Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.
This week: An associate working in apparel who makes $53,000 per year and spends some of it on some kiwis (an out-of-the-ordinary purchase for me!).
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Occupation: Associate
Industry: Apparel
Age: 26
Location: Dallas, TX
Salary: $53,000
Joint Income/Financial Setup: n/a
Assets:
Savings: $793.62 (I recently went to Hawaii for vacation, and that wiped out a bit of my savings despite traveling on the cheap, staying in hostels etc).
Debt: $33,386.42 (My student loans plus credit card debt)
Paycheck Amount (2x month): $1,803
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: $1,265 (I live alone in a one-bedroom apartment).
Loan Payments: $1,803
Utilities (electricity & water): ~$100
Nuuly subscription: $106.09 (I forgot to cancel it last month, oops!)
Gym membership: $95
Web portfolio: $8
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, I got my bachelor’s degree from the same school my family’s three generations of women went to. When I received a partial academic scholarship, that was that! I’m currently paying it back with state and federal loans.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
Other than vague, dad statements of “you need to save!” etc., we didn’t really talk about actionable steps/financial literacy in our house. To me, money has always felt very stressful and confusing to navigate. I want to be “good” at saving, etc., but it can feel overwhelming. I loved writing this Money Diary as an exercise to track my spending, so hopefully it’s the start of better money habits.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
I had a front-desk job at a country club during college (my cousin who had also worked there referred me). I answered phones, refilled water/coffee, managed schedules and was generally helpful. It was excellent money and a very low-stress job! My parents helped pay for my rent in college, but I was expected to pay for gas, groceries, and other needs.
Did you worry about money growing up?
I remember a couple of times growing up when I realized we were sort of “cutting back” as a family. But, fortunately, no dire circumstances. In terms of handling my own money, I remember wanting to give away any I had accumulated — this being maybe $20 at most, made from neighborhood donut stands or “cleaning” my grandmother’s room. I think my kid brain thought I’d be no good at handling it and/or sensing it would be stressful to manage. I just wanted someone else to have it and be done.
Do you worry about money now?
Yes, especially since I was recently passed over for a raise and I make the lowest salary within the company. I struggle to find a balance between accruing savings while paying off my student loans/credit card debt. I worry constantly about being the sort of person who is good at saving, good at spending, good at maximizing credit card points — I definitely don’t understand credit card points!
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became fully financially responsible for myself post-grad at 22 years old, when I got my first full-time job. I would say my parents are my “financial safety net,” although since my mom just lost her job — and they are helping pay back some of my brother’s student loans, which accumulated — that would be an absolute last resort.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I received $5,000 from my aunt in her will and used the majority of it to pay off one of my credit cards.
Day One: Monday
7 a.m. — I roll out of bed, somewhere between my third and fourth alarm, and become a presentable human. Dress. Brush teeth. Curl bangs. Make coffee smoothie for breakfast. Assemble work bag. Mentally prepare for battle.
11:15 a.m. — I need a pick-me-up, stat! My desk mate and I walk a block over to the local 7/11 gas station. It’s run by a very down-to-earth family who remember their regular customers. They handle a lot of craziness (it’s open 24/7). I gather the makings of a gas station charcuterie board for lunch: pickles, meat stick, chocolate peanut butter energy bar and an energy drink! I finally signed up for the 7/11 app and plan to cash in on my points later this week! $11.93
5:20 p.m. — Post-work I head to grocery store and think about my co-worker who got fired — it’s very upsetting! I park, head in and realize I have had a stain on the back of my shirt all day! Ack! I hate that. Grocery haul includes kiwi, salami, turkey deli meat, kombucha, chickpea pasta, kale, beets, sweet potato, chicken breasts, chocolate, granola, orange juice, almonds, tortilla chips and salsa. As much as I love Sprouts, my neighborhood grocery store is definitely cheaper and the member deals make a big difference in total. $97.99
6:20 p.m. — I’m home now, so I feast upon salami, cheese, almonds, and peach kombucha while reading my book on my apartment’s outdoor patio.
7:00 p.m. — I start to get ready for the gym and decide to stop for a brief bang cutting interlude (slightly too short, but what can you do!) and then head out.
8:45 p.m. — Once home, I tidy up a little bit, “stain clinic” my soiled shirt and start a load of washing, while avoiding eye contact with the dirty dishes in the sink.
10:00 p.m. — Shower! Cozy and in bed, I pick up where I left off in my book: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. I’m considering art therapy as a potential career path and I love hearing the therapists POV on a therapy session.
Daily Total: $109.92
Day Two: Tuesday
7 a.m. — I wake up and make Laird Superfood coffee; it’s so good! I heat up frozen sausage, and chuck a yogurt in my bag. I quickly assemble a salad with cranberries, blue cheese, turkey, and greens for lunch (while genius-ly repurposing the kiwi box as my Tupperware container). I’m heading to the warehouse for work. It’s truly so dirty, but the people there are nice. I mentally black out for the rest of the day because I hate the warehouse.
5 p.m. — Eventually, it’s over and I head to my gym for my 6 p.m. workout class — the cost is included in my monthly membership. I get there early and work on my computer using the gym’s wifi.
8 p.m. — Workout class done *fist bump*. I drive to my parents’ house to work from home the next day. They live about 45-minute drive away. I get home in time to scavenge the leftovers of my parents’ dinner: chicken, rice, and beans from a local TexMex place I love. We veg in front of the TV and catch up.
Daily Total: $0
Day Three: Wednesday
7:55 a.m. — Since it’s a WFH day I wake up leisurely at 7:55 a.m. My mom goes out to get us Starbucks — egg bites and lattes. Mom pays!
12:00 p.m. — For lunch, we make chicken soup with salad and sip on tea. I coo over my cat, who is recovering from a bite wound. She’s 80% back to normal, but still limps around the house. I baby her and let her drink water from the tap when my mom isn’t looking.
5:00 p.m. — I head back to Dallas to meet a friend for a ropes climbing session at 6 p.m. We talk, catch up, and I climb my first 11c grade route! By the end of our workout, I’m dying for a Gatorade Lime Cucumber but it’s all sold out. Drat! I settle for boring lemon/lime flavor and charge it to my membership, like a fancy kid! $4
9:00 p.m. — I get home, shower, make chickpea pasta with olive oil and black olives. Nothing fancy but it works! Then conk the heck out.
Daily Total: $4
Day Four: Thursday
7:00 a.m. — Surprise, surprise, I’m headed to the dirty old warehouse! My boss will not be there today, so things will be a bit more lax. I munch on chocolate chip granola and sip kombucha from my grocery haul, hoping it will give me enough caffeine to last the day.
12:30 p.m. — I didn’t bring lunch, so I drive over to a local cafe for my “usual”: fresh salad with cranberries, cheese, and chicken with a pink berry dressing, plus I leave a tip. I bring the food back to the warehouse and enjoy the breeze from the porch. $16.24
5:00 p.m. — I’m supposed to meet my cousin for tennis, but it’s just rained and the courts are likely wet. We reschedule and I head to the SMU Meadows Museum instead. It’s free entry on Thursday evenings. There’s a special Raimundo de Madrazo exhibit on display, which the art history student (my assumption) at the front desk recommends. The Belle Époque portraits are vibrant and really realistic! I feel so cultured.
7:00 p.m. — I get home and try to cook veggies in the oven but accidentally set off the fire alarm! I jump out of the shower and fan the fire alarm with a towel on and shampoo in my hair. I end up making a salad with turkey instead, blah! Then Venmo my friend who I have been meaning to pay back since our Hawaii vacation. $150
Daily Total: $166.24
Day Five: Friday
7:00 a.m. — Friday! I make a smoothie with banana, peanut butter, and coffee and saddle up for the day. On the way to the warehouse, I stop at a gas station to buy spring water and a macadamia nut Clif bar (arguably the best flavor!) My boss ends up bringing me an energy drink, and even though I’ve been trying to quit drinking these, my smoothie turned out to be gross, so I sip on it throughout the day. I become extra caffeinated. Cost: FREEEEEEEEEEEEE! $4.88
12:30 p.m. — My boss wants to eat off campus so we head to an outside food hall with a bunch of different stalls. I get a spicy pork bulgogi bowl and a yuzu lemonade (plus tip) from the Korean place. So, so yummy! We lunch al fresco and my boss talks about work. Fun! $28.12
4:30 p.m. — It’s a Friday miracle because we got out of work early! On the way home, I stop at Walgreens and purchase hand soap, bathroom tissue, and Lanolips lip balm. I thought it was on sale. It was not. I purchase anyway for my split lip. $56.73
6:00 p.m. — I meet my friend to climb and he’s gotten a haircut which totally throws me off. We climb and I pretend not to stare at his haircut the whole time.
8:00 p.m. — I driver over to my cousin’s apartment to help her make cookies for a luncheon tomorrow. We catch up, nibble on cookie dough, and make a frozen pizza for dinner then I head home!
Daily Total: $89.73
Day Six: Saturday
10:30 a.m. — I wake up at exactly the time the luncheon starts — oops! It’s informal but I hate that I’m immediately late. I text my cousin I’m on my way, and brush my teeth while simultaneously making coffee and dressing myself! The dress — courtesy of this month’s accidental Nuuly subscription — is a lovely, white linen thing with pink ric-rac trim and a back cut-out. I set out ready to seize the day!
11:00 a.m. — I arrive and munch on sugar cookies, sip coffee, and meet new people. I get third place in Bunco and leave with a set of party cups illustrated by an artist my mom adores (I’m mentally noting to gift these to her).
3:00 p.m. — By the time I make it home, I’m very hungry. I snack on buckwheat English muffins slathered in butter and peanut butter, a honey crisp apple, and finish my morning coffee. While passing the mirror, I realize you can sort of see my underwear through the dress! I bombard my cousin with texts, asking if she could see my underwear. She says no but I suspect she’s lying. The underwear was patterned with the Victoria’s Secret pink dog across my bum…
4:00 p.m. — It’s about this time of day that I find myself at IKEA (my happy place) and buy a summery green gingham bed cover, a sink brush, and cutting boards! Getting functional home stuff that excites me is one of the ways I motivate myself to clean/take better care of my space. I had been seriously eyeing some of their standalone kitchen islands (I have next to no counterspace in my apartment) but leave without making any big purchases. $57.34
5:00 p.m. — I stop at a nearby Whole Foods and buy snacks for when I’ll be working on my computer later at Half Price Books. I get a fancy lemonade and cocoa energy bites. $15.46
7:00 p.m. — After some productive writing at HPB and a little eavesdropping (my seat mates were having a very intense philosophical discussion) I head home. I want to make a casserole, so I boil chicken breasts for, I want to say, eternity? I set the heat too low! The casserole also calls for rice simmered in chicken stock, frozen peas, and cheese. It takes way longer than expected, but I enjoy the warm casserole for dinner, yummy! I then put the rest in the fridge.
10:00 p.m. — I finish my book and then hit the hay.
Daily Total: $72.80
Day Seven: Sunday
7:15 a.m. — I wake up and get dressed for church. I make my coffee and go to add a finishing splash of creamer. Only it’s too late when I realize I’ve poured chunky expired creamer in instead of fresh creamer. Nooo! (You might be asking why I haven’t thrown out the old one yet, but I just keep forgetting). I’m dismayed and put the chunky creamer back into the fridge. I sing along to “Lake Street Dive” in the car while I drive over.
10:30 a.m. — Church is over and I still have a hankering for coffee. I decide to try a Yemeni coffee place I read about in Eater Magazine. It’s designed beautifully with lots of white marble and I beeline to the colorful pastry case. I choose Oreo covered dates to go with my latte. When my coffee is ready, I see they’ve made a latte art camel! I’m very content as I sip my coffee and work on my computer. $11.51
12:30 p.m. — On the way home, I stop at a gas station where they have longhorns and donkeys corralled outside. I get gas and say hi to the animals. They hide from me instead. I step in a mud puddle in my flip flops, damn.
1:00 p.m. — Once home, I eat the second half of my pork bowl from Friday for lunch. I read my new book Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl (food critic queen!) and chill out. $68.14
5:30 p.m. — In the evening, I head to a local track and try sprints but gosh it’s been too long! I swear there’s someone there who must be training for the Olympics! Even though I make only a little progress I’m satisfied. I head home, shower, and make an omelet (olive oil, eggs, no frills) for dinner like I’m living in a Danielle Steel novel.
Daily Total: $79.65
The Breakdown
Conclusion:
I definitely mooched on other people for food this week, ha! I think my grocery haul set me up for success because typically I eat out a bit more for lunch, especially when working at the warehouse. I’d like to continue to be more mindful with my grocery purchases because that makes a big difference in spending — eating out is a nice treat but doing that almost every day certainly adds up. Another conclusion I came to is I’d like to become more financially literate. I’d like to find books or a course that could help me maximize my earnings/savings/cc points, etc.
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