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A Week In Brooklyn On A $26,000 Salary

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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. But we realize that money — and how we spend it — affects everyone's lives, regardless of gender identity. So we decided to start asking millennials of any gender to see how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. (Thanks, New York mag, for the inspiration.)
Today, a trans man in Brooklyn, visiting his partner in New Jersey and celebrating a few extra meal-plan dollars.
Industry: Higher Education (Admissions Assistant)
Age: 21
Location: Brooklyn, NY (home); New York, NY (work)
Salary: $26,000 yearly
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $801.40 per paycheck, 2x a month
# of roommates: 2

Monthly Expenses

Rent: $600 (we rent out the living room to the third roommate to keep it affordable)
Loan Payments: Currently not paying loans (still a student), but I am paying back an overdue bill I had at my university from before I started working there full time. Minimum of $100 a month, but I try to pay $250 monthly.
Utilities: $40 on average
Transportation: $25-30 added to MetroCard every week
Phone Bill: $60
Health Insurance: $60 taken from paycheck
Gym: $10.45 monthly

Savings

Current Savings: $900 in savings currently. I put in between $25 and $50 in savings monthly.
Other: Small 403(b) from work. I put 5% of my paycheck towards it.

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