A Week In Chicago, IL, On A $57,500 Salary

Occupation: Analyst
Industry: Finance
Age: 22
Location: Chicago, IL (I'm remote working, my office is based in Dallas)
Salary: $57,500 + discretionary bonus (last year was $5,000, but taxed and pro-rated by start date)
Net Worth: -$1,522 (Roth IRA: $4,876.57, Roth 401(k) (company does not match): $8,494.61, Marcus High Yield Savings Account: $3,367, minus debt.)
Debt: Student Loans: $18,260.93
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): ~$1,480
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $900
Utilities: $50
Bright Cellars: $90
Phone Bill: $99
Hulu, Netflix, Spotify, Washington Post: $100 (I pay for these for my family to use)
Donations: $175 (my college gets $25 monthly, other is discretionary)
Amazon Prime: $119 (annually, pay for my family's use as well)
Savings: $560 (I was saving about twice this before I moved out on my own)
401(k): 16% of my paycheck

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, there definitely was an expectation. My parents always said how much they sacrificed for our education and they expected us to be the best. They were not financially well off growing up, but worked really hard in school and always saw that as a "way out" and a means to become successful. There was a lot of pressure to do well academically. I graduated from college in 2020. I received a lot of financial aid because my family is low income, I worked multiple jobs, and took out some loans to pay for school.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We talked about money a lot due to financial pressure. We were often told about all the sacrifices that were being made for us. My parents put a lot of pressure on making sure we got good jobs so we could afford things and be "successful" which basically meant being wealthy, renowned, and "well dressed." My mom talked a lot about aggressively and efficiently saving and investing. Talking about money and financial literacy was like a bonding point for us. My mom saved a lot, but also complained about giving my father her money for investments that didn't pan out and his poor and unethical financial management skills.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was babysitting and I got it to save money for college.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes, all the time. I always felt guilty about how much things cost and I was constantly reminded how much my parents gave up for my siblings and me. I was also always worried our utilities would be shut off or our house would go into foreclosure.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes, I have a lot of financial anxiety. In adulthood, I try to always have more than one job because it gives me anxiety to not have multiple streams of income.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself when I was about 19. I paid all of my own bills at that point and also some bills for shared family expenses. I have saved enough to have a safety net and regardless of how toxic and emotionally taxing it would be, I do have the ability to stay at my family's home as long as it stays in their possession.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My siblings and I used to have saving bonds from family members, but we never got to see them because once they matured, my father cashed them out. My uncle donated his old car to me so I would consider that an inherited item.

6 a.m. — I wake up at 6 because I forgot to turn my daily alarm off. I go back to sleep until my first meeting at 10.

9:50 a.m. — I get up and get ready for work. It turns out my back-to-back meetings for this morning have been canceled, so I organize my room. I recently moved into an apartment in this house for the summer. I'm here for three months on a sublease to decide if I actually want to stay in Chicago (where I grew up). I moved home after college because of the pandemic and now I have to decide if I want to stay here or move elsewhere.

11 a.m. — I make a list for a Target run. I coached volleyball this past year and my players got me a Target gift card to say thank you, so I'll use it for apartment stuff. I'm also thinking of getting new nipple piercing jewelry. I've never been huge on jewelry, but last summer, I ripped the bandaid off and did something I had been thinking about for years and got my nipples pierced, AHH. I believe they're healed, so I look up the best tattoo and jewelry places in the city. I don't indulge my urge and just bookmark the page for later.

1 p.m. — I feel guilty ordering delivery, but I'm also feeling emo, so I order Shake Shack. $20.02

8 p.m. — I FaceTime with my fake boyfriend. We drink and bake brownies. I eat leftover green beans and bok choy while they bake. We've been seeing each other long-distance for a year and a half, but whenever we get to the DTR phase, we take a break because he doesn't want a "serious relationship." It's taken time, meeting other people, and a lot of talks, but I've reached apathy and am okay with however things turn out. I tend to get very emotionally attached, but a switch just went off, maybe I've just reached my threshold of hurt. I don't feel as emotionally helpless or controlled by him this time around. We head to bed around midnight

6 a.m. — I log onto work, get some things done, and then call in sick. I take the day to have some me-time. I get a lot of anxiety when my to-do list is too long. I have to go to target, do my laundry, do an interview, it's never-ending. Also, my new roommate is moving in today. I'm sure she's nice, but I will miss having this part of the apartment to myself. I get going for my errands so I make sure I can get to my wax appointment at 2 p.m.

2:30 p.m. — I don't get the wax. I missed the nine-minute grace period and I am very sad and upset. I went very out of the way to find this appointment and I overestimated the closeness of my parking spot to the facility. Sigh. I miss my appointment but still have to pay for parking. $5

3 p.m. — I go to my family's house to see my mom. She's late getting home from work, so I eat some leftovers and watch TV while I wait. I have an interview for a job and they email me asking me to come into the office for the interview. They also ask me to produce vaccination records or a recent negative test. I find a place nearby to get a rapid test, but I'm stressed.

4 p.m. — I have a call with my therapist, but I don't really like her because she yells at me and I do not feel good about our conversations. I end up ending things with her on the call. Ironically, it feels therapeutic to end things with her. My mom gets home and braids my hair (I have super dense 4c hair and my mom is the best at getting my braids flat, which I need for my interview wig tomorrow).

7 p.m. — I go get my COVID test and then go to play volleyball with my club team. We get drinks after, but one of my teammate's boyfriends pays the bill. I head home and go to sleep.

6 a.m. — Before I can even log in and ask for time off, my manager texts me saying it's okay for me to stay off, yay. I go back to sleep real quick then get up for my interview. If you're wondering why I'm taking two sick days in a row, I'm planning on leaving the firm soon and vacation days get paid out, but sick days don't, so I'm using these up.

10:30 a.m. — I drive in and get to my interview on time. I meet the whole team and then they take me out for lunch. They pay for lunch, but when I get back to my car, I have to pay for parking. $35

2 p.m. — I get back home and the company calls me with an offer! They tell me the salary and I ask for $5,000 more. She calls me back in less than 10 mins and says they can meet it! The salary is 30% more than my current salary and this company matches 401(k) immediately and provides monthly payments of student loans. I sometimes feel guilty and nervous about asking for more money, but I also know as a young black woman, I MUST. I work in DEI and I would be remiss if I didn't take my own advice and advocate for myself. After the phone call, I schedule a gynecologist visit to get STI screening, because yes, hot girl summer, but also safe girl summer.

6 p.m. — I'm supposed to play beach volleyball with my sister and her friends, but they all cancel, so I do too. I make reservations for brunch and birthday dinner with my dad and then look for places for my mom's birthday.

9 p.m. — I go to Target and am expecting the gift card to be $20 or $40, but it turns out to be $80! I get a lot of stuff for the apartment and then some tea and soup. I spend $24.32 after the gift card. $24.32

6 a.m. — I log into work with a smile because I know I'm putting in my notice soon. I have a meeting then I make a cup of chai and run into my new roommate. She's cool and we talk for over an hour. My brother texts me and we have a really deep heart to heart about our family and mental health. I truly wish we all could have seen a mental health professional as kids. I have always been really depressed, anxious, and suicidal, and finding a therapist now is way more frustrating than dealing with the issues themselves. My brother says he's tired of diagnoses and wants solutions. I tell him I'm looking for both.

2:30 p.m. — I make some eggs for lunch with mushrooms, onions, and chives. My little sister asks for Chipotle and she is recovering from a rough surgery, so I indulge her and Venmo her $10 for lunch. I also get another phone call from a different company with another job offer, yay! I interviewed for three different roles at the firm and they are allowing me to choose between the three. $10

4 p.m. — The volleyball game I was supposed to play in tonight gets canceled and thank goodness because I'm exhausted. I lay down for a nap.

8 p.m. — I wake up and realize I slept for four hours. I heat up a bowl of soup for dinner. I get a text from this guy who slid into my DM a few weeks ago. He is super nice and we have an amazing conversation. I'm trying not to get too invested or attached too early because that never goes well.

2 a.m. — I haven't been able to sleep and am feeling a deep mood swing. I order late-night shawarma and watch Legacies. $21.03

9 a.m. — I wake up around 9 to a payment of $2,750 deposited in my account for coaching club volleyball! Yay for multiple streams of income. I usually coach lessons too, but I took this month off to move and also to avoid burnout. Something I have been working on in this post-grad transition is accepting it's okay to have free time. I watch The Financial Diet on YouTube to have some chill time.

11 a.m. — I schedule $1,370 from my deposited paycheck to go into my Roth IRA next week. This will finish maxing it out for the year.

1:30 p.m. — I make myself a chai tea latte with oat milk and sit for my last call of the day. I order some cookies from Crumbl for my roommates and myself. $22.89

4:45 p.m. — I'm a good little adult and do my dishes and cook food to meal prep for the upcoming days while listening to the most recent episode of Call Her Daddy. I cook a rack of lamb in my cast iron skillet and then chicken and mushrooms both with rosemary, thyme, garlic, shallots, and chives. I eat dinner and reflect on the fact that I could save a lot of money if I moved back home, but I know that it would be VERY DIFFICULT emotionally. My sister sends me a personality quiz to take and I get INFJ-T or "the Advocate." I go to bed around 10:30.

7 a.m. — I wake up early, get clean, dressed, and ready and then go to a vaccination site. Chicago is doing this thing where you get vaccinated in exchange for a Lollapalooza ticket, so I registered myself and my mom a while ago. We go to the site and they're only giving Johnson & Johnson and we don't want to take that one because we are in the prime risk group for the severe side effects of the vaccine. We leave and I fill up my car with gas. $20.14

11:30 a.m. — I'm supposed to go to brunch with my dad at 2:30, but he cancels, so I ask my friends to join me instead. I head to my friend's apartment to help him move some furniture. I pay for parking then head home to get ready for brunch. $4.83

2:30 p.m. — We get to brunch. The reservation was set as a birthday reservation so even though my dad isn't here, we get complimentary celebration shots! $118.47

5 p.m. — I spend the evening chilling with a friend. At one point, we go out and grab pizza from a neighborhood spot. $30

9 a.m. — I get up and hang out around the apartment.

2:15 p.m. — My fake boyfriend wants to FaceTme, so I do that and after we finish, I get dressed and walk around my neighborhood, window shop, and go grocery shopping. I get shrimp, scallops, and vegetables. $40.47

8 p.m. — I spend some time talking to my roommate about her boy problems and helping her write texts to this guy that keeps blowing her off.

10 p.m. — I go down a YouTube rabbit hole about mental health, toxic family dynamics, healthy family dynamics, BPD, and narcissism. I think more about whether or not I should move back home to save money even though it's a toxic environment. I also wonder if I should stop wasting time on fake boyfriend. I eventually fall asleep in the early morning.