#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

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 content design manager who makes $295,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on stackable washer and dryer.

Occupation: Content Design Manager
Industry: Technology
Age: 42
Location: Seattle, WA
Salary: $295,000 including my bonuses and annual stock grants
Net Worth: ~$275,000 (I have $250,000 in stock grants from my company, $100,000 in 401(k)/investment accounts, a home worth $750,000, a car worth $25,000, and $5,000 in a savings account for emergencies. I contribute 20% of my salary and bonuses to my 401(k) and as my stock vests, I convert that to investments. Minus debt.)
Debt: $275,000 in student loans, $580,000 mortgage
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $4,500
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $3,619 (I live alone with my kids in a newly built townhome, which is all I could afford in Seattle without compromising my retirement and savings goals.)
HOA: $300
Student Loans: $550
Car Insurance: $445 for car insurance (I insure my adult kids and they reimburse their share)
Health Insurance: $30
Cell Phone: $490 for cell phone
Cable/Internet: $240
House Cleaning: $300
Spotify: $16
Hulu: $13
Peloton: $42
Netflix: $10
Credit Monitoring: $42
BarkBox: $25

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
My parents always wanted me to go to college when I was a kid. My mom was a high school dropout and my dad worked at a welding supply store so neither of them had a degree. I started going to college in high school as part of a program that gives juniors and seniors free tuition at local community colleges. I transferred to a four-year college when I was 18 but got pregnant and left college soon after. I was briefly married to the father of my kids, but we split up a few years later, I was 21 with three kids, no degree, and no real work experience outside of my college newspaper. I started working for websites at a salary that was lower than childcare costs and relied on state childcare assistance for three years to barely scrape by. I was lucky and was able to transition into higher-paying content jobs in tech and by the time I was 25, I was making just shy of $100,000. I completed my degree while working full-time and eventually went to grad school, which I graduated from last year. I paid for all of my college myself, which is why I have so much student loan debt. My parents were never in a position to help me financially at any point since I became an adult.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
None, really. I had no idea how to build credit, save, or invest, and because my parents wouldn’t let me get a job as a teenager, I had no access to spending money or experience managing money until I was on my own in college.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was working on the student newspaper in college. I loved to write so I tried to find ways to make money that built those skills. I also worked on student government, for the women’s studies program, and in the college bookstore. I couldn’t get enough aid to cover living or food costs so I worked multiple jobs to try to cover those expenses.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Not really. I never thought about finances growing up, largely because we lived in a pretty poor California town where everyone seemed to be in the same boat. We shopped at K-Mart and ate Hamburger Helper and Kraft mac and cheese. I went to Disneyland once and the only other vacations we took were camping trips or very rare visits with family in other states.

Do you worry about money now?
As a single parent living in a high cost of living area, I’ve been through a number of periods of pretty dire financial straits. I’m in a good place now, largely because my kids are old enough not to need childcare anymore. I have been so broke, I’ve had to look for change to buy food and spent years juggling shut-off notices to try to keep everything on. At one point, my credit score was 450 and I had creditors garnishing my wages. It took me a long time to dig out of that hole so even though now I’m financially stable, I don’t feel safe and probably won’t until I have enough money saved to cover my expected expenses through the end of my life.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
18. I’ve been responsible for myself and my kids ever since.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I received $5,000 when one of my grandparents died, which I used to pay off a debt to my college so I could return to school and finish my degree. When my father died, I received $20,000 from the sale of the land his mobile home sat on. I used that to help my oldest child buy their first home.

Day One

9 a.m. — I usually start my workday between 8:30-9. Right now, I’m working from home so I pretty much roll out of bed, put on joggers and a hoodie, put my hair in a ponytail, and get to work. I eat a protein bar and start reading my email and preparing for a day full of meetings. My son texts me to see if I want coffee. He has my Starbucks card on his phone so he grabs me an almond milk mocha and drops it off between errands. I usually make my own coffee but I’m always up for more. $6

12 p.m. — One downside of working from home is back-to-back meetings. I used to make time to grab food from the cafeteria once or twice a week, but now I eat leftovers during meetings. Today I have leftover Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and peas from last night’s dinner. Yum!

8 p.m. — I love to watch the Food Network and recreate my faves with my kids. I want to try to make Oreo macarons but I don’t have a food processor. I find one on Amazon for $230 and use some of my Amazon credit card reward points so it’s only $93. I do all of my grocery and household shopping on Amazon with their credit card so I have $200-$250 in rewards points to use every month on something fun. $93

Daily Total: $99

Day Two

10 a.m. — It’s Saturday! I sleep in and do my grocery shopping from the couch. I load up my cart while my kids play and there’s enough to fill two Whole Foods orders and one from Amazon. Combined, they’re $456 plus $20 tips. I used to go to three grocery stores to get everything we needed at the absolute lowest price, but these days, I’m all about freeing up time even if it costs more. I spend the afternoon reading a book. $456

5 p.m. — Pre-pandemic, my family ate out… a lot. These days, we’ve cut back to once a week. This week, we decide to try a new Asian-Mexican fusion place that just opened up in the neighborhood and is offering pickup. My kids get sandwiches and fries, and I try the loaded spicy pork fries with Mexican roasted corn. DELICIOUS! It was absolutely worth the $108 (with tip) and I post pics of our meal to social media to let my local friends know how good it is. $108

6 p.m. — The kids have been begging for a movie night so I make popcorn and dig up some candy for the theater experience. They settle on a new Disney release on Disney+, which is $30 plus the cost of Disney+ itself, but that’s a bargain compared to seeing it in the theater for my crew. $30

Daily Total: $594

Day Three

9 a.m. — I got a Peloton early in the pandemic and promised myself I’d use it four to five days a week. These days, I’m lucky if I work out more than once a week. Exercise has never been my friend but I’m determined to get some use out of this thing. I work out for a grueling 45 minutes and have to admit that I feel great afterward.

6 p.m. — After a quiet day at home, cleaning and organizing, I settle in to catch up on Instagram. As usual, they get me with a targeted ad, this time for a lint roller for rugs and furniture. Who knows if it’ll work but as a pet owner, I’m willing to try anything! $19

Daily Total: $19

Day Four

9 a.m. — Get up and start working.

2 p.m. — I manage to snag a COVID vaccine appointment, which is covered by my insurance. I log out of work and head to my appointment. The only parking available is paid so I swing into the lot. The vaccine clinic is run out of a large hospital and it works like clockwork. I’m in and out in 15 minutes, but still owe $9 for parking. I run through the Starbucks drive-thru on my way home and get my afternoon usual, a venti iced peach green tea with two stevias. $15

8 p.m. — I’m starting to feel a bit under the weather so I spend the evening watching Ginny & Georgia on the couch and shopping for raincoats for my dog. I find a cute one for $25 and use my Amazon points to snag it for free.

10 p.m. — My oldest kid is buying a house and texts to see if he can use my Home Depot credit card to buy a washer and dryer. He promises to pay me back after the house closes. I agree but decide to gift him the set as a housewarming gift. We text back and forth from the store until he chooses a stacking set with a three-year warranty. I didn’t have help from my family when I was his age so it’s important to me to be able to do things like this for my kids. $2,500

Daily Total: $2,515

Day Five

11 a.m. — Now that I have my first vaccine, I realize I can finally go back to the salon! I haven’t had a haircut or color since quarantine began and things are looking ROUGH. I text my favorite salon and it’s a good thing I did because she moved to a new location. I book an appointment for after my second vaccine and pre-pay for the service. $250

2 p.m. — A friend tells me about a board and train program her dog is going to so I start looking into them for one of my dogs who is very anxious. After reading all about them, I’m feeling super excited about enrolling my pup. I’m able to connect with them quickly so after discussing my dog and her needs, we agree to a four-week program for her. I put 50% down to hold her spot. $2,500

8 p.m. — I’m feeling restless after being cooped up at home for a year and have plane ticket credits to burn after having to cancel a trip to Disney World last year. I’m able to rebook the tickets without any fees because of the pandemic and I settle on a week in Kauai in late November when it seems safe. I spend the night looking for the perfect Airbnb for the whole fam and settle on a large house with a pool and hot tub for $8,000. I put down a $1,700 deposit and add my PTO to my work calendar. $1,700

Daily Total: $4,450

Day Six

10 a.m. — I’m really lucky to have medical care that’s almost entirely covered by my employer. I pay a few bucks for prescriptions, $10 co-pays for office visits, and have free mental health care. I take advantage of the mental health benefit to schedule a visit with my therapist. I’ve been struggling with depression for most of my life but the pandemic has made it harder to cope. I’m feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, but meeting with her helps me to feel more in control. I log into my next meeting feeling ready to tackle my workday.

6 p.m. — I forgot some things in my weekly grocery order so I hop back onto the Amazon app to order a few essentials. I’m obsessed with REBBL protein shakes lately so I load up on those, plus add more Zevia (a sad replacement for my beloved Diet Coke), and my fave non-dairy ice cream. $80

10 p.m. — Instagram ads get me again with a hand-lettering journal. I took a hand-lettering workshop at work a few months ago and found it oddly relaxing. I’m always trying to find ways to decompress so I’m excited for it to arrive. Before bed, I write in my daily mood journal, drink a glass of water, and meditate on the Peloton app. $35

Daily Total: $115

Day Seven

10 a.m. — It’s been a long work week already and I take advantage of a break between meetings by looking at real estate. I’ve been thinking about moving to a warmer, sunnier state if my company continues to let us work from home after COVID, and looking at cheap real estate is my new favorite hobby. It’s pouring outside so sunny states with nice homes with pools for way less than my mortgage feels like perfection.

3 p.m. — BarkBox arrives and it’s the best part of my month (how sad is that?). My dogs are super excited about their new toys and I snap a few pics and post them to their Instagram account. I never saw myself as a dog mom but here I am. (In monthly expenses above.)

12 p.m. — It’s cleaning day! I started treating myself to house cleaning twice a month a few years ago and it’s a total lifesaver. While they clean, I continue my meetings but have to keep my camera off so it’s not weird. I Zelle my cleaning lady $130 plus a $20 tip when she’s done and enjoy my pristine house until the kids mess it up! (In monthly expenses above.)

10 p.m. — Before bed, I check in on my investments. The market has been crazy lately so I often gain or lose $1,000 or more per day. I am new to investing and saving but I am taking a long view of my investments. I have another 20+ years until retirement so I try not to stress out when my balance is down. Today it’s up $1,100 and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the ability to save for my future.

Daily Total: $0

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A Week In Queens, NY, On A $220,000 Salary

A Week In San Francisco, CA, On A $104,000 Salary

A Week In Northern New Jersey On A $76,686 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Refinery29, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

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.

Are you a single parent? How do you budget your money? What financial advice do you have for new single parents? Let us know here.

Today: a behavioral health supervisor who makes $104,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on See’s Candies assorted lollipops.

Occupation: Behavioral Health Supervisor
Industry: Behavioral Health
Age: 31
Location: San Francisco, CA
Salary: $104,000
Net Worth: -$92,920.15 (Checking/savings: $31,563, pension: $27,044 (need to stay with my organization another 1.5 years for matching employer contribution), scooter: $4,000, minus debt.)
Debt: $155,527.15 (graduate student loans)
Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $5,747
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,390 for a room in a four-bed that I share with three people. Landlord pays water, garbage, and landscaping.
Loans: $0 (All student loans are currently in forbearance, hallelujah!)
Utilities: $142 (includes electricity, internet, bi-monthly house cleaning)
Amazon Prime: $119/year
Audible: $15 (best money I consistently spend)
Motorcycle Insurance: $400/year
Netflix/HBO/Hulu/Disney+: $0 (boyfriend’s account)
Washington Post/Atlantic: $0 (boyfriend’s account)
NYT Subscription: $50/year
New Yorker Subscription: $7.50/month
Pension: 7.5% of salary
Wealthfront: $720
Savings: $680
Google Storage: $1.99
Health/Vision/Dental: covered by my company
Cell Phone: $40

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes. Both my parents are college-educated immigrants, so there was no question about the need to attend higher education. My parents paid for my undergraduate degree and I got one or two scholarships. I took out federal loans for grad school.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents grew up in relative poverty, so they always reinforced the importance of education in pursuit of a stable career that wouldn’t break down my body. The basic rules around finances were: always pay off your credit card in full, never owe anyone money, make sure you have a good credit score. Don’t buy what you can get for free. Don’t be an artist because you’ll starve. You need to make enough to be comfortable sending any children you have to college.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
In high school, I tutored elementary school students and taught piano in order to have spending money. My parents didn’t provide an allowance or pay for peer-related activities, so if I wanted to go to prom or participate in school sports, I had to earn the money myself. I usually borrowed sports uniforms and prom dresses from friends. My parents also seldom bought me things that weren’t necessities, so my clothes and toys were generally secondhand church donations or gifts from family friends.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No. I grew up in an affluent community of H1B visa immigrants and my parents provided me every educational/extracurricular opportunity available. It sometimes made me uncomfortable to not be able to go out with friends or fit in on the basis of our belongings, but I never worried about basic needs.

Do you worry about money now?
Thinking about my student loans knocks the breath out of me. However, I’m four and a half verified years into a 10-year public service loan forgiveness, so I cross my fingers that the government doesn’t eliminate loan forgiveness plans and try not to dwell. I did worry about money a lot between the ages of 21-27 when I moved to an economically recessed state where I was chronically underemployed. I lowkey think everyone should have the experience of working two jobs at once. I also did AmeriCorps for a year (which pays an annual salary of $12,000), which was rewarding but not the easiest, financially. Getting fast food was a big deal.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself at age 21 when I graduated from college. That being said, I will always have the financial safety net of my parents and older sister, who would support me if I fell on a hard place. When I think about the financial decisions I’ve made in life (doing public service work, taking out student loans), I know I’ve had the immense privilege of making them with relative ease and comfort, knowing that my family would never let me be homeless (though they have let me be on food stamps).

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When I was in college, my mom gave me her Ford Escort station wagon, which I drove into the ground. When I was moving back to California several years ago, I asked my parents to loan me $2,000 to cover moving expenses. I paid them back over a year and a half, but they then gave me $800 for Christmas, so in essence, I only paid them back $1,200. Once a year, my parents will give me a red envelope for a holiday or my birthday, which usually contains $400-$800.

Day One

7:50 a.m. — Per usual, I roll out of bed less than 45 minutes before I have to be at work. Beauty routine: Brush hair. I recently purchased a (Drybar Super Lemon Drop) hairbrush for the first time in my life after my free brushes lost their bristles; it’s revolutionized my hair brushing game. Wash my face with a probiotic mangosteen cleanser and put on a blazer so that my top half is presentable in court. Pair with a FRNCH sheer polka-dotted top (thrifted), AG high-rise ankle jeans (not thrifted), and Robert Clergerie oxfords (thrifted). A silver lining about masking in public (in addition to the public health benefits) is that I no longer have to apply makeup because no one can see my face anyway.

8:30 a.m. — Arrive at work, make coffee, grab a handful of hard candies, and hop on a four-hour video conference with one of the collaborative courts my team co-founded. Discuss individual cases of clients involved in restorative justice and rehabilitative programs within the criminal justice system. Court commences and the judge calls clients up to the stand one by one. I know you’re not supposed to have favorites, but one of my fave chronically homeless clients just found permanent housing and his cheek-to-cheek smile is killing me.

2 p.m. — It’s a great day in that I’m flying through tasks and don’t have much time to contemplate my existence, let alone break to eat lunch. I place a Doordash order for four acai bowls — one to eat, three to freeze. I think this will be cost-effective except that I proceed to eat two of them. Feck. $46.63

4:30 p.m. — I get a center-wide email informing me that there is leftover catering — oven-baked chicken, collard greens, cornbread, and mac and cheese. I grab two boxed lunches for tomorrow.

5:20 p.m. — Drop by a client’s apartment to make sure he’s okay because he missed an appointment with me this afternoon. He’s fine, just had a spell of deep anxiety. I feel that. We reschedule.

6:30 p.m. — Head over to my boyfriend, T.’s, apartment and order Ethiopian food for dinner — two veggie combos and a bunch of injera. We watch Minari (which he pays for) and then I stay up an extra hour Googling everything about the director, Lee Isaac Chung, and wondering how such a gem of a human came into being. $43.44

Daily Total: $90.07

Day Two

9 a.m. — T. makes tea for two while I slowly wake up. We head out toward the farmer’s market, stopping by Blue Bottle first. I order a cappuccino with oat milk ($5 with tip). At the market, we grab lettuce, radishes, cabbage, fresh pasta, empanadas, lemons, and popcorn. As per usual, T. buys most of the groceries and I buy him flowers for his place. Last week it was fuzzy puffs of bright green dianthus; this week, it’s tulips splashed with orange and yellow ($10). I love the small luxury of buying flowers, which simultaneously necessitates an acceptance of the ephemeral. $15

12 p.m. — We walk to the lake to eat our empanadas and soak in some sun, then return home to eat our lunch boxes. My cat joins us when he smells the chicken.

3:30 p.m. — Seduce T. by taking off my clothes and walking into the living room, where he is reading, and loudly announcing that he is officially the only one in the house with clothes on. It works. We give each other massages and get intimate, which is great for my mental health and skin. I’m neurotic about a lot of things, but sex for me is a completely enjoyable activity where I feel in the moment and grounded in my body. Also doesn’t hurt that we discovered this divine massage candle (Maude) that melts into your skin and makes you smell like a fancy cookie. You can stop reading this and go order it now. I’ll wait.

6:30 p.m. — Dinner is tea leaf salad and farmer’s market Meyer lemon pappardelle. I’ve been really getting into Burmese tea leaf salads since I discovered that you can buy a DIY kit and then call yourself a person who eats salad.

8 p.m. — We watch another Lee Isaac Chung movie, Munyurangabo, which is free to stream. Also so good. I am infatuated with this director.

Daily Total: $15

Day Three

8 a.m. — Wake up, read the internet. T. makes us tea, I make us fried egg, avocado, and veggie breakfast sandwiches.

11 a.m. — T. is an introvert and I know he’d enjoy some time alone to read/workout/play music/take a work call, so I go out for a walk. I normally do this while listening to an audiobook, but I still have too many thoughts rolling around in my head from last night’s movie, so I put on music instead.

11:30 a.m. — Order a Starbucks grande soy caramel macchiato (free, with my star rewards) and head to the lake. Choose a patch of grass, smoke a joint, draw, listen to Ken Liu’s The Hidden Girl and Other Stories (he blows my mind even when I’m not high), and do some yoga (also normally self-conscious about this, except when stoned. Highly endorse stoned yoga).

1 p.m. — Next goal is to find some succulents for T.’s outdoor planter, which was decimated by a recent windstorm. Walk to my favorite flower shop which has a meh array of succulents this week. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods are rocking echeveria and not much else. Decide to visit the SF Flower Market next week instead. Walk to a bakery, where I get a morning bun for myself, a corn cherry scone for T., plus a half dozen English muffins ($10.50). I finish off the morning bun by the time I’m at the lake again, and I still want more carbs, so I ask for a jollof rice and Diet Coke at the Liberian food truck. They only have regular Coke. Oh. I know they’ll have Diet Coke at the food truck with the bougie tacos, so I get it there ($9.80). $20.30

2 p.m. — Dear diary, jollof rice and Diet Coke was such a good decision.

2:15 p.m. — Glance at my phone. No texts from T. DOESN’T HE MISS ME YET?? I walk to Whole Foods to get some staples: marshmallows (I finished a bag last night while watching Munyurangabo), kombucha, chocolate, orange sorbets, and spiced chickpeas to put on future salads ($26.27). Considering how Amazon treats its workers, I feel bad supporting it by purchasing groceries through Whole Foods/having a Prime membership, and I’m still figuring out how to balance my personal values against the cost of cognitive/emotional labor. Real talk, I’m just not ready to give up how easy Amazon makes my life. Making these choices sometimes feels like a game you can’t win. $26.27

3 p.m. — T. texts me with an update about my cat. I am pleased.

4 p.m. — Home, sex, shower, dinner (mushroom ravioli and tea leaf salad). Run the dishwasher, (does anyone else love the sound of a running dishwasher? … no? Yeah, me neither), snuggle on the couch, and read until bedtime. I get the number of browser tabs on my phone from 42 down to 19.

7 p.m. — A client number shows up on my caller ID, but no voicemail is left. Acknowledging that my client’s lives don’t end at 5 p.m., I tell them that they may email/call me and leave a message. I’ll get back to them if it’s an emergency; otherwise, I’ll talk to them during normal business hours. This client was doing well on Friday, so I will leave it until tomorrow.

10:30 p.m. — My cat and I are falling asleep on T., so we go to bed.

Daily Total: $46.57

Day Four

7:30 a.m. — T. wakes me up with a mug of drinking chocolate. This is an acceptable reason to get out of bed. Splash my face with cold water to wake myself up. My eyebags are insane, I need to get more Kiehl’s midnight eye cream, that or take out my contacts once in a while.

8:10 a.m. — Work from home day. I head home and gas up my scooter along the way ($3.79). Bridge toll to get back into the city is $3. Read emails, quick team meeting, browse news/research articles relevant to my field, provide 1-1 supervision, sit in on a training, and make a few calls. $6.79

12:30 p.m. — Lunch. I have two Nespressos, arugula, avocado, and goat cheese salad with whole wheat bread, and two tangerines. Place a grocery order for delivery ($172.80) and remind myself that no matter how much money I spend on groceries, it’s still cheaper than DoorDash takeout, which I am ashamed to say I got six times last week (it was a week in which my housemates and I moved apartments, but still). $172.80

1 p.m. — Give myself a bang trim. I’ve done better and also worse. I would pay $0 for this trim which is exactly how much I paid, so I’m satisfied.

2 p.m. — Finish up performance evaluations for staff and schedule meetings with them to go over the evals. Email HR to see if we can get merit raises for exemplary team members. Not in our budget this year. Such is life in the public sector.

5 p.m. — Snack on frozen peach slices. But in the shower. The contrast of hot water and icy fruit is a refreshing treat.

5:30 p.m. — Unearth a Trader Joe’s Margherita pizza from the freezer. One of my housemates is lactose intolerant and the other is allergic to gluten, so this must have been left by a previous housemate. I assume I’m doing them a favor by liberating them of this pizza. Oh god, this expired in November 2017. On the other hand, frozen food does not expire and the longer I contemplate the date, the more it feels like a challenge, so it’s on. Read work emails while pizza bakes.

5:50 p.m. — This pizza is delicious?! The cheese to sauce ratio is excellent, and it has the umami delightfulness of a Bagel Bite. Also, free. Crust is a little stale (unsure if it would’ve been drastically different in 2017) but that can be remedied with a brush of olive oil. I top the pizza with homegrown basil leaves. I also have a glass of sparkling water with ginger syrup from my Soda Stream. A housemate purchased this for me after watching me dispatch a 12-pack of sparkling water in roughly three days.

7:30 p.m. — We are still not fully moved into our new place, so I accompany my housemates to our old apartment, help disassemble their wardrobes and haul them over. OMG, I just realized that I forgot a load of laundry in the washer over the weekend and it smells terrible. Cool, no one noticed. Rewash laundry.

Daily Total: $179.59

Day Five

7:40 a.m. — Slept terribly because I’m an idiot and kept a paper-wrapped pillar candle burning through the night, and the crackling of burning paper woke me up at 2 a.m. By now you’ve probably deduced that I use all my energy to pull myself together and appear competent at work. On the other hand, I don’t want to short-sell myself. I’m the youngest manager to be hired in my organization, ever. #notsohumblebrag

8:30 a.m. — Breakfast at my desk consists of coffee and a chocolate mint protein bar, carefully selected from my drawer of non-perishable foods. Everyone knows that my office is an open stockroom of snacks and fixer-uppers (dry shampoo, makeup/facial wipes, ibuprofen, etc.). Start working through emails, oversee client drop-ins, review referrals, provide 1-1 supervision, take a Zoom call.

12:45 p.m. — Lunch! I’ve been looking forward to this since Friday — defrost an acai bowl and polish it off. I eyeball the other bowl but leave it alone. Have a leftover cobb salad instead.

1:15 p.m. — My coworker is taking candy orders for her grandson’s preschool fundraiser. Philanthropic candy purchase? Shut up and take my money. I purchase a box of See’s Candies assorted lollipops. Spend the rest of the day training a new employee and going over client assignments with staff. $22.50

5:30 p.m. — Masked, socially distant hang out with my friend at the park. I run home to grab a bunch of snacks (crackers, cheese, raw veggies, guacamole, beer) for a picnic. She brings lawn chairs, bakery dim sum, and roasted spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce for me to have for lunch tomorrow. A keeper, obviously. We talk for four hours straight and watch the sunset.

Daily Total: $22.50

Day Six

8:30 a.m. — WFH day. Wake up late with a headache and hop onto a Zoom call with the camera off because my eye bags have eye bags and my hair is all over the place.

9:30 a.m. — Shower, have a Nespresso and banana, followed by client teletherapy sessions and supervision. Water all my plants in between calls. Why is my monstera philodendron browning at the edges? Please send thoughts and prayers.

2 p.m. — Lunch is kitchari with green harissa and my friend’s spaghetti squash. Also, another Nespresso. Someone baked my housemate a batch of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. I snatch one.

3 p.m. — Team meeting for the rest of the day.

5:30 p.m. — Make a shared house dinner of tea leaf salad and cioppino with salmon and shrimp, another freezer find left behind by a previous housemate. Listen to Immunity by Eula Biss while cooking. Send silent gratitude to the housemate who departed without their frozen seafood. Should really send out a thank you card at this rate.

7 p.m. — Text T. to figure out hangout plans using communication skills learned in couples’ therapy last week. We both have some trauma from past relationships, plus different attachment styles informed by our upbringing, so we’re doing what we call preventative couples’ therapy. Practicing communication feels a lil awkward because it’s not organic, but the fact that we are both invested in building our relationship infuses me with a warm feeling. T. also texts me a photo update of my cat, which is 100% my preferred love language.

8 p.m. — Unbox more, smoke a joint, and dance around my room. I used to do work exchange at a dance company, but when life gives you a pandemic… Read a few pages of Lacan. Stoned reading is just behind stoned yoga in terms of entertainment value.

10 p.m. — Late night snack: honey ginger tea, sugar snap peas, hummus, and crackers. Also my housemate’s leftover dahl and peanut butter and raspberry jam. Maybe getting high right before bed is not the best idea.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

7:30 a.m. — Wake up with a stomach ache. Down a Nespresso and wash my bangs with a bit of dish soap in the kitchen sink since my housemate is showering. Throw on Levi’s (thrifted), a Rag & Bone tank top (thrifted), olive utility jacket (thrifted), and clover green converses (not thrifted; shoutout to our Madame VP!). My housemate texts me to remember my lunch. Amazingly, I had remembered to get it out of the fridge before the text. I am a goddess.

8 a.m. — Head to work where I dive into phone calls, followed by a three-hour stakeholder meeting. Have a coffee and banana while I’m working. Order my client who was recently released from jail an aromatherapy diffuser as a housewarming gift ($22.45, expensed).

1 p.m. — Half-hour break between meetings. Make more coffee and eat my lunch (kale/arugula salad with sprouts, radishes, cranberry chutney, nuts, seeds, and green goddess dressing). Venmo my housemate for his Costco run of shared household items (toilet paper, dish detergent, hummus, peanut butter, frozen fruit, greek yogurt, cheese, bananas, avocados, tangerines) plus some items I asked him to specifically pick up for me — matcha powder, Nespresso pods, tofu, non-dairy milk, canned fish. $84

4:50 p.m. — My friend texts to say she is starting a reading group focused around the book Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown and asks if I want to join. Yes! She encourages me to purchase Brown’s novel from a local bookstore. I only ever need half a reason to make my way to a bookstore, so I put directions into my map and head out. Driving out of the city on my scooter makes the receding city skyline look like a little jeweled toy box. As a social worker, I tend to see my city’s ailments and heartbreaks on the daily, so zooming out (literally) for a bird’s eye view is a sweet break. Smell ya later, SF!

5:45 p.m. — Hello, new books. Walk out of the store with the prescribed book ($20) and a used copy of The Emperor of Water Clocks by Yusef Komunyakaa ($9). I also get a pencil that simply says John Waters on it ($2). Haaa. I have store credit from when I previously sold a batch of books, so the grand total is $0.

6:30 p.m. — Head to T.’s apartment. My stomach is still grumbly, so I make myself congee for dinner and (surprise) a tea leaf salad for T. to eat with his leftover curry. He surprises me in return with a few presents (a black currant & bergamot scented candle and a glass carafe because I have, for the past few months, been placing expensive candles and gorgeous water carafes in online carts and then abandoning them in cyberspace). Bah, what a sweetie.

8:30 p.m. — Slow melting into the couch to read and serve as a pillow for my cat, who plops himself between us. With the city lights winking outside and the dishwasher running, it’s my favorite time of day.

Daily Total: $84

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A Week In Dayton, OH, On A $32,175 Salary

A Week In New York, NY, On A $345,000 Salary

A Week In Chicago, IL, On A $52,500 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Refinery29, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: an administrator who makes $76,686 per year and spends some of her money this week on Sunday Riley Good Genes.

Occupation: Administrator
Industry: Education
Age: 40
Location: New Jersey
Salary: $76,686
Net Worth: $56,984 ($98,520 in retirement plus $8,000 in savings minus debt. My partner and I have a shared account for static monthly expenses like rent, utilities, and subscriptions and we contribute to a joint savings account for our wedding, but other than that our finances are separate. The majority of our paychecks go into our separate checking accounts and we also each have our own savings.)
Debt: $49,536 ($44,886 in student loans and a $4,650 debt consolidation loan)
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $1,824
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $900 for my half
Debt Consolidation Loan: $230
Student Loans: $428.82
Car Lease: $366.18
Car Insurance: $96.95
Cable: $81 for my half
Phone: $61 for my half of the family plan my partner and I share
Electric/Gas: averages about $40 for my half
Subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime): $22 for my half
Biweekly Compost Pick-up: $16 for my half
NY Times: $6
Rachel Cargle Patreon: $5
Savings: $400 to wedding savings and for my personal savings, it varies
Charitable Contributions: averages about $50 a month to a variety of organizations/individuals with some larger one-off donations throughout the year
Retirement: I contribute 9% pre-tax and my employer contributes 7%; this will go up to 10% in a few months.
Health Insurance: $120 pre-tax
Dental Insurance: $70 pre-tax
Flex Spending Account: $90 pre-tax

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?
Kind of? Of the three of us siblings, I was “the smart one” so it was assumed, but the only pressure was to do it as cost-effectively as possible. For undergrad, I ended up at a really good local state school, lived at home to save money, and paid for it with earnings from my full-time retail job combined with tuition vouchers from both my parents’ jobs. I went to grad school abroad and paid for that with student loans.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents drilled into us not spending money we didn’t have (I didn’t get my first credit card until after grad school) and the importance of a strong work ethic.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I was babysitting as soon as someone would pay me for it, around the age of 12 or 13. My first “real” job was at a florist at age 15. My parents insisted that if I wanted spending money, I needed to get a job as soon as I was old enough for working papers. I think the other piece of that was to teach me responsibility and the value of a dollar.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No. While we didn’t go on fancy vacations or have the newest, trendiest things, we always had everything we needed.

Do you worry about money now?
Not really. I worry that I’m going to be paying off my student loans until I die and that we may never own a home, but having a partner to share expenses with and a decent salary has allowed me to relax significantly compared to the days where I was living paycheck to paycheck with maxed out credit cards, a shitty car in constant need of repair, and nothing in savings.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I guess when I started grad school at 22, although I did live with my parents rent-free for a time after I finished grad school. My partner and I have financial safety nets in the form of our wedding savings and in our parents (to an extent) if shit ever really hit the fan.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Not yet, but when my grandparents passed away a few years ago, my mother inherited some money. Apparently, about $10,000 is earmarked for me for something that is in the “adulting” category. I’m hoping that it will eventually go towards a down payment on a home.

Day One

8:15 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm. Get up and love on my partner, L., and the more snuggly of our two cats. Our other cat is somewhere sleeping off his nighttime zoomies. It’s Saturday but I’m supposed to drop off my weekly saliva sample at school for COVID testing because we’ve been remote the last two days due to snow. Luckily a nearby colleague is stopping to pick mine up on her way. Score! Once I make the hand-off, I make L. a cup of the super fancy hot chocolate I got him for Valentine’s Day. Another alarm goes off reminding me to take my antidepressant (I take it for my anxiety and panic disorder). I started medication for the first time about a month ago after feeling for months like my physiological symptoms were getting out of control and that therapy alone wasn’t cutting it anymore. So far, so good. I think.

10:15 a.m. — Breakfast is half a gluten-free English muffin topped with cheese, bacon, a runny egg, and Everything but the Elote seasoning from Trader Joe’s (Everything but the Bagel? I don’t know her). I also treat myself to a cup of my favorite French tea that I’ve been rationing. Then I get to work organizing and cleaning the kitchen while L. works on reorganizing his work from home set up with all these new tech toys he recently purchased.

12:15 p.m. — I mask up and head over to the plant shop in town to buy a large cast iron plant that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s allegedly almost impossible to kill which is right up my alley. I also pick up a tiny succulent to replace one that I killed when I brought a bunch of plants home from my office at the start of distance learning last March. I also grab a small Calathea with pink striped leaves. $132.75

12:15 p.m. — I stop at our favorite bakery around the corner for a cinnamon roll for L. ($4.41 including $1 tip). $4.41

3 p.m. — Make a lunch salad of romaine lettuce, rotisserie chicken, sweet potato tots, and the best lime vinaigrette from Wegmans (if you don’t live near a Wegmans you have my deepest sympathies). L. and I watch a couple of episodes of New Girl and I work on my puzzle. Yes, I’ve become one of those pandemic puzzle people. Snuggly cat comes trotting up to me with a small piece of plastic that he found who knows where and wants me to throw for him. I redirect him to playing fetch with a giant rubber band instead. Zoomie cat joins in and runs up and down the hallway chasing the rubber band.

8 p.m. — Skip a real dinner because I’ve been snacking on tortilla chips and Dove peanut butter eggs (the ONLY Easter candy, don’t @ me). Give snuggly cat his Prozac (anxiety buds!) and hop in the shower. I’m an evening showerer always and forever. I take two CBD/melatonin gummies and treat my dry winter skin to Glossier Super Bounce Serum and Sunday Riley Tidal Cream. After a little more chill time with L. on the couch, I finish my nighttime routine with some R+Co High Dive Cream in my damp hair, a Klonopin to prevent nocturnal panic attacks, Lush Dream Cream, Laneige lip sleeping mask, and Saje Peaceful Slumber oil. I get under my weighted blanket and start a new library book. Lights out by 9:45.

Daily Total: $137.16

Day Two

9 a.m. — After scrolling through news and social media for a bit, I get out of bed and start getting the laundry together. Our household division of labor includes me on laundry and L. on litter box duty and somehow, we both feel like we’ve won. I wash my face with Drunk Elephant Juju bar soap and put on some Sunday Riley Good Genes lactic acid treatment. It’s so creamy and makes my skin super soft and smooth; perfect for no-makeup days. I pour a small glass of Rook cold brew (a recommendation from a South Jersey diarist — lifechanging) and make a Facebook post on our town curb alert page for a box of stuff we purged during the kitchen organization yesterday.

11:30 a.m. — Make a brunch of shakshuka with two eggs and crumble some feta on top. Continue with the laundry; it ends up being five loads. In between trips to the laundry room, I do some class prep and catch up on work email. We’ve been lucky enough to be safely in person most of the school year, but when we’ve had to pivot to remote it comes with no warning. It’s exhausting and I have all the feels about all of the things, but I’m making it work and concentrating on building community above all else. Teaching isn’t technically part of my job description, but I do have one part-time course right now. I’m in awe of how my full-time faculty friends are making this work. $12.75

2:20 p.m. — Head to CVS to pick up a prescription ($10 on my pre-paid flex-spending debit card). I am the ninth car in line for the drive-thru. It takes 45 minutes and I listen to an episode of Black Fraiser while I wait because Phoebe Robinson is an absolute queen. I get an email that our COVID testing results are such that we’ll be back in the building tomorrow. I always have mixed feelings about this but try to focus on the positive to keep the anxiety at bay.

5:30 p.m. — Leftover gluten-free pizza and more New Girl with L. Starting to feel the Sunday night blues settling in. I pop a CBD gummy with a side of theanine (a new supplement I’m trying) and sit outside on the balcony playing word games on my phone until I’m so cold I can’t feel my fingers.

9 p.m. — Same bedtime routine as last night except I use Sunday Riley retinoid serum and Drunk Elephant Lala Retro cream on my face. There is usually no rhyme or reason to what I put on my face when and I switch it up a lot. Is this expensive-ass retinoid serum worth it? Who knows. I kiss L. and the cats, set my alarm extra early, and read until around 10.

Daily Total: $12.75

Day Three

6:15 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I’m immediately cranky about how dark it is. My workday makeup routine includes NYX concealer and bronzer, Bare Minerals mineral veil powder, Glossier Boy Brow, and Beauty Counter volumizing mascara. Get dressed in faded black Everlane jeans, an oversized black Aerie sweater, and black Chelsea boots from Target. Kiss L. about a hundred times and head out the door with a small cold brew in hand by 7. Get a notification that we’re going to have a half-day because of snow! On the drive, I listen to our ever-evolving wedding playlist (corona bride here) and get a huge nostalgia-induced smile on my face when “Let’s Get Married” by Jagged Edge comes on. That is until they get to the line about having some babies and I fake gag. I adore babies and children and even teenagers, but L. and I are in full and enthusiastic agreement that parenthood is not for us.

10 a.m. — Finally come up for air and find that I’m starving. While on a Zoom meeting with the other instructors for the course I’m teaching, I eat a couple of spoonfuls of the best nut butter in the world (Big Spoon Roasters Chai Spice), a very mediocre granola bar, some pineapple from last week that I found in the fridge, and a Chomps beef stick from the snack stash in my work bag. A totally acceptable breakfast.

1 p.m. — Make it home after a snowy drive including a stop at the Container Store for curbside pickup of some bins and baskets that I ordered and paid for last week. Have just enough time to heat up a lunch of rice, chicken, baby spinach, feta, and some lemon dressing (another Wegmans star) before I hop on another Zoom meeting. I also have meetings at 4 and 6. Sadly, early dismissal does not mean an early end to my workday. I cram three Dove peanut butter eggs into my face after my meeting and complete the application for my medical marijuana card.

5:30 p.m. — In between meetings, I manage to set up the bins and baskets on our baker’s rack in the kitchen and am so proud of what a difference it’s made to such a problem area that I send a pic to my mom and sister. My mom’s response is that my compost bucket ruins the look (lol mom), but thankfully that reminds me that tomorrow morning is a compost pick up day, so I set out our bucket. I make turkey taco salad for dinner and prepare to eat in yet another Zoom meeting. Camera off this time since this is a professional affinity group and I’d like these people to think I’m a professional lady that doesn’t constantly spill food down the front of my shirt.

8:30 p.m. — Done with my final meeting and dinner clean-up. I take a shower and mentally high-five myself for remembering to bring my rattlesnake plant into the bathroom so it can soak in that sweet, sweet humidity. My face is feeling super dry so I use Trader Joe’s watermelon overnight face mask tonight. I sit on the bathroom floor and give zoomie cat all the pets. The bathroom is his favorite and one of the only places in the apartment that he will let us really love on him. He is particular AF about everything. I’m beat and call it a night at 9.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four

6:30 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I’m feeling so groggy that I hit snooze three times, falling back to sleep each time. I woke up at 3:30 to the sensation of my bed shaking like there was an earthquake and then laid awake for a while, freaked out. Check the news and find that there was no earthquake, so I guess it was a dream. Or I’m hallucinating? Get dressed in black pants/glorified leggings from Loft, a black tank, a grey and black boyfriend-style blazer from Banana Republic, and the same boots as yesterday. Pour myself a larger cold brew than normal and look for something for breakfast. My fruit and vegetable supply is disappointingly low due to an almost month-long flare-up of an undiagnosed stomach condition and I’m just starting to feel okay adding back in fiber. Make a mental note to start an Instacart order. Head out and listen to a new-to-me podcast, My Momma Told Me, on the drive. I pick the episode featuring Jay Ellis from Insecure because I’m a huge Lawrence stan.

9:30 a.m. — I have a Zoom meeting at 9:50 and am determined to eat breakfast before it starts. With this team, you have to be quick to jump in to get heard and I don’t want a mouthful of food to stop me. Today’s random assortment is lentil hummus, brazil nuts (daily dose of selenium), baby carrots, gluten-free pita crackers, and cheese.

12:30 p.m. — Heat up the lunch I brought from home yesterday (chicken and rice with ghee) and supplement with romaine lettuce and buffalo cauliflower from the dining hall. Manage to get a few bites in then I remember I have a student coming by in 10 minutes, so I put my food away and my mask back on.

1 p.m. — Actually eating lunch now while texting with my brother-in-law about birthday gifts for my sister. I give up on finishing lunch after about an hour of constant interruptions. Sigh. I get a thank you card with a Target gift card this morning from a sweet group of students that I helped with something and that reminds me that I need to replace a fitted sheet someone with claws ruined. Cats can be such dicks. The second I open the Target app, I get a text from my boss asking for some information she can’t access. Sigh again.

4 p.m. — Head out and talk to my mom on the way home. I feed the cats and relax a little bit then continue working on the couch while giving the snuggly cat all the belly rubs his sweet baby angel heart desires. L. is at his computer working overtime but it’s nice to be in the same room at least.

6:50 p.m. — L. and I finish work and make dinner. Frozen pizza for him and half a gluten-free English muffin topped with a runny egg, cheese, and loads of Everything but the Elote seasoning for me. I’m really craving protein so I also reheat a scoop of the turkey taco meat from last night. I feel like I should cook a vegetable but that buffalo cauliflower at lunch did me dirty and I decide to pass. We watch Bob’s Burgers and The Great North while we eat.

8:30 p.m. — Same nighttime routine as usual except with Beauty Counter Overnight Resurfacing Peel (Look, I know that Beauty Counter is an MLM but I truly love some of their products and no one has ever harassed me about joining their cult) and then I play my ukulele for a while. L. listens for a bit and compliments my improving skills, then heads to bed before me for once. I manage to make it to 9:30, feed the cats second dinner, and follow behind him.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

6:45 a.m. — So. Very. Tired. Out of bed by 7 for the typical morning routine. Throw on a pair of American Eagle jeans and a bright yellow sweater from Target with my favorite tan Dolce Vita booties. Pour a cold brew (they’re getting progressively larger as the week goes on) and search for something for breakfast. I end up with a Chomps beef stick, a jar of maple cinnamon pecan and peanut butter (again, Big Spoon — the best!), and one of L.’s rice cakes (gross). No time to make lunch so I’m at the mercy of the dining hall today. L. reminds me he has another interview for a job he’s in the running for within his company. I stop in my tracks and do my best to psych him up— he works so hard and would be perfect in this new position! Listen to more of My Mama Told Me on the drive and now that I’ve heard a full episode I can confirm it’s legit hilarious.

12:25 p.m. — I cobble together a lunch of sweet chili tofu, rice, and the insides of two pork bao with really tasty pickles. On the way back to my office, I see one of our security guards that I haven’t seen since before the holidays so I stop to catch up with him. These are the moments that make me appreciate being back to work in person despite all the fear and stress and anxiety. Back in my office, every time I take my mask off to take a bite someone knocks on my door. I’m so hungry and haven’t had a moment to myself all day. I give in to the madness until my next Zoom meeting, then close my door, pull the blinds, and happily stuff my face. I treat myself to a limoncello La Croix and a couple of Hershey’s kisses with lunch.

4:04 p.m. — Time to go home! I never stopped moving today. I taught my class this morning which was truly enjoyable and always a favorite part of my week. We also had a fun event which added to the madness but seeing so many happy kids is always worth the extra work.

5 p.m. — I snack on some chocolate-covered hazelnuts while I catch up on Slack messages in the local mutual aid group I’ve recently joined. I spend some time messaging with one of the sub-groups about an upcoming event and reach out to a few of my students who are passionate about this issue to see if they want to get involved. I make an easy dinner of baked sweet potato fries and another salad of romaine, chicken, feta, and lemon dressing.

7:20 p.m. — My mask stash is getting low, so I buy a 20-pack of KF94 masks to wear at work on Amazon and spend some time looking at sheets but I’m being picky and the evil empire isn’t cutting it. $34.89

7:20 p.m. — Remember that Aerie is having a sale so I pick up this kimono-style sweater I’ve had my eye on. Last year, I worked remotely and wore exclusively activewear (lol at the use of the word active here) all spring so this will be the first piece of spring work clothing I’ve bought in two years — purchase justified! $34.96

9 p.m. — I’m showered, moisturized, and both snuggly cat and I are medicated. I strum my ukulele for a bit, making up songs about the cats that I perform for them, and while they don’t seem impressed, they are a surprisingly good audience. L. is definitely entertained so my job here is done. Work on my Instacart list in bed and once I’m horizontal, I’m ready to pass out.

Daily Total: $69.85

Day Six

6:30 a.m. — Get up and have to spend some time filling a vial with saliva since it’s a COVID testing day. The cats hang out with me in the bathroom (one wants food, one wants pets) until L. gets up to feed them. I also have to spend some time on my hair this morning. I have what I like to call a “texture mullet,” slightly wavy in the front and very wavy — but not in a good way — in the back. I do what I can with a comb, a quick pass with the straightening iron, and some Trader Joe’s Shea Butter and Coconut Oil Hair Serum on my ends. Get dressed in the same black Loft pants from two days ago (it’s a pandemic, don’t judge), a black tank, an oversized buffalo plaid cardigan with pockets, and my beloved black boots. Pour a small cold brew that I drink in the car while listening to Sinisterhood.

8:50 a.m. — After spending the first part of the morning outdoors for a fun little event, breakfast is egg salad and grapes that I got from the dining hall yesterday. I’m now wishing I had more caffeine. I settle for a heavy spread of chai spice nut butter on another rice cake.

1 p.m. — Finally time for lunch: turkey taco meat from home supplemented with cilantro lime rice from the dining hall. I grabbed a salad too, but I fill up on taco meat (spoiler alert: I will come to regret this). I also have a Polar black cherry seltzer. I finish my Instacart order in between meetings with students and get a pickup slot for right after work today. Forgot I had a 4:30 meeting (on top of a webinar and a virtual event this evening) so I’m going to have to hustle. I ordered a gluten-free pizza, a regular pizza, milk, cheese, shallots, thyme, mushrooms, cucumbers, pineapple, apples, hummus, dolmas, eggs, a rotisserie chicken, and frozen gluten-free smoked gouda mac and cheese. $66.01

3:10 p.m. — Leave work on the earlier side to drive to Wegmans for my Instacart pick up and then head right home. I have just enough time to unload groceries and lay on the couch for 10 minutes before my meeting. I have horrible agida (acid reflux/heartburn/stomach upset if you’re not from an Italian-American family) from that taco meat.

6:52 p.m. — In between work and more work, I check my email and see that my medical marijuana card application was approved so I pay the fee. $100

6:52 p.m. — I also realize that my tax return hit my account a few days ago— time to spend some money! First, I use a 20% off code and purchase a new bottle of Sunday Riley Good Genes, R+Co dry shampoo, and Grown Alchemist hand cream from Dermstore ($134.13). This is the one frivolous treat I planned for this money. $134.13

6:52 p.m. — Next, I (drumroll, please) pay off one of my student loans!!! It’s the smaller of my two loans, but it still feels so good. L. remembers to bring the plant into the bathroom while he showers, empties the dishwasher, does the dishes that have piled up in the sink, AND makes me a gluten-free pizza for dinner while I get back to work. He’s a friggin’ gem. $603.74

9 p.m. — It’s been a long day/night. Usual nighttime routine except with half a Klonopin pill tonight. I’ve been on a new dose of my anxiety meds for almost a week now and have been feeling really good so I really think I can get rid of the nightly Klonopin altogether, but I don’t want to test that theory on a school night. Lights out by 10.

Daily Total: $903.88

Day Seven

6:38 a.m. — Wake up before my alarm with a migraine. I pop a prescription migraine pill and lay really still for the next 25 minutes or so and feel okay when I get up. I put on my Black Lives Matter t-shirt with a different pair of black Loft legging-type pants, a black and white patterned cardigan from Target, and black suede and leather high tops. Take some time to talk with L. and we end up laughing hysterically at a joke I make and he keeps riffing on. One of my favorite parts of our relationship is that we’re really in sync humor-wise. In the car by 7:50 and put on a random older playlist. A song that reminds me of my sister comes on and I smile hugely, then want to cry because I miss her so much. She’s my best friend and we talk, Facetime, or text every single day but I haven’t seen her in over a year. Stupid pandemic.

9:26 a.m. — Breakfast today is cucumbers, hummus, pineapple, and a Chomps beef stick. And another cold brew.

1:22 p.m. — Didn’t really make a lunch plan so I end up with tofu and veggies in a sweet and spicy sauce. I work on a boring spreadsheet while I eat. I’m craving something sweet and there is no candy to be found so I settle for scraping a dollop of chocolate frosting off of a little piece of cake from the dining hall (I am a garbage person).

5 p.m. — I get home on the late side today because I had a small group meeting for the mutual aid organization and it made more sense to log on from work than rush to get home. I’ve been wanting to get more involved in my local community and this really feels like the right place for me. As soon as I walk in the door, I hit up my stash of Dove eggs and wolf down two.

6:21 p.m. — For dinner, I finish the pizza from last night and pineapple from breakfast while placing a Costco delivery order for tomorrow. We get chicken breasts, Doritos, granola bars, chocolate chip cookies, cereal, and I add tampons, pads, canned chicken, applesauce pouches, and more granola bars for the food pantry ($134.86 including a 20% tip). L. pays for this one. Typically I pay for the weekly grocery shopping while L. takes care of the monthly cat food/medicine/treat shopping and the occasional Costco shop.

10:40 p.m. — Bedtime after a fun Zoom gathering with my work pals. We haven’t gotten together outside of work since pre-pandemic times and many of us rarely see each other in the building these days so it felt like a real celebration to all be “together.” This group of people has helped me keep my sanity in so many ways not just during the pandemic and I truly appreciate them. L. is playing some online video game with friends he also hasn’t seen in a long time, but he pops over to say hi to everyone. Such a nice end to what felt like the longest week in history.

Daily Total: $0

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here.

Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here.

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Week In New York, NY, On A $345,000 Salary

A Week In Chicago, IL, On A $52,500 Salary

A Week In Huntington, WV, On A $58,000 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Refinery29, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

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 research technician who makes $64,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on a Mexican Coke.

Occupation: Research Technician
Industry: STEM
Age: 37
Location: Seattle, WA
Salary: $64,000
Net Worth: $500,000 (This includes my partner, M.’s, and my retirement accounts, personal, and joint savings account, M.’s stocks through his company, and estimated property value minus mortgage. M. makes roughly $117,000 give or take depending on overtime. We have separate accounts as well as a joint account.)
Debt: $490,400 for our mortgage, $30,000 for our truck
Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $3,760
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $2,540 ($1,940 for the principal/interest, $600 to escrow for property taxes/insurance. I pay $1,000 and M. pays the rest. This is an agreement based on the difference in our incomes and student loan pay off, see below.)
Car Payment: $100 (M. pays $470 on top of this)
Utilities: $225 (This includes internet, phone, and security system and is split equally between us; this is my half.)
Car Insurance (2x/year): $870
Health Insurance: $136 pre-tax for medical and dental through my employer. M. pays for his through his employer.
Retirement: $375 to 403(b) (pre-tax, matched by employer) and $200 to Roth IRA
Savings: $250 to shared savings for household emergencies/renovations. $1,000 (or whatever is leftover at the end of the month) to individual savings.
Streaming: $90 (this includes monthly subscriptions like Netflix and a break down of those paid annually like Disney+)
NYT Crossword & Cooking: $13.23
Dog Daycare: $200 (M. pays the remaining $450.)

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?
It wasn’t expected of me but I knew my parents would prefer it. They also would’ve supported me if I chose not to, as long as I could financially support myself. I went to an in-state school and got my bachelor’s. I was very lucky I did not have to take out student loans. My tuition was mostly covered by FAFSA and grants for low-income people, and I did work-study for the remainder. My partner, M., had to take out student loans. We were able to pay these off with the profit from the sale of our previous house, which was owned by me. He now pays extra in mortgage to offset this.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I was raised by my mom and we never had any conversations about money. We were very low-income and I think she didn’t want to stress me out with money problems.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I was 12 or 13. I got a job filling paper bags with peanuts for tourists to buy and feed to the chipmunks. I was paid cash under the table.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I don’t specifically remember worrying about it, but I know my mom struggled a lot. I always knew not to ask for anything I absolutely didn’t need. I really appreciate my mom for working hard to give me what she could, and I believe I valued that used GameBoy or ice cream cone or new Barbie so much more.

Do you worry about money now?
I don’t worry about money in the present but I worry about my retirement. I know Social Security isn’t fully solvent so I almost feel like I shouldn’t count on it at all (despite a lifetime spent contributing to it). I worry that M. isn’t thinking about retirement living as seriously as I am.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I was mostly responsible for myself at 15, paying for my own car insurance, school activity fees, clothes, etc. I became fully responsible (i.e. rent, bills, groceries) when I started college. I do have a safety net and I just got my emergency fund up to three months salary.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Not really. My maternal grandmother gave me $5,000 to help with the down payment of my first home. My dad gives me $1,000 twice a year at Christmas and my birthday but that only started in my mid-20s.

Day One

5:15 a.m. — My partner’s (M.) alarm goes off. He got an Apple Watch about six months ago and uses the vibrate alarm option so he doesn’t wake me up. Thanks, sweetie!

7:30 a.m. — The boundless ball of energy in the form of a dog has decided it’s time to get up. Our older dog sighs heavily. I no longer set an alarm because I know the dogs will wake me up by 8 for their breakfast. I let them out back to do their business and make a half pot of coffee for myself.

8 a.m. — I get ready for work while my elderly cat sits next to the heating vent and yells at me to turn the heat on. I check the thermostat and realize it’s 63° in the house. Okay, kitty, I get it. The heat clicks on shortly after. I throw chicken, broth, and herbs in the crockpot for dinner. I eat breakfast (Evol breakfast bowl) and pour the rest of the coffee into a travel mug to drink during my commute.

8:50 a.m. — I leave the house for work. The younger dog usually goes to doggy daycare on days M. and I both go into work but he’s currently being treated for giardia. We’ve crate trained him but don’t like leaving him in there for more than a couple of hours. M. thinks he’ll be home by 11, but if things go sideways, he’s close enough that he can come home on his lunch break. I listen to The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu from the library through an app on my phone on my way to work.

9:20 a.m. — I arrive at work. Parking is free right now (normally $135/month). Pre-pandemic I commuted by bus ($15/month for unlimited rides through work) and I would spend three hours a day commuting (traffic was so bad that I would’ve spent close to the same amount of time in a single-occupancy vehicle). Now I can get to work in 30 minutes with everyone being WFH.

10:15 a.m. — I’ve got my experiments running and have a couple of hours to kill. Normally I’d start in on administrative work for the lab as I’m also the Lab Manager but I forgot to pick up my prescription yesterday. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 36 (check your boobies!!) and now that I’ve completed treatment, I need to take hormone therapy for five years to decrease the chance of it coming back. I walk to pick up my prescription. It’s $114 for a 30-day supply but my insurance covers the entire cost.

11:35 a.m. — My boss calls me into his office and tells me I will be getting a raise in April. I’m currently underpaid and academia tends to pay less than industry. A raise will bring me up to the (academic) mid-range of what I should be making.

1:30 p.m. — Lunchtime. Our campus has scaled food service way back since during the pandemic. I go with a pre-made BLT, chips, and coke. It’s disappointing. $13.87

4:30 p.m. — Done with work. My boss only expects us to stay as long as we need to to get our work done. Some days that’s six hours, some days it’s 10 hours, and sometimes I’m staying up until 5 a.m. to collect data.

5:20 p.m. — Arrive home. Traffic was bad. M. needs help unloading wood from the truck. He started a new hobby during the pandemic: wood turning. He joined the local guild two weeks ago and has already made the membership fee back with free wood. I text my best friend, L. about doing a Zoom workout. We both struggle with motivation and agreed to meet three times a week for a 30- to 60-minute workout following YouTube videos. I’m sweaty by the end and the shower feels extra nice.

7 p.m. — M. and I were supposed to use the crockpot chicken in a chicken and wild rice soup but he has last-minute work training and I’m too hungry to wait for soup to simmer. TJ’s gorgonzola gnocchi it is. We’ll use the chicken another day. I eyeball the bottle of red I opened last night. The rest of the evening is spent watching TV and finishing off the wine.

10:30 p.m. — Bedtime for me.

Daily Total: $13.87

Day Two

3 a.m. — I wake up and I’m pretty sure I need to vomit or shit or both. Yup, it’s both. Stupid wine. Sometimes I can drink an entire bottle myself and be completely fine, other times (like now) 1.5 glasses will do me in. I can’t fall back asleep.

7:45 a.m. — The puppers get us up. I’m dragging ass and I still feel off. I should’ve washed my hair last night. Dry shampoo to the rescue. I manage to eat an English muffin with butter and drink some coffee.

8:45 a.m. — Leave for work. M. is WFH today but we decide the older dog could do with some playtime so I drop her off at daycare on the way to work. Young dog still can’t go so he’ll stay home and torment M. with his excessive energy.

9:30 a.m. — Arrive at work. I’m definitely feeling better but still riding the struggle bus. There’s a present on my desk! I had forgotten my peer mentoring group is doing a Galentine’s Secret Cupid this afternoon. I sent my present out earlier this week.

10:30 a.m. — I’m hungry. Coffee and donut time! This is probably a mistake. $5.24

1:15 p.m. — Lunchtime. I didn’t even think about grabbing leftovers so I’m buying lunch again. I opt for a Mediterranean salad. $9.08

1:15 p.m. — I see the Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Film Festival has been scheduled for next month, virtually, of course. I used to go every year but have missed some in recent years. I pay extra for the sustainer level because I like the work that SIFF does. $30

4 p.m. — Time to meet (over Zoom) with my peer group and open gifts! This is a really excellent group of women in science who are on a similar career path as I am. I get some excellent tea, an octopus towel, and a lovely poem by Julia Bird.

6:10 p.m. — Arrive home. I picked up the dog from daycare on the way home. We still have days left on our package so I don’t owe anything.

7 p.m. — M. isn’t hungry for dinner and has a big boss fight scheduled with his video game posse. I’m on my own for dinner so I grab a TJ’s Mac & Cheese from the freezer. I’m not really in the mood for it but I’m starting to get hangry.

10 p.m. — M. has to be up early for work tomorrow so we head to bed.

Daily Total: $44.32

Day Three

5:15 a.m. — M.’s alarm goes off. It’s his birthday today but he has to go into work.

7:45 a.m. — I have a busy day ahead. I stop for an almond milk hazelnut latte and scone ($9.24+tip) at a local coffee drive-thru. I run to the grocery store for dinner ingredients including beef tenderloin, potatoes, green beans, shallots, horseradish, crème fraîche, sausage, and vanilla ice cream. I have to go to two different stores to get everything I need ($80.84 and $7.88). I knew I should’ve made crème fraîche myself because a little tub costs $5.99. I just didn’t plan ahead. I have been saving a nice bottle of wine for the occasion and I have all the ingredients for cherry pie so I can skip buying those. $98.96

9:30 a.m. — I signed up for a seminar through the local gardening association a couple of weeks ago and it’s today. There was a suggested donation of $5 when signing up.

10:45 a.m. — Time to workout with L. We find that our favorite YouTube MixxedFit instructor is offering classes online and makes plans to attend one next Saturday. It’s hard to find an instructor who is good at giving cues to what comes next and we really enjoy her energy.

12:30 p.m. — M. just got home and he wants Wendy’s for lunch. He gave up fast food back in December so this is a birthday treat for him. I run out to get a 4 for $4 meal and a combo. I check the mail on the way back and I’m relieved that the last of M.’s presents have finally arrived. The rest of the afternoon will be spent making his birthday dinner and dessert. $18.82

7 p.m. — Dinner time. I follow several recipes on the NYT cooking app. The beef tenderloin turns out really nice. I was worried because it’s an expensive cut of meat. We have candlesticks but no holders. I raid M.’s scrap wood for some small blocks and have him drill holes most of the way through. Boom! Now we’re fancy bitches.

8:45 p.m. — M. opens his presents (woodturning blades and unisex bath bombs). We slice up the cherry pie and watch the newest episode of WandaVision on Disney+.

10:30 p.m. — M. is sleepy from having to get up early (and also the booze, I suspect) so we head to bed.

Daily Total: $117.78

Day Four

7:45 a.m. — Up early to start on M.’s birthday breakfast: biscuits and gravy with mimosas.

10:10 a.m. — M. got another free wood alert and I’m going with him to help load. He’s gotten three truckloads in less than two weeks! He has three days off work and plenty of wood to practice on. Everyone is getting bowls for Christmas this year.

12:15 p.m. — Home and M. makes a second pot of coffee because he’s still a bit hungover from last night. I don’t really know what to do with myself. I have several projects in the works but don’t feel like doing them. This is probably why they’re still works-in-progress… I opt instead for the NYT Sunday Crossword. I’m struggling with it this week and can only get about a third done without help. I switch over to my cross stitch project that M. gave me for Christmas: Rosalind Franklin’s Photo 51. I put on Studio Ghibli’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds (HBO Max) followed by Blade Runner 2049 (owned). My elderly cat wants some lap time so I have to juggle the embroidery hoop, cross stitch pattern, and a cat who wants to play with the string.

5:03 p.m. — It’s after 5 so I can have a glass of wine. I pair it with some manchego cheese. Perfect pre-dinner snack except the dogs keep trying to eat my cheese and the cat has stuck her entire head in my wine glass twice.

6:30 p.m. — M. makes burgers for dinner. They are so good and good food is my joy so I’m pretty happy right now. Although it doesn’t seem like it based on the last few days, M. does most of the cooking.

8 p.m. — I got my StitchFix box yesterday and need to make a decision about the clothes. I absolutely hate clothes shopping, especially if I have to do it online. I get easily overwhelmed by it. I signed up for StitchFix and it works for me. I scored a Style Pass so I don’t pay a styling fee, even if I send everything back. I need some more jeans but don’t like either of the pairs they sent to me. I keep the shirts though ($141.32). M. and I grab a shower, then some pie and settle in to watch Tenet (which we got the other week on sale). $141.32

11 p.m. — Bedtime but my brain is still trying to work through Tenet so it’s a while before I fall asleep.

Daily Total: $141.32

Day Five

7:30 a.m. — Good morning Mr. Puppy. Yes, I hear you. Good morning elderly kitty. Yes, I hear you as well. Anyone else want to chime in?

8:40 a.m. — Headed off to work. I finished the Three-Body Problem (would recommend!), so it’s time to pick a new book. I see Heartberries by Terese Marie Mailhot is available to borrow. My book club is discussing it at the end of the month. It’s a quick read so I decide to wait until the meeting is closer. I opt instead for The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern which just became available. I stop for a 16-oz mocha and a cheese danish. $9.08

9:15 a.m. — I arrive at work and realize I forgot to take the COVID-19 screening survey. I have to pull over and take it before scanning my key card or else my boss and I get a very sternly worded email from the administration (followed by disciplinary action if it happens repeatedly). I was in the middle of chemotherapy when the pandemic hit so I very much appreciate all the precautions that were taken. Happy to report we’ve had zero on-campus transmission.

12:50 p.m. — Lunchtime. I get the Mediterranean salad ($9.36) again. The cost has gone up $0.28? No, the base price is still the same so sales tax must have changed. Sales tax is ridiculously high at 10.1% but there’s no state income tax so it balances out (haha, just kidding, we have one of the most regressive tax structures in the country with a higher share of the tax burden placed on low-income workers). $9.36

5 p.m. — I’m home from work. My afternoon did not go well and I’m a little grumpy. I pour myself half glass of wine and finish off the manchego. I remind M. we should use the crockpot chicken from last week for soup. He says he doesn’t feel like soup and wants frozen pizza (which I hate) and we get into a little tiff. It ends with us both apologizing. M. promises to make the soup tomorrow. I watch Pitch Perfect (HBO Max) while eating TJ’s Vegetable Fried Rice with two eggs scrambled into it. I’ve never seen the movie and I enjoy it more than I thought I would (and it puts me in a better mood).

7:30 p.m. — I amuse myself by taking slow-mo videos of the dogs catching treats and working on the Monday NYT Crossword. We watch the newest episodes of Last Week Tonight, Family Guy, and The Simpsons and do laundry. I’m completely out of clean pants and I probably wore the dirty ones for longer than I should have.

11 p.m. — Bedtime.

Daily Total: $18.44

Day Six

7:30 a.m. — My boob wakes me up. It’s been more than a year since surgery but I still get occasional nerve pain. I’m lucky I didn’t lose my entire breast, just a chunk, and it’s not particularly noticeable unless you look hard.

8 a.m. — Our last load of laundry last night was pants and they’re still slightly damp. I put them on speed dry. Once they’re done, I get to put on fresh-from-the-dryer jeans. It’s like heaven. There’s no way today is going to be a bad day. Breakfast of English muffin with butter, an orange, and coffee. I pour some more coffee into a travel mug for the commute.

11:55 a.m. — Lunchtime and I’m craving tacos. I order from a new place and get three different types plus a Mexican Coke ($11.23). It’s a 10-minute walk and I regret not grabbing my hand sanitizer so I can dig in ASAP. I arrive back at campus, wash my hands, and dive in. They are so good. $11.23

3 p.m. — My co-worker brought in chocolate chip sea salt cookies to celebrate my boss’s birthday. It’s exactly what I need for the 3 p.m. slump.

5:45 p.m. — Arrive home and jump right into a workout with L. She says in California she’s now eligible, as a university employee, for the COVID-19 vaccine. I’m jealous! I take a shower.

7:30 p.m. — I know you all have been on the edge of your seat wondering if M. used the crockpot chicken today. Happy to report we are having chicken soup for dinner. We also heat up some TJ’s Naan. M. makes us French 75’s with the leftover bubbly from his birthday brunch. We finish off the last of the pie. I spend the rest of the evening working on the Tuesday crossword and looking at magazines I checked out from the library (on my iPad).

10 p.m. — M. has to be at work at 6 tomorrow so it’s bedtime. I’m not super tired so I stay up and watch an episode of Bones (Amazon Prime).

Daily Total: $11.23

Day Seven

5:15 a.m. — M. must’ve slept through his vibrate alarm because his phone alarm wakes me up.

7:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off. I’m attending a virtual workshop on cryo-electron microscopy today and tomorrow, and it starts at 8 a.m. I take care of the dogs and cat, make half a pot of coffee, and sit down in front of my computer while still in my PJ’s. I’m not going to be on camera so I’m going to be uber comfortable.

9:30 a.m. — We have a brief break so I eat some breakfast. It’s an English muffin with butter, an orange, and another cup of coffee.

12:30 p.m. — We end 90 minutes earlier than I expected. I can’t say I’m disappointed because, while there’s useful information, a lot of it feels like a very long sales pitch. I’m hoping tomorrow is more informative. My lunch is leftover soup. My mom texts me that my aunt broke her leg and asks if I can drive out to the peninsula next weekend to help her out.

1:15 p.m. — M. arrives home for lunch (leftover soup). He was only supposed to work a half-day today but one of his co-workers called in sick so he’ll work a full twelve hours. The weather is sunny so he takes the dogs out back for a quick game of fetch.

3:15 p.m. — The older dog’s nails are entering Jersey Shore territory so it’s time for a trim. We’ve tried doing this ourselves, with a variety of tools, but it ends up being traumatic for all involved. No amount of treats, peanut butter, or cheese will convince the dog she’s not about to be murdered. I take her to our favorite local grooming place and they’re done in about five minutes ($15 + $3 tip). I stop by Starbucks on the way home, mostly to get a Puppachino as an apology, but I also get a chocolate almond milk shaken espresso and a slice of lemon loaf ($9.36). $27.36

6:30 p.m. — Dinner is leftover hamburger patties, except we don’t have any buns or ketchup. M. chops up the patties, adds some spices, and puts them in hard taco shells with melted cheese, lettuce, onion, and salsa. We have some spiced tater tots on the side and vanilla Coke Zero. I give my aunt a call to check in on her.

8 p.m. — I watch The Lost Boys and drive M. crazy by serenading him (poorly) until bedtime. Playing video games with a live mic? Surprise serenade! Peeing? Serenade through the door! Putting on PJ’s? Serenade with dance moves!

10:30 p.m. — Bedtime. Thanks for hanging out with me, folks!

Daily Total: $27.36

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here.

Do you have a Money Diary you’d like to share? Submit it with us here.

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Week In New York, NY, On A $345,000 Salary

A Week In Chicago, IL, On A $52,500 Salary

A Week In Huntington, WV, On A $58,000 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

Refinery29, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

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 development associate who makes $32,175 per year and spends some of her money this week on bed restraints.

Occupation: Development Associate
Industry: Non-Profit Development
Age: 23
Location: Dayton, OH
Salary: $32,175
Net Worth: $6,945 total. $2,325 in savings and $5,270 in a mutual fund investment account my grandfather created for me when I was young and adds money for birthdays/Christmas in lieu of gifts. Minus debt.
Debt: $650 to my parents for a car repair (interest-free)
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $1,002
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $0 (I live with my parents)
Spotify Premium: $10.74
Netflix and Hulu: $0, mooch off parents
Disney+ and HBO: $0, mooch off brother
Savings: $400-$800 depending on the month

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
In the suburb I grew up in, everyone went to college after high school so I always knew I would follow that path and never considered doing otherwise. I had really good grades and test scores in high school so the majority of my education was paid for by a large merit scholarship. I paid the remaining tuition for my first semester with my savings from high school because I wanted to contribute to my own education. My parents paid for the subsequent semesters. I’m very thankful to have graduated with no student loans and I recognize my privilege.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents never really educated me about personal finance. It probably didn’t help that my mom was not involved in my family’s finances and she is the parent I spent the majority of my time with. The one thing I remember is my mom often telling me that it is better to spend more on a quality item than to get the cheapest option and have it be poor quality.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I started babysitting and dog sitting when I was 13 so I could start saving for my future. This is how I was able to pay for my first semester of college out of pocket. I never spent the money I made. When I was 16, I got a job working in the cafeteria of a retirement home but had to quit after a few months because of a medical emergency. When I was 18, I started working at an escape room and continued working there for over three years.

Did you worry about money growing up?
All the time. My family was not “struggling,” we were solidly upper-middle-class, but I was hyper-aware of how much my existence cost my parents. My extracurricular activities and medical bills were expensive and I was constantly reminded of this and experienced a great deal of guilt surrounding these costs.

Do you worry about money now?
Until very recently, yes. When I met my partner, she had been working full-time at her career-job for two years and I was working part-time in retail. It was really hard for me to keep up with our shared lifestyle on my income and I would occasionally borrow money from my parents to pay for our dates. After I got my first full-time job three months ago, I immediately paid my parents back everything I had borrowed and started saving aggressively while also being able to afford myself a much better lifestyle. I still worry about money but not as much.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I am still not financially responsible for myself. Not even close. All of my basic needs are met by my parents. I’m very comfortable with this for the present moment because it gives me the ability to save large chunks of my income. I know that even once I move out, I could always rely on my parents if I needed something.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My grandfather created a mutual fund for me, as previously stated.

Day One

7 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I scroll on TikTok for about half an hour before finally getting out of bed. Breakfast is a plain bagel with globs of butter. We got heaps of snow so I spend a solid 10 minutes scraping my car before I’m finally on the road by 8:50. I listen to my favorite personal finance podcast, She’s On The Money as I drive to work.

11 a.m. — I eat some cauliflower and a Larabar before my noon staff meeting because I know I will get way too hungry if I wait until it’s over. The staff meeting runs smoothly but I get caught up with work after so I don’t get around to lunch until 1:30. Lunch consists of a frozen chicken and broccoli alfredo bowl, a green juice, and animal crackers.

3 p.m. — I fill my 24oz tumbler with water and add two packets of crystal light with caffeine. I don’t like coffee and these packets have really helped me curb my Starbucks spending.

4:30 p.m. — I leave work a bit early because I’m ahead on hours for the week. I decided to give up weekday shopping for Lent so I’ve been eagerly anticipating Friday so I can get some errands done. I’m not super religious, but I do like the idea of setting a 40-day goal. Plus the Catholic guilt certainly helps me stick to it. As I park to go to the thrift store, I realize I have to pee but the Goodwill doesn’t have a bathroom. I go into a coffee shop in the same plaza and ask to use the bathroom. I’m proud of myself for resisting the urge to be polite and buy something. I’m sure this barista doesn’t really care anyway. I’m here on a mission to get my brother’s birthday gifts. I pick out three sweaters and a shirt for him and can’t resist picking up an early 2000s mini bag for myself. $26.61

5:45 p.m. — The next stop is a resale clothing store. I’m selling six things, half of which are my girlfriends. I try on a matching sweatsuit I saw posted on the store’s Instagram and it’s divine. The original price is $20 but I have a $10 off rewards coupon plus I get $21.72 for the items I sold, so I apply my coupon and do an exchange which gets me the sweatsuit for free plus $11 in cash. I Venmo my girlfriend, M., $7.62 for the items that were hers.

6:30 p.m. — My mom orders pizza and breadsticks for dinner. It’s delicious and I certainly enjoy all the free meals I get living with my parents. We watch an episode of Selling Sunset while we eat and then she heads to bed. I call M. and we talk for about an hour. After we hang up I watch mindless YouTube.

1 a.m. — I haven’t stayed up this late in months. I end up on the ThredUP app looking for a pair of jeans. I recently ripped the seat out of one of my two pairs of work jeans and I’ve been looking for a replacement. I’m not the hugest fan of ThredUP, but since I stopped buying new clothing altogether about two years ago, I will check ThredUP when I can’t find something in a brick-and-mortar thrift store. Their return policy is kind of shady, there is a $1.99 restocking fee and if you want a refund instead of store credit there are more fees. I decide on a pair of Land’s End denim. My total with shipping and tax is $40.90 but I have a credit for $13.05 from a previous return so I only end up spending $28.85. I need sleep. I put on some ASMR to help me get there. $28.85

Daily Total: $55.46

Day Two

10 a.m. — Late start because I was up so late. I put on the astrology crewneck M. got me for Valentine’s Day. My dad brings home donuts from a local pastry shop for breakfast. I pack an overnight bag to go visit M. for the weekend. She lives about an hour away so we only really see each other on the weekends and tend to do a lot of overnights to make the trip worth it. Never have I ever met a lesbian couple that isn’t at least a little bit long distance. On the road by noon. I pick up some yellow roses for M. at Kroger. $9.62

1 p.m. — As I’m getting off the interstate, I see a homeless man and give him a dollar ($1). I meet M. at her apartment and we head out to start our day together. We go to Cane’s for lunch and she buys. We stop at Target and I get tech wipes, a pair of blue light glasses, and organic menstrual pads and liners. ($19.65). I get Starbucks there for myself and M. but my app is already loaded so it doesn’t cost anything. $20.65

4 p.m. — We stop at Bath & Body Works and I get myself five pocket hand sanitizers and a candle for my mom because there’s a good sale ($25.82). We hit up a few more stores and eventually end up at a local bookstore. M. buys me an astrology book as a gift (she’s so good to me) and I get us coffee and muffins from the coffee store inside ($13.75). $39.57

7:30 p.m. — We decide to go to Ikea to look for a new bookcase for me. I find one I like but it’s out of stock. I get M. a milk frother and myself one of the rainbow shopping bags and a bucket hat made out of an Ikea bag that I definitely don’t need but lizard brain said “get it” ($10.62). M. and I drive through Skyline for dinner and I pay. She’s a cheap date, our total is ($10.77). $21.39

9 p.m. — We stop at a sex toy store to look for bed restraints and we find a set we like. This is something M. and I have been wanting to try out for a while. I also pick up a pink lace bra from their lingerie section and a novelty rainbow test tube shot glass set for M. since she is a scientist. I drop $85.19. When I get home I realize the bra is was way too small and I FaceTime my friend to see if she wants it and she does. M. and I turn on Survivor in bed and I fall asleep by midnight. $85.19

Daily Total: $176.42

Day Three

7 a.m. — M. and I always tend to inadvertently wake up early during our sleepover weekends. I drift in and out of sleep until about 9 then after breakfast (frozen mini breakfast sandwiches and yogurt) and a shower, we have sex for a few hours before driving down the road to get some lunch. We go to our favorite local pizza place, M. has a $5 off coupon but I pay. It’s $11.16 for two slices of za and two breadsticks plus tip. We eat at M.’s apartment then head back out. $11.16

1:30 p.m. — M. needs a piece of plywood to replace some broken slats in her bed so we stop in Lowe’s. She grabs some new knobs for her dresser as well. Then we drive-thru Dunkin. I get a refresher and M. gets cold brew. She pays.

2:30 p.m. — We stop at an abandoned mall we have been wanting to check out. It’s massive and has really cool early aughts nostalgia vibes. The best part about a mall with no stores is I can’t spend any money, something I seem to be doing a lot of this weekend.

4 p.m. — Our next stop is Home Goods where I get a pack of 35 hangers for my mom. She Venmos me for them immediately. M. needs to make a return at Target, and after making a lap around the store, I get us Starbucks. I need to reload my card and I add $10. It’s rare M. and I go a weekend without going to Target at least twice. And we can’t go to Target without getting Starbucks apparently. $10

6 p.m. — After M. and I watch another episode of Survivor, it’s time for me to head home. Goodbyes are really hard for us, even when we know we will see each other again in a week. I make it home, heat up a can of SpaghettiOs for dinner, watch some more YouTube, and read in bed (City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert) before shutting my eyes at 10.

Daily Total: $21.16

Day Four

8:30 a.m. — I overslept this morning! Ack! I have a microwavable breakfast sandwich and a slice of apple pie ala mode for breakfast because I believe every meal deserves to be punctuated with dessert. Despite oversleeping, I’m the first one at the office when I arrive at 10.

1 p.m. — I heat up a Trader Joe’s baked ziti and graze on carrots, broccoli, yogurt, pretzels, cheese, a smoothie, kombucha, and a cupcake for the remainder of the day. I get very hungry at work so I pack a lot of food and eat it in small bursts throughout the day.

7 p.m. — Wow! I stayed at work much later than I intended. I hate “hustle culture,” but I definitely fall prey to attaching my value to my productivity. I’m working on a huge social media campaign that is quite time-consuming. I’m the head of social media so this workload was self-imposed, but I’m hoping the return will be worth it.

7:30 p.m. — I clean the kitchen for my mom and make myself butternut squash ravioli with tomato basil sauce courtesy of Trader Joe’s. I start season 3 of Good Trouble then get ready for bed. I recently decided to start doing a more elaborate skincare routine, more so for self-care rather than actually wanting to change anything about my skin. Yves Rocher riche creme cleanser, some sort of Tarte serum (it was a gift), Trader Joe’s eye cream, Trader Joe’s gel moisturizer, and Burt’s Bees night cream. Read in bed until 10:30.

Daily Total: $0

Day Five

8 a.m. — Oversleep again, but not quite as drastically. Same breakfast as yesterday. Variation of the same skincare routine but with a different cleanser from SheaMoisture, Burt’s Bees acne spot treatment (smells like licorice), and the Burt’s Bees day lotion. Arrive to work at 10 but I am not the first one here so no brownie points for me.

12 p.m. — My lunches are essentially the same every day but the frozen entrees change. Today it’s Trader Joe’s mac and cheese. I know I gave up shopping for lent but I am a very bad Catholic so I cave and buy a barely-used Glossier milky jelly cleanser from a Facebook buy-sell group for only $10. Sorry, Jesus, but that’s a really good deal. $10

4:15 p.m. — It’s a much calmer day today at work and since I worked late yesterday, I decide to reward myself and leave early. I stop at Trader Joe’s (can you tell I like Trader Joe’s?) and get bread, milk, sour cream, and apples for my family. I don’t pay for any groceries while living at home so I swipe my mom’s card. I head across the street to Kroger to get the remainder of my groceries — kombucha, frozen burritos, pretzels, trash bags, and nicotine lozenges for my mom. She quit vaping a few months ago and I am so proud of her!

5:30 p.m. — I stop at the resell store again to sell a fleece jacket that my mom got as a promotional item with her skincare order. It’s cute, it just didn’t fit either of us. She lets me keep the $4.88 that the store gives me for it.

6:45 p.m. — My brother comes home (he moved out a few months ago) so my mom makes enchiladas for the family. She informs me they will be way too spicy for me so I make a quesadilla with cheese, corn, and black beans. It’s a weird combo, but it works. I convince my brother to watch one of my favorite movies, Sorry to Bother You, with me because I know he will love it and he does. Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups and cheap rosé accompany the film. Skincare, read, and bed by 10:30.

Daily Total: $10

Day Six

7 a.m. — I did not oversleep but somehow am still running late? Breakfast is the same sandwich with a different slice of pie. Make it to the office a little before 10 just in time to greet my volunteer. I get her set up with tasks for the day and head upstairs to my office.

12:30 p.m. — Today’s entree is a Trader Joe’s Indian Butter Chicken and it’s the best one yet! It’s been a relatively slow day but I’m knocking things off my to-do list. The big social media campaign I’ve been working on is practically finished so that feels good.

2:30 p.m. — I have a Zoom call set up with a friend from college who needs to interview someone who works at a non-profit for her class. I love talking about my job plus catching up with her is so nice.

4 p.m. — I have a meeting with a community partner who is hosting a drive for us to pick up collection barrels. This is the most high-profile community partnership I have worked on so far and I’m very excited.

5:30 p.m. — I drive to Kroger after work to get all-purpose flour, frozen breakfast sandwiches, and a few Bird’s Eye frozen veggie pasta steamer bags. So yummy and the pasta is made entirely from veggies and it’s grain-free. Definitely check out if you are on a restricted diet. Again, I use mom’s card to pay for groceries. I call M. from the parking lot and we end up talking for several hours. I get emotional thinking about how a lot of my friends have moved or are about to move out of state, which is something I’m sure a lot of twenty-somethings can relate to. When I get home around 8, I’m too blue for a proper dinner but I manage to eat a slice of sweet potato pie and drink a smoothie.

Daily Total: $0

Day Seven

8 a.m. — Surprise surprise! I overslept! There is currently a hole in my ceiling that was cut out to inspect for mold that is finally being repaired today (it’s been there for like two months) so I make sure my room is tidy enough for the worker to be able to do his job. I skip the pie and just have a breakfast sandwich. M. sent me a $5 Starbucks gift card with a koala saying “Hang in There” when I was sad last night so I use that to mobile order a pink drink from Starbucks which I pick up on my way to the office. I arrive at 10:15. Oof. I’m glad my workplace is flexible on arrival/departure times, I know my late mornings wouldn’t fly elsewhere.

12 p.m. — Due to my lack of pie, I’m hungry by noon. Veggie mac and cheese purchased last night is my entree today and I graze on the same snacks as always throughout the day.

5:15 p.m. — I leave work and get stuck in some nasty traffic. Thankfully, I have my finance podcast to keep me occupied during the extra-long commute. I quickly run inside, change out of my work clothes and into the sweatsuit I got earlier in the week, eat a cheese stick, and gulp down a glass of water. Today is my first day volunteering at a non-profit supporting trans folks and I’m already running late due to traffic. I make it to the volunteer site by 6:25 and get to work. We finish sorting all the donations by 7:40.

8:30 p.m. — After talking to M. for a bit in the parking lot, I head into Walgreens to pick up Zzzquil for my mom, I get two packs because there is a sale, plus a L’Oreal toner for me and a pack of peanut M&Ms for my mom. I put it all on her card. I also buy myself nuggets, fries, and a frosty from Wendy’s using her card (with permission, of course). I am going to take advantage of the luxuries of living at home as long as I can. I watch another episode of Good Trouble while I eat. Before going to bed, I check my bank account and see that my direct deposit hit so I send my mom $100 on Venmo to go towards the car repair mentioned previously. I skip my skincare routine and reading and am in bed by 11:15. $100

Daily Total: $100

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