A Week In NYC On A $12,000 Salary

Industry: Academic Publishing
Age: 27
Location: Bushwick, Brooklyn
Salary: $12,000
Paycheck Amount (Every Two Weeks): ~$530
# of roommates: 2 Monthly Expenses
Rent: $600/month
Utilities: ~$55/month
Transportation: Monthly MetroCard, $116
Phone Bill: My mom pays for it
Health Insurance: Medicaid (free)
Spotify: $10/month

Day One

10 a.m. — Breakfast is some scrambled eggs, a couple pieces of soy bacon, pita bread, and coffee, all of which I already had. 2 p.m. — I get coffee in Williamsburg with my friend and her boyfriend. An iced soy latte is $5 + $1 tip. $6 5:30 p.m. — I go to Trader Joe’s every Sunday to do my food shopping for the week. I find that it is cheaper than the local grocery, so the distance is worth it (a 45-minute bus ride). Today, I have a $50 Amex gift card from a focus group I participated in last week, so technically, the groceries are free. I grab some portobello mushrooms, an onion, roasted red peppers, canned tomato sauce, pasta, cauliflower, chickpeas, eggplant, hummus, dried mandarin orange slices, soy bacon, tofurky, and rice. In total, I spend $37.85. 7 p.m. — I accidentally skipped lunch, so I decide to make a hearty dinner of roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, and eggplant mixed with hummus, all of which were purchased at TJ’s earlier in the day. Daily Total: $6

Day Two

7 a.m. — Breakfast is a bowl of cereal and coffee with almond milk. I use the last of it in my coffee, so I make a mental note to pick up some more later. I try to follow a primarily vegan diet, although I still eat eggs occasionally and am not super careful about milk products showing up in food. But everything I cook at home is made without milk fat. 10 a.m. — I get to work. I work part time as a marketing and production assistant, 27 hours a week. 10:05 a.m. — I have a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond in my inbox, so after some debate, I decide to buy a small blender. Summer is coming and I love to make fruit smoothies, but our blender broke a while ago. $28.28 1 p.m. — Lunch is leftovers from last night. 2 p.m. — I step out to treat myself with a latte from Starbucks, using the gift card again. 5 p.m. — After work, I stop by a local grocery in Bushwick for some veggies and almond milk. They're famous for their dollar avocados. I can't use what's left on the Amex gift card here, so I pay for it myself. $14.09 7:30 p.m. — I usually do yoga on Sunday nights. But yesterday, I didn't have time, so I go tonight. The studio is pay-what-you-will, so I put in $2 for a bottle of water and then an extra dollar for the class. $3 9 p.m. — I know it’s pretty late to eat dinner, but I make some pasta, because otherwise I’ll wake up hungry in the middle of the night. Daily Total: $45.37

Day Three

7 a.m. — Cereal and coffee with almond milk for breakfast. 10 a.m. — I get to work. A coworker brought in cookies, so free midmorning snack! This is one of the cases where I make a "dairy exception." These are definitely loaded with butter. Worth it. 1 p.m. — Lunch is leftovers from the pasta I made when I got home from yoga last night. To save money, I always try to cook enough for two meals. 4 p.m. — I have to stay late at work today and I can feel myself fading, so I grab a cup of coffee from the deli across the street. Unfortunately, we don't have complimentary coffee in my office. $1.25 7 p.m. — I throw together a stir fry with ingredients I got at Trader Joe’s and the local store. Total amount spent: $1.25

Day Four

9:50 a.m. — I get off the train a few minutes early and decide to pick up a cardigan at the Old Navy nearby. As the weather gets warmer, our office seems to get more and more tundra-like. I need a new one, anyway. $22.94 12 p.m. — Once in a while, our company's printer representative comes in and brings us a catered lunch. I have a veggie, tofu, and hummus sandwich. Score! 5 p.m. — I'm on my way to babysit for a mom in Carroll Gardens. I babysit about once or twice a week, and I've been working for this particular mom for almost a year. The kid, a 7-year-old, NEVER runs out of energy, so I always pick up a coffee at a Starbucks near their apartment first. I use up the last of my Amex gift card to pay for the drink. 6:30 p.m. — Kiddo and I get pizza for dinner, her favorite. I have a slice with just tomato. Her mom pays. 11:30 p.m. — Mom gets back, pays me $80, and puts me in an Uber home. Perks of being a babysitter. Daily Total: $22.94

Day Five

7 a.m. — Cereal and coffee with almond milk for breakfast. 10 a.m. — I get to work. Free cookies again. The perils of working in an office. 1 p.m. — Lunch is leftovers from Tuesday night. 3:30 p.m. — I have to work late again, since I'm taking tomorrow off. So, I get an iced latte. It's rapidly becoming clear that most of my money goes to caffeinating myself. An iced soy latte from the café nearby is a treat, since it's so expensive, but it's the first really nice day we've had and I've used my gift card for most of the other coffees. $6 6:30 p.m. — I stop at CVS to pick up a prescription and a few essentials. I have a coupon that takes about $5 off my total. $20.12 8 p.m. — Dinner is portobello and red onion tacos with avocado. I got the recipe from Refinery29! 9 p.m. — It's laundry day. One load, wash and dry. $5.50 Daily Total: $31.62

Day Six

9 a.m. — I have the day off and treat myself to a bagel with tofu cream cheese at the local coffee shop. My biweekly direct deposit also comes in today. $2.90 10 a.m. — PJ Harvey is coming to New York this summer for the first time in years. I have to get a ticket. $59.55 12 p.m. — A local tattoo shop is doing $20 tattoos for Friday the 13th ($13 tattoo + $7 tip). My friend and I went last year, but the line was so long we didn’t make it in. Luckily, I get there earlier this time and get in after a few hours. I get a small bird on my right thigh. $20 4 p.m. — On my way home, I pick up an iced tea. $1 4:30 p.m. — I missed lunch while waiting for my tattoo, so I heat up leftovers from last night. Leftovers are lifesavers. 7:30 p.m. — I go on a date with a writer I met a week or two ago at my favorite bar in Bushwick, Left Hand Path. He pays for the drinks and we have a really good time. Daily Total: $83.45

Day Seven

11 a.m. — I’m on my way to the Upper East Side and grab an iced tea at the bodega. $1 12 p.m. — I go to the Bronx Zoo with three friends. We all manage to get in as "students." $14 2:30 p.m. — We stop at a snack bar inside the zoo and all get fries. $3.80 5 p.m. — It’s time to leave. Since we all have unlimited MetroCards and can’t use the express bus, we split an Uber back to the 86th Street Station. $8.50 6 p.m. — I make some pasta with broccoli and Gardein (vegan substitute for meat). Daily Total: $27.30