A Week In Dallas On A $290,000 Joint Income

Occupation: Chief of staff, part time
Industry: Finance
Age: 31
Location: Dallas, TX
Salary: $80,000
Joint Income/Financial Setup: My husband, K., is in sales and can make up to $210,000. We have a joint bank account.
Assets: $200,000 between savings and wealth management accounts. We share everything, but the majority of the bills are on my credit cards because I manage our utilities. We pay off the cards every month.
Debt: We have $6,000 left on K.’s car (my car is paid off), $2,000 in medical debt, and $240,000 left on our mortgage.
Paycheck Amount (Every 2 Weeks): ~$6,400 (changes based on K.’s job) between both of us after 401(k)s, taxes, and insurance.
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $2,400 mortgage with insurance included. K. and I live here along with our children, B. and D.
D.’s Childcare: $1,600
Peloton: $50
B.’s Therapies: $600. B. is in ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), occupational, physical, and speech therapy. B. has been in some type of therapy for the majority of her life, and we have an amazing team of therapists for her. I did months of research and waiting to find the best small ABA clinic that would help B. with her aggression/functional needs while respecting her sweet personality and non-harmful stimming. We also pay about $1,000 a month in miscellaneous doctors’ appointments and other related ongoings — we have a private pediatrician we pay for, and visit specialists multiple times through the year, plus procedures.
TV Subscriptions: ~$100
Kindle Unlimited: $15
Dog Food Subscription: $100
Cellphones: $150
Kids’ 529s: $250
Private Pediatric Endocrinologist: $150 (this is for B.)
Waxing Subscription: $20
Spotify: $18 for a family subscription.
iCloud Storage: $2
Life Insurance Policies: $800

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
None of my and K.’s parents didn’t have college degrees, and it was an expectation that we went in some capacity. I have my bachelor’s in marketing while K. has his master’s in accounting and a CPA license. My parents paid for a portion of my college, I had $25,000 debt when I left — we paid it off early on. K. received $10,000 and worked two or three jobs to pay off his college. He also finished his master’s early, which saved us some.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My parents helped me open up a savings account and provided a small allowance, but not much information past that.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was selling shoes! I got it to pay for college books and miscellaneous things.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No, my parents were very frugal and never showed that they were struggling. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we never went without.

Do you worry about money now?
I don’t. K. has done an amazing job managing our money, and we have the privilege of having great jobs.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I was 22 when I moved out of my parents’ house after college! Our family and friends would be there for us if we ever needed it.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
We have received $30,000 from K.’s grandparents over the years, as a gift. My parents also split the cost of our wedding with us ($12,000 total).

6 a.m. — The alarm goes off and it’s time to start the day! I always start my day between 5:45 a.m. and 6 a.m. I get ready for work, feed the dogs, cut up fruit for B.’s lunch, make a latte and head out. Meetings start at 8:30 a.m., so getting into the office at 7:30 a.m. is vital to get ready!

12 p.m. — I have my mid-year performance review with my boss. We go to lunch at a healthy spot, and I get a goat cheese salad. Just the best. I’m doing well in the position, but can feel a sense of insecurity at being part time and about making sure I’m adding value. She reassures me, and wants to get me more involved in the strategic actions that her leadership is doing. It’s great to have time to have that open and vulnerable conversation. I feel really good leaving lunch! $19 (Expensed)

3 p.m. — I picked up sweet B. from therapy — she had a great day! We run over to Nordstrom Rack to return a blazer that was just a bit too big. Then we go home for her to play while I straighten up the house and prep for dinner. B. and I go and pick up D. from daycare while K. finishes up his last work call for the day. 

7 p.m. — A lot of outdoor play with water until we bribe the children with popsicles to get them inside to start bedtime. Both kids get baths, brush their teeth together, kiss goodnight, then stories and bed! B. likes to be cuddled for a bit then I sneak out of her room.

8 p.m. — K. tidies downstairs and finishes the dishes while I fold more laundry. Finally we cuddle up to watch the latest episode of The Gilded Age. I swear if Julian ruins Larian, I’m going to lose it! We finally go to bed around 10 p.m.

6 a.m. — Another early morning. Same routine getting ready and running out the door. It’s a “chill” day in the sense I don’t have too many meetings, so I can get actual work done. It’s budget and planning season, so the shorter days are packed. 

12 p.m. — My company is catering lunch today! I grab lunch with some coworkers and we catch up on family and work life. We’ve all moved onto new roles so I’ve missed getting to see them.

2 p.m. — End of the work day! I pick up B. from therapy and we head home to pick up K. K. promised B. a cake pop this morning, so we stop at Starbucks to get them cake pops and coffee. $13

3 p.m. — B.’s off playing and reading while I call her speciality pharmacy. There’s a $2,000 balance that should be covered — thankfully my phone call resolves the issue. Then the manufacturer of her new pen device calls and we set up a training session for next week.

5 p.m. — We pick up D. from daycare then come home and immediately play outside. K. makes dinner while I entertain the kids until I finally give in to their pleas to watch Coco. B.’s speech therapy sends me her weekly update and some homework for us.

8 p.m. — I’ve missed D., so I do bathtime and bedtime with the little man. K. get B. in the bath, but I resume bedtime routine. K. tidies up and does dishes until he’s ready to watch The Menu together. We end up in bed at 10 p.m.

9 a.m. — We split kiddo duty today! I get both kids up and moving then take B. to her therapy, since it’s on the way to work. I make a latte at home to take with me.

12 p.m. — One of my besties from work has time so we go to a healthy spot for more goat cheese salad. I’m aware of my problem, but life is too precious to not repeat a good meal.  $19

2 p.m. — After B.’s therapy, we come home to play, then head out to her weekly therapy (OT and PT) appointment. She loves her therapists and gets so pumped to go every week.

5 p.m. — K. and D. go to Chipotle for dinner. I packed a bunch of snacks to hold B. and me over until we get back home. Today’s a therapy marathon for B., so we indulge in all the yummy things! Being healthy is for other days of the week. $18

6 p.m. — We get home and I make some dinner for B. and me. No time to play outside, but definitely time to indulge in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. I text my friend letting her know I can’t make coffee in the morning due to some last-minute meetings. We reschedule for next Friday.

8 p.m. — Both kids are in bed! K. heads to bed after staying up late watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, so I curl up on the couch and read What the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon in silence until 11 p.m.

7 a.m — I finally get to sleep in! I get up and make B.’s lunch before getting both kids up and ready for the day. I make a pot of coffee with our fancy Hawaiian coffee. I log on and try to get ready for the day while the kids eat and are distracted by Bluey.

9 a.m. — The kids are off to where they need to be and I’m finally home to work! B.’s orthotics clinic calls me to place the order for her new toe walking braces. They’ll help her gait and muscle weakness she has when she walks/runs. Since we magically haven’t met our deductible, we end up paying for half of it today. $650

12 p.m. — K. and I both have free time around lunch so we run up to Potbelly’s. These are the sweet moments during our week that mean so much to me, since our schedule is so crazy. We talk about work, our friends, and how great our kids are. $20

4 p.m. — I finish up work then go to pick up B. We get home and play for a bit. K. and B. then head out to Costco to buy some desperately needed groceries ($150). I sweep the house and attempt to clean, but give up and read my book. They swing by to pick me up, drop off groceries, and we go grab D. We all go to HEB to buy the other groceries we need ($100). K. cooks a lot of our dinners. He’s also decided he’s going to attempt to make cake pops this weekend. $250

5 p.m. — Since we get home right at dinner, I make some toddler charcuterie boards for the kids. K. grills some chicken and roasts potatoes. I end up eating a bit of both.

8 p.m. — After the kids are down and we finish our chores, K. bakes a cake for his cake balls. So fun. I take the dogs on a short walk. It’s so hot recently that our walks are short and less frequent. I curl up and read my book with some sleepytime tea before going to bed at 9 p.m.

7 a.m. — It’s finally Friday! I get B.’s lunch ready and the kids up and moving. I make a full pot of coffee for K. and me with some Hawaiian coffee we got from some friends. I drop the kids off today and prep for the meetings.

11 a.m. — I go to my local waxing place to get my brows waxed. I have a monthly membership, so I only pay tip today. $5

12 p.m. — I grab some gas on my way home from my wax appointment. $40

1 p.m. — The mobile dog groomer comes by and cuts the dog’s nails for us. I tip big  since our old grouches weren’t thrilled about getting into the van. $98

 2 p.m. — I work for the next few hours before picking up B. She’s off playing and listening to music while I start the process of making some more sandwich bread. I draw Disney princesses for B. in between bread tasks. 

4 p.m. — I leave B. at home with K. while I pick up D. He had a great day and came home with a bunch of crafts. So cute. I add a few to our craft wall in the play room. Our favorite is aggressive scribbles with the drawing prompt of “sandwiches”.

8 p.m. — We split bedtime duty again. I get my sourdough starter ready for tomorrow morning. K. has made his first cakeballs: funfetti cake with lemon frosting dipped in chocolate, they turned out so well! I stay up reading with sleepytime tea then head to bed. K. heads out for a guys night at a friend’s house.

7 a.m. — I’m the first one up today! I make a pot of coffee, turn on some chill music, and try to enjoy the peace. The kids wake up 15 minutes later so the peace was short-lived. My sourdough starter doesn’t pass the float test, so I feed it again.

9 a.m. — K. and D. head out to Target to pick up some travel items and cleaning supplies. He ends up getting the kids some toys because he can’t help himself. $110

10:30 a.m. — We pack the kids up and head to our local park. We play and swing for a bit before the heat becomes too much and we head home for lunch. The kids are not about each other, and it ends in both kids having meltdowns.

12 p.m. — I end up having a slight mental breakdown from just being a mom constantly. K. sees this, and takes them to my parents’ after their quiet time so I have the full afternoon by myself (I’m really lucky to have such a good support system). I go to Nordstrom Rack and try on clothes and find nothing. I head to Sephora to pick up some curly hair care — I end up buying some Pattern mousse, Ouai Curl Crème, and my favorite Lancôme mascara. $87

3 p.m. — On my way home, I stop by the grocery store  to buy some ingredients for a meal I’m making for a friend. She has a newborn, and we always do meal trains for each other. I get home, and K. comes back to help me tackle cleaning the house. I feel SO much better after the house is clean. $25

6 p.m. — We pick up the kids from my parents’ place — they had a great time! Once we’re home we have coconut popsicles before bedtime. Sourdough starter is ready, so I prep the dough for its bulk rise overnight.

8 p.m. — I check out Ann Taylor online to find they’re having a great sale! I ordered a few things to elevate my workwear. I’m meeting with executive leadership more in my role, and my business-casual needs to be more business than casual. $150

6:30 a.m. — I wake up and just scroll until I finally get out of bed. I make a pot of coffee and check on my sourdough. It looks ready to bake but I’m out of time to get the kids up and ready for church. I stick it in the fridge — hopefully it’ll be fine later.

9 a.m. — We’re late! B. goes off with her special buddy to accompany her to class. D. stays with us since all the kids in his room are crying. K. ends up spending the whole time in the lobby with D. until it’s time to go. B. had a blast and came home with a craft.

10 a.m. — We stop at Starbucks for some shaken espresso before heading to a local sporting goods store. $13

11 a.m. — D. has been protesting about his water bottles, so we’re going to let him pick one in hopes he’ll use it! He goes with the brightest yellow Yeti imaginable. We let B. pick out a small volleyball. We head home for lunch and quiet time. $37

12 p.m. — I make honey chipotle chicken in the slow cooker. I check my dough and it’s definitely overproofed, but I try baking it anyways. 

1 p.m. — The sourdough’s out of oven and was indeed overproofed. I can just imagine Paul Hollywood poking it and commenting how bad the crumb is.

2 p.m. — K. goes for a swim while I finish up laundry. I finished my audiobook (The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, go listen to it, it’s amazingly cozy) so I listen to a random YouTuber discuss the latest Office Siren trend on TikTok. I can’t imagine ever wearing a tube top and short skirt into the office! I text my sisters all about it.

3 p.m. — The kids are up! K. comes by and grabs B. to go swim at the pool. D. and I play in the backyard with the water table and then water my flowers. K. and B. join us after the neighborhood pool gets crowded.

5 p.m. — We get the kids inside using popsicles again (see a trend). K. runs to the grocery store because I forgot tins to put the food in, along with tortilla chips! I pack up the tacos, rice, and avocados for my friends then drop off the meal at their doorstep. K. makes dinner for the kids while I’m gone — we eat the leftover chicken for tacos. $20

8 p.m. — K. and I catch up after the kids are down. We talk about the upcoming schedule for the week, highs and lows of our previous week, and how we can serve each other. I put the rest of laundry away then do a clarifying hair mask followed by a conditioning hair mask. I add some Peloton classes to my schedule for the week and head to bed.

“This was a heavy spending week for us! Groceries really add up — we need to be a lot more efficient with our trips. I also read a lot when I could’ve worked out or walked the dogs more.

“Nothing prepared us for the cost, time, and energy of a special needs child. I acknowledge we’re in a great place financially and have amazingly flexible jobs, but the time and energy to fight insurance and find the best care feels overwhelming at times. I can only imagine and feel for those who have less, having to fight the same obstacles, especially in the state we live in. Everyone deserves the resources to ensure their children have the best chance to live their best life.”