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Welcome to Money 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. (Thanks, New York mag, for the inspiration.)
Today, a woman in fashion development getting a tattoo and paying more in rent than her boyfriend.
Today, a woman in fashion development getting a tattoo and paying more in rent than her boyfriend.
Industry: Fashion. I work on Trend and Concept development. It's a very narrow field, so I feel super thankful for the position that I have, especially as someone working in fashion, but coming from a fine arts background.
Age: 33
Location: Flatbush, Brooklyn
Salary: $81,500. My boyfriend and I keep our finances mostly separate, though we share a credit card account (gotta get those airline miles!). His salary is around half of mine so we tend to split most things by percentages.
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $3,115, minus taxes, health care, 401(k), and commuter benefits.
# of roommates: 1
Age: 33
Location: Flatbush, Brooklyn
Salary: $81,500. My boyfriend and I keep our finances mostly separate, though we share a credit card account (gotta get those airline miles!). His salary is around half of mine so we tend to split most things by percentages.
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $3,115, minus taxes, health care, 401(k), and commuter benefits.
# of roommates: 1
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,875 total. I pay $1,375. We got super lucky and found a beautiful two-bedroom apartment in a turn-of-the-century brownstone. It's the nicest place either of us has ever lived.
Loan Payments: ~$375/month. Though I try to throw a couple of extra bucks in at the end of the month if I can. I currently still owe $28,000 from my time in grad school. Thankfully my undergrad degree was paid for my by grandmother, who paid for all 7 of her grandkids' college educations.
Utilities: $0. I pay a larger part of the rent, so my boyfriend pays all of our utilities, including my cellphone bill.
Transportation: $116.50 per month unlimited subway card. Comes out of my paycheck pre-tax.
Health Insurance: Medical $140, Vision $6, (Thankfully my teeth and eyes are in good health so I tend to switch out Dental and Vision coverage each year. This is a Vision year.)
Savings: $19,000 in my 401k, from having it about 5 years. Right now I contribute ~$100 a month into it. Unfortunately, my current company does not do matching. I also have some stocks that I bought when I was 10 (Thanks again, Grandma!) and that's currently worth about $12,000, though stock stuff confuses me and I don't know what to "do" with it hence why it's just been sitting there for two-plus decades. I also use a budgeting app daily and try to save at least $500 a month.
Netflix: $10 per month
Gym: $96 per month
Graze Snackbox: $11.99
Rent: $1,875 total. I pay $1,375. We got super lucky and found a beautiful two-bedroom apartment in a turn-of-the-century brownstone. It's the nicest place either of us has ever lived.
Loan Payments: ~$375/month. Though I try to throw a couple of extra bucks in at the end of the month if I can. I currently still owe $28,000 from my time in grad school. Thankfully my undergrad degree was paid for my by grandmother, who paid for all 7 of her grandkids' college educations.
Utilities: $0. I pay a larger part of the rent, so my boyfriend pays all of our utilities, including my cellphone bill.
Transportation: $116.50 per month unlimited subway card. Comes out of my paycheck pre-tax.
Health Insurance: Medical $140, Vision $6, (Thankfully my teeth and eyes are in good health so I tend to switch out Dental and Vision coverage each year. This is a Vision year.)
Savings: $19,000 in my 401k, from having it about 5 years. Right now I contribute ~$100 a month into it. Unfortunately, my current company does not do matching. I also have some stocks that I bought when I was 10 (Thanks again, Grandma!) and that's currently worth about $12,000, though stock stuff confuses me and I don't know what to "do" with it hence why it's just been sitting there for two-plus decades. I also use a budgeting app daily and try to save at least $500 a month.
Netflix: $10 per month
Gym: $96 per month
Graze Snackbox: $11.99
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