Occupation: Junior specialist
Industry: Academia
Age: 22
Location: Northern California
Salary: $53,100
Assets: $10,000 in government bonds (a gift from my grandmother for graduating); $12,000 in an investment account; $6,000 in a checking account.
Debt: $17,000 in federal student loans.
Paycheck Amount (monthly): $3,200
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $500 (I share a room in a two-bed apartment).
Loan Payments: $119
Health insurance: $36 (deducted from paycheck).
Union Duties: $64 (deducted from paycheck).
Gym: $45
Utilities: $40
Spotify: $5 (still on the student plan because of my school email).
401(k) Contribution: $350 (deducted from 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?
Coming from a middle-class immigrant family, there was definitely an expectation to go to college and to a degree, graduate school, as that’s what my parents have done. Given my interests, I would have pursued higher education even if money was an issue, which thankfully it was not. I’m lucky enough to have had enough financial aid to cover most of my tuition, and my parents covered anything left over, as well as housing and living expenses.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
There was definitely a sense of frugality when I was younger. My parents didn’t have as much of a financial safety net as they do now and I remember being told that even a dollar had immense value. My mom, being an accountant, is financially literate and taught me about budgeting, taxes, retirement and investment accounts.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I am currently working my first job as a junior specialist. I had actually planned on attending a master’s program before I met my current boss who persuaded me to join his lab. Since I’m planning on pursuing a PhD, it made more sense to work in my current position where I can learn more applicable, hands-on skills for research compared to classes in a MS program.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I have to admit I was quite sheltered as a kid and never had to worry about food or basic necessities.

Do you worry about money now?
I don’t worry too much about money. Though my salary isn’t terribly high for NorCal, I don’t mind living with a roommate or eating pasta most nights so my spending is comfortably within what I can afford.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
22. I have an investment account on top of a retirement account that my work handles. I’ve got a bit of money saved up in case of troubles, which frequently comes up with my 12–year-old death-trap car that I’ve already spent half its value on in repairs.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My parents pay for my phone bills and auto insurance. In return, I pay a tithe of 10% every month, which likely balances out. 

7 a.m. — Wake up. I’ve scheduled a call with my best friend from college who, unfortunately, lives on the other side of the country in the icy lands of NYC. She typically wakes up around 10 a.m., so the time difference is actually a boon for our different sleep schedules. Best way to start the day.

9 a.m. — S. (my bf) comes over. We planned to walk downtown (only a mile away) but I spotted an estate sale sign yesterday, so we head over. The yard is so full of people, it looks like a pool party. We decide that we have better things to do than stand around waiting to tour a house. A friend, R., told me about a book sale going on in Sacramento today, so we’re off to the state capitol in search of adventure. 

11 a.m. — The book sale is glorious — a warehouse of books (and not the overpicked selection of weird art books that are normally left at used book sales, either). There are a good amount of semi-popular authors, some of which were on my to-read list. I would never have left, but my depressingly small Nat Geo tote fills up in a very short amount of time (vampire books can get a bit chunky). $6

12 p.m. — We met up with R. and her friend K. at the sale — and since we are in Sac., the country’s brunch capitol, we end up at Kau Kau, a Hawaiian soul food restaurant. A couple slices of taro toast with guava jam and a couple stories of adulterous professors later, I am sated in both mind and body. S. and I drive back home, while R. and K. browse the antique shops next door. I do not want to be cursed by strange dolls, so I don’t dare buy any vintage items here. Sac. is somewhat close to where the Donner party died, after all. $22

4 p.m. — I played basketball yesterday and am now a certified convert. S. humors me with a game, but it’s clear v. early on that the height difference and skill makes for a terrible matchup. He is now handicapped by having to sing the alphabet song while playing. I get bored and ask to go on a run. We get a couple miles in before deciding to double back before it gets dark. The Strava gods are happy with my new year’s resolution progress: 6 miles done, only four more to go before the week is out. 

6 p.m. — I have perhaps overbooked myself this quarter: I’ve agreed to play tennis with B., so we are buying rackets at Big 5. I desperately want to buy the youth rackets to fit my small raccoon hands, but am dissuaded. We compromise and I buy a women’s racket in purple, my favorite color. Choosing sports equipment based on color may not have been the smartest choice, but I reason that the dopamine boost I get from seeing the racket should counteract any decrease in athletic ability caused by an ill-fitting grip. $33

7 p.m. — It is a long weekend so my roommate is out for a couple days. I take full advantage by asking S. to sleep over. I never want to sleep alone again. 

7:30 a.m. — It is the weekend but I am apparently a morning bird now. I putter around and read some books. Spend half an hour deciding what to wear (the pressure to dress well when hanging out with girlfriends is real). The result: black, ankle length dress with purple and yellow flowers with a square neckline (and a slit up the side that’s just a tad too high for comfort), paired with beige invisible stockings, and brown boots. 

10:30 a.m. — I walk downtown (~1.5 mi) as the sun’s out and I want to enjoy the day before it gets blisteringly hot and intolerable. I get there before the rest so I people watch and play a bit of Wordle (my streak is spotty and unstable). We get breakfast at a hole in the wall bakery (a cinnamon sugar bagel with cream cheese).  $4.50

11 a.m. — Walk over to the farmers’ market (the main attraction in this sleepy college town) where the fresh produce is divine, if out of budget ($4/lb for apples is robbery). In the end, I am tempted to indulge in a marzipan tart. $7

12:30 p.m. — I say goodbye to the girls as they head over to the lab to study and work (finals week — I’m glad to have graduated) and I walk back to my apartment to run some errands. I drive to the car wash ($3) then take the highway (unnecessary but it’s a free dryer) to the Trader Joe’s where I stock up on bland essentials — cabbage, carrots, etc ($19.70). I’ve been thinking about making my own coffee as I’ve been going to the coffee house nearly every day. End up at Target, staring at the 6 foot tall shelves where I think I can see the sugar-free vanilla syrup in the back, but at 5’1 there’s simply no way I can reach. Daydream about having S. back to marvel at his ability to grab out of reach items on shelves. Alas, I make do with caramel syrup instead, along with basic groceries like pasta, soy milk, etc. *sigh* ($18.33). $41.03

5 p.m. — Even though I’ve graduated, I’ve been trying to finish a textbook, so I study for a bit before heading to bed with an awful brain-rot rom-com (not going to include the name because I feel bad calling the author out like that). 

7 a.m. — Make my morning coffee and a PB&J. One of the things I splurge on is my assortment of exotic jams. Today’s special is elderberry jam from France, which I’ve never seen before nor heard of outside of fantasy novels. Very bright and tart. Go for a morning walk before biking to work.

9 a.m. — I’m actually on time today, since we have a lab meeting. Today’s outfit is a black mock-neck with beige floral print jeans — I’m trying to break out of the bland, dark-colored tech-bro style that our computational biology lab has fallen into, but it is oh so hard when you’re a messy eater and hate bleaching your clothes. 

11 a.m. — Meeting finished on time! Thank god the conference room is all booked up — if the next group hadn’t shown up to shoo us out, we might’ve ended up staying another hour. I grab lunch with some labmates H. and R. I have oatmeal (again) — I’ve been trying to learn how to cook better food with a new year’s resolution to try a new NYT Cooking recipe every week, but my cooking skills have yet to improve. Oh well. 

5 p.m. — Leave work and I make plans to bake cookies for S. with labmates. Unfortunately, we are all programmers and not bench scientists (who are well-versed in the art of following lab protocols, aka recipes, to a T), so we’ll see how well it goes. Baking turns out to be a logistical nightmare. Apparently you need not only white sugar and baking soda, but ALSO brown sugar and baking powder. 

6 p.m. — Light run with B. I ran a half marathon (on a whim) the other day, so I let B. decide the pace and distance today. Normally I am a menace, pushing to go faster and farther, but today I am all washed out and mellow as a slug. We end the run with a stop at Trader Joe’s to pick up some baking ingredients as well as some pizza dough and cheese. The Galentines Bakeathon is looking to be scrumptious! $30.76

8 p.m. — Even though I have a job and a degree, I still feel like a student given that I work in the same school, and feel that same old guilt at having free time, so I do a bit more work before crashing at 10 p.m. Guess the only part of me that’s aging is my sleep schedule. 

7:30 a.m. — I wake up and read for a bit before starting my day. Lately I’ve been obsessed with books about hackers so I’m reading Countdown to Zero Day. Bit depressing to find out how vulnerable our power grids and water systems are, but I vow to be extra vigilant about computer security from now on. I put on a caramel turtleneck and jeans with a beige colored fleece, sending a picture to my friend, who agrees with my assessment that turtlenecks look like a jester’s ruff, but she follows it up with “but it looks cute!”, so turtleneck it is. Plus it’s 38^oF out and my thin Californian blood is close to freezing.

9:30 a.m. — Thought I was late to work but am the first one in today! 

12 p.m. — More oatmeal for lunch. I need to learn how to cook something (anything!) else. Craving coffee afterwards, so I grab a cup of (school subsidized) coconut iced coffee and a strawberry yogurt muffin, which turns out to be the best muffin I’ve ever had in my life. $5.06

4 p.m. — Had a human genetics meeting earlier today. Was a bit bored and may have hid in the back and tried to do a bit of work. But the room was dark so who’s to say anyone was paying attention really. Walking back to my bike, I discover that amid the NIH budget cuts and precarious school budgeting for the next year, there is a new addition in front of one of the halls: a gorgeous wooden hammock and most amazingly, it is unoccupied. I skip over for a brief break from life. Listening to the best indie bands of the 21st century (Peach Pit, Backseat Lovers) while lying on a hammock is what life is all about. This is it: peak happiness. 

6 p.m. —  Testing out the rockwall with my friends Z. and W. Z. nearly sliced her finger off today so she is not climbing. W. has unlocked a fear of heights. We decide to play squash instead. I cannot hit the ball if my life depended on it. Squash balls defy the laws of physics. There must be some sort of spooky action happening here, some form of entanglement teleportation magic, because my hand eye coordination could not possibly be this bad. Oh well, it is what it is. W. is feeling unwell so Z. and I hit the stair masters for a bit of competition. Winner is treated to a free burger at In-N-Out. I win — the running has finally come in handy. I drive W. back home and head over to grab burgers with Z. Free burger, so no money is spent here!

8 p.m. — Another Trader Joe’s stop — I must spend at least 10% of my paycheck here. Standard groceries haul (frozen vegetables, bread, PB&J). Oh no, I’m still eating like a college student. If I’m going to be in grad school next year, there’s no point in revamping my life to that of a working adult. $17.86

7 a.m. — Wake up with pink eye, which sounds awful but is actually a blessing in disguise because pink eye is a valid excuse to work from home. I loll around in bed and read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In the same vein as people drinking coffee for an energy boost, I sometimes read strange books to tune my mood (a bit like the Tea Magic Personal Brewer that gives different emotion buffs in The Sims). Breakfast is a peanut butter + jelly + banana sandwich with a matcha latte. 

9 a.m. — Go for a short walk before work. I’ve found that without a bit of sunlight in the morning, I’ll be a half-asleep zombie for the rest of the day, so I’ve been taking myself out for walks in the morning, before and after lunch, and in the evenings. I might be part Dalmatian. 

11 a.m. — Come home and grind away at the terminal until my alarm goes off. I have a meeting with a professor about doing rotations next year. It’s only semi productive since the NIH budget cuts have really chipped away at confidence in funding. One of the (dangerous) perks of working from home is the thermos of caramel/matcha latte that I periodically refill until my caffeine levels reach critical levels and I cut myself off. I can almost trick myself into believing that I’m working at Google with unlimited coffee on tap. I grab a quick lunch of leftover pasta before heading back to work. 

2 p.m. — After staring at the screen for several hours, my eyes need a break, so I attempt to walk to the strawberry stand on the outskirts of town that a coworker told me about. The sidewalk ends before I get there so I turn back, but not before checking out a quaint little music store that sells sheet music in the same style that record stores sell vinyls. 

3:30 p.m. — I work work work until my legs start itching for a run, so I do a nice 3-mile loop. For dinner, I have cereal and a turnip cake that my friend made me three months ago, which I left in my parent’s freezer and have only just retrieved on my trip home last week. I read for a few hours before calling it a night. 

7:30 a.m. — Start the day with more Hitchhiker’s Guide — I thought it was such a strange book at first but it’s really growing on me. Grab my morning coffee and a PB&J before going on a short walk. 

9 a.m. — I love my 15-minute bike ride commute (perks of working at a uni in a college town!). Get some work done until I’m stumped, so I go out for a coffee. I’ve found that on at least half of my walks I’ll think of a solution to any problem I have, or it might just be the double shot latte jump starting my brain. $5.50

12:30 p.m. — Grab lunch with my labmates before we rush back to lab for a meeting at 1 p.m. A graduating student is practicing his presentation for job interviews. It’s a good snapshot of what people do throughout their PhD, especially since I’m going to grad school next year. 

5 p.m. — Finally finished! I was about to bounce out of my chair after sitting so long. I head home and decide to treat myself to fresh fruit along the way so I stop at Save Mart and grab their bogo strawberries. I demolish an entire pack once I get home. Oops. $7.65

7 p.m. — I’ve scheduled a call with my bff and decide to also walk to Trader Joe’s because I’ve been craving cereal. I’m tricked into also buying meatballs, oat milk, and cinnamon-coated almonds. $23.08

9 p.m. — Finally get home where I do a bit more work before showering and going to bed. 

8 a.m. — I’m getting out of bed later and later it seems, slowly losing the momentum and drive that I had as a student, though my diet hasn’t changed. Espresso and an oatmeal mug cake for breakfast. 

9 a.m. — Head to work. It’s a Friday, and everyone’s feeling the end of week lethargy. We chat about the Star Wars Hotel that closed a few years ago and do a leetcode question. 

12:30 p.m. — The only thing I’m getting done today is a meeting with some members of NOAA, who I’m working with as part of a virtual internship. It’s interesting but somewhat draining. My battery is depleted by the end so I head to Peet’s for a coffee — they have a special strawberry latte that I almost whispered to the barista out of embarrassment of uttering such a cheesy name. Strawberry coffee sounds a little strange now that I think about it. Will classify as a weird but surprisingly good food. $6.60

2 p.m. — Heading out for a late lunch with coworkers. We get crepes at an on campus dining hall — I have cheese, pesto, tomato crepe. I could definitely make this myself. I once again vow to learn how to cook better and healthier. $10.72

4 p.m. — Head home early as I’m not getting much done. I had some studying planned but my head is out of the game. I decompress by doing some origami, following a diagram from a textbook I checked out more than a year ago. Some of the folds require a level of mental gymnastics that I cannot accomplish at the moment. Mental relaxation break failed. 

5:10 p.m. — S. arrives for a moment together before he needs to leave for the weekend. I drive him to the train station. It’s dark and rainy, people are milling about on every street corner, and the train horn sounds right as I turn into the parking lot. Recipe for disaster, especially with my subpar driving skills, but S. makes it on time and I do not crash into any poor, unsuspecting pedestrians. I’ll count that as a win. 

6 p.m. – I come home and immediately curl up in bed with a book (Hackers by Steven Levy). I have a weakness for books about hacking (which, imo, is the modern-day superpower) and books by Wired journalists, so this book is a double whammy for me. Mmm, so good! 

“Since getting my first job, I’ve definitely been eating out more and indulging in shopping trips — but living on a college diet of pure carbs (pasta, oatmeal, bread) and frozen food is no way to live, so I think a little lifestyle creep is acceptable. That said, after seeing how much I actually spend each week, it is a little concerning — I think I’ll be cutting down on the number of coffee and tennis rackets I buy. Overall, I mostly eat out on campus, which tends to be about half the price restaurants would charge, and date nights with S. usually involve cooking together, so I think my spending is well within what my wallet can handle.”