This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Welcome toMoney Diaries , where we’re tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We’re asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.
Today: an account manager working in sales who makes $64,000 per year (plus has a nannying side gig) and spends some of her money this week on a ticket to see Bohemian Rhapsody.
Occupation: Account Manager
Industry: Sales
Age: 26
Location: New York, NY
My Salary: $64,000 ($61,000 with a $3,000 bonus that is paid out quarterly)
Paycheck Amount (Biweekly): $1,439-$1,511
Nannying Income: $170 per week
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,150 for my share in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment
Student Loan Payment: $0 (My parents paid for my college, and I am eternally grateful.)
Monthly MetroCard: $121 deducted from my paycheck pre-tax
Health, Dental & Vision Insurance: $141.33 deducted from my paycheck pre-tax
Gym: $88
Utilities: ~$80-$100 (It fluctuates based on the weather.)
Hulu & Netflix: $17
Credit Card: $800-$900 (I put all of my nanny money against my balance and roughly $220 per paycheck. This is super aggressive, I know, but I hate having a balance, and my current remaining balance is $1,200 down from $2,400. I’ll be done soon; I just want to wipe it out.)
Phone: $100-$125, depending on whether I go over my data. (I try not to go over my data but, you know how that goes.)
401(k): $141.92 deducted from each paycheck
Savings: $150 (Once my credit card bill is paid off, all of my extra income from nannying will go straight to my savings.)
Day One
4:30 a.m. — Wake up and start my day. I do my morning routine, which includes Glossier serum, Porcelana (since I have some dark spots), and moisturizer. I throw on a bit of makeup and put on the clothes that I laid out last night. I grab my lunch and the coffee I made last night, brush my teeth, and am out the door by 5:30 a.m.
8:30 a.m. — I am done with nannying and head to work. When I arrive, I go with my coworker to get a free bagel from the café downstairs.
12 p.m. — My coworker’s manager and my manager walk over to our cubes to ask if they can take us out to a long lunch, which is so needed on this Friday. We go to a little pub downtown and eat some bar food while we chat about this week and how stressful it was. I order a steak salad and a beer, and my manager orders some wings for the table. The managers pay. I love working with nice people who actually appreciate what others do. Afterwards, we head back to the office.
3 p.m. — I power through the last couple hours of work while eating some of the Honey Nut Chex Mix cereal that I have at my desk. I am a notorious snacker. While working through some reporting, we get hit with a fire drill that takes up the rest of my afternoon.
7 p.m. — I leave work at 7, which is not ideal. I head home and wash my face. I’m not too hungry since we ate a heavy lunch, so I eat some popcorn, grab a beer, and catch up on my shows. What a nice Friday night. I’m in bed by 10 p.m.
Daily Total: $0
Day Two
8:30 a.m. — The struggle of waking up super early during the week means I can’t sleep in anymore. I wake up and make myself some avocado toast and berries with coffee. Then I watch some shows that I didn’t have time to watch during the week and text back my mom and sister, who live on the west coast (I fell asleep last night when they texted me). Oh, three-hour time difference struggles.
10:45 a.m. — I head to the gym and do some cardio for 45 minutes. Afterwards, I stop by CVS to grab my prescription. I’m thankful for my insurance, since this prescription, along with my others, are free.
1 p.m. — After I go home and shower, I make myself a turkey wrap with mustard, lettuce, cucumber, and banana peppers for lunch. I watch more of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix and end up falling asleep again…whoops.
3 p.m. — Wow, that nap was needed. I wake up to a text from a friend asking if I want to see Bohemian Rhapsody. I tell him yes and look up some movie times. I purchase two tickets and he Venmos me for his. $17
7 p.m. — I head out and hop on the subway to meet him downtown. There are a lot of delays since it’s the weekend and he lives in Brooklyn, so he’s a bit late. I stop into 7-Eleven to get some snacks for the movie: Sour Patch Kids, gummy bears, and Cheez-Its. A random assortment, lol. I don’t like paying for overpriced candy, sorrrryyy. $8
10:30 p.m. — Bohemian Rhapsody was SO GOOD. I take the subway home, wash my face, and brush my teeth. I get in bed and immediately knock out.
Daily Total: $25
Day Three
8:30 a.m. — Awake, and I make the same breakfast — avocado toast and some coffee. I call my mom while I clean my room and tell her about the movie last night, since she knows I’m a huge Queen fan.
11 a.m. — I head out to Trader Joe’s and quickly realize that all of the buses are rerouting. I hop on the bus, which takes a detour, but it’s fine because I end up near TJ’s. I grab a salad kit, Asian slaw, bell peppers, apples, avocados, bananas, Turkey and Stuffing Chips (don’t knock ’em ’til you try ’em), cheese puffs, ground turkey, black beans, yogurt, and tomatoes. $73
1 p.m. — I get home and start meal prepping. I make some quinoa, heat up ground turkey with taco seasoning, and throw in black beans, tomatoes, and green chiles. I throw leftovers into separate containers to last me a few meals.
3:30 p.m. — I eat, watch football, and then clean the kitchen. Afterwards, I get in bed and read Beautiful Boy. It’s so good. I fall asleep again. I guess my weekly routine is making me more tired than I thought.
7:30 p.m. — I wake up and I’m so annoyed that I slept this long — what is wrong with me? I shower and then pack my lunch for tomorrow. I also make coffee to store in the fridge overnight and make some herbal tea that’s supposed to help with sleep, since I feel like I’m going to have trouble sleeping tonight.
9:30 p.m. — Fall asleep after picking out my clothes for tomorrow.
Daily Total: $73
Day Four
4:45 a.m. — Wake up, and it’s Monday. Joy. Morning routine: serum, Porcelana, and moisturizer. I brush my teeth and grab my lunch. I’m out the door by 5:30 a.m.
8:15 a.m. — I leave nannying and get to the office at about 8:30 a.m. I look through emails while eating my breakfast of yogurt, a banana, and chia seeds. Then I heat up my coffee that I brought from home.
12:30 p.m. — Warm up half of the quinoa meal I prepped last night. I split it in half so I can leave the rest in the fridge and eat it for lunch tomorrow. I add shredded cheese and Tapatio for extra flavor. I’m still hungry after, so I eat some of the Turkey and Stuffing chips that I bought at Trader Joe’s.
6:30 p.m. — I head out and head home. I do an ab workout and then make a salad with pre-made salad mix, cucumbers, and balsamic vinaigrette. I also cut up an apple to eat on the side.
7:30 p.m. — Hop in the shower and lotion up. Since moving to New York, my skin has been SO dry, and my eczema is killing me. I lay out my clothes, pack my lunch, make my coffee, and settle down before bed. Knock out by 9:30.
Daily Total: $0
Day Five
4:45 a.m. — You know the drill already.
8:15 a.m. — Out the door and headed to job #2 of the day!
9 a.m. — Make my coffee and add a shot of espresso from the coffee maker in our kitchen. Eat my breakfast of yogurt, chia seeds, and a banana.
10:30 a.m. — My eyelids have been bothering me lately, so I bite the bullet and order eyelid tape to reset them. (Thanks Michelle Phan and Amazon Prime.) I have monolids, and recently I’ve been getting a couple of creases, which just make me look extremely tired. Plus, the creases aren’t even, so my eyes look a little bit off. I know I’m probably the only one who notices, but apparently wearing the tape will help! I also look for a psychiatrist, since I haven’t found one since moving here. I need to figure this out, since I’m running low on my medication. $6.99
12:30 p.m. — Heat up my lunch of leftover quinoa. I eat it up and surprisingly still enjoy it. Then I grab a cookie from the kitchen.
1:30 p.m. — A psychiatrist I called calls me back and we schedule an appointment for later today. Thank goodness. He is covered by my insurance, close to my work, and has great reviews. Fingers crossed this goes well! I have been on the same medication for a very long time, so at this point, I just need someone to refill it for me, not prescribe anything new.
4 p.m. — This day is dragging on, and I am starving. I eat an apple with cinnamon to hold me over before my appointment tonight.
6:30 p.m. — I leave work and hop on the subway to the psychiatrist’s office. Overall, the appointment goes well — we chat about my medical history and I show him my medical records and information. I like the doctor and will continue to see him once a month so that I can get my prescription.
8:15 p.m. — Head home to shower and pack my lunch for tomorrow. I chat with my roommate, pick my clothes for tomorrow, and then lie in bed while reading Beautiful Boy. I fall asleep at about 9:15.
Daily Total: $6.99
Day Six
5 a.m. — Sleep in a little! I do my morning routine, but I don’t put on my makeup since I don’t have time. I am out the door by 5:30.
8:15 a.m. — I leave nannying and head off to work. I arrive at the office and eat my breakfast, which isn’t my usual yogurt, but is instead crispbread with avocado and TJ’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning. After I eat, I heat up my coffee, add a shot of espresso, and power through the rest of the morning.
12:30 p.m. — Lunch is the same old thing. Surprisingly, I am not sick of it just yet.
6 p.m. — I head out to CVS to pick up my prescription. No charge — I love my insurance. Once I get home, I shower and watch House of Cards. I reread some old season 5 recaps before I start the first episode of season 6.
7:30 p.m. — EPISODE 1 IS SO GOOD. I AM HOOKED AGAIN. I need to stop, though. I make a promise to myself that I will binge this and Making A Murderer this weekend.
8:30 p.m. — Pack up my lunch and put out my clothes for tomorrow while listening to music. I brush my teeth, throw on some moisturizer, and then lay in bed while reading Beautiful Boy. It’s so good, I can’t put it down. The exhaustion takes over and I fall asleep.
Daily Total: $0
Day Seven
4:45 a.m. — Morning routine. Out the door by 5:30.
8:30 a.m. — I head to the office, and when I get there, I immediately eat a yogurt with banana, honey, and chia seeds. Then I heat up my coffee with the shot of espresso and settle in. There was a shooting at a bar near my alma mater, and I spend the morning reading through articles about it.
10:15 a.m. — It is one of those mornings, so I go with my coworkers to get coffee from the cart outside. I use the $2 in cash that I have in my wallet. $2
12:30 p.m. — Lunchtime. Same thing. (Last day of it, though!)
6 p.m. — How is it already 6?! This day flew by. I am debating what I want to do tonight and decide I should just go home and relax. I think I am going to have a bit of a crazy weekend ahead, since it’s my friend’s birthday.
7 p.m. — I get home and FaceTime with my best friend back home. I am so tired and cannot wait to go to bed. I tell her how much I slept this past weekend and she urges me to maybe quit the morning job, because it seems to be making me more tired. I strongly consider it, but for now, I like the extra money. I munch on some carrots and hummus, since I’m not too hungry.
8:30 p.m. — I rinse off, brush my teeth, and start winding down for bed. True grandma life for me over here. I watch another episode of House of Cards and fall asleep by 10 p.m.
Daily Total: $2
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