A Week In San Diego, CA On A $87,600 Salary

Occupation: Content marketing manager
Industry: Fintech
Age: 27
Location: San Diego, CA
Salary: $87,600
Joint income: My partner P. and I live together, but we do not share our finances. P. is in med school and fully took out loans to pay for it, so he’s $150,000 in debt and his “income” is just the loan disbursements that he gets quarterly. We split most things equally, but I do cover more of the rent and often will pick up more meals and random groceries since I earn a salary and he currently does not (P. also has an EBT card for groceries through his med school, which covers roughly half of our monthly groceries).
Assets: Checking account: $1,994.46; HYSA: $12,002.03; 401(k): $14,117.67; Roth: $12,550.14; brokerage: $3,161.06; HSA: 1,354.70. We co-own our car and we bought it 1.5 years ago for $28,000; according to KBB, the value is now closer to $24,000.
Debt: $17,096.36
Paycheck Amount (Bi-Weekly): $2,001.44
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $1,300 (Our total rent is $2,382, but I cover a slightly larger share).
Loan Payments: $704.69 (This is paid directly to P., as he paid off my student loans and most of our car. No interest!).
Health Insurance: $238.96 pre tax (including medical, dental, vision. This is for both me and P.; he pays half).
HSA: $300 pre tax (my company contributes $1,000 for the year).
401(k) Contribution: $269.54 (my company matches 50% of the first 4% of eligible earnings I contribute).
Roth Contribution: $583
Savings Contribution: $500 to HYSA (used to be more but I finally hit my emergency fund goal!).
Phone Bill: $20.86 monthly for a family plan for me and P. (this is my half after my company pays $75 as a tech reimbursement benefit).
Spotify: $8.50 monthly for my half of Spotify Duo for me and P.
Car Insurance: $77.94 for my half.
iCloud: $5 for my half.
Apple TV: $9.99 (will cancel as soon as we’re done with Severance).
Substack Subscriptions: $10
Personal Blog Upkeep: $10
Form Fitness App: $22
iPhone Payments: $49.90
NYTimes: $12.23

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?
Yes, definitely. I was always a driven and internally motivated student and expected a lot of myself in terms of grades and achievements. I went to a pretty rigorous middle school, the goal of which was to get into one of the most prestigious specialized high schools in NYC. Once I got in there, the emphasis on grades and achievement became even more pervasive, because of the culture and extremely rigorous curriculum. Pretty much everyone in this high school had their eyes set on one of the top 10 universities in the US and there was never a question in my or my parents’ minds that I would go to college, and that it would likely be one of the top schools in the country. When my parents were getting divorced, my mom included a clause in the settlement that my dad had to contribute to half of my college tuition costs until I turned 21, no matter which college I went to. (My dad had originally only agreed to pay for a state or city school.) I was fortunate to get significant financial aid from my university, which included work study so I worked throughout my four years at school. I also took out $30,000 in federal loans. The rest was paid for by my parents (Dad stopped paying when I was 21). My mom paid for my housing throughout college: dorm for three years and a house shared with five friends for one year.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I didn’t get much education about finances, but my mom made me an authorized user on her credit card when I was in high school. She would sit down with me at the end of each month to go over all of my expenses, making sure that I was using the credit card in a smart and responsible way, and I had to pay her back for any “fun” purchases I used the card for. Not only did this help me build great credit, which benefits me now, but it also made me more responsible with my spending than some of my friends were in high school and college.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was transcribing medical records for a small private practice. One of my high school friends set me up with this gig the summer after my junior year because I wanted extra spending money and to list job experience on my college applications. It was a boring job but I enjoyed the sense of responsibility and independence it gave me. I’ve been employed in at least some capacity every year since then, whether at summer internships or with work study during school semesters.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Before my parents got divorced when I was 13, we were upper-middle class. I was aware, of course, that some of my friends who lived in mansions or wore all designer clothes were wealthier but my parents always made sure I had everything I needed to be happy — and then some. We went on vacations at least once a year, ate out a few times a month, and I got most things I asked for (though my parents always made me wait several months to ensure I really wanted the item, which taught me the value of patience and not impulse-purchasing). After the divorce, I was living just on my mom’s income and though my dad was paying child support until I was 21, it wasn’t nearly enough to comfortably live the way we did before. My mom always did her best to shelter me from any money woes and to provide me with everything I needed, even when it took tremendous sacrifice on her part. This included paying a pretty penny for my extremely expensive university, helping me fund study abroad, and going on fun vacations every year. I know now that there were many years when money was extremely tight for her, particularly in the years right after the divorce and when I first started college, but she always sheltered me from that.

Do you worry about money now?
Not really. I think I have a pretty abundant mindset when it comes to money and I am quite intuitive and intentional with my spending. I don’t spend money on things I don’t actually want or need, and I don’t impulse-purchase very often. That said, I don’t mind spending more money on things I genuinely feel will make my life better. Of course, transitioning to being on just one salary between P. and me, with him getting pretty small loan disbursements quarterly (as his salary), has taken some getting used to, but truthfully I think we’ve gotten pretty comfortable now at knowing what we can and cannot afford and not skipping out on things that truly make us happy or improve our quality of life.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became mostly financially independent at 24 when I moved to SF to live with P. I became fully independent at 26 when my health insurance coverage under my mom lapsed. My mom would absolutely help me out if I were ever in a tight spot, but I would prefer not to ever ask her for financial help, especially given how much she’s already done for me and since I know she has her own retirement funds to consider. P. feels the same way about his savings and has been independent for several years now too. My financial net is my and P.’s emergency funds and savings.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My mom gave me $5,000 when I moved out to use for emergencies or any purchases that I couldn’t quite afford with my own income. I ended up using it all when we bought our car right before we moved to SD. My grandma also gives me $100 pretty much every time she sees me, which I usually use for fun, infrequent expenses like getting my nails done, buying a coveted clothing item, or taking a trip.

7 a.m. — I wake up to P.’s alarm. Mine is set for 7:45 a.m. but I can’t go back to sleep, so I decide to get up and take advantage of the extra time before work. I brush my teeth and splash water on my face, mist with my Osea facial mist, and then roll my face with a rose quartz roller to calm some of the morning puffiness. Then P. and I do a 10-minute meditation on Apple Fitness together, and after, I read a few pages of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (rereading the series currently and it’s bringing me immeasurable amounts of joy) before getting ready for the day. This basically means throwing on some very comfy WFH attire and doing my makeup (Ilia skin tint with SPF 40 and Tarte mascara) and sitting down at my computer by 8:15 a.m.

8:30 a.m. — Hop on a couple of meetings that last about an hour and then do some email and Slack upkeep before packing up my laptop, some snacks, and water and heading out with P. to one of our favorite coffeeshops to work from, which is about a 20-minute drive from us. This is a rare day that P. has no in-person class, so we love to take advantage of those and work from a coffee shop together.

10:15 a.m. — I get our lattes (we usually trade off who pays for coffee/meals), give a generous tip since we will be taking up their real estate for a while (and also because the baristas here are absolutely lovely), and we set up camp at one of the outdoor tables. The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful 70 degrees, and my honey cinnamon oat milk latte is HITTING THE SPOT. I also eat a Barebells protein bar which I’d packed with me. I have a super productive spurt of work for around three hours, which includes meetings, lots of data collection, and sending copious Slacks and emails. I also call and make a dentist appointment because it’s been eight months since my last cleaning and I’m trying to be a responsible adult. P. works on med school stuff and is also able to get lots of productive work done! Sometimes changing the scenery does wonders. We head back home a little after 1 p.m. $18.90

2 p.m. — I make myself a quick lunch, which is a very lazy quesadilla made with Siete almond flour tortillas, leftover shredded chicken, leftover refried beans, and cheddar cheese (I also make a quick dipping sauce on the side, which is just Greek yogurt mixed with Truff hot sauce), plus some veggies and hummus to round out the meal. Yum. Read some Money Diaries and work on this diary as I eat. P. makes himself an easy lunch of spam and eggs over rice and we eat side by side while each doing our own thing. I wash all the dishes and get back to work.

4 p.m. — P. and I are both feeling a little unmotivated and decide to take a little sex break — the perks of working from home together, hehe. For all of you who roasted us for all the sex we were having in my last Money Diary, please rejoice, because this is the first and last instance of it in this diary (more on that later). After, I eat a handful of grapes and a dark chocolate-covered, peanut butter-stuffed date from the freezer (I prep these in advance and they make a wonderful pre-workout snack or post-dinner dessert).

5 p.m. — After getting some solid writing done for the company blog, I hit a good stopping point at work and check my personal email and social media. I see that the Vuori joggers I’d been eyeing for my best friend M.’s birthday finally came back in stock after weeks of being sold out (I am obsessed with Vuori joggers, and I’ve turned a very large proportion of my friends and family onto them. At this point I feel they should pay me for giving them so much business. I kid. But really, the joggers are life-changing). I quickly add those to cart and check out feeling elated that her gift is no longer hanging over my head. Then I change into running clothes, corral P. and convince him to take another break from studying, and we go for a lovely four-mile run together right as the sun is setting. $100.82

6:15 p.m. — Back from the run and I do a quick seven-minute Blogilates booty video as a finisher and then stretch. Then I do a quick underarm sink rinse to save time and head out again for a quick walk and to drop off M.’s birthday card in the mailbox. I call my mom while walking to check in, and she updates me on how our senior dog is doing. The poor girl is nearly blind and deaf and exhibiting signs of dementia, but she’s still such a happy pup.

7:30 p.m. — Back home! I throw together dinner for me and P. We are having yesterday’s leftovers of a NYT cooking recipe I made — tomato cheesy beans with lemony arugula salad and slices of fresh crusty baguette. We sit down to eat with the last episode of Shrinking, our recent obsession.

8:30 p.m. — Sweet treat o’clock! P. grabs some Tony’s Chocolonely and grapes, and I make myself a mug of Four Sigmatic hot cocoa and eat another date from the freezer. I also steal some of P.’s grapes. We both laugh and cry through the last Shrinking episode — god this show is so fricking good, and now we’re so sad we have to wait an indefinite amount for season 3.

9:30 p.m. — While P. cleans up the kitchen and washes dishes, I go shower and use a special antibacterial soap that I have to use in advance of surgery tomorrow. I’m having some uterine polyps removed, which is also why there shall be no sex for the next two weeks. Devastating.

10 p.m. — I get ready for bed and put on my Ole Henriksen chemical exfoliant mask. Then I obsessively read Reddit about the procedure I’m having tomorrow, which lessens my anxiety a bit. It’s my first time with general anesthesia and I’m just a bit nervous. Mask off, moisturizer on, quick bedtime journaling, and then I curl up with Harry Potter and read until lights out around 11 p.m.

6:45 a.m. — P.’s alarm goes off and I wake up but then fall right back asleep. I’m only barely aware when he kisses me on the cheek before leaving to school. I sleep on until 8 a.m.

8 a.m. — My alarm rings. I normally like to wake up earlier than this, but I wanted to give my body a full nine hours of sleep for surgery. I wake up to a few texts from friends sending good vibes and well wishes, which I very gratefully respond to, and then do my usual morning routine. This time, I do an Apple Fitness 10-minute meditation (we currently have a free trial, and I’m very much enjoying it!) while wearing my very attractive Omnilux LED mask.

8:45 a.m. — I sit down at my desk after getting dressed in — you guessed it — Vuori joggers and a Pact crop top, and putting on SPF. No makeup today. I put on some John Williams music to focus and then put my head down and knock out as many work tasks as I can. I also take a meeting somewhere in here. I have to fast until the procedure, so no breakfast for me today.

11 a.m. — I get out for a quick walk. Today is beautiful, and I don’t think I’ll be able to walk after the procedure, so I really wanted to fit it in this morning. I end up walking to Target 20 minutes from our place because I remember I need some shredded cheddar for a recipe I want to make tomorrow. On the walk, I call my mom and grandma and chat with them for a bit. $4.79

12:15 p.m. — I get back home and P. is back from class! He greets me with a hug and kiss, and then I jump in the shower to cleanse myself with the antibacterial soap again, as per instructions. I pack a little hospital bag with me of water, a protein bar, and a couple of crystals for good vibes. I’d planned to work for another hour but we need to leave before 1 p.m. and by the time I’m done getting ready it’s 12:45 p.m. I took a half day today and a day off tomorrow, so I’m thinking if anything I’ll just do an hour or two of work tomorrow to finish today’s tasks.

1:15 p.m. — It’s time! P. and I head out to the hospital that’s just a quick 10-minute drive away and check in for the surgery. I’m taken in pretty quickly and before I know it, I’m laying in the hospital bed with an oxygen mask on my face. Aaaaaaand goodnight.

4:30 p.m. — The surgery is all done and all went well! I get changed and the nurse wheels me out to the parking lot where P. is waiting in our car. I’m a bit loopy and out of it but feeling good! I tell P. that when the nurse came in after I woke up, I slurred to her, “I think I’m about to fall asleep,” and she said, “No sweetie, you’re just waking up.” For some reason this gives me a case of the giggles. We’re back home in 15 minutes.

5 p.m. — After brushing my teeth because my mouth feels absolutely disgusting, I chug an exorbitant amount of water and settle down on the couch with an apple and a Chomp Stick. I can only get through half of the Chomp Stick because my mouth is insanely dry, so I save the rest for later. I text all my friends and family letting them know I’m all good, and then I just scroll on Instagram for a while.

5:30 p.m. — I decide I need even more Harry Potter in my life on a day like this, so I turn on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (my favorite of the HP movies) while I do some online window shopping. P. is sitting next to me and studying. Pretty soon, we both abandon our tasks and are just watching the movie. I mean, how can you not?

7 p.m. — P. calls our favorite local pizza spot to order takeout for us (we decided that this would be my post-surgery dinner several weeks ago, lol). It’s ready in about 20 so we throw on jackets and make the five-minute trek to pick it up. P. treats.

7:30 p.m. — And we are back on the couch, Harry Potter on, and demolishing our pizza. I pair my Chicago-style slice with some snap peas and hummus (because: balance) and eat about half before saving the rest for another day.

8:15 p.m. — Around the third Triwizard task, a wave of sleepiness overtakes me and I tell P. I have to get ready for bed. I go and do that while he cleans up and washes dishes.

9 p.m. — In bed and super sleepy, but I still manage to do my nighttime journaling and read a few pages of HP before turning out the lights and conking out. P. is still awake for a few more hours after me, and I don’t hear him come in. Feeling so so grateful the surgery is now behind me and that all went well.

5:15 a.m. — I wake up at this ungodly hour, likely because I went to bed so early, but I keep laying in bed until around 6 a.m. hoping to fall asleep. No cigar, so I grab my phone and go out into the living room to avoid disturbing P. and do 30 minutes of scrolling before getting back in bed and trying once more to sleep.

7 a.m. — I give up on sleep once P.’s alarm rings and he starts getting ready for school. Instead, I roll over and read Harry Potter until around 8 a.m., which feels extremely luxurious. Then I finally get out of bed for real, make the bed, and do my morning routine of brushing teeth, Osea mist, rose quartz roller, and SPF. No work meetings today means no makeup. I also call my mom to update her on how I’m feeling post procedure. Overall, feeling very good but just have some light cramping (honestly less than I experience with many of my periods).

8:45 a.m. — I put on some comfy athleisure, light a Kona coffee candle, and do about an hour of very gentle, stretchy yoga using my very favorite Yoga with Adriene. She always helps me feel so connected to my body and reminds me to be gentle with myself, which I really need. I feel so zoned out and relaxed after, it’s incredible. Then I fold some dry clothes and put away our drying rack.

10 a.m. — Breakfast time! I make a smoothie with half an avocado, a scoop of chocolate protein powder, frozen spinach, almond milk, a dash of vanilla extract, and a pinch of Maldon salt. Delish! While I slurp on that I turn on the rest of HP from yesterday (P. gave me express permission to finish without him). After the smoothie, I paint my nails with a cute light blue polish and am done with that just as the movie finishes, which is extremely satisfying.

11:45 a.m. — I’ve been doing some personal life admin for the last hour or so. I paid off all my credit cards for the month, finally cleared my personal email inbox, and updated my payment method for therapy. Now I’m actually feeling like getting some work done, so I brew myself some decaf coffee in my French press (it’s a fact that a fancy beverage aids in productivity) and sit down at my laptop for some writing.

1:15 p.m. — I log off, feeling very proud of myself because I got a decent chunk of work done. It’s kinda nice to work when I’m technically off, just on my own terms and hours, and with no meetings or slacks to respond to. I decide to save the rest of the work for later in the day because I have a call scheduled with my brother (he lives abroad and we don’t get to speak much as it can be hard with the time difference). I want to walk while calling (anyone else incapable of sitting still on a phone call?) so I put on some sunscreen and sunglasses (it’s an unseasonable 80 degrees today!) and head out.

2:15 p.m. — Back from my walk and call. I’m feeling quite hungry so I make myself the quickest lunch that’s just leftover cheesy tomato beans from the other day over a few baguette slices, all heated up in a pan, served with some raw veggies and hummus. Boom, five-minute lunch. I watch Jaclyn Forbes vlogs on YouTube while I eat and then wash all the dishes in the sink.

3 p.m. — Okay, time to crank out some more work. I make myself a cup of pandan waffle tea (see note above about fun beverages and productivity) and get back into the writing zone.

4:30 p.m. — Done with work for the day! I wash my mug, tidy up my desk, do a few more life admin things, and get ready to go outside again and enjoy a bit more sun. I grab my Harry Potter book and go out to lay in a hammock that’s hung in our community. The best!

6 p.m. — I arrive back home, eat an apple, and call my friend B. We’ve had a standing catchup and movie night every two or three weeks since we were in college, and today after our catchup call, I choose The Emperor’s New Groove as our movie, mostly because it’s a short one, it’s easily accessible on Disney+, and I’ve somehow never seen it, lol. Halfway through the call, I start making a cauliflower garlic cheddar soup for dinner.

8 p.m. — P. and I sit down to eat the soup with some fresh buttered sourdough from a local bakery. It turns out super delish, and we also watch a couple of SNLs on YouTube to finish the night.

9 p.m. — I whip up a quick banana almond butter protein smoothie for P.’s breakfast tomorrow because otherwise he’s just eating cereal every day, then I head off to shower and get ready for bed while P. cleans up the kitchen and washes all the dishes.

9:55 p.m. — I am in bed and doing my journaling and reading. Lights out at 10:45 p.m.

7:45 p.m. — My alarm rings and P. comes in to say hey. He’s happily holding the smoothie I made him yesterday and tells me how good it is; he’s such a cutie. He’s already fully dressed and about to head off to school, so I kiss him goodbye and then start getting ready for the day. I really take my time today because I’m moving slow (I think my period started during the night but it’s hard to say because I also had some bleeding from the procedure. But I’m definitely feeling period-y symptoms). Same routine as the other days, and today I do my LED mask with my 10-minute Apple Fitness meditation. I also do minimal makeup of just Ilia skin tint today.

9 a.m. — I’m sitting at my desk and ready to be productive. My day starts with a meeting and then I dive into a bunch of other little work tasks that I need to knock out today.

11:15 a.m. — I tend to have less of an appetite on the first day of my period, so I skipped breakfast today, but I’m feeling pretty hungry now, so I just do an early lunch. It’s leftovers of my pizza from surgery day with some cucumber and hummus on the side. I turn on a YouTube video in the background while I eat. Then I wash all the dishes and clean up the kitchen.

12 p.m. — I finally have enough in my Thrive Market cart to get free shipping, so I go ahead and check out. I order from Thrive roughly once a month, just for certain speciality products and some essentials that are cheaper there. Since I’m on a roll, I also put together a meal plan and grocery list for next week, and then I transfer $500 to savings and $583 to my Roth IRA. Finally, I venmo P. this month’s portion of what I owe him for student loans and car. The backstory here is P. decided to pay off my student loans to help me avoid paying stupid amounts of money in interest, and he also paid for the majority of our car. This is because, at the time, he had a very large savings nest egg, and I’d just started my first full-time job and had barely any savings at all. Now, I pay him back once a month in a lump sum of $704.69 for the student loans and car, and he obviously doesn’t charge me interest. I know it’s a bit unorthodox, but it’s what works for us :) $72.13

12:30 p.m. — Back to work! I make the mistake of bringing my phone with me to my desk though, and I spend about 30 minutes on Instagram, ugh, but then I finally put it away and am able to crank out some productive work.

3:15 p.m. — I make myself an iced decaf coffee using the leftover French press coffee I made yesterday, with a splash of soy milk, to help me power through the rest of the work day.

5 p.m. — I emerge from my work bubble and am feeling extremely accomplished because I did everything I needed to do today! P. is also back home though we haven’t had a chance to catch up yet since I was focused on work. But now it’s the weekend! I ask P. if he wants to go for a walk with me and he says yes so out we go. I grab an apple to eat on the way because I’m getting quite hungry.

6:45 p.m. — That walk went wayyy longer than planned because we ran into a friend and chatted with him for a while. Once we’re back I turn on a Yoga with Adriene video. It’s one of my favorite more active and intense videos of hers, perfect for when I want a sweat and a challenge while still being super gentle on my body.

7:50 p.m. — Friday night is date night, and today is one of my favorite types of date nights. I throw together a very quick cheese board with crackers, fresh sourdough, a few kinds of cheese, salami, grapes, and nuts and we sit down to watch The Gorge on Apple TV. If we’re not going out to eat for date night, we’re almost always doing a cheese board and a movie. It’s the best.

10:30 p.m. — That movie was very okay. We both agree that the plot needed a bit more development, but it was still fun to watch, and Miles Teller and Anya Taylor Joy are both pretty hot, so we’re not mad. At some point during the movie I also pulled out the freezer chocolate pb dates and had one with some Four Sigmatic cocoa for dessert. So good! P. eats a few as well. After the movie, P. falls asleep on my lap on the couch and I scroll instagram for 15 minutes before getting up, cleaning up, and putting all the dishes in the sink (P. promised to do the dishes before bed) and go get ready for bed. P. and I are both in bed and lights go off at 12:15 a.m.

9 a.m. — Happy Saturday! I wake up alone because P. went surfing with some friends this morning, and I’m craving a slow morning in bed so I grab my phone and scroll instagram for 30 minutes. Then I read Harry Potter for a while before getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, putting on a Vuori set since P. and I are going hiking later, and then migrating to the living room to read some more. I eat an apple and finish Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. God that book hits even harder when you read it as an adult, especially in today’s times.

11 a.m. — P. is back from surfing and we both quickly get ready. It’s an exciting day today! We have an appointment with a ring designer at a place we’re considering for my engagement ring. We’re not engaged yet, but we decided to design the ring together in advance of the proposal, and then the actual time, place, circumstances of the proposal will be a total surprise. We started this process a couple months ago, but in the last couple weeks we’ve actually made real progress, and I’m getting really excited about our design.

12 p.m. — Well that was unexpected — P. ends up putting a deposit down for the ring! We just feel really connected to this jewelry store and we love the design we are working on, so it felt right. I check in with P. afterward to make sure he didn’t feel like he was put on the spot, since I know it’s a sizable amount for him, but he assures me that he has the funds and he’s really excited to take this step. We’re both kinda giddy and giggly after, and we just can’t believe that happened today!

1:30 p.m. — After our appointment, we’re both starving so we walk just a couple minutes over to one of our favorite SD coffee shops. I treat us to what may well be the best coffee drink in all of SD — iced pandan lattes with oat milk ($15.38). They taste like heaven and joy in a glass. After, we walk over to a taco spot we like and get some tacos and chips and guac to split ($36.35). Everything is delicious, and we both can’t stop smiling. $51.73

3:30 p.m. — We arrive at one of our favorite SD hikes, which we’ve done many times, but today we’re doing an extended version that roughly doubles the mileage. It’s gonna be a 6-mile round trip, but we’re both feeling well-fueled and excited for the workout.

6:30 p.m. — Yay, we finished the hike! It was absolutely lovely but definitely tiring. A lot of the hike was straight uphill, and our legs are feeling it. I will never ever take for granted that SD has so many fun nature activities like this that you can do year-round for free. It’s a really special place. We drive home, and I’m so hungry and dreaming about dinner. As soon as we step inside, I immediately put the leftover cauliflower soup on the stove and toss the sourdough bread in the oven to refresh it a bit. P. throws a load of clothing laundry in our building’s laundry room in the meantime (he covers the cost this time). Then we sit down to eat dinner while watching Doctor Strange — it’s my first time seeing it, as P. is slowly introducing me to the entire MCU.

10:30 p.m. — Done with the movie, and I really liked it! Way better than The Gorge, lol. P. washes dishes and cleans up and I go get ready for bed. Somehow I fall down a bit of a rabbit hole looking up fun recipes with cottage cheese. I also put on my Ole Henriksen chemical exfoliant mask for 10 minutes and then get in bed, Theragun my very tired legs, journal, and start Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Lights out at 12:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m. — I wake up so groggy and tired. I had a nightmare at some point in the night, and also woke up several times to pee. Definitely not the best night of sleep, but at least it’s Sunday! I do my Omnilux mask and a 10-minute breathwork from YouTube.

11 a.m. — P. and I need to run some errands this morning, but we decide to try a new-to-us coffee shop that’s close to where we need to be. I order a banana cold brew, and P. gets some kind of fancy mocha. He treats. My sleep-deprived cranky self is mollified.

11:30 a.m. — Next we hit up Target for some essentials (toilet paper, soy milk, cottage cheese, panty liners, etc.). The total is $81.24, so $40.62 for my half. Next we go to Ralph’s and TJ’s for food groceries. I cover all of it, since P’s EBT hasn’t refreshed for the new month yet ($127.55). $168.17

2 p.m. — We get back home, and I make us lunch using some leftover bakery sourdough. Avocado toast with soft-boiled eggs for P., peanut butter banana honey toast for me, plus some fresh berries. This is one of my most beloved comfort meals. We watch some SNL while we eat. After, I quickly prep some pickled red onions for tonight’s dinner.

3 p.m. — P. and I go out for a 40-minute walk just to get some steps in and have a checkin. We normally do these at date night, but Doctor Strange got in the way on Friday. We manage to hash out some thorny subjects, and I feel really proud of us for how much progress we’ve made in our communication patterns and just maturity with certain topics. I’m really lucky to be in a partnership where we’re both equally committed to growing and showing up as our best selves for each other, and this is never ever lost on me.

3:45 p.m. — Once we get home, I roll out my mat, change into workout clothes, and do a 30-minute core Pilates video on the Form app. Midway through the workout, we also turn on the TV to watch the Oscars. We haven’t seen too many of the nominated movies this year, but I literally never miss the Oscars — it’s the only awards show I watch religiously, mostly for childhood nostalgia reasons.

5 p.m. — I snack on a chocolate-covered date and some grapes, and then sample a couple spoonfuls of a blended protein mousse I made for tomorrow’s breakfast. It’s just cottage cheese blended with chocolate protein powder and topped with raspberries. Honestly, pretty good! I’m shocked because I’ve spent basically my whole life hating cottage cheese, but I guess tastes do change. I keep passively watching/listening to the Oscars while cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, then I wash my hair, and around 6:30 p.m., P. and I start making baked chicken tacos together from the Ambitious Kitchen cookbook.

8:15 p.m. — We eat dinner with a few SNLs since the Oscars are done by the time dinner is ready. The tacos turned out so delicious, especially with the cilantro yogurt sauce and pickled onions that I made to dress them up. Then P. cleans up, I make him some overnight oats for his breakfast tomorrow since he has a very early start, and then get ready for bed. I cozy up under the covers and read HP until around 11:45 p.m. when I force myself to go to bed. Bit late for a weeknight but the book was just too good.

7:45 a.m. — P. has to wake me up today because I fully didn’t hear my alarm, and I am DRAGGING this morning. I had another pretty tumultuous night of sleep — couldn’t fall asleep for at least an hour and then tossed and turned, had a nightmare, got up multiple times to pee, the whole shebang. P. and I have plans to get coffee later in the morning, and I cannot wait. I very slowly do my morning routine while listening to The Wellness Scoop podcast, put on Ilia skin tint and Tarte mascara, then do a very quick five-minute breathwork (I find even if I do five minutes of breathwork or meditation before starting work, I feel more motivated and productive all day). Then I hop into emails and slacks and take a couple back to back meetings.

10:15 a.m. — I pull out the blended chocolate cottage cheese concoction I meal-prepped yesterday and have that for breakfast topped with granola, cacao nibs, and raspberries. It’s quite delicious and filling, while still being very light. Then I try to be productive on some work tasks while patiently waiting for P. to come home from class so we can go caffeinate ourselves. (In the interests of full disclosure, I end up reading a Money Diary in lieu of any productivity, but it’s just one of those days.)

11 a.m. — Yayyyy coffee!!! P. drives us to one of our favorite coffee spots that’s very luckily a mere five minutes from us. I get a cold brew with a splash of oat milk, and P. gets an iced oat latte. I treat this time. The coffee hits my veins around the time we get back home, and I take advantage of the rush of energy to crank out some work. $10.25

2 p.m. — It’s lunch time! I make myself some cottage cheese, tomato, smoked salmon toast for lunch on sourdough bread, which turns out BANGING. Am I..... A cottage cheese fan now?! Then I make a quick smoothie for P.’s breakfast tomorrow and wash all the dishes in the sink. I also text a few friends to make plans for the coming weekend since I’m craving some friend time. After a not very social week, we now have a triple date KBBQ dinner planned for next Saturday, are hosting one of our couple friends for dinner at our place on Sunday night, and I’m grabbing coffee and taking a walk with another friend on Sunday morning. We go 0 to a 100 over here, what can I say.

4:15 p.m. — I head out for a walk and call my best friend M. to catch up. Our calls usually last at least two hours and span the full gamut of topics under the sun. This time is no different. We chat for two and a half hours about anything and everything, and after we hang up, I also call my mom and talk to her for about 30 minutes. I walk for about two hours during the phone calls and spend about an hour in a hammock soaking up the sun. It’s quite lovely.

7 p.m. — I finally get back home from my extra-long walk, snack on some grapes, and then finish up some work that I didn’t get to before my walk. Around 7:45 p.m., I put the baked chicken tacos in the oven to heat up (thank god for leftovers), and dinner is ready at 8 p.m. We decide to start watching Severance since I still have Apple TV, and we’ve been hearing some stellar reviews from our friends. After a delish dinner, dessert is one of the freezer dates and some berries, plus some Four Sigmatic cocoa.

9:30 p.m. — Well, the hype is definitely warranted. I’m pretty sure we’ve found our next show! We weren’t planning on watching the whole episode but the hour passed in a blink. Sign of a great show, I think! P. cleans up the dishes and kitchen, and I go shower and get ready for bed. We cuddle and chat in bed, then I journal, read a few pages of HP, and it’s lights out by 10:45 p.m. Goodnight, and thanks for reading!

“I would say, other than the surgery, this was a fairly standard week of spending. P. and I like to spend money primarily on food, coffee, and experiences — and we are lucky enough to live in a place where there’s plenty of free nature-based entertainment. It was fun writing this diary and comparing it to my first one, where I was just starting out with financial independence and living with P. in a new city. I’m really proud of how far we’ve come and definitely have noticed that we’ve become much more intentional with our spending and also saving for the future. I love the sweet little life we’ve built in San Diego, and I feel very lucky. Thanks for reading!”