felt nice to be financially independent.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My husband received $50,000 from his family’s business. He was a part-owner in their physical office space, and when the company sold it, he got his share of the stake. It was a huge boost to his savings and helped us have the money to afford our house.

Day One

7:15 a.m. — I hear my husband, J., wake up to take the puppy out. We have an 11-week-old puppy, R., and we alternate nights of waking up for potty breaks, and it is J.’s night/morning. I sleep for a little while longer.

7:45 a.m. — I feel bad that J. has been dealing with the puppy all morning, so I force myself out of bed, take my morning medicine (thyroid and probiotic), brush teeth, change and head downstairs. R. is surprisingly calm, so I take him while J. makes us morning coffees with our Breville espresso maker — we used wedding money to purchase it and have never looked back. I’ve never been a morning person, but a puppy forces me to be one, and it’s nice to enjoy coffee together on the couch! I read and finish my book before my book club tonight.

9 a.m. — Grab a yogurt cup and log onto my computer to start the workday. It’s nice to have a short week due to a holiday yesterday, but there’s a lot to catch up on. Sadly, our department was reorganized and I was moved to a different team, so I actually don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. I notice I’m almost out of my to-do list pages, so I order a new one from Amazon. I will always and forever be a person who likes to physically write things down and cross them off. $11.01

12 p.m. — Time for lunch! I have a 1 p.m .meeting so if I don’t eat now, I never will. Today is a salad with butter lettuce, chicken sausage, sautéed fingerling potatoes, cucumber, avocado, green onion, green olives, crumbled goat and sheep milk feta, and sunflower seeds, drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Today’s is kind of a hodge-podge of items, but this has been my go-to lunch lately and it feels/tastes so good!

3 p.m. — Done with meetings and still don’t have that much to do. I talked to my new team lead about this and he said not to worry and the work will come. R. has been chillin’ in his crate for a few good hours now (such a good boy!), so I take him out and reward him with a treat, love, and playtime. J. goes to our favorite coffee shop to pick up new coffee beans because we’re about to run out. We try to buy beans from local spots, even if it’s a little pricier. He comes home with two packs of beans and two small chai teas as a midday treat! $48.75

4:45 p.m. — R.’s January Bark Box arrived! We did a six-month subscription to test it out when we got him, and so far we love it. There are so many goodies inside! J. and I decide we’ll continue it indefinitely once our initial subscription is up.

5 p.m. — Laptop closed, time to workout! I jump rope for a bit and then hop on our Peloton for a 20-minute ride along with a cool-down ride and stretch. We splurged for the Peloton last summer, but I can expense the monthly payments as part of my company’s fitness reimbursement benefit so it’s basically free.

6:30 p.m. — I shower and do my skincare routine early tonight so I can put on my Isle of Paradise tanning oil. I switched to all clean beauty last year, and Biossance is my brand of choice. Once my face is ready, I head downstairs to cook dinner while J. works out. Tonight’s dinner is kung pao shrimp with rice and green beans — a staple in our house.

9 p.m. — I finish our monthly book club meeting! Our meetings usually end at 8:30, but we ended up chatting a little late today.

10 p.m. — Put R. in his crate for bedtime and J. and I finished the episode of SNL we started and then Brooklyn Nine-Nine. With a puppy, it’s been harder to carve out time for just us, so we’re both enjoying cuddling on the couch.

10:30 p.m. — We finish our shows and head upstairs to get ready for bed. Brush my teeth, take my sleeping pill, write in my one-question-a-day journal, and read The Last Green Valley until I can’t keep my eyes open. Fall asleep around 11:15.

Daily Total: $59.76

Day Two

7:30 a.m. — Wow, R. slept through the night! That rarely happens, it almost feels too good to be true. I wake up, brush my teeth, and change before letting him out. We head outside for a potty break and then I feed and play with him. He’s calm this morning, so I put him on my lap while I read for a little bit and enjoy hot water with lemon.

8:30 a.m. — J. is downstairs and makes us coffee with our new beans! We sit on the couch, talk, and watch videos of the Elmo/Rocco beef. I recently discovered this and I don’t know why, but I find it freaking hilarious.

9 a.m. — Yogurt cup acquired and laptop open. Time to start work! Think I’ll have another slow day, but we’ll see. Starting the day shadowing a call with a reporter on a story they’re working on about our company’s work-from-home policy, then team meetings and a one-on-one with my new manager later in the morning. My company has said we can work from home indefinitely, and I don’t think I’m ever going back to an office — they’re super flexible and it’s been the best.

11:30 a.m. — Finished meetings! My first meeting with my new manager went well. It’ll be a slow ramp up into my new role, but it’s intentional to learn my strengths and what I want to do. During my meeting, R. peed in the office. I couldn’t leave my meeting to take him out, so it’s not his fault, just annoying for me. I get out the Folex carpet cleaner, which is essentially magic, clean up the mess then take R. outside.

12 p.m. — I book a flight to Austin for a gals trip in April! My friends and I live all over so I’m glad we got a trip in the books (we’re all triple vaxxed). I use my Alaska wallet funds from canceled trips over the last year to book my flight so it’s no cost to me! I start defrosting chicken to make for lunch.

1 p.m. — Lunchtime! I sautée some chicken and make the same salad I did yesterday. Butter lettuce, chicken, sauteed potatoes, avocado, cucumber, sunflower seeds, green onion, crumbled feta with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. I’m not usually a salad-every-day kind of person, but recently this has been hitting the spot.

2 p.m. — Okay, that salad didn’t hit quite like it did yesterday. Guess tomorrow I should mix it up for lunch! I get back to work while J. starts therapy (copay in monthly expenses since we always set this money aside).

4 p.m. — Done with my therapy, grab a snack of applesauce and sourmelon SmartSweets, and get back to work. J. and I both see therapists and it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. We both have some emotional trauma and issues with his family, and we both go to therapy to discuss it. It’s really helped me think deeper about my issues and not feel guilty for having certain feelings. And it’s reassuring to hear someone else say I’m not crazy for feeling the way I do. Mental health is a constant battle, but therapy helps.

5 p.m. — Laptop closed and head downstairs. I start losing steam so I let J. work out first and watch R. who’s being a bit of a maniac now. Once J. hops in the shower, I change into workout gear and jump rope. Then, I hop on the Peloton for a 20 minute HIIT ride followed by a cool down and stretch. Head back down to help with dinner. Fajita night tonight!

7 p.m. — We realize fajita night wouldn’t be complete without tortilla chips for our guac, so J. heads to the store down the road to pick some up, along with a bell pepper and dairy-free ice cream. $15.82

8:30 p.m. — Fajita night always slaps. After dinner we put the dishes away and clean the kitchen, and after, I hop in the shower. I wash my face with my Biossance cleanser, toner, eye cream, and finish with lactic acid night serum. I use this serum once a week mainly to preserve it, but also it makes Wednesdays seem special.

10:30 p.m. — We watch some TV and then head up to bed. Brush my teeth, take my sleeping pill, fill out my one-question-a-day journal, and read until my eyes can’t stay open.

Daily Total: $15.82

Day Three

8:20 a.m. — It’s J.’s morning to handle the pup, so I take this as an opportunity to keep sleeping. I feel super groggy and tired, but I brush my teeth, change, and head downstairs. As soon as I do, J. gets a work call and heads back up, so I play with R. He recently discovered a squeaker in his toy, which has kept him occupied.

9 a.m. — J. finishes up our coffees and I grab a yogurt cup and head upstairs to start work. Looks like another slow-ish day ahead. I’m pitching a press release — my last time before leaving the word of pitching research reports for corporate communications.

1 p.m. — Dang, busier day than anticipated! Reports, media inquiries, and meetings galore. J. and I both aren’t feeling super hot so I send him to Walgreens to find at-home COVID tests (spoiler alert: there are none). He grabs some DayQuil to get us through the day and we discuss where to get a COVID test just to be extra safe ($14.26). I take the pup out of his crate to go potty, and he stays downstairs with J. while I whip up the salad again — butter lettuce, chicken, sautéed potatoes, cucumber, green onion, feta, and sunflower seeds. Don’t know what happened yesterday, but it is divine right now. Head back upstairs with my lunch to continue working. $14.26

2 p.m. — Work, work, work. Time for a snack break! I sauté potatoes nice and crispy so they’re essentially potato chips and add some applesauce with cinnamon for a natural-ish sweet treat.

4:30 p.m. — Work has slowed way down, so I sign off a bit early today. I have to be up for an early meeting tomorrow, so it balances out. R. is starting to get lots of energy so I play with him for a little bit. I try to decide if I want to work out or not and decide to start with jump rope and see how I feel from there.

6:30 p.m. — The jump rope makes me feel much more awake and inspires me to do a Peloton barre class and stretch. I feel much better after working out! J. ordered pho and went to pick it up while I worked out, bless him. We turn on And Just Like That while we eat and munch on SmartSweets peach rings as a dessert. $29.31

9 p.m. — Settled down on the couch with R. on my lap watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine — these are the moments that make having a puppy worth it. I make chamomile tea, J. pops open dairy-free ice cream, and we enjoy a nice evening of nothing.

10 p.m. — We head upstairs for an early night. Crate R., do my skincare routine (cleansing brush to apply cleanser, toner, eye cream, moisturizer and facial oils), and fold the laundry we’ve been meaning to put away for well over a week. I pop my sleeping pill, write in my one-question-a-day journal, and read until my eyes stay permanently closed at 10:45.

Daily Total: $43.57

Day Four

6:45 a.m. — Alarm goes off. Man, I’m tired! Set this alarm to make an early morning media interview at 7 a.m. I take R. out for a potty break and hang downstairs where I wait for the call. Turns out, the person who was supposed to call me forgot, so I woke up for nothing. Not the best way to start a Friday.

7:30 a.m. — I change and load R. in the car for his vet appointment! He gets his second round of vaccines today, so we’re one step closer to walks and brewery time. R. does SO well at the vet and we’ll be watching him today to make sure he doesn’t have any reaction to the vaccines he received. I pay for his visit and thank the lord it isn’t as expensive as I was expecting. $101

8:30 a.m. — I forgot to bring the stool sample to the vet, so I drop R. off at the house and run back to the vet to drop that off. On the way home, I stop by Walgreens to pick up Benedryl and Nyquil. I also grab some goldfish. $19.01

9 a.m. — Laptop open, yogurt in hand, time to start work! I have a couple of media requests for interviews that I start to set up, and a few meetings this morning.

1 p.m. — Phew, it’s been a busy day! I feel like I’ve been nonstop since I signed on and I am exhausted. I head downstairs to make my usual salad.

2 p.m. — J. got a new prescription at the eye doctor this week and needs to order new glasses. Eye Buy Direct is having a buy-one-get-one sale, so he orders normal glasses and I get prescription sunglasses to cash in on the deal. My other pair broke on our honeymoon a couple of months ago and Eye Buy Direct is such a steal for prescription glasses. $102.88

4 p.m. — Quick work break to take R. on his first official walk! We meet a neighbor who introduces us to his daughter and dog and they play for a little bit. We don’t walk far (a weiner dog can only go so far!) and then drop him back off at the house and go for a real walk just the two of us. We try to walk during the workday when we can to get outside. The sun is out in Seattle today and we’re taking full advantage!

5 p.m. — Laptop closed, hello weekend! I stay on the couch and we put on Too Hot To Handle. I have no idea how this show has been going for THREE seasons, but it’s the kind of trashy TV that I love.

6:30 p.m. — I make us dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. I “homemade” the red sauce using a Lawry’s seasoning packet, tomato paste, and olive oil. It’s not really from scratch red sauce, but I refuse to eat spaghetti sauce that comes from a jar. I throw together a side salad of butter lettuce, apple, cucumber, and feta tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. I polish the spaghetti off with fresh parmesan. I also pour us each a glass of red wine because it’s been a week.

7:30 p.m. — Second glass poured and we toss on Black Panther — we’re watching all the Marvel movies in timeline order… again. We’ve done this more than one time.

9 p.m. — Movie ends and we feel inspired to put on Avengers: Infinity War. Pour more wine, bust out the dairy-free ice cream. Crazy Friday night!

10 p.m. — Crate R. and head back downstairs to continue watching the movie, but both of us immediately fall asleep on the couch. We head upstairs where I wash my face (cleanser, toner, eye cream, moisturizer, and facial oil), answer my one-question-a-day, and finish the chapter in my book before I officially fall asleep around 11:30.

Daily Total: $222.89

Day Five

8 a.m. — Wow, R. slept through the night AGAIN! This has to be a trick and he’s going to start waking us up in the middle of the night. Since he slept in so late, J. and I both wake up and head downstairs. I never thought 8 a.m. would be “sleeping in” but here we are. Is this adulting?

10:45 a.m. — Finish the rest of Infinity War while sipping on coffees and eating over-hard fried eggs. J.’s birthday is on Tuesday, so I order a little dog bandana that says “Happy Birthday Dad” from Amazon. $12.12

12:30 p.m. — I do a quick jump rope routine, take R. on a very short, very slow walk (we’re still learning how to walk), and then hop on the bike for a 20-minute ride, cool down, and stretch. I choose not to shower cause a couple of our friends are stopping by to drop something off, and then we’re going to work in the backyard. We found out after we moved in, that the previous owners killed all the grass that was once there, installed a tarp, and put bark over the top. They also planted a heinous tree that has grown out of control. So we’re also planning on trimming it down and then cutting it down to remove the stump. The other owners didn’t want to maintain a yard, but I really want to garden this summer in something other than raised planters. We put it off all last summer, so it’s time to put in some work.

1 p.m. — J. was asked to be a groomsman in our friend’s wedding this fall! He gave B. a tie and pocket square that he’ll wear on the big day. We catch up with them for a few minutes, and after they leave I heat up a very healthy lunch of taquitos in the oven. J. also gets his COVID test results back — negative! Guess he just has a head cold. Totally forgot there are other illnesses other than COVID these days.

3:30 p.m. — Phew, this backyard is no joke. My back hurts from all the raking and shoveling. We got most the bark in the five yard bags we already had, but need more. We run to Lowe’s to grab more yard waste bags, gloves for J. ($7.56), and a soft serve treat at the McDonald’s ($5.27) to pat ourselves on the back. $12.83

5 p.m. — FINALLY get the backyard done. My back is going to be sore tomorrow from all the raking and shoveling. We get all the bark packaged up, put out for yard waste, and sweep up the remaining bark and leaves. Wow, that was a lot of work for just our little backyard. Shoutout to all the landscapers out there, you’re the real MVP. We take R. out of his crate and I hop in the shower.

7 p.m. — We put R. in his playpen and we head out the door to go out to dinner. We need to practice leaving him home alone and we’re both craving a burger. We go to a sports bar close by and pay for parking ($0.48) and get a soft pretzel, two burgers, and two drinks each. J. gets a beer and I get a cherry cider. It hits the spot even though it’s a little more expensive than I imagined ($93.71). Eating out in Seattle for two is always more expensive than I would like. We keep getting notifications from our Furbo that R. is crying so we hurry home to give him some love. $94.19

9 p.m. — We realize we left the fridge open (oops) and it’s been beeping the whole time we’ve been gone. I change into joggers, we throw on SNL, and put on a foot mask my mother-in-law got me for Christmas. You’re supposed to keep it on for an hour and your dead skin falls off over the course of two weeks. If this actually works, I will be so happy.

9:30 p.m. — J. makes us both whiskey cocktails. A friend got us a subscription to Shaker & Spoon as a wedding gift and we are loving it. They tell you what spirit to have on hand and they send you recipes and ingredients for three different cocktails. We love making craft cocktails at home and this is the perfect way to broaden our horizons. Tonight’s cocktail is a raspberry cordial old fashioned with a spritz of lemon oil. Everything we’ve tried so far is so tasty and tonight is no exception!

10:30 p.m. — I convince J. to make cocktail number two because hey, it’s Saturday night! His compromise is that we have to make taquitos on the side. Twist my arm. We try to let R. stay up a little later than normal because we want to cuddle him, but he’s at the stairs and ready to be put in his crate for bed. While I put him away, J. whips up a second amazing cocktail of the night, a ginger-turmeric spiced whiskey drink with a spritz of orange oil.

11:45 p.m. — After crating R. and watching a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, I fall asleep on the couch so we decide its time for bed. Maybe we had one cocktail too many tonight… I brush my teeth, answer my one-question-a-day, attempt (and fail) to read, and then lights out.

Daily Total: $119.14

Day Six

4:30 a.m. — Ugh, not getting a good night of sleep tonight. Note to self: always take sleeping pill no matter how tired I feel naturally. I’m learning the hard way how much my normal pill keeps me asleep at night.

8:30 a.m. — After a fitful night of sleep, I awaken to the miracle that R. has slept through the night AND slept in. I wake up to a headache from the cocktails, great. I take my morning pills, brush my teeth, and take R. outside. I get hangovers like nobody’s business these days, but I’m surprised by today’s.

9:30 a.m. — We order coffee for pickup at our favorite Vietnamese coffee shop down the road from us. The drinks are pretty sweet, but they are gooooood. We try something new and both get pandan coconut coffee with ube cold foam on top and two pastries to share. I continue reading my book since I’m trying to finish it before the end of the month while J. picks our order up. $28.53

12:30 p.m. — After sitting around doing nothing all morning, J. showers and gets ready because we’re going to see Beauty and the Beast at the Fifth Ave theater in Seattle. We are big Broadway people and one thing we love to do together is see shows. After J. is ready, he takes the pup on a walk to get some energy out while I get ready. Feels weird to put on makeup and real clothes these days. We put R. in his crate with lots of toys and food and head out the door.

4:15 p.m. — Wow, the show was so good! All the actors were wonderful singers, and the cast was one of the most diverse I’ve seen. Bravo, Fifth Ave. And before I get any comments, we had to prove vaccination status to get in and wore our N95 masks the entirety of the show. We hustle out of the theater before the curtain call because our Ring camera showed us that R. hadn’t settled down since we left and we feel terrible. We pay for parking ($12) and hurry home. We just got R. about a month ago and need to practice leaving him alone. This is only the second time we’ve left him alone for an extended period and we need to practice it more often so we can get used to it too. You think you’ll want to leave your pup home to live your life, but nobody tells you how much you’ll miss them! I order Chiptole delivery on our way home because we both haven’t eaten since the pastries this morning, and we are starving ($38.74). I get a chicken burrito bowl with a side of guac and J. gets a steak burrito. $50.74

5 p.m. — R. is ecstatic that we’re home and we take him out potty and give him lots of love for leaving him longer than expected. He had an accident in his crate, so we toss it all in the wash. I stay home with the pup while J. runs to the grocery store. We buy all our food for the week ahead on Sundays and switch off who runs to the store. It’s expensive, but cuts back on trips to the store during the week, and this week will be extra expensive because we need a lot of protein. Grocery prices are insane these days. We have a long list so bear with me: sourdough bread, ricotta, deli turkey, scallops, shrimp, ground beef, stir-fry beef, tortillas, hummus, dairy-free yogurt cups, eggs, dairy-free butter, strawberries, lettuce shreds, mixed greens, Cuties, Chex cereal, broccoli, kale, avocados, tomato, Fritos, sage, basil, and garlic. $115.53

7:30 p.m. — Curled up on the couch with my boys and a cup of detox tea. We watch an episode of Euphoria and then turn on Pocahontas. J. has never seen it and the songs have been stuck in my head all weekend. It was my favorite Disney movie growing up, so the nostalgia is real.

9 p.m. — Wow, we are both so tired. We take R. out for one more potty break and all head upstairs for bed. I wash my face with my normal cleanser using my cleansing brush and put on an exfoliating face mask for ten minutes. I do this face mask routine every Sunday so my skin is nice and glowy for the week ahead. Once I take that off, I finish up with toner, eye cream, moisturizer, and facial oil. I hop in bed, take my sleeping pill, answer my one-question-a-day and read until I fall asleep around 10.

Daily Total: $194.80

Day Seven

7:45 a.m. — Got a much better night of sleep! R. slept through the night like a good boy again and J. wakes up to take him out. I stay in bed for a while longer before getting up and brushing my teeth. I put on under eye masks today because I feel puffy, throw in a load of laundry, and head downstairs. J. makes us both coffee and we play with R.

9 a.m. — Time to start work. Man, I hate Mondays and I have a feeling this will be a slow one. We put R. in his play pen this morning because he needs to get used to it and he’s still crying nonstop. Pandemic puppies and separation anxiety is no joke. I grab a yogurt cup and put some granola and blueberry powder and head upstairs.

12 p.m. — My noon report is sent out and time to make lunch before my 1 p.m. meeting! Today I’m frying up some ground beef so we can make taco salads through the week. This salad includes taco seasoning ground beef, lettuce, avocado, goat cheese, and crushed Fritos over the top for an extra crunch.

2:45 p.m. — R. wakes up from his nap and we take him on a short walk just around our neighborhood to practice walking. He does so good today! We bring lots of rewards for good walking. When we get back, I grab my laptop to finish up the work day from downstairs and play fetch with R. I’m feeling hungry, so I grab a Cutie and toast some sourdough and top with butter, garlic powder, and flaky salt.

4 p.m. — I make some almond milk in our Almond Cow — best invention ever. I make a batch for the week so we can use it for cereal.

5:15 p.m. — Laptop closed — time to work out!

6:30 p.m. — I do a 30-minute Disney ride on the Peloton, paired with a cool down and stretch. Such a fun ride! I hop in the shower, wash my face, and apply tanning oil. I head downstairs to let R. out of his play pen and start cooking dinner. Tonight is seafood fettuccine alfredo!

8 p.m. — Dinner doesn’t turn out as well as I pictured, so I’m very disappointed. I don’t finish my dinner so I eat a couple small bowls of cereal while J. cleans the kitchen with Righteous Gemstones on in the background. I make batter for overnight waffles. Tomorrow is J.’s birthday so I’m making him waffles for breakfast. Hope it turns out!

10 p.m. — After a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, we decide it’s time for bed. Put R. in his crate and start folding the laundry. We usually put folding off for about a week. But today, we’re feeling motivated to get it done. After the laundry is finished, I brush my teeth, take my sleeping pill, spritz some pillow mist on my pillow, answer my one-question-a-day, and then read a few chapters of my book. I fall asleep with the soothing scent of white lavender, and officially fall asleep around 11.

Daily Total: $0

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Welcome to Refinery29’s Feel Good Diaries, where we chronicle the physical and mental wellness routines of women today, their costs, and whether or not these self-care rituals actually make you feel good.

Have your own Feel Good Diary to submit? You can do so here!

Today: A woman juggling a full-time job and a side hustle finds peace in nights in, meal prepping, and letting loose at Target.

Age: 29
Location: The suburbs of Chicago, Ilinois
Occupation: Communications Specialist, freelancer writer
Salary: $45,000/year, plus supplementary freelance writing income which is usually about $600-$800 per month

Editor’s Note: This diary was written in January 2022.

Day One

6 a.m. — ​​I start my day the same way every morning: Getting up around 6 a.m., feeding the cat, starting the coffee maker, and enjoying about 30 minutes in bed, zoned out with a steaming cup of black coffee. My early mornings started when I adopted my needy rescue kitty, but honestly, I cherish them. They are pretty much my favorite part of the day. Some mornings, I go to my desk and get some freelance work done. Some mornings, I stare into the abyss and just let myself wake up. Today is an abyss morning.

I really appreciate that my phone is silent during this portion of time and that I never have to rush out of bed. Highly recommend it.

7:30 a.m. — I swing by Starbucks for coffee number two, which is a tall black iced coffee. Before the caffeine haters come hating, I am a recovering Starbucks addict who used to buy venti drinks every day. I don’t think there is anything wrong with buying Starbucks daily if you can afford it, but I was becoming very stressed about how much money was going towards coffee. Now, as a treat, I allow myself a Starbucks drink on Mondays and Fridays! Due to my cup of coffee in bed every morning, I have found that limiting the amount of coffee I’m buying out and about is very doable. It makes me excited for this little treat to start and end my work week.

I head to work (enclosed office + mask protocol = still going in) and am checking over emails by 8:15 a.m. ($3.25)

5 p.m. — Honestly, since the pandemic started, I have been struggling to keep up with a fitness routine. I was part of a yoga studio pre-COVID, but I haven’t rekindled my membership. Instead, I’ve been taking baby steps to try and be more active by taking long walks. This is probably one of the last decent weather days in Chicago, so I decide to start my evening with a stroll even though I want to plant myself on the couch.

I never regret my walks! They are a great way to decompress and get a little fresh air. I used to live in the city, where I walked everywhere, so moving to the burbs was a difficult transition. I felt very shut in, especially with the pandemic happening. Something as simple as walking through the neighborhood to look at pretty houses, or through the little “downtown” district with shops and restaurants, always boosts my mood.

Daily Total: $3.25

Day Two

8:30 a.m. — I take the time to find a great Spotify playlist because work has been a little bit stressful. I find a few that carry me through the day: Wanderlust and Morning Coffee. Sometimes something as small as the right background music can be the game changer between a “good” day and “blah” day. If I am doing a task that involves writing in-depth or editing, I tend to turn off all music to focus, but today I am mostly answering emails and preparing promotional materials. Perfect Spotify-listening day!

4:30 p.m. — I used my lunch break to order groceries from Aldi for pickup. I live and die by this method. It’s so satisfying to be able to see everything in your checkout, as well as the total, and it saves me time as I just swing by Aldi after work. I usually do a grocery haul about once a week and spend around the same amount of money. Sometimes, if I get a bigger haul, my next week’s cost total is lower, but on average, I am spending roughly the same amount of money week to week.

One of my biggest wellness improvements this past year has been learning to cook. I’m still not very good, but I was Carrie Bradshaw-level bad before. I was eating very unhealthily, spending tons on Uber Eats delivery, and just not feeling great about myself. This slow but steady shift of actually buying groceries and using my kitchen has been a big deal in my life.  Since I ordered fresh salmon, I decided to throw that into the oven with a side of rice and broccoli. ($82.76)

8 p.m. — I decide to “self-care” with a much-needed couch session! I am wrapped in my favorite blanket burrito style and embarking on the journey that is the Netflix show, Maid. So good. So moving. I have a good cry. I’m sleepy by around 10:30 p.m. and decide to call it a night. Mission: Relaxing Couch Sesh… Accomplished.

Daily Total: $82.76

Day Three

6 a.m. — Another relaxing morning of bed and coffee. This time, however, I invite my laptop so that I can glance over a finished freelance piece before sending it off to the editor. I was going to send it yesterday, but have learned the hard way that it’s always worth looking things over with fresh eyes. I’m feeling good and motivated to kill it at work today.

12 p.m. — I dig into the lunch I brought, which is carrots and hummus, turkey meatballs, and quinoa. I also eat a few almonds that I was saving for an afternoon snack. Homemade lunches have also been part of my big “better relationship with food” endeavor. One of the biggest things that has helped me is investing in a cute lunchbox… no joke. We are all children at heart.

5:30 p.m. — I stop home after work, feed my kitty, and then head to visit one of my best friends who lives about 20 minutes away. I love spending weeknights with her. We are always perfectly content with sitting on the couch, chatting away, and occasionally putting on a TV show or movie. She loves making soup and wanted to make some. We indulge in chicken enchilada soup with French bread, browse Netflix and Hulu options, but then spend the next three hours talking. True friendship! Easy, expectation-less nights like these with dear friends are one of my favorite things about this life.

I try to insist on Venmoing her but she refuses to let me. I tell her that I’ll treat her to dinner next time.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four

6:15 a.m. — I decide to start my day checking my Animal Crossing island. I go through phases with this game and have no shame in my love for it. It’s very relaxing. I don’t like to look at my phone during my morning coffee session but I make an exception for screens so that I can meet a new island resident.

I started playing Animal Crossing during the pandemic like the rest of the world. It’s been a fun and chill way to de-stress. You literally construct and decorate an island which houses adorable little talking animals. It’s strange. It’s weird. And it’s incredibly addicting. I haven’t played much in the last few weeks, and randomly feel good about starting my day with this silly game.

6:15 p.m. — I really want to put on the next episode of Maid but decide to hunker down and work on a freelance project that’s due soon. I dabbled in freelance writing a couple of years ago, and recently worked hard to revive this side gig as a way to earn a little extra income and occupy my time. It has taken a lot of hard work to get this side gig going, but I’m now contributing consistently to a few different outlets. I absolutely love it and feel motivated to build up a portfolio. I spend about two hours writing, then decide to close my laptop and indulge in TV time.

This is my first time living alone, and I’ve been finding that I have way too much time to overthink pretty much everything. That thing I said three years ago? AWFUL! This hypothetical scenario that may happen next year? TERRIFYING! I ended up doing some teletherapy after my move, and one of the biggest takeaways was: Don’t just sit on your couch and overthink! I recently took a pause on my teletherapy because I’ve been in a better place, because I was paying $60 per session for two sessions per month. This isn’t too bad, especially since my insurance paid the bulk of the expense, but I was seeing positive results and wanted to save a bit of money for the time being. . I love therapy, however, and plan to pick it back up again in the future.

10:30 p.m. — I’m feeling like stretching so I put on a 30-minute yoga video and am immediately reminded of why I loved it so much. It’s truly the perfect balance of a challenging workout and a relaxing mind and body stretch. This is not a consistent practice for me anymore, but I so wish it were. I sleep like a baby.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

7 a.m. — Once I am up and dressed, I do my usual makeup routine: I brush my hair, brush and floss my teeth, and put foundation and mascara on. That is pretty much it. I’ve never been into makeup, though sometimes I wish I had the courage to experiment more than I have. I am very much a no makeup/minimal makeup gal, but this is in part due to never taking the time to practice it. As a teen, I was never really interested. I always like to look and feel put together, especially when it comes to clothing, but makeup was just never my cup of tea. Once I’m done, I get my Starbucks — it’s Friday! ($3.25)

6 p.m. — I have a girls-night-in date with my best friend. We order a deep dish pizza and grab a bottle of wine from the store. We watch The Parent Trap because it’s the ultimate feel-good movie and, due to our glasses of wine, take the time to learn the handshake from the movie. It’s actually very complex. But we watched a step-by-step tutorial made by 9-year-olds on YouTube and finally achieved our goal. It was the perfect way to spend a Friday night. ($29.50)

11 p.m. — We don’t try to stay up late. It’s nearing 11 p.m. and I head to bed. My friend remains on the couch and stays the night. Whether it’s due to COVID or simply due to hitting our upper twenties, we are officially over the late weekend nights out. I am sleepy from my two glasses of wine and drift off right away.

Daily Total: $32.75

Day Six

10:15 a.m. — After a slow morning, I decide it’s another good day for a walk. I walk about a mile to Barnes and Noble and pick up two cheesy rom-com reads. I’m trying to read more (aren’t we all?) so I’m excited for these new finds. One is While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory, an author that I like, and the other is Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall. I choose the second book because it seems to be a romance story surrounding a Great British Bake Off-type baking show. Yes, please. I spend the rest of the afternoon on the couch starting the first few chapters of While We Were Dating. ($28)

6:30 p.m. — I meal prep a few burrito bowls while watching Maid. These are some of my favorite easy meals to make and I honestly never tire of them. If you put enough salsa on anything, it’s good. I don’t always meal prep but this day at home calls for it. Yay for knowing what I’m going to eat tomorrow.

8:30 p.m. — I call my mom and chat with her for a bit. My parents live out of state so sometimes a phone call — even if there are no exciting updates to be said — is healing. I’m content with this low-key weekend. Talking with my mom made me miss her for some reason today, but it was good to hear her voice. I finish my TV show and hit the hay.

Daily Total: $28

Day Seven

7 a.m. — Wow, I slept in! Okay… technically I got up to feed the cat but then I went back to bed for another hour. I read my verse of the day, and then I get up and throw in a load of laundry. I grew up going to church and while I don’t always agree with everything from my religious upbringing, I’ve been able to figure out what I believe in adulthood. This small practice helps center me and brings me hope. I try to do this every morning, though admittedly, there are mornings that I forget.

Sundays are a beautiful day for cleaning. I love going into the week with a pristine apartment, so I embark on a journey that involves Clorox wiping, Swiffering, dusting, and dishes. I end my cleaning bash and have the intense desire to light a candle. Sadly, I am candle-less.

11:30 a.m. — I hop in the car and drive to Anthropologie. It’s walking distance, but I’m too lazy to make the trek today. I decide to splurge and purchase one of their mini volcano candles. I love the big boy version too, but the scent becomes a little bit too potent in my tiny apartment. I dart home and light my candle amidst my freshly tidied space. Ahhh… bliss! Worth the errand and the money. ($16.30)

4 p.m. — I decide to try a full hour yoga session using one of Corepower’s free online classes. This one is a Hot Power Fusion workout, which works the whole body. I am pretty tired by the end but very glad I did it!

I hop in the shower post-yoga and decide to call my friend to see if she wants to join me for a Target run to get some house supplies. She says yes and we wander around this magical land where I pick up cat food, dish soap, shampoo and conditioner, garbage bags, and many other assorted home items. Oh, and I also splurge on a cute and cozy sweater. ($65.78)

Daily Total: $82.08

Weekly Total: $228.84

Reflection: I am not someone with a strict wellness routine (minus my coffee mornings), but I am very aware of when I’m feeling burnt out or stressed and how I can combat those feelings. In terms of physical health, I am on my way to setting some exercise habits in place. Ditching the frequent takeout and opting for home-cooked meals has been one of the best things I could’ve done for my health. Not only am I eating better, but I no longer need to stress about where all my money is going.

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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 pastry chef who makes $65,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on bourbon.

Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up Money Diary. You can read the original diary here.

Occupation: Pastry chef
Industry: Hospitality
Age: 43
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Salary: $65,000
My Husband’s Salary: $85,000 (but we keep our finances completely separate)
Net Worth: $146,000 (This includes approximately $110,000 in an IRA, $15,000 in savings, $18,000 in a mutual fund, and $3,000 in checking.)
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,185
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $661 for my half of a rent-controlled apartment
Car Payment: $300
Netflix/Hulu: $0 (husband’s mom’s account)
Apple Music: $9.99
Cable/Internet: $0 (paid by husband)
Utilities: $52 for my half
Car Insurance: $101
Health Insurance: $172
Renter’s Insurance: $14
Cell Phone: $75
Vanguard IRA: $500
New York Times: $4
LA Times: $16
NPR: $10

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, there was. I was a valedictorian at a humanities magnet school but I was NOT interested in college. I was, however, very into photography so I ended up attending a good art school. I dropped out after two years because it felt too stupid and didn’t seem like it was worth the money ($19,000 at the time). My parents paid for the schooling. They also paid for culinary school several years later, and let me tell you, I do NOT recommend culinary school. Just go get a job in a kitchen, you’ll learn just as much. My husband works for a university and as of this year will start getting free education for a spouse and I’ve thought about going back and finishing school, seeking a degree in business. I would like to be able to still work in food but pivot away from actual cooking (which is a pain in the ass and I’m unsure of how many more years I can physically do it), and so many food manufacturing businesses require a business degree. I’m also unsure of whether I could make it through two econ classes and statistics, so, we’ll see. I can’t even make it through a whole NYT article at this point.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We didn’t really have any conversations about it except my mother always repeating that you shouldn’t borrow or lend money. I also saw my dad get years behind on his taxes (and yes, the government did eventually show up on our doorstep). My parents made more money once I was a teenager. We didn’t get allowances, they just bought us what we wanted when they could, within reason (seeing The Cure three times was within reason).

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I was a barista at a local coffee shop at 16. I honestly don’t remember why I felt I needed to work because it wasn’t necessary, but I continued at other barista jobs through college for spending money.

Did you worry about money growing up?
When we were younger, my parents made less money, so I would get upset I couldn’t have the name brand clothing the other kids in sixth grade had. But I never worried that we could pay the rent or put food on the table, ever. My parents owned apartment buildings that my dad bought in the ’60s which have since sold and are the source of my family’s wealth now.

Do you worry about money now?
No, not anymore. I was worried about it when I wrote my first Money Diary because I was only making $25/hour, and then I was VERY worried about it from August-December 2021 because I left my job without having another job and was living off my savings. Right after I left my job, I got married (online via the county!), so my husband was chipping in more each month to help me out. We have NOT combined our finances — he still gives me money each month for rent, groceries, etc. We take turns paying for things like pizza night and fancy meals and figure it just evens out. I now make $5,000 more than my last job, which is nice (after I wrote my Money Diary, my last job did finally stop paying me hourly and gave me my $60,000 salary back but it took a lot of cajoling).

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
At 25, when I moved out of my parents’ house. My safety net is both my savings and my husband’s savings. If something REALLY went wrong, we could count on both my mom and his mom. We both stand to inherit quite a bit of money when our mothers pass, but here’s hoping that doesn’t happen for a very long time.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My mom gave me $10,000 several years ago after the sale of an apartment building. I put it in a mutual fund and have occasionally taken money out of it for travel, then let it regrow.

Day One

6:30 a.m. — My first Money Diary had me waking up at 4:15 a.m. to open the restaurant and let me tell you, waking up at 6:30 instead is a real windfall. One of my requirements in looking for a new job was finding something that was NOT an all-day restaurant with a bakery that required early hours (I was offered several of these). I skip coffee at home because the coffee at work is freaking delicious and I brew a pot as soon as I get in. I shower, grab a chef’s coat, and I’m off!

7:15 a.m. — Since I am in the throes of becoming my mother, I take the streets all the way to work instead of driving on the freeway. I find it too stressful first thing in the morning, and I’m not even certain it’s faster.

8 a.m. — Arrive at work, and I am the only one there, which is nice. I make coffee, set up my station, and turn the ovens on. The first thing I do is bake some chocolate chip cookies for family meal breakfast.

12 p.m. — The other thing I am unwilling to do this time around and at my age is to eat for three minutes standing over a trash can (this is classic kitchen behavior). I insist on making time for a sit-down lunch. I eat a Trader Joe’s salad that I brought from home. They actually make lunch family meal now, but it’s not always dependable in timing and quality (and often includes an inordinate amount of fries), so I’d rather depend on my own lunch. After lunch, I finish prepping for dinner service. Because of COVID cutbacks, I am the entire pastry department, which means I not only make the desserts but all the crackers and various doughs the restaurant requires. This sounds like a lot of work, and sometimes it is, but the joy of not having to manage anyone or wonder if your employees will show up for their shifts cannot be overstated. It is frankly the easiest job I have had in years. People management is the hardest part of cooking.

4 p.m. — Quitting time. I basically work only eight hours a day at this point, instead of the 10-12 hours I have been used to for years. Again, this is blissful.

5 p.m. — Home. I quickly change into my jammies, pour us some bourbons, and start prepping dinner. I am making a cream of broccoli soup with grilled cheeses and will take the leftover soup into work for a nice lunch.

7 p.m. — Because we are old, we watch Jeopardy! with dinner. Wheel Of Fortune follows and my husband, S., insists I turn it off because he thinks it’s too stupid (like, how is a trip to Florida valued at $9,000??). We instead watch an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I get into bed after to continue watching Archive 81 on Netflix (pretty good, like a cross between Rosemary’s Baby and Videodrome) until I eventually fall asleep.

Daily Total: $0

Day Two

6:30 a.m. — Wake up, read emails, scroll Instagram, shower, and think about the new dessert I’m putting on today!

8 a.m. — My favorite thing about drinking coffee at work is that we drink it out of delicate china cups and I get to put straight heavy cream in it. Set up station, turn on ovens, and bake peanut butter cookies for a grateful staff.

2 p.m. — Assemble a tester of my new dessert. I’ve only worked here a few weeks and I’m still adding things to the menu. I present it to our chef, and aside from a small adjustment, he loves it and we plan to put it on the menu tomorrow. My last restaurant was more broadly general and American in concept, so I could basically put anything I wanted on the menu, which makes things surprisingly difficult. This is a high-end restaurant of a specific cuisine and I actually find it easier to come up with desserts when there is a framework and a style.

5:15 p.m. — I arrive home and find S. at our neighbor’s apartment, assembling a coat rack for her. I change my clothes and head over there. She calls him her apartment husband, and he really is the go-to in the building for problems. While working, S. asks me if I want to go to Kauai for five days next month, on him. Um, what? Yes? Wait, this doesn’t affect my summer vacation does it? No? Then YESSSSSS. Can I take the extra three days off of work? Yes? Maybe? WHO CARES, SPRING BREAK!!!

7 p.m. — Dinner is pasta and a salad, something I keep in my back pocket for easy meals (I make big batches of tomato sauce and freeze it in deli cups in the exact portion I need for two people). Jeopardy! and Curb, then in bed to watch Archive 81. This show will later give me a screaming nightmare, so take that as you will.

Daily Total: $0

Day Three

6 a.m. — Get up a half-hour early because I want to use a machine upstairs at work before the prep guys get in.

7:15 a.m. — Hustle upstairs to make the crackers before the guys get in to use the upstairs prep area. The crackers use an electric pasta sheeting machine to achieve maximum thinness, and I’ve only used it once. The first dough ball sheets perfectly. The second sticks and clogs the machine. I unclog it and run through the third dough ball, which also sticks. Now I have to scrape the sticky dough off the rollers. NO PROBLEM.

7:30 a.m. — I take a very thin paring knife and start scraping off the rollers. As I scrape, I am leaning on the machine with my other hand and accidentally switch the machine on, which proceeds to suck the paring knife into the rollers. The machine shuts itself off and now my paring knife is stuck in the rollers, which are obviously on the thinnest setting. OMFG. I start trying to pry out the knife and it ain’t going nowhere. I start to panic. I spray some pan spray in there to try to grease it like WD-40. After 10 minutes, I manage to squeak it out. Miraculously, the stupid machine actually turns back on. OMFG.

12 p.m. — Lunch is family meal which is actually quite delicious today, a kind of spicy beef stew over fregola. I eat with my favorite line cook, who I end up telling the cracker story to, and who I swear to secrecy under threat of never getting any breakfast treats again.

4 p.m. — Time for line up, which is the pre-shift meeting of chefs, managers, and servers that happens before dinner service. Today I am there to taste and talk about my new dessert. To my delight, the manager has spelled everything right on the dessert menu. I love talking about my food and teaching people about unusual ingredients and techniques.

5:45 p.m. — I get home and check the mail because I have been waiting for the final check from my last job. It was for a very corporate restaurant group and it just was not the right fit for me, so I only worked there a few weeks. They were dragging their feet on my final check and after much back and forth they admitted they owed it, and that it would include penalties for late payment, which I figured could only be a small percentage of my pay. As it turns out, the check I received was THREE times the amount they owed me because of penalties (the penalty is apparently one day’s pay for every day late, up to 30 days) and I am over the moon after not working for so many months.

7 p.m. — Tonight is a personal favorite, chilaquiles night! I fry the chips myself and make a green sauce along with guacamole and eggs to top them. We take a long walk around the neighborhood after Jeopardy! then it’s Netflix and bedtime.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four

6:30 a.m. — Sleeping til 6:30 is truly bliss. Then I step in cat vomit.

8 a.m. — Coffee machine isn’t working, so I make myself an espresso and resign myself to probably making espressos for the next four people that come in. I also bake blueberry muffins for the guys. I say “the guys” because I am literally the only woman that works in the back of house and yes, it is exhausting sometimes. Male cooks are classic bullshitters and they NEVER shut up.

12:30 p.m. — Family meal lunch is wings, as it often is, and I pass and eat a soup. Why do men like wings so much? It’s like a lot of mess for so little reward and then also some gristle.

2:30 p.m. — I have one of my favorite things to make on the menu right now, a swiss roll. I execute a PERFECT unbroken swirl, every single time, and every time, I think of the poor bastards on The Great British Baking Show that flub it. I quietly award myself a Hollywood Handshake.

4 p.m. — I attend line up again to talk about the new dessert. Everyone loves it.

6 p.m. — I get home after stopping for Thai food ($45.98) and go online to buy S. a card I saw an Instagram ad for ($14.30; yes I was influenced). It’s a pop-up card with an old fashioned inside, his favorite cocktail. I’m shaky about spending $14 on a card, but, here we are. $60.28

7 p.m. — Eat Thai food and watch Jeopardy! S. tells me he finalized all the details for our trip to Kauai; it will be short but sweet! I get into bed and start researching where to eat while we are there, then finish up Archive 81. It was pretty good overall. No nightmares tonight!

Daily Total: $60.28

Day Five

6 a.m. — I get up earlier on brunch days because there are some doughs at work that need extra time to proof. Also, today is my Friday!

7:30 a.m. — Thankfully the coffee machine is working again. I pull all the dough that needs to proof and start getting things ready for brunch service. It’s stressful but it’s less stressful than my last restaurant because my station picks up fewer items.

10:30 a.m. — I take a quick break before brunch service starts to eat instant ramen because I can’t eat during brunch. Instant ramen has saved me many times at work. If I have time, I add a soft boiled egg and it is *chef’s kiss*.

4 p.m. — Brunch is finally over and I feed the staff the leftover pastries, to everyone’s delight, drowning them in extra nuts and sauce. I snag a few for S. and head home for a nice dinner reservation and the weekend!

5:30 p.m. — Get home for a quick shower before dinner. Tonight we are eating at a restaurant where two friends are the pastry chef and pastry cook. I finally get to wear a new jumpsuit I got for Christmas!

7 p.m. — We arrive and they ask to see our vaccine cards, which I find odd because we made a reservation for outdoor dining. They go to seat us inside and we ask what’s going on and they say they closed outdoor dining because it was windy earlier. S. is VERY upset and considers leaving; he does not eat inside. I convince him to stay but it casts a pall over the evening. All the food is meticulous and delicious, and my friend comps us ALLLL the desserts, with cookies to go! S. pays for the meal.

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

7:30 a.m. — Desert day! We are headed to Palm Desert for one night, as we like to do a few times a year. It’s nice to get away, even for just one night. S. booked someplace different than where we usually stay, because that place was wildly expensive for this weekend. I’m not thrilled because it’s a condo, not a resort, so no one will bring me Bloody Marys by the pool. I pack beers, homemade Bloody Mary mix, vodka, and chips and resign myself to being my own cocktail waitress.

12 p.m. — Since there’s no restaurant at the condo, we stop for sandwiches ($25.80). I’ll pay for all the food this weekend since S. got the condo. $25.80

12:30 p.m. — We get to the condo and they tell us the room won’t be ready until 4, which means no ice for my Bloody Marys and warm beer for S. They do let us use the changing room and pool, so we enjoy the pool and hot tub until 4. When we check in, we enjoy the waning light and the fireplace on the patio.

6 p.m. — I call our favorite sushi place to place a to-go order. Repeatedly. They are not answering, which is not a good sign. So we figure fine, we’ll just drive over there. She tells me it will be an HOUR AND A HALF for takeout. No way. We head to our Thai place across the parking lot. One hour for takeout. Okay, no problem, let’s just go to that In ‘n’ Out across the street. The line is wrapped around the parking lot twice and bleeding onto the street. Okaaaaaay. Defeated, we settle on fast food and find a Carl’s Jr across the street and get western bacon cheeseburgers and fries and Jesus, why is it $24.95?? The burgers are TERRIBLE and I am very sad for my tiny vacation. $24.95

Daily Total: $50.75

Day Seven

8 a.m. — I wake up early so that I can wring out as much vacation as possible. S. gets up and makes coffee and I ask if it is too early for a Bloody Mary. Apparently, it is. It also feels too early to put on a bikini but I am determined. I head out to the pool in my romper.

10 a.m. — Finally Bloody Mary o’clock! S. joins me in the hot tub as we have deemed the pool too cold. Soon after, we pack up and leave.

12 p.m. — We make our traditional stop at Baker’s, a local Inland Empire chain, for the best crunchy shell ground beef tacos. I start to feel slightly redeemed from last night’s dinner disaster. I sleep the rest of the way home because Bloody Marys. $14.90

1:30 p.m. — Home, and nap time!

4:30 p.m. — I wish I could keep lounging around but I HAVE to go to the grocery store or I’ll never get there this week. I meal plan for the week, plotting out specific meals instead of just buying stuff and coming up with ideas later. In addition to a few household items, bourbon, vitamins, and cat food, I buy the prep for tomato risotto, quesadillas, and pozole ($100.39). In a classic move, I refuse to cook after toiling over grocery shopping, so I plan on getting sushi to further placate myself for that terrible vacation dinner. $100.39

7 p.m. — I go to pick up the sushi ($85.28) because I’m too cheap to pay for Postmates and sushi is already so expensive. And I’m still mad about the $25 I spent at Carl’s Jr. The sushi hits the freakin’ spot and we go to bed very happy. $85.28

Daily Total: $200.57

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