#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we’re tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We’re asking women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a Controller working in Manufacturing who makes $115,000 per year and spends some of her money this week on Valentine’s Day socks.

Occupation: Controller
Industry: Manufacturing
Age: 33
Location: Suburbs of St. Paul, MN
My Salary: $115,000 base + 15% discretionary bonus
Husband’s Salary: $17/hour (soon to be $70,000 salary)
My Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $3,057.46 net
Husband’s Paycheck: (biweekly) ~$1,050

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage/Housing Expenses: $2,222.49 (includes mortgage, HO insurance, flood insurance, & prop. taxes on a three-bed, three-bath house that I live in with my husband, two daughters, and dog)
Car Payment: $478
Student Loans: $0 (my student loans ~$25,000 were paid off years ago)
Daycare & Before/After School Care: $1,300
Utilities & Garbage: ~$200 in the winter
Internet: $70
Netflix/Hulu: $22
Gym: $120 (family membership)
Cell Phones: $120 (I get $100 stipend from work)
Life/Auto/Ring Insurance: $450
Billie: $8
Annual Amazon Prime: $120
My 401(k): $1,061 (12% of my pay, current balance ~$60,000)
Husband’s 401(k): $0 (he will start contributing again with his new position, current balance ~$55,000)
Daughters’ Savings: $250 ($125 for each)
Investments: $500 (will increase to at least $1,000 when my husband, D., starts his new position, current balance ~$15,000)
Savings: $0 (we keep $10,000 in our checking account, and currently have $50,000 in a high yield savings account)

Day One

7 a.m. — Ah, Sunday. My husband, D., is an early riser and is already in the living room enjoying his coffee. I hear my five-year-old, T., come out of the girls’ bedroom. She could go hang with D., but she wants to snuggle and I love these weekend moments. She eventually wanders into the living room with D. and I slowly work my way out of bed when I hear my two-year-old, N., get up.

10 a.m. — D. takes T. to go wash and clean out my van (yes, I drive a minivan. I used to be cool.) ($16). I see later that they also went into Fleet Farm and purchased a few items ($74.16). While they are gone, N. and I start some Sunday food prep and make healthy banana chocolate chip muffins (banana, dark choc chips, whole wheat flour, coconut sugar, vanilla, almond milk, coconut oil). She is very pleased to be helping me with her older sister gone. $90.16

11 a.m. — The groceries I ordered yesterday arrive from Instacart. I canceled my membership a couple of months ago when they raised the prices, but they keep sending me free delivery and $20 off coupons, so I have still been using it regularly. The one tip that I give people that are trying to save money on groceries — buy them online for pickup or delivery! I plan my menu and buy only the items we need + some snacks. It curbs the spending so much not to wander the aisles. My order today is lean ground beef, lots of bell peppers, a salad kit, lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, apples, bananas, blueberries, hash browns, brown rice, quinoa, eggs, fruit bars, granola bars, green beans, hot sauce, cooking spray, oil, shredded cheese, and buns ($119.71). I ordered from Aldi today and they have amazing prices on basics, so I restocked a lot of items. D. and T. return around the same time. $119.71

11:30 a.m. — T. wants to bake cupcakes that she and N. received in a cooking kit as a Christmas gift. Since it is the end of January, I don’t think I can avoid this any longer. We mix all of the ingredients and get the first batch in the oven. While those are baking, I make a veggie egg bake for the week (eggs, broccoli, cottage cheese, parmesan, red pepper, green pepper, and garlic). D. and I will eat this as breakfast or lunch throughout the week.

12 p.m. — I take a break to make a “snack” lunch for everyone. The girls love this and they actually eat a lot when I put this together. They each eat a couple of beef sticks, cheese slices, and green pepper slices. D. and I snack on the same thing.

1 p.m. — D. goes back out to the garage to finish cleaning out the inside of the van and installing new booster seats we got for T. while I get N. ready to take a nap. As she is getting closer to three, she is starting to have an opinion about taking a nap. But I know she still takes a two-hour nap at daycare and we are going to my sister’s later, so I don’t want her to be cranky. I lay down with her for a bit and she eventually dozes off.

3:30 p.m. — N. is awake, so we get ready to head over to my sister and brother-in-law’s for dinner, bringing along the cupcakes. They just bought a new house so we want to go check it out. We also don’t get to hang out with them without the whole family very often. My sister makes an enchilada quinoa bake and fresh guac and chips. We have a relaxing evening eating and catching up.

7 p.m. — We get home and I give the girls a bath and get them ready for bed while D. finishes up some laundry. Typically, I do mine and the girls’ laundry and D. does his own. I read the girls a book and tuck them in around 7:30. They come out a few times asking for various things (kids get suddenly hungry, thirsty, and have to go to the bathroom five times when it is time for bed. If you are a parent, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN). I work on putting away my clean laundry in the meantime.

8:15 p.m. — The girls are sleeping and we are wiped out. We typically watch a show or something when they are sleeping, but we are tired tonight. D. proceeds to fall asleep on the couch while I read my book for a while. I usually read every night for at least 30 minutes before bed. Lights out around 9:30.

Daily Total: $209.87

Day Two

5 a.m. — Alarm! D. and I both enjoy early AM workouts, so we switch off morning kid drop-offs while the other one leaves early for the gym. Today is his day, but I still want to get in a workout, so I chug some pre-workout (game-changer for early AM workouts) and head downstairs for a short full-body lifting circuit before the girls get up. Our dog comes down and lays next to my workout area to keep me company. I strength train/lift heavy 4-5 days a week and have been trying to get better about incorporating more cardio and HIIT.

6 a.m. — Take a shower, dry my hair, moisturize, and do my make-up while the girls are still sleeping (BareMinerals serum concealer, BareMinerals BarePro foundation, bronzer, and mascara — this is as deep as I go with makeup). Since the girls are still sleeping, I pack my food for the day and get their clothes ready.

6:50 a.m. — Okay, we are usually out the door by 7, but the girls are still sleeping. I go to their room and turn on the light to wake them up (such a mean mom, I know). Kids also do this thing where they get up early on the weekends, but NEVER want to get up on time during the week. I pop into their room and grab N. as she is the most awake. Get her dressed and fix her hair, much to her disdain. T. trudges her way out, so I help her get dressed and do her hair. I tell the girls to grab their breakfast bars and start putting on shoes and jackets while I walk the dog. We rescued our 85-pound, five-year-old dog about a year ago. We started with a lot of separation anxiety issues. It took a lot of trial and error and work, but he has really calmed down and gotten comfortable. I finish getting the girls ready, grab all our stuff, and we are out the door at 7:12 (not bad!). Bundling up for MN winters is no joke, so it is quite the production to get out the door with littles.

7:15 a.m. — I drop N. off at her home daycare (right up the street), then take T. to school and drop her at before-school care and I’m on the road to work. We live in a suburb of St. Paul, but I drive to rural Western Wisconsin for work. It is a 45-minute drive, but very peaceful with no traffic, so I can’t complain. I drink a chocolate protein shake that I packed on my drive.

8:15 a.m. — I make it to work through freezing rain. I saw a rollover and a head-on collision on my drive today. Yikes. Glad to be here and the temps are supposed to go up through the day. My boss lives in another state, but she is here this week and I run into her right away. We have an excellent working relationship — having a strong female mentor has been a huge career and morale booster for me. We catch up and I head to my desk to dive into emails and prep for a meeting later.

10 a.m. — Eat a banana chocolate chip muffin I packed from home. I am a big snacker at work!

12:15 p.m. — Just got out of a leadership meeting. A partner from the private equity group that owns us was in town to join us today. I am the youngest person by about 10 years and one of a couple of women in these meetings. Women are still a minority in Finance in these parts, especially in the manufacturing world. Just another reason I am grateful for a strong female leader in this industry. I am proud to be included in this meeting and have transparency into the direction the company is headed (imposter syndrome be damned!).

12:30 p.m. — Heat up some egg bake and refill my water. D. also packed some of the food I prepped over the weekend. I spend the afternoon working on a PowerPoint for an educational/learning section I am presenting to my employees in a staff meeting on Wednesday and one more conference call. I also eat an apple with peanut butter around 2.

5:15 p.m. — Get home from work. D. picked up the girls and they are already home and have walked the dog. Everyone is hungry! I warm up Pacifico roasted red pepper and tomato soup. I add tortellini and spinach to the soup and broil some garlic bread. The girls just eat tortellini with parmesan, blueberries, and grape tomatoes. We clean up dinner and just hang out and play until bedtime for the girls. I also throw some frozen chicken breasts in the Instant Pot to shred for dinner tomorrow night.

7:30 p.m. — I help the girls get their pajamas on and brush their teeth. Then we read two bedtime stories on the top bunk. They love reading our books up there and then making me go down the slide on their bunk bed! After the usual shenanigans, I think they are asleep by 8.

8 p.m. — I pack my gym bag and food for tomorrow (more unsolicited pro advice: packing a gym bag and laying out workout clothes the night before increases your chances of going exponentially). D. and I watch a couple of episodes of House Hunters before heading to bed. I read my book, Nine Perfect Strangers, for a bit before lights out around 9:30. Did we really have a zero spend day?!?

Daily Total: $0

Day Three

5:30 a.m. — Up and getting dressed for the gym! I put on my favorite Athleta leggings and tank, put my hair in a ponytail, and brush my teeth. Mix my pre-workout and grab my gym bag, laptop tote, and food for the day. I love my gym mornings (it took me a while to get to this place though!). Everyone, including the dog, is still sound asleep as I walk out the door.

7:15 a.m. — Crushed LEG DAY. It’s a love-hate relationship — it hurts so good. I take a body shower, dry shampoo my hair, and do my makeup at the gym. Hit the road and drink my protein shake in the car. I also stop for gas on the way to work. I fill up at least once a week with my commute. $38.18

9:45 a.m. — Spending most of today working on user security access issues with the costing module within our ERP system. This is a boring and tedious task, so I am taking small breaks to work on my forecasted financials for the month and quarter. I snack on another banana chocolate chip muffin and mix up a post-workout hydration drink as well. It must be some miracle that I do not have any meetings today.

12 p.m. — My boss stops in and asks if I want to go to lunch. I packed food, but she is not in town too often and it’s hard to get one-on-one time when she is here, so I take her up on it. We go to a local café and I have a chicken pesto sandwich and she has a Philly cheesesteak. I will admit that I don’t get out of the office enough! She pays and will expense it. I see that D. went to his work cafeteria today for either breakfast or lunch. $7.15

3:30 p.m. — I leave work a little early because N.’s daycare is closing early today. Up until last week, I have been involved in a major project and I was logging significant hours in the evenings and weekends at home. The project is on hold at the moment, so I am enjoying a bit more downtime. I pick up both girls, get home, and walk the dog. Since I am home a bit early, I take the chicken I shredded last night and mix it with buffalo sauce and shredded sharp cheddar in the slow cooker to warm it up for buffalo chicken tacos night. D. calls to check in and let us know he is on his way home. We usually talk on the phone every day during our commutes.

6 p.m. — Dinner time. We add lettuce, green peppers, and guac to the buffalo chicken tacos and eat them with a side of strawberries while playing “Family Talks.” It is an assortment of thought-provoking questions that I bought to enhance our family dinnertime conversations. Tonight’s question is “What is the most difficult thing about being a kid?” T. answers “cleaning up” LOL. N. is too young to understand most of the questions, but she giggles like she knows what is going on. I love it. After dinner, I do the dishes and clean the kitchen while D. gives the girls a bath.

8 p.m. — The girls are in bed, so I take a shower and wash my hair. D. and I settle in to watch the latest episode of Good Doctor, but I fall asleep on the couch before it is even over.

Daily Total: $45.33

Day Four

5:30 a.m. — Up and getting ready for the gym. D. has an appointment this morning, so we switched gym days. Everyone is still sleeping when I leave. I give D. a kiss goodbye on my way out. Today is back and shoulder day — my favorite! I finish my workout, take a body shower and get ready at the gym. I head to work and stop at the gas station for a Quest bar. I am heading to our other plant this morning, so I also grab a dozen donuts to bring to folks up there. $10.37

10:30 a.m. — Done with a couple of meetings and need to head back to my office at the other plant for a meeting with my staff. It is only about a 10-minute drive. I eat a banana from my bag on the way back.

12:30 p.m. — Finished with the staff meeting. My “learning” section of the meeting was well received. The topic today was “Manufacturing Variances 101” (thrilling, I know!). I have been trying to incorporate teaching sections into these meetings to help my staff understand how their day-to-day job duties flow through and affect the overall financial picture of the company. After a morning of meetings, I take a mental break and eat the beef and veggie burrito that I prepped last week. I see that D. got Chipotle after his appointment. $10.43

2:30 p.m. — My boss just walked in and informed me that I am getting a $7,000 raise (up to $122,000)! We recently had a freeze on merit increases, and it was just lifted this week. I had a performance review last week that went really well, so I was hoping for at least a $5,000 increase once the freeze was lifted. I am pleased!

5:30 p.m. — Get home from work and start making dinner for D. and the girls. I have plans with my neighbor/friend, B., at the local wine bar tonight. I make “healthy” sloppy joes and get ready to leave. I pick up B. at 6:30 and we drive the two miles to the wine bar. We are both working moms and try to plan a kid-free night about once a month. We enjoy a bottle of wine, spicy chicken drops, truffle fries, and a slice of flourless chocolate cake. We love the ambiance of this place — it is so warm and cozy next to a fireplace and never too crowded. We have a relaxing evening with great conversation. I treat tonight. $66.11

9:30 p.m. — Arrive home and D. is watching Deputy and the girls are fast asleep. I spend some quality time with D. before falling asleep around 10:30.

Daily Total: $86.91

Day Five

5:45 a.m. — My alarm goes off and D. is still in bed. Today is a rest day from the gym for me, so I snuggle with D. a bit before he leaves for work. He has a gym at work that he uses before work. I get up, shower, blow dry my hair, and do my usual makeup routine. T. wakes up and comes in while I am blow drying my hair. She finds it hilarious to sneak up on me when I am drying my hair! T. gets dressed and I wake N. up and get her ready as well. We are out the door around 7:10.

8:15 a.m. — I drop both girls off and go to work. I settle in at my desk with an office coffee and a lemon RX Bar I brought from home. I get caught up with emails after a long day of meetings yesterday.

11:45 a.m. — Spend most of the morning talking with the CFO about cash flow forecasting and some other initiatives we are working on. I decide to run to Subway (limited options here, folks). I stop by and ask the CFO if he wants anything (he is in from out of town) and he gives me his order and throws cash at me. That was not my intention, but I thank him and head out.

5:30 p.m. — Head home and listen to an episode of Armchair Expert on my drive. D. and the girls are already home when I arrive. The pup is at my in-laws for a couple of days. We made a decision a few months ago to “share” the dog with them. They were thinking about getting a dog, but this works out great for everyone (especially the pup) because my mother-in-law is retired and can spend a lot of time with him during the week when we are working. I make quesadillas with the leftover shredded chicken, bell peppers, and cheese, and the girls have mac n cheese.

8 p.m. — The girls are bathed, the bedtime story is done, and they are in bed for the night. I am exhausted tonight, but we watch the newest episode of New Amsterdam before hitting the hay.

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

6 a.m. — Alarm goes off and D. gets up for work. I am working from home today, so I decide to stay in bed a bit longer. T. comes in around 6:30 and N. gets up shortly after. We all get dressed, brush teeth, fix hair, and are out the door by 7:15. I drop both girls off and head to the gym. I do 20 minutes on the stair stepper, and finish with an arm and ab session.

8:45 a.m. — I get home and get logged in for work. I make my favorite breakfast of granola, whole milk Greek yogurt, frozen pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of honey. YUM!

12 p.m. — Working away when I lose all connection to the network and realize there is no power in my house. I report it to our electrical company and see that many others also reported. It is not estimated to be back until 2. I guess I’ll take a lunch break. I put together a “snack lunch” of summer sausage, sliced cheese, Dot’s pretzels (if you know, you know), and guacamole. I also have a raspberry Bubly water.

1:10 p.m. — Power is back on. Back to work!

4 p.m. — I go pick up the girls from daycare and school and get back home to get ready for dinner with some friends tonight. This is an extremely rare week in that I have two kid-free nights! D. gets home around this time too. I head to the Park-n-Ride around 5 to pick up four of my friends (we are ridin’ dirty in the minivan tonight!), and D. heads with the girls to his mom’s house for a pizza party.

6 p.m. — We arrive at a restaurant in uptown Minneapolis and get a table. We enjoy a fun evening with drinks, queso, cream cheese wontons, veggie fried rice, veggie lo mein, and orange chicken. I have been close with this group of ladies since HIGH SCHOOL. We are not all in the same stage of life, but we have a blast and laugh so much when we are together. They are angels. I often struggle internally because I work for a for-profits company and make significantly more money than my friends. I do love my job and the challenges it brings, but these ladies are underpaid and underappreciated. I do not know if they have these same thoughts (or even know how much I make), but I try to treat them in small ways when we are together. I offer to treat everyone to dessert, but we are way too full. $42.93

10 p.m. — I make it home and D. is chillin’ on the couch watching Deputy. The girls ended up staying overnight at his mom’s house. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and read my book for a bit before falling asleep.

Daily Total: $42.93

Day Seven

6:30 a.m. — I wake up and try to go back to sleep, but I’m awake and give up trying around 7. D. and I decide to head to our favorite coffee shop on our way to pick up the girls. I have a chai latte, D. has a pour-over coffee, and we share a cinnamon roll ($12.75). We talk about our plans coming up, as we are thinking about selling our house to some friends this spring and need to start thinking about our next move. We have been watching the market and researching building a house. We can’t make any decisions until our house is sold. We have a good amount of equity in this house (about $230,000), but we want to buy something reasonable and save a big chunk of that money. $12.75

8:15 a.m. — We pick up the girls and the dog and head home. T. appears to have a fever and is extremely tired. We stop on the way home to get her some Gatorade. We get home, get her settled on the couch, and have her take a chewable Tylenol to help with the fever. $5.25

12:30 p.m. — We spent the morning doing various projects, admin, and cleaning around the house while N. plays and T. sleeps (poor thing definitely has a virus). D. does a lot of the cleaning, while I usually handle all the cooking and meal planning. I prefer it this way as I have control issues with meal planning, ha. I have a random salad with leftover sloppy joe meat, lettuce, cheese, and tortilla strips for lunch. D. eats my leftovers from last night and N. has some salami, cheese, and oranges. N. goes down for a nap after lunch, so I decide to go run some errands. T. normally likes to go with me, but she is still resting.

1 p.m. — I decide to stop at Pier 1 first because the store is closing and I want to see if there are any good deals. Nothing catches my eye. Next, I go to Target. I buy deodorant for D., random condiments I can’t get at Aldi, bread, Kodiak Cakes, tuna snack packs, Valentine’s Day goodies to give the girls — hair ties, bath bombs, heart T-shirts, and heart socks. $90.05

2 p.m. — I call and check in with D. and head to Aldi for the weekly grocery haul. I planned our meals and made my list this morning. I get ingredients for broccoli salad and fruit salad for a Super Bowl party tomorrow, tomatoes, kiwis, berries, peppers, onions, butter lettuce, cilantro, sliced cheddar, shredded cheddar, various crackers, turkey sticks, granola, two tubs of yogurt, eggs, milk, tortilla chips, granola bars, black beans, cottage cheese, juice boxes, sour cream, mochi, ground beef, raw shrimp, and probably some other things I am forgetting. $96.56

3 p.m. — I get home and unload all of the groceries. T. is still not feeling well, so I snuggle with her while N. and D. go outside to play in the snow. It is a whopping 39 degrees here today, which is unheard of for this time of year in MN. It feels SO GOOD. I would love to go for a family hike or skiing but that won’t be happening today with how T. is feeling.

8 p.m. — We had a quiet evening at home with T. being sick. Typically, we will go out to dinner as a family on Saturday nights, but we stayed in and ate random leftovers and snacks. The girls are in bed, so D. and I watch the latest episode of The Resident, and a couple of episodes of House Hunters before going to bed. I have a feeling tomorrow will be another quiet day with a sick little one.

Daily Total: $204.61

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DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

You, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we’re tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We’re asking women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a Technical Writer with a joint income of $225,700 who spends some of her money this week on vegan pizza.

Occupation: Technical Writer
Industry: Tech
Age: 30
Location: Seattle, WA
My Salary: $90,700
Husband’s Salary: $135,000
My Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $5,210.53
My Husband’s Paycheck (2x/month): $4,307
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $2,250 (Mortgage for the first two years, then will go up to the full monthly cost of $4,000. We bought our house last year and had a huge amount of help from my husband’s parents.)
Property Tax (2x/year): $4,000
Car Loan: $262 (We’re both fortunate to have no student loans thanks to our parents.)
Savings: $1,000 (Husband contributes about the same amount)
401(k): $655
Utilities/Light: $483 (every few months)
Cable/Internet: $214.17
Husband’s Phone: $100
My Health Insurance: $93.33
My Phone Bill: $93.04 (I’m on a family plan with siblings and parents.)
My Car Insurance: $63
Netflix: $12
Gym: $44.03
Publishers Marketplace: $25
Apple Storage: $0.99
Spotify: $22 (We each still pay for our own, stupid I know.)
Audible: $16.46
Amazon Prime: $119

Day One

6:30 a.m. — I wake to my alarm and a cat sitting on my head. After snoozing a few times, I nudge my husband, F., out of bed so he can use the bathroom first. We’re having electrical work done on our house this week and the guys are supposed to show up at 8 but we learned that really means 7:40 because for some reason they’re chronically early?!

7:15 a.m. — My turn to get ready. I do my morning routine (acne prescription, eye cream, Argan oil tinted moisturizer with SPF, concealer, powder, brows, mascara, blush, lippie… phew). Hair goes up with a cute headband wrap thing. I’m trying to accessorize my hair more. I bundle up because it’s raining.

8:10 a.m. — As I’m heading out the door, the electricians offer to put in a light fixture in our front room, which doesn’t have one, so that’s great! They’re here to update our 1945 wiring, and I didn’t realize they’d also be able to install cool things like dimmers and light fixtures. We bought our house nine months ago and this was the one big renovation it needed, and it’s not cheap! We’re going to pay it off over 12 months, but the deposit of $5,450 came out of our savings.

9:15 a.m. — I bus downtown (my work provides free public transportation passes) and stop at the Starbucks in my building. I’ve cut way back on Starbucks breakfast because it’s so much cheaper to make my own but I still get it once a week or so. I get oatmeal and an iced coffee with coconut milk. $7.05

10 a.m. — Work is unusually busy this morning and I’m loving it! There are a lot of really slow days where I just ruminate and accidentally go down internet rabbit holes about things that make me anxious. So busy is good.

11 a.m. — My alma mater is doing a mentorship program with seniors and alumni, and I just got paired with a mentee! I respond to her email to schedule our first meeting. My friend tells the group chat that her ex is engaged; I feel bad for the girl who’s marrying that douchebag. Another friend texts about yoga tonight and I remember I still need to buy the Groupon. It’s one month of yoga for 80% off! $29

12:45 p.m. — My morning has been spent writing error messages and providing feedback on UX copy. Next I need to update documentation for an urgent bug fix that’s going out today. I didn’t bring my lunch and don’t feel like walking too far from my office — there was a shooting yesterday in downtown Seattle and I do not feel safe (America, so cool and fun) — so I cross the street to Subway. I get a six-inch turkey sub and chips and eat in my office kitchen while reading American Royals by Katharine McGee. $7.97

2 p.m. — Time for my weekly one-on-one with my manager. We’re both anxious and awkward people so sometimes these meetings are weird, but today the conversation is chill. We talk about some extra work I’m taking on in light of my promotion that should be finalized in the next month or so (yay!) and about the coincidence that we both have fancy, formal events this weekend.

4 p.m. — I check our shared bank account and see we’ve been charged for next week’s HelloFresh box. We just tried it for the first time because the first box was super cheap and I was intrigued by the idea of having two nights a week where we don’t have to decide what to have for dinner. (Do you ever think about the fact that you have to decide what to have for dinner every night for the rest of your life? Adulting!) Our next box is half off and we enjoyed the first two meals so we’re going to keep doing it for now. $20.95

5:45 p.m. — Home! F. is vacuuming because his allergies are acting up after being around the drywall dust from the electrical work. I give the cats their treats (I do this every day, secretly slipping Big Cat his pill with the treats; Little Cat gets treats just for being a cute good boy). Then I run to QFC for groceries: toilet paper, dish soap, hand soap refill, poop bags (for litter box cleaning), coffee beans, turbinado sugar, bananas, salad greens, cucumber, a Caesar salad kit, and Amy’s dairy-free pizza for tomorrow. I hate how expensive this grocery store is but it’s super close to our house. $58.31

6:30 p.m. — F. ordered Indian food for his lunch/our dinner ($50), but I’m not hungry enough to eat that before yoga. I throw together a quick dinner: a salad of greens, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and goat milk brie with brioche toast crackers. Then I drive to pick up my friend T. for yoga. $50

8:45 p.m. — Welp, we almost didn’t make it to the end. It was so hard! But we feel amazing after, which is the only reason anyone exercises as far as I can tell. T. recently purged her closet so she gives me a bag of clothes to try on. I drop her off and head home. At some point today F. got gas for his car ($56.03) and a pack of beer ($12.09). $68.12

10:20 p.m. — Very dramatic night. F. seems to be having an asthma attack, not allergies. This doesn’t happen to him often, luckily, but it’s ironic because his doctor wouldn’t prescribe him an inhaler until he got a pulmonary function test, then they couldn’t schedule it for six weeks, and he was finally supposed to have the appointment TODAY and they canceled because the person was out sick. Our working theory is that F. gave himself asthma from smoking weed very enthusiastically every day for years (this asthma thing finally made him quit smoking for good). He says he’s going to stay up and hope it gets better, so I shower, etc. and go to bed without him.

Daily Total: $241.40

Day Two

6:20 a.m. — Oh lord. I’m awoken by F. saying he’s going to the ER. He’s going to take an Uber. Now you’re all going to think I’m a cold and cruel wife for not driving him, but I took him to the ER the first time this happened and they essentially gave him an inhaler and monitored him for three hours. We both know the drill, and I have to be here in case he’s not back to meet the workmen at 9:30. (Also, it occurs to me that we won’t get the ER bill for a week or two; too bad I can’t add it to this MD so we could all bash the US health system together.)

8:45 a.m. — I do my morning routine, feed the cats, and have a smoothie for breakfast (almond milk, peanut butter, banana, frozen blueberries, and strawberries). F. gets home and fills me in. They gave him a temporary inhaler prescription and the ER doc said he definitely has asthma and got screwed over by the “system.” I’ll say. After making sure F. is going to be okay, I head to work. His Ubers cost $30 total. $30

9:45 a.m. — I grab an iced coffee with coconut milk from Starbucks ($3.14). I’m working from a different building today to sit with a new team I’m helping out. After about an hour, I finally get to work after cleaning off the desk. (The writer who sat here before me was a middle-aged man who left open bags of snacks and tooth flossers on the desk… seriously?! Never in a million years would I leave a job without cleaning up after myself. Men!) It’s review season here and I have a lot of peer reviews to write. I’ve put it off until literally the last day so… guess that’s what I’m doing for the rest of the day. Sigh. $3.14

1 p.m. — I head out to lunch. Working from this building is dangerous because it’s across the street from my favorite sushi place. I get a salmon platter with miso soup and read American Royals while I eat. I’m trying to finish this book ASAP because it’s cringe-topia. (But clearly it’s not entirely horrible because I’m notorious for DNF-ing books I dislike. Recently I quit reading a book after two pages, lol. That was a gem.) $15.76

3:15 p.m. — Time to walk to my massage appointment! Yeah, this was a ridiculously short workday but we’re all salaried adults so no one keeps tabs, plus it’s Friday. Real talk: this is my second massage this month. F. and I have been trying for a baby for over a year and it’s breaking my heart, so I’m upping my self-care treats and exercise. I’ve been obsessing about TTC so I’m doing my best to stop thinking about it 24/7 and to lower my stress levels. Real talk, part two: this massage is fully covered by my insurance. How great is that? But still, I’d gladly sacrifice that benefit in favor of public healthcare for all!

5:30 p.m. — Home. The massage was lovely (I spent most of it trying to notice when my mind wandered and “inviting it back to the present moment”). I give the cats their treats and then find F. He’s napping, so I cuddle with him in bed as I finish reading American Royals. I get a text from someone at work about something we are trying to finish up, so I get out my work laptop and take care of it in about one minute. In my year and a half at this job, I’ve had to work after hours ONE other time. I will never understand people who feel like they’re obligated to work nights and weekends for a salaried day job. (I’m sure I’ve just been lucky with the jobs/managers I’ve had, but I feel like if we collectively told capitalism to eff off outside of our 40-hour work weeks, it would be better for everyone, right?)

7:30 p.m. — F. leaves for band practice and I whip up a batch of brownies. My sister comes over for dinner and a movie. We have Amy’s pizza, Caesar salad, and a glass of red wine each while watching Girls Trip. It makes us laugh so much! We eat warm brownies and somehow after the movie we both end up downloading TikTok to see what the youth are up to. It looks like a lot of branded content and commercials… but some of it is pretty funny. (I’m old.)

11:30 p.m. — My sister heads out, and F. and I go to bed.

Daily Total: $48.90

Day Three

6 a.m. — My alarm goes off for me to take my temperature. I track my ovulation this way. Technically we’re not even trying this month (I’ll explain later…) but I want to know when I ovulate so I know the exact day my period will come.

9:30 a.m. — I wake up for real to find both cats sitting on my legs. This happens once in a blue moon and I love it! Also, I had a vivid dream about being close friends with Meghan Markle. (She had one dresser drawer entirely devoted to her 50 pairs of white jeans.) Good job, subconscious, keep it up! F. left early to play golf ($77) and I have a leisurely morning ahead of me. I have a smoothie for breakfast, feed the cats, and clean up the mess I left in the kitchen last night. Then I start laundry, shower, and do my curly hair routine. $77

11:30 a.m. — I drive to my favorite coffee shop and get an iced oat milk latte and a chocolate almond croissant ($10.92). I start reading Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein and it’s so much more enjoyable than the last book! I’m reading a bunch of romantic comedies for research/inspiration; I write novels and have come so tantalizingly close to getting published that I want to get it right next time. The book I wrote a few months ago is a rom-com and I’m currently trying to decide whether to revise the heck out of it or start a brand new one. $10.92

2 p.m. — Okay, time to run errands and head home to get ready for the gala tonight. I swing by the pet store and get some treats and wet cat food ($22.88). Then I go to QFC and get almond milk, Kashi cereal, and frozen berries ($24.72). When F. gets home from golf, he orders food for a late lunch: chicken teriyaki for him, spicy chicken for me, and gyoza ($40). $87.60

5 p.m. — We call an Uber ($21) and head out. My hair looks amazing for some reason so I’m feeling great. We’re going to a fundraiser gala for our synagogue. We’re technically not paying members yet (it’s expensive!) but we go there for the High Holy Days, and his mom is very involved with the community there. We paid in advance for our tickets which includes dinner and two drink tickets each, for about $300 total. We’ve agreed we’re not going to spend too much more money at this thing (we’re scarred from last year) so we’ll see how this goes… $21

7:30 p.m. — Well… we’ve spent SOME money so far. It’s an auction and it’s fun to cruise around, drink in hand, catching up with people and looking at the experiences we can buy. With our drink tickets, I end up getting two glasses of cava and F. gets a Manhattan and a beer. F. signs up for a poker game at the rabbi’s house ($50), and we both sign up for a group knitting class ($36 each) because we’re knitting a baby blanket together and we’re still learning. We also buy four raffle tickets but we don’t end up winning anything ($40). The auction continues through dinner with a live auctioneer, but these items are much more lavish so we do NOT participate. Oh, but they do show a video where little kids say what the temple means to them. I’m embarrassed to say I tear up watching it because, gosh darn it, when am I going to have my own tiny curly-haired child? I end up donating $36 more in case God pays attention to these things (lol, kidding… or am I?). $198

9 p.m. — The best part of the night is the dessert dash! There are a bunch of gourmet desserts and the table that bids the most gets to choose first. F. and I put down $60 and our table falls near the middle of the group; we end up getting a delicious chocolate hazelnut cake. Afterward, we join a group of friends at the bar downstairs, but the cocktails here are way too expensive so I just sip water (plus I had a giant glass of red with dinner and three is usually my limit). F. gets a smoky Manhattan for $19, then we Uber home ($22.20). 101.20

11 p.m. — Bed! I do my nighttime routine (argan oil cleanser, Kiehl’s cleanser, rosacea prescription, Kiehl’s night cream), read for a bit, and pass out.

Daily Total: $495.72

Day Four

9:30 a.m. — Another relaxing day ahead! I give the cats breakfast, make my smoothie, and read Love at First Like for a good hour or more. I also drink a Trader Joe’s coconut cream cold brew. I take a shower and wash my hair again, hoping it’ll last through Monday that way, but I try something new (wet brushing) and it ruins my curls. Sad.

1 p.m. — The morning is spent cleaning. I actually enjoy when I have all day for cleaning and laundry; I take my time and listen to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. F. still isn’t feeling well after the whole asthma thing, so he’s on the couch working and watching football. I vacuum the whole house, clean the kitchen and bathroom, do laundry, and change our sheets. For lunch, I have leftover teriyaki and a salad. My mom calls just to chat; it’s the second time in two days and I think she might be hoping for a fertility update, but there’s literally nothing to say about it this month. Sorry, Mom!

3 p.m. — It’s actually sunny out (?!) so F. and I walk to the garden store. They’re doing 30% off indoor plants, so we get three air plants and tiny containers for them, and a prayer plant and a basket to put it in. I’ve read that prayer plants are cat safe… and I just *pray* I can keep it alive (sorry, I had to!). I’m really bad at caring for plants, but I’ve been craving greenery. $53.98

5 p.m. — Time for my fertility yoga class. I prepaid for eight weeks ($180). It’s a great routine and it’s nice to have a community of women who are all trying to conceive. I also think it’s helping me stay calm and mindful.

7 p.m. — I swing by Trader Joe’s to get stuff for dinner. F. usually cooks on Sunday nights while I’m at yoga, but I told him I would since he’s still feeling crappy. I get macaroni noodles, olive oil, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, kidney beans, cucumbers, celery, kale, yellow squash, mushrooms, a sourdough boule, and some more coconut cream cold brew. Hallelujah for cheap grocery stores! $29.87

8 p.m. — I snack on cucumbers and brie while I cook. I make vegetable minestrone and we eat it with buttered sourdough bread while watching an episode of Grace and Frankie. We each have a Lindt dark chocolate truffle for dessert. I take a hot bath with a face mask and Love at First Like, then do my skincare routine and continue reading in bed. F. doesn’t read much so we’re not a Read In Bed Couple, but I love that he never complains about me having my light on no matter how long I read. I finally go to sleep around 10:30.

Daily Total: $83.85

Day Five

6 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I then sleep for another hour. Feeling surprisingly well rested for a Monday! I do my morning routine and make the best of my hair situation (pin the top half back with a butterfly clip). Downstairs, I feed the cats and empty the dishwasher. Then I take my breakfast of Kashi cereal and coconut cold brew to the couch, where I read cuddled up in a blanket with the space heater blasting. Around 8:15, I kiss F. goodbye and catch the bus to work.

10 a.m. — After responding to a few emails and such, I remember we need more dry cat food, so I order some. Ugh! I forgot how expensive this is. We always get the 25-lb bag of Young Again Zero and it lasts like six months. $129

11 a.m. — I eat a Nature Valley peanut butter dark chocolate protein bar that I had in my backpack. I’m not having lunch until 1 today because I’m taking an interview candidate out to lunch. I’m extremely introverted so it’s not my ideal situation… but I’ve done it before and survived. I hope today’s candidate is easy to talk to.

12:15 p.m. — Getting antsy for lunch over here. I text some friends about various things: one about the scary coronavirus in the news, another about the workout class we go to that I sadly don’t have time for this week, and another about scheduling our next happy hour. (We make the very responsible decision to split a bottle of wine at her place instead of going to one of our usual expensive bars!)

2 p.m. — Phew, the lunch went fine! The candidate was easy to talk to. She also made me laugh by pointing out an attractive man and saying “oh he likes you. Too bad you’re married.” I took her to a cafe where we both got fancy salads with pistachios and pickled shallots. I paid the $27.32 but it will be expensed. ($27.32 expensed)

2:15 p.m. — F. texts me that his semen analysis appointment is over. THANK GOD. Okay so here is why we’re not trying this month: His doctor ordered a semen analysis which was last week, but the clinic *messed up the analysis* and made him schedule another one. And they said he had to be abstinent until the appointment. While I’m currently ovulating. Yes, I cried (but actually the crying was more about waiting so long to have sex in general, lol… it’s been weeks). I’m so relieved that we’ll finally (maybe) get some fertility answers. Also, I told him to find a new doctor because seriously this clinic is a mess!

3 p.m. — I’m supposed to have a meeting but the person no shows… how rude. I stop by a vending machine and get peanut M&M’s because I’m not a “salad for lunch” kinda gal and I’m starving already. $1

5 p.m. — I get home, give the kitties their treats, and get dressed for the gym. F. calls me on his way home and tells me he went to oyster happy hour ($60)?! This was a special treat post sperm analysis that I am definitely okay with (the whole situation is uncomfortable for him and I get that — plus, oysters contain a lot of zinc which is great for sperm health, lol!). But I tell him to invite his wife next time. He also fills me in on what the fertility clinic is like (exactly how it looks on TV!) and we have a good laugh when I ask what kind of porn he watched and he says, “I just looked at our wedding photos, honey.” He pulls up to the house as we’re talking so I get to kiss him before I leave for the gym. I have no clue how much his insurance will cover for the SA so we’ll have to wait for the bill. $60

6 p.m. — I stop by the Ulta near my gym and pick up my usual Juice Beauty mascara. I am surprised to see they have my Mad Hippie Vitamin C serum, which I ran out of a couple of weeks ago and usually buy straight from the Mad Hippie website. (PSA: if you have dark spots you want to fade or just want your skin to be brighter, vitamin C serum is MAGICAL.) After Ulta, I hit the gym where I do a short stint on the treadmill and some stretches while listening to Harry Potter. $63.84

8 p.m. — F. is at band practice tonight so I get the TV to myself, haha. For dinner, I have leftover minestrone, a slice of sourdough, and cucumber sprinkled with salt and pepper. There’s a new Jane Austen show on Masterpiece Theater called Sanditon that I’ve been meaning to start, so I watch that while I eat. For dessert, I have a brownie with hot fudge on it and take my fish oil pills with applesauce (because I’m a wimp who can’t swallow big pills with water). The brownie is way too much sugar, but Sanditon is a DELIGHT. I do some knitting while I watch. Then I shower and do my nighttime routine, read in bed for a few minutes, and fall asleep before 10.

Daily Total: $253.84

Day Six

6 a.m. — Alarm. Temp. Back to sleep until 7:20 because I really do not want to get up! Finally, I make myself get ready. I feed the cats and pack my lunch (minestrone and a cucumber), then catch the 8:25 bus. It’s one of those mornings so I get Starbucks for breakfast — oatmeal and iced coffee with coconut milk. $6.94

12 p.m. — Work is boring today. I eat my lunch in the office kitchen while reading.

2:30 p.m — I’m hungry and dragging but I don’t feel like going out to buy my usual cookie or smoothie, so I sadly eat a few wasabi almonds from my snack drawer.

4 p.m. — On the bus home, I finish Love at First Like. It had potential — I enjoy books where you’re just waiting for the inevitable trainwreck when the main character’s crazy schemes catch up with her — but the ending fell flat. Ah well, onto the next. At home, I see that F. went to QFC and got almond milk creamer, coffee beans, pomegranate juice, and a couple of fancy orange juices. $36.22

6 p.m. — We’re going to dinner at my parents’ house tonight. F. drives and we pick up my sister on the way. The toll bridge costs $3.40 but it comes out of F.’s prepaid pass. Dinner with my parents and siblings is really fun tonight; everyone is in a good mood and laughing a lot. My mom and sisters compliment my new leopard print headband incessantly. We have pesto pasta with roasted vegetables for dinner, followed by Golden Oreos and tea. (My mom always has Golden Oreos in the house.)

9:15 p.m. — F. and I get home, and I take a bath while I start reading my next book, Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane. I bought all these books a couple of weeks ago; that’s not the norm for me, I usually get most of my books and ebooks from the library. This one is funny already. I’m hungry again after my bath so I have some Kashi cereal with almond milk; it’s been a very carb-heavy day, but cereal is the only thing I feel like eating if I’m hungry right before bed. F. finishes up some work and we both go to sleep around 10:30.

Daily Total: $43.16

Day Seven

8 a.m. — I get to sleep in today because Wednesday is my work from home day. I savor some kitty snuggles with Big Cat before getting up. I shower and do my makeup and hair; it feels great to get my curls back in shape after wearing them up the last two days. I have a smoothie for breakfast, then pour some coffee from the pot F. made before he left for work. I settle in at my desk and join a call, but I’m not really needed in the meeting so I zone out.

11 a.m. — Little Cat has been snoozing in the cat bed beside my desk all morning. He is SO CUTE. I love our cats so much. I decide to treat myself to a Trader Joe’s coconut cold brew. While I’m at the fridge, I also decide to have some turkey pepperonis and brie with crackers because why not.

1 p.m. — I’m not super hungry for lunch thanks to my snack, so I have celery and cucumbers with ranch while watching Grace and Frankie, then some Trader Joe’s herbs and spices popcorn and a Ghirardelli’s chocolate. F. got tacos for lunch. $9.63

4 p.m. — Time for my volunteer gig at my neighborhood library. I’m a tutor for the library’s homework help program. Being a librarian was my dream job that I didn’t pursue due to practical/financial reasons, so volunteering here once a week means a lot to me. Today there are only two volunteers and the kids are wired, so it’s chaos. But it’s still fun — I read to a few five- and six-year-olds, help a fifth-grader with her math, and generally try to wrangle the others as they run around screaming. My car is empty so I fill her up on the way. $30.80

7 p.m. — F. gets a haircut ($45), and then we make one of our HelloFresh meals for dinner. It’s spinach and ricotta ravioli with chicken sausage. I sauté some kale with lemon juice to go with it. It’s delicious! We both think we want to keep doing HelloFresh even after our discount ends. I’m enjoying the feeling of not wasting a bunch of food like we normally do since they send you the exact amount you need. I also have a glass of rosé, and then we head upstairs… OK LISTEN… I normally cringe when MDs mention doing the dirty because it comes off as braggy to me, but I’ve waited so long! I’m just so relieved to have sex with my husband! Also: when we’re done, we both look around to see Big Cat sitting on the bed, looking at us expectantly with his favorite toy beside him. He’s never brought a toy on the bed before! Did he think it was playtime? We die laughing. $45

9:30 p.m. — F. does some work and I lounge on the couch watching Sanditon and eating a Ghirardelli’s square. Then I take a quick shower, read in bed, and fall asleep around 11.

Daily Total: $85.43

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A Week In Brooklyn, NY, On A $105,000 Salary

A Week In Los Angeles, CA, On A $72,000 Salary

A Week In Kalamazoo, MI On A $84,738 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

You, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we’re tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We’re asking women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: a Business Analyst working in Finance with a joint income of $62,473 per year who spends some of her money this week on Reese’s Cups.

Occupation: Business Analyst
Industry: Finance
Age: 27
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Our Joint Salary: $62,473 (we earn the exact same amount)
B.’s Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $1,915
Paycheck Amount (1x/month): $1,573 (after 401(k), medical insurance, and life insurance)
Gender Identity: Cis-woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,040
Car Loan: $124
Utilities: $40
WiFi: $52
Cleaning Service: $70
Monthly Savings Goal: $555 (I also use an app called Stash that saves daily small balances)
Apple Music/Spotify: $13
Netflix: $13
Phones: $52
Student Loans: $0 (I was lucky enough to have my degree paid for in part by my parents and in part through scholarships. B. didn’t attend tertiary education — he’s a self-taught software developer.)
Home/Car/Possessions Insurance: $138
Medical Account: $312/Paycheck (automatically deducted, this covers myself and B.)
401(k)/Retirement: $208 (automatically deducted)
Current Savings: $14,507 (we’re saving for our first home and building up an emergency fund)

Note on our finances:
We share our money and expenses equally, almost like all our money goes into one pool and we spend it from there. All the monthly expenses I’ve included are the total amounts. There’s no “my money vs his money” mentality or paying each other back.

Editor’s Note: All currency has been converted to USD.

Day One

7:45 a.m. — When I wake up, B. has already left for the run he does every Saturday. I get up and get ready for my hot yoga class. I’m tempted to snuggle in and miss the class, but I promised a friend from work I’d join them. I unpack and repack the dishwasher and clean up the takeout boxes we were too tired to clean up last night. I confirm plans with friends to meet them for a drink this afternoon and head out for yoga.

8:45 a.m. — I do a quick grocery shop for the potluck dinner we’re attending this evening. I get some steaks, garlic bread, drinks, and some blueberries for brunch later. $24

10:45 a.m. — Back from yoga and the session kicked my butt! It was a free class since I’m new to the studio. After a quick shower, I make brunch — crepes with blueberry compote and mascarpone cheese. I relax and catch up on MasterChef while B. does some work.

3:30 p.m. — We head out to meet our friends for drinks. We buy some more things for the dinner we’re attending later — a housewarming gift for the couple, some alcohol-free beers for B. since he’s not drinking this month, and tonic water. We make our way to the bar, which was voted the best cocktail bar in the country for 2019. $20

5:30 p.m. — A few cocktails later and I am tipsyyyy ($17). Here for it. The friends we see are in town because they’re getting married here three months from now, and ask us to be part of their wedding party. It’s the first time we’ll be in a wedding party together, and marks the third wedding this year that I’m a bridesmaid/MOH for. The bride-to-be has already bought the bridesmaid dresses and she promises to ship mine down to see if I need to get it altered. I am so excited for her and we spend most of the time in the bar chatting about their upcoming nuptials. We say our goodbyes and drive to pick up our friends that are joining us for dinner. $17

11:30 p.m. — Dinner is lovely — we barbecue (we call it ‘braai-ing’ – an Afrikaans word), chat, drink, and laugh. Dessert is a highlight — milktart, which is a cheesecake-esque milk treat topped with cinnamon, and koeksisters, which are knotted rolls of sweet dough deep-fried and drenched in syrup. My heart is happy. We get back home and I do my nighttime skincare routine (face wipe and pray) and fall straight asleep.

Daily Total: $61

Day Two

8 a.m. — I wake up to a snuggly cat on my chest and howling wind outside. It’s summer, but the overnight wind has brought clouds and rain. Our cat tucks his head under my chin for a cuddle and B. snuggles up to me. We have a Sunday morning routine of lazing in bed with coffee, then planning our meals and grocery list for the week and doing the grocery shopping, and this Sunday is no exception. We have a Jamie Oliver cookbook that focuses on recipes that only use five ingredients, which helps with keeping the shopping list minimal. After I shower, I sit on the bed in my towel for an hour sucked into a Pinterest hole looking at bridesmaids’ hairstyles.

11 a.m. — We arrive at the shopping center. I’m tempted to have a lovely brunch at one of the nearby restaurants, but payday is more than a week away so we go straight to the store instead. We buy all the ingredients we’ll need for a week of meals: chicken wings, pork sausages, fish fillets, steaks, tomatoes, brinjals, bananas, onions, spring onions, sesame seeds, herbs, curry paste, pasta, bread, and milk. $39

12:30 p.m. — We’re back at home and unpacking our groceries. B. cleans out the cat litter while I clean out the fridge and we flop on the couch after our chores. We’d planned a hike in a nearby forest with a group of friends, but canceled it due to the weather. What’s nicer than a rainy Sunday afternoon with no plans? We binge-watch Survivor for the rest of the afternoon.

5 p.m. — Needing a TV break, I pick up my laptop to do some MOH duty. My sister is getting married in four months and I’m planning her bridal shower and bachelorette. She’s not one for going out, so I’m planning a boho picnic slumber party at my parents’ home for her bachelorette. I originally wanted to rent a house on a lake but finding space for the 17 ladies she wants to be invited proved too difficult (and expensive!). I call my mom to check that we can use their garden for the picnic and get an earful from my dad about trying to cut costs and sacrificing on the experience she’s getting. It takes a while, but I convince him that its what’s best, especially since her friends are recent graduates starting out their working careers and can’t contribute financially. After we put the phone down, I vent to B., who makes me put my laptop and phone away for the night and gives me a shoulder and back rub on the couch.

8 p.m. — We pop a pizza in the oven for dinner and look for a movie to watch, settling on rewatching Avengers: Endgame. After the movie I prep my peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon smoothie for tomorrow’s breakfast and pack out my yoga clothes. I find that doing my Monday morning prep-work the day before helps me feel more prepared for the week. We’re asleep by 11:30 p.m.

Daily Total: $39

Day Three

6:30 a.m. — Why is it so hard to wake up on Monday mornings? B. is super cuddly and the bed is so comfy, so I hit the snooze button.

7:30 a.m. — Okayyyy, time to get up and face the week. It’s a hair wash day so after my shower, I blow dry my hair and finish my face with MAC foundation, blush, highlighter, eyeshadow, and mascara. I throw on a floral empire waist dress with matching pumps that makes me feel like a 50s housewife and head out the door.

8:30 a.m. — My office is a mile away from our apartment, so I walk to work every day. My company pays a commuter allowance if you walk/use public transport, so I am making money by walking to work! By 8:30, I am at my desk and prepping for a meeting with my manager to discuss my performance contract for the next year. It goes well, and when I get back to my desk I drink the smoothie I made last night while mapping out the requirements for my next project. I smash a few things on my to-do list before lunch.

12 p.m. — Once a month, my team and I do lunch together somewhere outside the office. We have a canteen where you can get a free lunch, but we skip that today and head for half price sushi, dim sum, and cocktails. One of my colleagues pays for the Uber there. I order duck, honey, and ginger potstickers to start, salmon California rolls, and a tempura prawn sushi platter for my main, and an alcohol-free mojito. I know if I want to have a productive afternoon I need to stay away from alcohol, and the virgin one turns out to be almost as nice. Another colleague pays for the Uber back to the office. $16

1:30 p.m. — I might as well have had a proper mojito. I feel like sitting outside in the sun all afternoon instead of being at work. A call from a friend I work with wakes me back up — the call is part catch up, part actual work that she asks me to help her with. After the call, I catch up on some emails and start on her request. (Insert a Venn diagram of me saying “Kind regards” in my emails vs. me saying “Kind regards” out loud. The circles don’t touch.)

3 p.m. — I NEED COFFEE! I’ve cut down to one cup a day and this is the time of the afternoon I normally have it. I make myself a cappuccino in the work kitchen and chat with a colleague, S., while I sip on it. I remember I owe her money for a gift she bought for another colleague and Geopay (our version of Venmo) her. $10

5:15 p.m. — I leave the office and get home fifteen minutes later. I flip on the couch with our cat on my lap. I was supposed to go to yoga, but realistically what was I thinking? B. has been home for a while but is working on his side hustle so I catch up on some Netflix while absent-mindedly scrolling Instagram. Our doorman has given us a letter, and it turns out to be an invitation to a wedding in England in a few months. I check flight prices and do a double-take — it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to afford to go. We have seven (7!!!) weddings in just as many months this year. It’s a real shame we can’t go to the English wedding as the couple came to ours. We’ll have to get them a really lovely gift instead.

8 p.m. — We sit down to eat the fish curry, rice, and poppadoms I’ve made for dinner while catching up on Survivor. After dinner, B. does the dishes (we have a one-person-cooks-the-other-cleans set up) and I chill out on the couch. I FaceTime with my best friend who’s living and working in Luxembourg, while B. chats to a friend that we’re going away with in two months. We head up to bed. I give B. a back rub, and we fall asleep around 11.

Daily Total: $26

Day Four

5:30 a.m. — I have ambitiously set a 5:30 alarm so that I can catch up on the yoga I missed yesterday. Nope! It’s snooze time.

7:30 a.m. — Two hours of cuddles with B. later and I am ready to get the day started. I shower (not a hair wash day, yay!), do my make-up, and throw on a geometric sheath dress that’s a hand-me-down from my MIL. I’m out the door by 8:15.

8:30 a.m. — I’m attending a full day Advanced Excel course and the instructor is one of those super chatty, excitable middle-aged women who blabs about how slow computers were when they started and how her husband has never washed a dish in his life. Yikes! One of my closest work friends, L., is also on the course with me and in the breaks, we chat about her upcoming wedding in August (one of the seven).

12 p.m. — L. and I grab lunch at a café close to the office. Every day, we get a $5 digital voucher for most of the restaurants around the office if we don’t eat lunch in the office canteen. I use the voucher to buy a curried chicken, Danish feta, and rocket wrap that is delish.

3:30 p.m. — The course finishes early and I am tempted to go home. Besides a little certificate, I’m not leaving with much else except a handful of useful tips I might use. B. messaged me earlier to say he’s not feeling well and is working from home today. I drag myself up to my desk to reply to a few urgent emails and find a treat — the sunflower butter cups I ordered from my friend’s new business have arrived! By 4:30 p.m. I call it a day and walk home.

5 p.m. — B. and I can’t wait to try the sunflower butter cups so we have one each. He’s feeling a little better but still unwell. The cups are nice, although they’re missing the saltiness and amount of butter that Reese’s would have. B. and I make a deal: If I go find the real deal Reese’s, he’ll make dinner while I’m out. I head to a shop that I know sells imported goods and can only find a bar of my dad’s favorite raw honey paleo-friendly chocolate, which I buy for him ($4.50). I go to another shop and find success! I pick up four two-packs of Reese’s peanut butter cups and make my way home ($7). $11.50

7 p.m. — While I was out Reese’s hunting, B. made basil pesto, which we toss through some spaghetti and top with toasted almonds. We eat in front of the TV and watch Survivor, and while we’re cuddling B. falls asleep. After I make my breakfast smoothie, I listen to a guided meditation and drift to sleep by 10 p.m.

Daily Total: $11.50

Day Five

7:30 a.m. — Time to get out of bed for a busy day at the office! My leg hairs are at a critical stage but I just cannot be bothered to shave, so it looks like it will be a pants day. At least it’s a little overcast today so the weather gods are working in my favor. After my morning routine, I put on a set of stripy pants and a matching top. B. is working from home today to be around for the cleaning lady that comes once a week to change the sheets, wash the floors, do the laundry, etc. so he’s still in bed by the time I leave for the office.

8:40 a.m. — After missing a day in the office yesterday, my to-do list has really piled up. I have a client meeting in a little while so obviously I can’t do any real work until then, and read articles about #Megxit instead. You go girl. The meeting with the client goes well and I spend the rest of my morning in Excel working on my next project.

12:30 p.m. — My manager and I head out to lunch at a restaurant that’s on the digital voucher list and I get a cheese and garlic flatbread with a Tuscan tomato preserve. I only eat half of it and save the rest for later. I get tap water with ice and lemon so my lunch is free! Perks of working in corporate!

5:15 p.m. — My afternoon is an Excel salad with meeting sprinkles and by 5:00 p.m. I am OVER IT. I pack up for the day and make my way home.

7 p.m. — B. comes home from a drink with a friend and seems a bit grumpy that I skipped my Thursday evening yoga class (maybe he wanted the apartment to himself because he’s secretly watching The Bachelor?). I read a book I got as a Christmas present in our bedroom upstairs and when he’s hungry, he calls to me to come make dinner with him. We make a recipe we haven’t tried before. It’s grilled steak with brinjal, basil, and cherry tomatoes — it’s enjoyable but I won’t make it again in a hurry.

9 p.m. — We’re watching (you guessed it) Survivor! One of the episodes we watch is the family visit one that always has me bawling my eyes out. B.’s mood has lifted and I suspect he may have been hangry. We cuddle on the couch and make our way to bed at 10:30 p.m.

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

7:45 a.m. — I treat myself to cat cuddles and then get out of bed, accepting the fact that I’ll have to shave my legs today. Today’s outfit is a shirt-dress that I pair with pretty flats and hoop earrings. Today is a big hoop earring kinda day — I need the energy for all the boring data work I’ll be doing.

9 a.m. — I’m at my desk, drinking my breakfast smoothie and catching up on some of my bridesmaid duties for my friend getting married in four months. I design a quick bridal shower invite and send it to the rest of the bridesmaids to check that they’re happy, then get cracking on my real work that I am actually being paid to do.

11 a.m. — I realize B. and I have been married 16 months today! I pop him a message and we make plans to do something fun after work. As if the universe is aligned, I get a message from someone looking at my wedding dress I’ve been trying to sell on Stillwhite and we arrange to meet in two days.

1 p.m. — The morning whizzes by and I manage to get a lot of work done. I have a lunch date with a friend, D., but she texts me to let me know she’s running late and will meet me at the lunch spot. I get another half hour of work done, then go to the post office to send my sister some of her clothes I borrowed in the festive season and the chocolate bar I bought my dad the other day. My family lives across the country and postage comes to $7.50. $7.50

2:30 p.m. — D. and I catch up over lunch. She works with me and we have become best friends over the last few years. She always has me head-back-cheeks-hurting-laughing. I get the curried chicken, Danish feta, and rocket wrap I had earlier this week and it’s just as tasty.

4 p.m. — My period has started — blessed day! That reminds me I need to give my MIL a call for our weekly chat, and I make a mental note to call her tomorrow. I need a period pain pill ASAP and don’t have one in my bag, so head home.

5 p.m. — I’m home and I’ve taken a pain pill, and it makes me a bit drowsy. B. gets home and I change into a cute little white and blue striped dress and we head out to find a nearby bar to have a celebratory 16-month-aversary drink. I get a margarita cocktail that’s charged with elderflower syrup and a splash of champagne and it’s amaze! B. gets a Long Island iced tea and we share dill and feta phyllo pastry cigars and beef samosas (triangular little baked pastries — YUM). $21.50

7:30 p.m. — We get home and have a gin and tonic each while watching some TV. B. sits on the floor and I give him a shoulder rub. We’d planned to make sesame seed chicken wings for dinner, but are full from our little date so we make quick grilled cheese and call it a night by 9:30.

Daily Total: $29

Day Seven

6:15 a.m. — I promised a friend from work, O., that I’d join him for yoga at 7 a.m. I roll over and…

6:30 a.m. — Shit! I’ve fallen asleep again. I quickly get up, change into the yoga clothes I picked out last night (thank you past me!), and dash out the door. I make it to the class with time to spare, and top my yoga account up with two class credits. $10

8:15 a.m. — The yoga class is nice and empty and I enjoy my practice. O. and I grab a takeaway coffee and I pay ($3), pay for parking ($1), and head home. $4

9:15 a.m. — I’m showered, made up, and my hair is straightened, and I put on a pink baby doll dress and matching pumps. I make my smoothie and head out the door. On my way to work, I call my MIL and catch up with her week. She’s like a friend to me and I love hearing her gossip.

9:30 a.m. — I’m at my desk and my manager is out for the morning. He’s really relaxed about working hours and cares more about the quality of work, which is great for me because I’m a fast worker when I put my head down. Today, though, I browse some articles and vent to S. about my bridesmaid duties, which are starting to feel a little overwhelming. Eventually I drink my smoothie, put my head down, and get started on my work.

1:30 p.m. — I’ve had an unproductive morning trying to solve a tricky data problem. I leave the office to get two tampon packs from the pharmacy ($8), miraculously resisting the cosmetics section which I always succumb to, and a poké bowl for lunch. The poké bowl is more expensive than what the digital voucher covers, so I pay in a little extra for it ($1). $9

5 p.m. — I’ve spent the afternoon number crunching and I’m ready for the weekend! We’re going to a market tonight with a group of friends, so I head home to change my outfit before our friends come pick us up. On my way home, I call my sister to catch up about her wedding plans, wishing I was there.

9 p.m. — The market is lovely, buzzing with people and warm summer air. We have shawarmas for dinner ($12) and B. drinks some beers while I share a bottle of champagne with a friend ($15). We buy a set of three sunflower seed butters from our friend who has a stall at the market ($8). We say our goodbyes and make our way back home. We’re asleep by 11:30 p.m. $35

Daily Total: $58

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A Week In Brooklyn, NY, On A $105,000 Salary

A Week In Los Angeles, CA, On A $72,000 Salary

A Week In Washington, D.C., On A $88,966 Salary

DMTBeautySpot

via https://www.DMTBeautySpot.com

You, Khareem Sudlow

#DMTBeautySpot #beauty

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we’re tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We’re asking women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.

Today: an attorney who has a $520,000 joint income and spends some of her money this week on Prose shampoo.

Occupation: Attorney
Industry: Law
Age: 29
Location: Dallas, TX
My Salary: $240,000 plus bonus (approx. $30,000)
Husband, A.’s, Salary: $280,000 plus bonus ($41,465)
My Paycheck Amount (monthly): $10,727.38
A.’s Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $5,625 (our paychecks will increase when we max out our 401(k)s and FICA contributions)
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage (biweekly): $1,366.91
Utilities/Internet/Water: $330
Housekeeper (biweekly): $100
Car Payment: $500 ($10,500 balance – with the interest at 1.1% it doesn’t make sense to pay it off…unless the interest rate on our money market keeps going down)
Student Loans: $0 (We paid off over $300,000 by Q2 in 2019. GAME. CHANGER.)
Dog Walker (weekly): $92.20
Ellevest: $5,575 (balance approx. $18,000 and my bonus will go in here when I receive it)
Money Market: $5,000 (balance approx. $80,000.00 and A.’s bonus will go in here once he gets it; this is money set aside for taxes, six months expenses, and savings for investing in real estate)
Equifax: $19.95
Rent the Runway: $172.12
A.’s Gym: $107.17
NYT/WSJ/Economist/Atlantic/Dallas Morning News: approx. $130 (whoa!)
Hulu/Netflix: $62.73
Audible: $16.18
Spotify: $16.23
Mysterious Apple Charge: $10.81
Phone: $0, parents plan
KERA Contribution: $5
Amazon Prime (annual): $100
Car Insurance (biannually): $1,685.17
Celt-x (annual): $179.88

Day One

8:12 a.m. — Wake up to the alarm playing a James Taylor song and I am immediately in a good mood (unclear if it’s because of James Taylor). The sky is white and it looks bright and wintry. After brushing my teeth and logging info in my fertility app, I try to coax the hubs, A., out of bed.

9:30 a.m. — We step out with the dogs to go on a walk AND IT IS SNOWING!! Whaaat?? It’s so unexpected and so magical. We walk about a mile to a trendy area with shops and restaurants, and I stop along the way to take some shots of us in the falling snow with my camera (a present from A. a few Christmases ago).

10 a.m. — Our plan was to grab coffee and croissants at this new little coffee shop, but we’re hungry and go for a proper meal instead. A. asks the hostess if we can sit outside because of the dogs, and we huddle up at a table. The heaters aren’t working, but that’s what we get for poor planning. The waitress talks A. into a hot toddy, but I am doing Dry January for some ungodly reason and stick with coffee. A. gets pancakes and bacon and I get salmon on toast. It comes out to $32.48 and we tip $30 since they had to come out into the cold to serve us. $62.48

10:45 a.m. — We still crave croissants (the heart wants what it wants) so we hustle up the street to our original target. I send A. in for the baked goods since he’s not dressed as warmly as I am, and the dogs and I wait on the porch. A. comes out with two little boxes and sends me in to warm up by the fire. The interior design of this place is gorgeous and the fire is perfection. I can feel my fingers again! $5.33

11:30 a.m. — Home! A. feeds the animals, and I peep at the goodies: monkey bread and a blueberry scone (they were out of croissants!). I pop the scone in the cupboard for later and heat up the monkey bread for a little après brunch. We eat it on the couch, then A. plays Xbox for the first time in months and I read my book (Descent by Tim Johnston). The cat snores in between us. I am happy.

3 p.m. — We head to a local brewery for a friend’s birthday and I’m excited to see it’s on our end of town. Even better: There are so many dogs and the birthday boy paid for everyone to have three drinks! I deliberate for a moment on my Dry January pledge, but I stay strong and hand my drink tokens over to A. We catch up with friends we haven’t seen in a while. My friend, S., and I get to talking about how our college friends ended up all over the world. Sometimes I get stir-crazy working a desk job and think I should go do something wild like be a spy (I would be a terrible spy).

6:15 p.m. — Did not expect it to already be dark outside. We have groceries at home and head that way.

7 p.m. — As I’m getting okra out of the fridge, I see the Oaxaca cheese we bought yesterday expired 10 days ago. It’s probably fine, but now that I’ve seen it, I can’t eat it. I chop okra while A. finishes taking a survey from one of the potential 2020 nominees (he’s one of those lunatics that answers his phone when he doesn’t know the number). We head to the grocery store.

7:30 p.m. — The customer service rep says we can swap out the cheese, but all the Oaxaca packages are expired. When we let her know, she says to just leave them. A mild yikes, but this confirms my theory that the cheese was probably fine. We end up with cotija instead, and also skirt steak, garlic bread, brie, crackers, olives, pancetta, and numerous cans of Yes! soup because A. likes those for lunch. $67.36

7:45 p.m. — We make skirt steak, mushrooms, okra with pancetta, and garlic bread. While cooking, I call my grandma who turned 90! She chats with me about her day, and I can hear my young cousins in the background. Then I talk to my gramps. He asks when I’m coming back home and I realize A. and I need to book a trip for Q1. When we go will depend on whether this case I have goes to trial or not (likely not).

8:15 p.m. — How is it already so late? A. and I eat on the couch and after talking about wanting to watch, The Righteous Gemstones and Succession, we end up watching some old Criminal Minds. Alas.

11:15 p.m. — We drag our half-asleep selves off the couch and get ready for bed. I slap on my skincare junk (Sunday Riley night oil and Enature birch juice hydro sleeping pack on my face and Loli aloe blueberry jelly on my neck and chest) and call it a night.

Daily Total: $135.17

Day Two

8:04 a.m. — We both wake up, no alarm. It’s golden outside, but I feel a little guilty for no reason. This is a common feeling for me first thing in the morning, and I’m not sure what causes it.

8:25 a.m. — We hurry out of bed to get to Pilates. After snuggles, I feel happy and content. I put on Outdoor Voices leggings, a sports bra, a soft shirt, a million layers, and UGGs for the 10-minute walk to the studio. My 2002 unironic love for UGGs never faded.

8:50 a.m. — We’re there 10 minutes early because neither A. nor I have ever done Pilates on the reformer machine. We thought we’d have to buy sticky socks, but the instructor says we’re fine in bare feet. Yay! It’s $15 each for the first class, but I paid earlier in the week when I booked our spots.

10 a.m. — Class is over and we feel good! We’re trying to start a Sunday tradition of going to low impact exercise classes in the neighborhood. After class, we walk to the convenience store so I can get an energy drink. $3.67

10:20 a.m. — Home again! We feed the pets and let the dogs out to lounge in the sun. They’re old pound dogs and are worn out from the big walk yesterday. A. books his tickets and hotel for his work trip back east this week while I read. ($1,005.04 to be reimbursed). We’ve got a pile to take to Goodwill and we both look through our closet to make sure we’re not missing anything. A. vacuums (we are fighting a losing battle against pet hair) and I pop in a load of laundry. We just bought Dropps laundry pods and dryer balls. (We’ve recently made a conscious effort to try to live more sustainably and reduce our use of single-use plastics, but I feel like having these products shipped cancels out the good).

12:25 p.m. — Errand time! Before we leave, I put on Sunday Riley CEO Glow and Neutrogena sunscreen (SPF 70). We each grab a green juice out of the fridge for the road. I have less than 1/4 tank, so I get gas at the station next to Goodwill ($23.82). The donation trailer is closed, and the staff at the store says it’s full. Aaaalllrighty then, we will try another location. $23.82

1:00 p.m. — We return some of A.’s gear to Academy and escape without making a purchase. At the mall, we return two of my RTR dresses and recycle an old pair of A.’s jeans at Madewell. We get a $20 off coupon for the jeans! I pick up some Charity Pot lotion at Lush and also get Scrub Scrub Scrub on an impulse ($49.69). I’ve recently switched to Lush products because of their environmentalism, but I could not handle using the solid lotion. Too sticky. On our way to Nike, we run into some friends from law school and catch up for a bit. With minimal deliberation, A. picks up a better pair of gym shoes. ($129.90). $179.59

2:17 p.m. — We leave the mall for FedEx. I send my friend L. her birthday presents and my friend F. The Butchering Art (she’s a resident; does she want to come home to more surgery stuff?? Idk!). We also buy packing tape ($34.06). Next we return glass bottles to a pressed juice company and A. picks up a juice ($6.75). Stupid expensive, I know. We head to Target to return a mug I’d originally bought as part of my secretary’s Christmas gift before I went another direction. On the way in, a woman and her children intercept us and ask for money. At first, we decline, but then she says they’ve been sleeping outside and I’m moved. I give $20, lucky I have cash on me for once ($20). Leaving, we see them being hustled out of the parking lot by Target employees. They get into an SUV that it looks like they’ve been living in. I’m glad I gave them something. $60.81

3:10 p.m. — We drop off the clothes, shoes, and books at Goodwill and we are done!! Finally. As a reward, we get incredible pulpo tacos, borracho fries, and a topo chico from a nearby taco place ($39.29). It’s the first meal of the day and we both overeat. Why did we wait so long?? Trader Joe’s is across the street, and I think about Money Diaries, should I try everything but the bagel seasoning? $39.29

3:42 p.m. — We buy ground turkey, sourdough bread, avocados, and EBB seasoning (Yep, we go to the grocery store a lot! I love it.). We head home, finally, it feels like we left a lifetime ago. $11.45

4:40 p.m. — After putting in another load of laundry, I read in bed and eat dry Mini Wheats like a grade-A psychopath. A. tries to hang up a Rogue pull-up bar he bought ages ago.

7:15 p.m. — I finish my book; it was good, but not amazing. A. needs some hardware type things to put up the bar and some parts for an air vent we’re having installed in our bathroom. A. ultimately makes three runs to Home Depot, while I fold and put away laundry, prep lunches for Monday and Tuesday, and shower (that scrub is amazing!). Once the pull up bar is up, A. joins me in the kitchen and we eat sourdough with brie and EBB seasoning (it’s amazing, my god) and that blueberry scone as we finish with meal prep. This was a weird food day but I’m not complaining about it. $159.24

12:05 a.m. — We finally head to bed after a very productive day, too busy to even contemplate the Sunday Scaries! I pass out immediately but A. reads for a bit (The Lost City of Z by David Grann).

Daily Total: $438.58

Day Three

7:20 a.m. — Fine, I’m up. It’s an hour later than I intended, but it’s so hard to get out of bed when it’s dark. A. just got home from the gym (so impressive!), and we walk the dogs.

8:25 a.m. — I put on a black plaid Rebecca Taylor dress, sheer black tights from Heist, and black Birdies. I make my coffee and lug my work bag, my gym bag, my lunchbox, and the dry cleaning out the door. A. is home because a contractor is doing some measurements this morning for some small work we’re getting done.

9:15 a.m. — I make it to work after dropping off the dry cleaning and catching up with my mom. We talk every morning during the week, but she was at work really early last Thursday and Friday and we missed our calls!

11 a.m. — I finally submit my self-evaluation, so I take a quick break. I buy my grandma a large print book ($34.48), call FedEx to reroute the book for F. (there may be a charge), book my gym class for tonight (I bought a 25-pack of classes on Cyber Monday), pick two new dresses from RTR (in monthly expenses), and buy tickets for a charity event for a conservation project later this month ($150 each). Now I can finally turn to billable work. $334.48

1:35 p.m. — I get up to make lunch and see I have a run all the way down BOTH legs of my tights. HOW??? I take them off in the bathroom and wonder if I am more afflicted by entropy than most people. Significantly less chic now, I heat up my lunch in the kitchen (ground lamb, spaghetti squash, collard greens, and baby bok choy) and eat at my desk while I work.

4:50 p.m. — I have a call from the dry cleaners (a first in all my life!) because they don’t recommend cleaning my beaded dress. They set it aside, and I’ll pick it up with the rest of the clothes. It has beer all over it, and I’m not sure how to clean it now. Hand washing? In 2020? It’s been a big day for sartorial vengeance.

6 p.m. — I hustle out of work to make it to class on time. I’ve got more than eight hours on the clock, of course, but because of finishing my evaluation, other administrative necessities, and some work on a pro bono case, I’m a few hours behind on my billable goal for the day. I like to make sure I’m above bonus-level pace for my hours so I have some cushion at the end of year. I’ll either have to work later tonight or buckle down tomorrow.

6:15 p.m. — I arrive with 15 minutes to spare! I change into my gym gear and wash off my makeup with the makeup eraser, a Christmas gift from my niece. A. texts and says it’s going to be a late night for him. That’s Big Law for you.

7:30 p.m. — That was even more brutal than usual! A.’s buddy was next to me so I tried (and failed!) to pretend I wasn’t dying the whole time. I call A. to ask if he wants me to bring him Eatzi’s for dinner and we talk through a legal issue. I buy a grilled salmon and cauliflower meal for A., salmon nigiri for me, two kombuchas (blood orange and lavender), a cheese crostini, and a big bag of their bougie ass Chex Mix for our drive on Friday. I break into the crostini in the car. Self-control? I don’t know her. $69.89

8:16 p.m. — Give A. his dinner and some smooches. He takes the crostini away from me, bless that man.

8:37 p.m. — HOME! I let the dogs out back to run around. Our housekeeper Q. came today, and our house is pristine. She’s the reason we stay sane. (Included in monthly)

11:30 p.m. — After trying on my RTR dresses, eating my nigiri (and an ice cream bar, woops), doing a little work, and taking a very necessary shower, I get in bed. I had every intention of blow-drying my hair, but I’m sleepy. We just replaced our embarrassingly old mattress with a Ghost Bed (because someone in the MD comments said TWO one night stands bought one after sleeping in hers) and it is a cloud of happiness. I put it in zero gravity and start a new book (The Fever by Megan Abbott).

11:55 p.m. — Lights out!

Daily Total: $404.37

Day Four

1:30 a.m. — Wake up (barely) when A. gets home.

5:30 a.m. — Wake up when A.’s alarm goes off. Why? We both reset our alarms for 7:30. A bitch is tired.

8 a.m. — Ok, I am out of bed. I ask A. if he bought anything yesterday and he says yes, coffee after the gym for $1.08. Settle down, big spender. I make my coffee (Cafe du Monde in the Chemex) and get dressed in a preppy plaid RTR dress (La Petit Robe di Chiara Boni if that means anything to you? It doesn’t to me). I know I’ve worn a lot of plaid so far — lumberjack, but make it legal! — but this dress is seriously so work-sexy I look like Shonda cast me to play a lawyer on TV. $1.08

9 a.m. — I’m in the parking garage, but I don’t get out of my car for 15 minutes because my mom is telling me about how she’s kicking major butt at work. I’m so proud of her! My mom raised us on her own after my parent’s divorce, and everything we’ve accomplished is because of her.

11:50 a.m. — Brief call with the contractor, he’s emailing us the mockup for the work. I am so excited!

2:30 p.m. — I break to heat up my lunch (same as yesterday). I have not been super hungry this week, which is normal for this part of my cycle (I mention this so y’all don’t sass me). I eat at my desk and a partner drops by my office to discuss some cases. After he leaves, I tweak my Prose formula and restock (one shampoo, two conditioners, and dry shampoo). I’ve been out and my hair is increasingly shaggy. $100

3:30 p.m. — Drink the lavender kombucha from Eatzi’s. It is phenomenal, and I feel slightly less guilty for spending so much there last night. Damn their siren song.

4:30 p.m. — We have a brief celebration for our newly promoted (young! female!) partner. She is so smart and works SO hard. I am handed a glass of champagne, but resist drinking it.

7:53 p.m. — Leave the office! I’m not going to lie, I crushed it at work today. Some days my brain needs silence, but today was a music day. I listened to Mandy Moore’s newish singles, “Lover” by Swift (a masterpiece), “Traveller” by Stapleton, “Hail Mary” by Shane Smith & the Saints, “Diamonds & Gasoline” by the Turnpike Troubadors, “Sticky Fingers” by the Rolling Stones, and then “Watermelon Sugar” by Styles on repeat for a bit because that song, my friends, is a genuine jam. (I realize after the fact that these are all white artists and think I’ll need to expand my repertoire).

8:10 p.m. — Home with my loves! A. and I get busy, and then we watch the second half of the debate while eating brie and sourdough. After that, we watch The West Wing and keep working. I’m analyzing a massive and dense opinion that came down today; it’s as invigorating as it sounds. A. says he didn’t buy anything today, and I promise I’m not usually so much spendier than he is.

11:50 p.m. — I don’t say this much on a Tuesday, but I have had a really good day. Sweet dreams, world!

Daily Total: $101.08

Day Five

4 a.m. — We wake up spontaneously for round two. Then my brain spirals into thinking about things I can’t control and I can’t fall back to sleep. Brain, have you considered shutting up?

8 a.m. — I am groggy and out of sorts. I check my email in bed and see our mortgage payment went out today. We’ll have three this month instead of two, as we pay biweekly (but A. will also have three paychecks this month!). I rinse off quickly, feed the animals, and put on a sheer black Rebecca Minkoff dress from RTR. I’m not wearing makeup today beyond concealing the dark circles under my eyes, but that’s okay because my hair looks *chef’s kiss*. I slip a love note into A.’s suitcase.

8:50 a.m. — We both leave, late. My mom texted to say she’s already at work, so I turn on “Cuz I Love You” by Lizzo to get into a better headspace. I pick up a dirty chai from Starbucks ($6.01, but I’ll get 5% back because of some credit card thing) and the dry cleaning ($175.18 for 16 items). I give back the dry cleaner a box of hangers and ten thousand safety pins, which I’ve been meaning to do for no joke six months. Finally head to work, later than I’d like. $181.19

11:45 a.m. — A colleague and I grab salads ($10.66). We discuss the debate and the appointment of all these Federalist Society members to the federal bench (ugh). When I get back to my desk, I have two calendar invites: a meeting for a charity board I’m on and a walkthrough of this investment property we’re looking at. The idea of investing in property excites but also terrifies me. I feel like I’m tempting fate by being uppity. $10.66

2:45 p.m. — I get a delivery notification that the Butchering Art book was delivered to the wrong address. I am equal parts mad at myself and annoyed with FedEx. I call FedEx to discuss (politely! I promise) and should be getting 50% back on that delivery fee (a whopping $5.50). I think I could’ve gotten the whole fee + the cost of the book back, but there’s nothing like tracking your life in six-minute increments to make you appreciate the trade-off of time vs money.

3:50 p.m. — I need a break and walk to a nearby shop. It’s 79 degrees and the sky is thick with clouds. I hope it storms. I want a Perfect Bar, but all I can find is a pack of those delicious unnaturally orange peanut butter crackers ($2.99). My mom texts that she got a promotion! Mother, you minx! I text my siblings and transfer $200 to my mom’s account as congratulations to put toward a new phone (the only way to get her to accept money from me). It’s not the most sentimental, but her iPhone belongs in a museum. I see that A. venmoed $192 to his buddy to settle up for a bird hunting trip a few weeks back. $394.99

6:15 p.m. — Make it to the gym (I have 20 classes left in the pack). I’m still feeling achingly guilty for no reason, so I text with my sister and make plans with my friend for next week.

7:45 p.m. — NO WAY! My friend F. KNOWS the girl who lives in her old place, and F. gets her present after all! I am tickled. I call A. to tell him the news. I pick up ingredients for mushroom risotto on the way home ($14.12) and A. tells me he bought wifi on his flight ($10, will be reimbursed). $14.12

9 p.m. — After talking to A. while cooking, I bring my risotto to the couch and the dogs and I watch the pilot episode of Grey’s Anatomy. George remains the worst. (I swear I do watch shows that are less than 15 years old. But not this week!). I text with my friend L. and we arrange a catch-up call for next week. She’s one of my best friends from college and we have a long call about once a month.

11:40 p.m. — Shower and bed. I bring the cat in to snuggle with me despite being mildly allergic. How important is breathing anyway? He’s a cuddle munchkin, and we both fall asleep right away.

Daily Total: $600.96

Day Six

6 a.m. — Wake up! It is pouring outside, so I decide to go back to sleep. This is a mistake.

7:45 a.m. — I’m out of bed and I take the shaggy beasts for a walk. It’s still drizzling, but the grass looks so bright and green. I make coffee, feed the animals, pack my gym bag and two RTR returns, and put on a Ted Baker dress from RTR. The top is white, the skirt is blue windowpane, and the effect is schoolmarm. I’m into it. RTR is new in my life, but I’m loving it because I can have a lot of fun with my clothes renting something that I will definitely only wear once, whereas if I’m buying I try to be more practical. It’s great because I don’t feel compelled to buy clothing and contribute to waste that way, but I’m worried about the impact of constant shipping (although the distribution center is just over in Arlington so tell me it’s okay).

9:20 a.m. — I MUST start waking up AND getting out of bed at 6. I get to work and am immediately busy.

2:15 p.m. — A. texts to say he’s catching an earlier flight and I discover this dress has pockets! ($75 for flight change, reimbursable). I mail a birthday card to my brother. (Postage will be deducted from my paycheck, but I’m not sure how much it is? Sorry.). I bought it ages ago but am, per usual, sending it late; he’s already received his presents though! I heat up my lunch (leftovers for lunch? groundbreaking) and eat at my desk.

6 p.m. — A productive but mildly frustrating day. This one opposing counsel is, to use the legal term, a major butthole. I eat a pack of those peanut butter crackers on my way to the gym and there’s no traffic!

7:35 p.m. — It was butt day and I may never walk again. I text A. to see if he needs anything from the store and he reminds me we need toothpaste. All the times we’ve been to the store this week and we’ve forgotten it every time! I grab Crest and a coconut water at CVS. $9.48

8:05 p.m. — Honey, I’m home! I hop in the shower with A. We make dinner (more risotto, bell peppers, avocado, and some ground turkey for A.). He tells me he found out his bonus today, to be paid at the end of the month: $41,465 (pre-tax and pro-rated, as he joined his firm midway through the billable year)!! I’m super proud of how hard he works and how talented he is! Then we talk about the financials on that investment property and how we feel about becoming parents. We JUST started trying to conceive, and we’re both really nervous about how much our lives will change. (I downloaded the fertility app because I am incapable of doing anything casually).

9:15 p.m. — I try to log in remotely to do more work, but there’s some issue with my VPN. I call firm tech and just when I’m thinking I’ll have to go back to the office, we figure out a solution. Hallelujah!

11 p.m. — The earliest I’ve been in bed all week. We read for a bit and then sleep, sleep, sleep.

Daily Total: $9.48

Day Seven

7:45 a.m. — Up and at ’em. We take the dogs for a stroll. It’s still drizzling, and A. is not as big a fan of the rain as I am. Fair enough — he has much nicer hair. I make my coffee and get dressed: Everlane jeans, cow hair flats, and a striped cashmere tank both from J Crew, and this blue double-breasted BCBG blazer that I think I bought in high school and I know I wore as part of a sailor costume to a date party in college. Glory days. I debate bringing some leftovers for lunch, but three meals in a row of risotto is more than enough.

9:35 a.m. — Last day of work before the long weekend! A. takes me to my office after we drop off my car downtown for an oil change. Per A., I’m also getting a tire rotation and new wipers. I’m so grateful he primarily handles car maintenance, but I’d like to be better versed in basic auto needs so I’m not helpless.

1:00 p.m. — Lunchtime, baby! I call A. to see what time it looks like he can leave, then I head to the grocery store with my secretary. She is lovely and so good at her job. I pick up a coral roll and coconut water ($14.98). I’ll eat sushi from anywhere because what’s life without unnecessary risks? $14.98

1:30 p.m. — Eating at my desk, I catch up on my Axios newsletters (Mike’s Top 10 and Markets), pick out some new RTR dresses, and email with my girls about accommodations for two trips this summer. I remember it’s payday for A. (!!!) so I log in to Personal Capital to check our saving and spending.

4:10 p.m. — It’s not quite inbox zero, but I have only eight emails on my inbox! I download Abandon by Blake Crouch for our drive using an Audible credit (in monthly). We like to listen to eerie, unsettling books during road trips and I hope this is a good one. (Narrator: It was not.).

4:30 p.m. — Our offices are dead and we’re heading out to hike at a state park this weekend, so A. takes me to my car from the shop ($108.89). We stop at Snap Kitchen on the way to pick up three Perfect Bars ($9.71). $118.60

6 p.m. — On the road! We’re decked in athleisure, and the dogs are sleeping in the back. (The cat is home with extra food). The bougie Chex Mix is giving me life!

7 p.m. — Finally out of the metroplex, we stop for gas ($13.38), Red Bulls, and Topo Chico ($9.84). Back in the car, it is evident the dogs smell laughably bad! They’ll definitely need baths when we’re back. $23.22

7:45 p.m. — We stop for food at a place called Catfish O’Harlies because it’s called Catfish O’Harlies. It is exactly what you’d expect. They give us complimentary peanuts for the table. I order chicken fried steak and A. gets the frog legs and catfish combo (feel free to judge him. I am). The portions are GINORMOUS. $34

9:30 p.m. — A. gets pulled over. Shame on him! Beyond luckily, the officer is kind and lets us off with a warning. Thank you, sir!!

10:15 p.m. — A. gets a coke for me and beef jerky and Cheez-its for himself. $7.54

12 a.m. — Holy constellations, batman! There’s so little light pollution, you can see all the stars in the sky. It’s gorgeous and peaceful and a little primal. We’re staying in a hotel because it’s freezing, and I am not really a happy camper. A. checks in while I take the dogs on a short amble, and then it’s lights out.

Daily Total: $198.34

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