A Week In NYC On An $82,500 Salary

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.) This week a senior accountant who makes $82,500 per year and spends it on wedding expenses, from bachelorette parties to five pairs of silver shoes.

Industry: Finance
Age: 27
Location: NYC
Salary: $82,500
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $2,200 Monthly Expenses
Monthly Housing Costs: $1,300 (my portion of our $2,700 rent - shared with my fiancé)
Transit (Taken out of paycheck pre-tax): $50
Health Insurance: $84 for dental, medical, and vision
401(k): $412 (6% of my paycheck, taken out pretax)
Cable & Internet: $90 (total cost is $210, but fiancé pays more because he needs Redzone)
Electric: $50 (my half)
Spotify: $10
Gym: $205
Netflix, Amazon Prime, & Cellphone: $0, still on Dad's plan (Thanks, Dad!)
Savings: Whatever's left after my credit card bill is paid

Day One

11:30 a.m. — Back-to-back Pilates & Cardio Sculpt at my gym, my usual Saturday lineup. Meet the fiancé after class to run errands. Head to Starbucks and am sold on a new latte there, even though the price makes me cringe. I only buy coffee on the weekends, so I tell myself it's okay. $5.87 2 p.m. — We head to Bloomingdale's, and I return some things I bought (I tend to over-shop, especially when I have special occasions to shop for, but I am very good at returning what I don't end up wearing). I get $210 back on my card. 2:30 p.m. — We're recently engaged, but the ring is too big. Head to a nearby jeweler for a ring guard for the time being. We are starving and head to a nearby diner. I get avocado toast with sunny side up eggs, bacon, and home fries. Fiancé treats. 5 p.m. — I am going to Denver over Memorial Day Weekend for my friend's bachelorette party. I remember to Venmo her for my portion of the house rental. $285 8:30 p.m. — One of our friends is having a party tonight, so we head to a restaurant nearby with two other couples. The men treat. We head to a liquor store later and the girls take care of the vodka and chasers for the pregame. $12 2 a.m. — I'm drunk and I want pizza. $3 Daily Total: $305.87

Day Two

11 a.m. — I wake up not as hungover as I thought. (Thank you, pizza!) I get ready quickly to make an 11:15 Booty Blast class. After class I head to Zara to return a few items I bought online that don't fit right. They're having a great sale I end up buying a $20 dress against the return and still get $55 back. I promised myself I wouldn't buy any clothes in January, but this is kind of free, right? I meet the fiancé and his family for lunch/brunch. Feel kind of gross in my gym clothes, but this was also unplanned. They treat. 1 p.m. — I head to Whole Foods and shop for this week's dinners and lunches. I plan on making dinner for three nights and lunch for three days. I use a coupon on the website for $5 off $20 of produce. I buy kale, peppers, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, canned tomatoes, avocados (four for $5!), feta, chicken breasts, and cod. (It's on sale!) $48 7 p.m. — After spending the last three hours cooking and prepping for the week I head to a Barre class. 8:30 p.m. — Tonight's dinner is lemon-baked cod with spinach and feta orzo. Made a little too much, but throw it out because leftover fish seems fishy to me. Daily Total: $48

Day Three

9:30 a.m. — So happy I bought all those avocados this weekend. Make myself a coffee and have 1/2 a mashed avocado on two slices of gluten-free bread, courtesy of the communal kitchen at work. 12:30 p.m. — Package and mail a return for two shirts I bought the fiancé that he didn't want. Lunch is a salad I made from yesterday's Whole Foods shop — kale with grilled chicken, feta, 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 a hard-boiled egg, and tomatoes with olive oil dressing. 3 p.m. — Snack on chocolate from a coworker. My coworkers ALWAYS have chocolate, which can be a great thing or a terrible thing… 6:30 p.m. — Barre Burn at my gym. I love this class. 7:30 p.m. — Tonight is Bachelor night!! I pick up a bottle of my favorite wine on my way home. I cook a very easy dinner of peppers, potatoes, and baked chicken. This one's a hit with my fiancé and there are even enough leftovers for his lunch tomorrow. I spend the rest of the night watching The Bachelor with him, drinking wine, and snacking on chocolate. $14 Daily Total: $14

Day Four

9:30 a.m. — Breakfast is the same as yesterday. So is lunch. 1:15 p.m. — Take a Barre Burn class at my gym during lunch. Working out during lunch is something I can't do very often, so I'm especially pumped today. 5 p.m. — I have a feeling it's going to be a late night. I take a break to check my personal emails and see that Bloomingdale's is having a one-day-only sale on shoes. I have a wedding in February and have been wanting silver heels to go with my dress. I buy five pairs. (I plan to only keep one, I just want options!) I snack on some free chocolate. $299.00 7:45 p.m. — Rush out of work to make an 8:15 p.m. gym class. I've never taken this class before, but it was the only one available at this time by my apartment. The class was amazing. Happy I went and even happier I prepped dinners this Sunday. Dinner tonight is spaghetti squash with tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, and spinach. Daily Total: $299.00

Day Five

9:30 a.m. — Breakfast is coffee and avocado toast again, but this time with a whole avocado and a hard boiled egg from home to make it more fun. 2 p.m. — Work gives us $20 a week to use on Seamless. I brought another salad with me today, but am starting to feel a little bored, so use part of my credit on a (different) salad from Chop't. We have a meeting and there's Baked By Melissa cupcakes! Those are my weakness. I take three! 7 p.m. — It's looking like a late night. I take two handfuls of M&Ms from the communal M&M dispenser. 8:30 p.m. — FINALLY out of work! Too tired to work out, but too stressed to go straight home. Head to the steam room at my gym for 30 minutes. We're having a couple over for dinner Friday, so I prep what I can in advance from the Fresh Direct order my fiancé placed. He covered this order, since I paid for Whole Foods Sunday. My dinner ends up being two mini bags of popcorn that I eat at 10:30 while watching TV. Daily Total: $0

Day Six

9:30 a.m. — I finish the last of my four avocados on gluten free toast and coffee provided by work. 1:30 p.m. — My lunch is the same salad from Monday and Tuesday. I eat quickly then head to my weekly therapy appointment. $40 2:45 — I pass my eyebrow place on the way back and notice there's no wait. I stop in before heading back to work to get my eyebrows and lips threaded. I can't believe I let them get so bad. $15 4 p.m. — My friend is finalizing her bachelorette party and needs my help to book a room. I pay $1,828 upfront for 1 of the rooms. My actual portion is $502. I hope to get the remainder from other girls for what I spotted before having to pay my credit card bill. $1,828 6:15 p.m. — I get out of work and have some time to kill before a secret Santa dinner with some of my best girl friends. It's actually January, but having this in December has always proven to be hard. I get a manicure. $17 7:45 p.m. — I make it to the restaurant with two gifts in tow, one for my secret Santa, the other for a friend's sister who just had a baby (both bought last week). Dinner was great! $74 10:30 — Split a cab home with two friends and Venmo my portion. During the weekend I try to walk most places, and I use my prepaid transit card to get to work via subway, but sometimes the temptation is too much . $5 Daily Total: $1,979.00

Day Seven

9:30 a.m. — Breakfast is coffee and a protein bar from my communal kitchen because, sadly, I've reached the end of my avocado stash. 12:30 p.m. — So happy I still have some Seamless money left! I get a two sushi roll lunch special and pay the rest of the balance $1.67 5:30 — I rush out of work to make it to Pilates. I missed the gym two days in a row and don't want to miss it again tonight. I make it just in time for a quick class before tonight's festivities. 6:45 p.m. — I stop at the grocery store on my way home to pick up some last minute items for tonight's dinner. We're making fajitas and I don't think we have enough tomatoes or cheese. I also pick up juices and sodas to mix with tequila. I found an amazing recipe for this grapefruit lime tequila drink and can't wait to try it. I suspect my fiancé will Venmo me for half. $24.17 8:30 p.m. — Friends come over for dinner. We have homemade fajitas and tequila. Happy Friday! Daily Total: $25.84