A Week In New York On A $75,000 Salary

Occupation: Marketing coordinator
Industry: Fintech
Age: 22
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $75,000
Assets: Checking: $2,582; HYSA: $9,506; Roth IRA: $6,557; 401(k): $7,026.
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,183
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $2,200. I live alone in a one-bedroom that I rent, and I’ve lived in the same apartment for three years.
Loan Payments: $0
Wifi: $60
Con Edison: $80
Spotify Premium Duo: $16.99 (I pay for my sister as well).
401(k) Contribution: $312.50
Phone Bill: $21
iCloud Storage: $3
HYSA Contributions: I make these in large amounts whenever I find I have a cushion in my checkings account. I went on a trip last month so haven’t contributed recently as I am in need of funds.

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. Both of my parents immigrated to the United States to pursue grad school on full-ride scholarships. They both grew up poor and considered higher education to be their paths to a better life, and they instilled those values in me as well. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well in school and get into a “good” college. I attended university, which was fully paid for by my parents.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My parents were always pretty transparent with me about their finances, which was both good and bad. I had a good grasp of the importance of saving, building credit, etc, but my dad had a problem with gambling on stocks and we lost a lot of money due to that, which really stressed me out as a kid. As a result, I always feared investing beyond traditional retirement accounts and I’m still trying to educate myself more around that topic.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
It’s a bit non-conventional, but I started selling handmade things online in high school, just for fun. I wasn’t bringing in any crazy amount of money, but it was enough that I could fund my personal outings and shopping and to start building my own savings. I think it taught me a lot about being independent with money, business practices, and… taxes. I definitely spent my money on some stupid purchases and got scammed a few times, but it was a good learning experience to get out of the way.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes, my parents were transparent with their worries, so I felt that a lot growing up. They also both work in an industry that is prone to lay-offs. However, I never worried about not having enough to eat or not having a place to live.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes, especially being in a city with a high cost of living (I’m willing to make that trade-off though). I don’t think I have the best spending habits — I had a bit of a shopping addiction, which was also spurred by an unhealthy desire to keep up with my friends that come from very well-off families. I’m trying to do better with balancing the mindsets of “You’re still young, money will come back” and “Save today, secure tomorrow”.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially independent when I graduated college, but I know that my parents would always let me move back home if I lost my job or encountered serious financial issues.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My mom sends me $1,000 for my birthdays.

7:38 a.m. — Wake up seven minutes before my alarm goes off feeling surprisingly refreshed, so I get up and start preparing for the day. I drink a protein drink and do my skincare with some of my holy grails: Kiehl’s Calendula face wash, Caudalie Vinoperfect moisturizer, Envie de Neuf sunscreen. I spend a bit more time on my makeup than usual since I have a few events after work to attend.

9:05 a.m. — Hop off the subway and walk to the office. It’s super dreary out today. I grab a chocolate date bar from the kitchen and munch at my desk while checking my to-do list and diving into a few immediate tasks. $2.90

11:55 a.m. — Starving again and eagerly checking my phone to see if my friend A. wants to grab lunch soon. She works at a different company nearby so sometimes we get lunch together, but one of her meetings is running over. We end up grabbing some quick udon from our favorite go-to lunch special spot and debrief work shenanigans. $22.83

3:47 p.m. — I’ve finished my work for the day and just need to wrap up some deliverables for a 4 p.m. meeting with my manager and another member of our team. Fingers crossed that no issues arise and I can leave work early!

4:48 p.m. — Leave the office and take the subway downtown to film some content for an upcoming pop-up this weekend. They’re not paying me, but I get a decent chunk of store credit to spend… And hey, I have a hard time saying no to free stuff. $2.90

6:05 p.m. — I finish filming and end up spending more than the store credit given, so I pay the rest out of pocket (a real gotcha moment). I love the dress I bought though: it’s a flowy halter maxi dress that will be perfect for summer. $49

6:30 p.m. — My friend R. is graduating and the opening night for his class’ grad exhibit is today. I Citibike (I have an annual subscription under my company’s benefits) to my friend H.’s place to drop off my work stuff, then we buy a bouquet of flowers and head to the grad exhibit. $6.50

8:10 p.m. — It was so fun seeing all of the senior projects in one room and having the chance to explore them all. Of course I think R.’s is the best — he’s done an amazing job and I’m so proud of him, especially seeing his work evolve throughout the past few years. I am starting to get hangry though, so I rally a group of friends to go grab some pho and banh mi nearby. $17

10:22 p.m. — Finally home (Citibike again) and I am seriously pooped. I shower, do my nighttime routine, and cover my face and hands in Nivea creme. I do a little bit of scrolling on Reddit and end up going down a rabbit hole of influencer snark subreddits, finally knocking out around midnight.

8:30 a.m. — I sleep in a bit today since I’m working from home. Wash my hair with BondiBoost HG shampoo and conditioner, which I’m testing for the first time since I’m a bit fearful that my hair is thinning out.

9:03 a.m. — I log on and sip on a bottle of cold-pressed juice from my fridge. Not too busy today since a few people on my team are out of office, which gives me time to take care of my daily to-do list and set some focus time to work on a few larger projects that I haven’t had the opportunity to start on. As the most junior member on my team, I am definitely more susceptible to falling into day-to-day tasks and other people’s asks. My manager’s advice has been to block off focus time on my calendar, and I find it really helps me tune out the noise… At least for a little while.

11:50 a.m. — Tummy is grumbling which means it’s lunch time! I make a hearty sandwich with wholegrain bread, pepperjack, mayo, guac, tomatoes, oven-roasted chicken slices, and micro greens. My boyfriend, G., brought me some snacks from his work recently, so I eat some Hippeas and dried mangoes as well.

3:53 p.m. — I feel a bit of afternoon fatigue so I take some time away from my laptop screen… And look at my phone instead. I edit some of the clips from yesterday’s pop-up, film a quick voiceover, tag the brand, and hit post.

4:25 p.m. — Time to grab a little snack from my fridge! G. also brought me a mini apple pie from his work, so I heat it up — it is just the pick-me-up I needed.

5:10 p.m. — Some of the girls at my office have organized a happy hour today, so I quickly do my makeup and put on a knit tank top, jeans, and ballet flats to meet them uptown. We’re going to a Mexican restaurant for happy hour — I don’t drink so I’ll probably just order something to nibble on instead. $2.90

5:47 p.m. — Get off at the wrong station and have to walk an extra 10 minutes, but wow, is the weather nice! I guess I didn’t notice since I was inside all day. Once everyone is seated, we immediately begin spilling all the work tea. There are a few things shifting around internally at my company which we speculate about, and my friend Z. also shares some tidbits about her recent situationship that ended in disaster. In lieu of drinks, I opt to snack on some chips and guac, quesadillas, and BBQ shrimp (I cover half the happy hour on my company card, my coworker does the other half). $132.28 (Expensed)

7:30 p.m. — I take the subway home and text G. to see if I should stop by and say hi, since he lives a few blocks away from me. He says yes, so I go over to debrief the last few days. He eats dinner while I screenshare my phone on his TV and show him the TikToks I’ve liked recently, mostly cute animal videos (my fav) or beef between influencers (his fav). He does not have TikTok, so he gets his fix from me. $2.90

9:20 p.m. — Say bye and walk home, passing a few concluding happy hours on the way. Today’s hot shower feels extra nice and before I know it I’m curled up in bed. I’ll do a bit of scrolling and reply to some texts. Lights out before midnight!

8:15 a.m. — Wake up, morning rituals, drink a protein drink. Today should be pretty chill since my manager is out of office, so I put on some music and slowly work through some of my action items. G. sends me an apartment listing and I immediately email the broker to schedule a showing for today. We’re planning to move in together once both our leases are up in a few weeks, so we’ve been touring apartments regularly.

11:34 a.m. — I take a break from work to check my notifications, and see a new collab request from a brand I’ve actually made purchases from before, score! I also see the broker has scheduled an apartment tour for us later this afternoon, so I block off the time on my work calendar.

12 p.m. — Join a call for our team’s biweekly book club, we’re reading Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Today’s turnout is smaller than usual since a few people are out, but we have an interesting discussion nonetheless.

12:36 p.m. — I fix myself the same sandwich I made for lunch yesterday, and then snack on some dried mangoes from Trader Joe’s. My stomach starts to hurt shortly after, and I can’t tell if it’s a reaction from the sandwich-mango combo, or if my time of the month is coming soon. Check my period tracker app and realize it’s the latter.

3 p.m. — It’s time to start getting ready for the apartment showing, so I style my hair and put on some Haus Labs concealer, Flower Knows blush, and my fav Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Pillow Talk.

3:20 p.m. — I meet G. and we walk over to the apartment showing together. The apartment is gorgeous with skylights, in-unit laundry, and happens to be on the lower end of our budget, but there are a few dealbreakers — it’s a five-floor walkup, and basically an oversized studio. G. and I are looking for a bit more separation, since we both like having our own workspaces.

6:10 p.m. — Wrap up work and feeling pretty tired, so I throw together a simple dinner from leftovers in the fridge. Adding furikake seasoning makes everything taste better.

7:35 p.m. — Immediately after cleaning up, I grab a throw blanket and lumber over to my couch. I’ve agreed to attend a bar crawl tonight for my friend E.’s birthday, so I need some extra sleep. I’m one of those people that needs eight hours of sleep every night to function, so if I know I’m staying out late I’ll try to get a nap in.

9:30 p.m. — I wake up from my nap and start doing my makeup while mentally cycling through potential outfits. I land on a Miaou corset top, True Religion jeans, and vintage high heel boots.

11:26 p.m. — Truth be told, I did not have high expectations for the first bar… But the DJ is absolutely killing it! I could dance with my girls forever. Some guy challenges my friend to a dance battle and she politely declines. The birthday girl’s entourage has all arrived so it’s time to head to the next bar.

11:47 p.m. — We stop for a halal cart which kind of kills the vibe for me. I don’t want to order anything but now I’m hungry from the smell, and the prolonged break from dancing makes me acutely aware that my feet are starting to hurt.

12:33 a.m. — It’s officially E.’s birthday, woo! We are a huge group of both guys and girls so we have a bit of trouble with entering the second bar, and once we do I quickly realize I hate the vibe. I lose the birthday girl in the crowd and can’t find her again, so I say bye to the friends I do find and make my exit. I walk home since I don’t live too far away, but my feet are killing me.

2:05 a.m. — Remove makeup, brush teeth, shower, knock out.

9:49 a.m. — I wake up without an alarm and scroll in bed for a while, then I call my mom to discuss an upcoming trip we’re taking to visit my sister in a few weeks. I get out of bed and munch on a breakfast bar as we chat through the details.

11:10 a.m. — I make myself half of my signature sandwich and start getting ready for the day. Wash my hair with the BondiBoost shampoo and conditioner, then meticulously curl it with my Dyson Airwrap.

1:25 p.m. — Step outside for the first time today and it is HOT. I don’t need to look in a mirror to know that my curls are already falling out. I walk over to G.’s apartment and we immediately leave to make our first stop at a milk tea shop. We stop by this place on a weekly basis and I usually cover for both of us since G. gets most of our other food throughout the day. $18.49

2:47 p.m. — We check out a few weekend pop-ups I saw on social media, avoiding the ones with major lines. I will be a hater and say I do not understand why people line up for hours for a little bag of free stuff. The heat is making me more irritable than usual so we pop into a few more stores to window shop and bask in the AC, then we start making our way uptown.

4:15 p.m. — There’s a new smash burger place I’ve been wanting to try, so we walk over and order two burgers, two fries, and an iced lemonade. It’s really good and hits the spot, but I wouldn’t rank it in my top five burger places in the city. G. covers, and we walk to a nearby park to hang out in the sun and people watch.

6:20 p.m. — We take the subway downtown and head back to G.’s place to recuperate. The evening sun is coming in nicely from his bedroom window, so we cuddle and take a short nap. This is what Saturdays are all about! $2.90

8:27 p.m. — The sky is dark already but we haven’t eaten dinner yet, so we speed walk to get poke bowls before the place closes. We bring the bowls back to G.’s place and eat while watching Mamma Mia!, which I’ve actually never seen before. I force G. to dance with me to the songs.

11:08 p.m. — G. and I have been really into this multiplayer phone game, so we play a few rounds and I get annoyed because he’s being competitive about it. I switch to scrolling on my phone, and then we both hit the sack around midnight.

8:29 a.m. — I wake up from some cracks of sunlight streaming in through the window. Turn around to see G. undisturbed in his enclosure — eye mask, bonnet, and retainer — so I turn back around and get in a few more minutes of sleep.

9 a.m. — G.’s alarm goes off and wakes me from a short dream I’m having about… a pet mouse? I slide out of bed and drink a protein drink from his fridge while he eats his meal-prepped breakfast. I brush my teeth, wash my face, and use his skincare. We hang out on the couch and play the NYT mini games together.

10:12 a.m. — We leave at the same time — G. heads to the gym and I do the walk of shame home in yesterday’s outfit. My apartment is kind of a mess from running around the past few days, so I spend two hours deep-cleaning and also take my clothes and sheets to the laundromat. I’m kind of stressed out about storage solutions once I move in with G., since I have so much stuff from living in the same apartment for multiple years. I sort out some old clothes and things into donate and sell piles.

12:35 p.m. — I make pasta using Banza chickpea pasta (best healthy pasta I’ve ever tasted), chicken sausage, onions, and vodka sauce. I have a Yasso bar for dessert!

3:12 p.m. — I’m feeling so exhausted, and I hate to be the girl that always blames things on her cycle, but I think it’s a symptom of my upcoming period. I treat myself to a nap. Since my sheets are in the wash, I pull out a throw blanket and fold it over on my bare mattress.

5:05 p.m. — Wake up sweating and check my phone to see texts from my friends H. and D. I actually ran into D. on Friday during my night out, and we made a verbal promise to catch up today. Our mutual friend H. is finishing a workout class near my apartment, so we agree to grab a casual dinner together. I go to pick up my laundry before we meet up, and pay in cash for a slight discount on the wash-and-fold. $27.15

6:47 p.m. — We meet H. at her workout class and walk to get dumplings together at one of my favorite spots. It’s sunny but windy, and I feel a bit chilly in my jeans and tank top. Luckily the dumplings warm me up, especially when covered in ample amounts of chili oil. We split 20 dumplings, noodles in peanut sauce, and cucumber salad. I venmo for my share. $6

7:34 p.m. — Can’t forget about dessert! We get fruit teas nearby and head back to my apartment to continue chatting. A.’s crush just broke up with their partner and has been hanging out with A. almost every day since. We caution A. about the rebound potential, but it looks like things will get messy regardless. (Update: A. got rejected by his crush.) $8.70

9:25 p.m. — Say bye to my friends and hop in the shower. I use a Torriden sheet mask and gua sha my face after. I’m so ready to curl up in bed and read a manhwa. I start on The Gwichon Village Mystery which was a bad idea, it’s scary af. Lights out before midnight.

8 a.m. — Wake up to my alarm, do my morning routine, eat a breakfast bar. Monday mornings are usually pretty slow so I just prep my to-do list and check off some routine weekly tasks.

11:33 a.m. — Wrap up our marcomms sync and now I suddenly have multiple tasks in the hopper. I get to work on prepping emails, communications, and other time-sensitive assets.

12:35 p.m. — Take a quick break to make some mac and cheese with broccoli and leftover chicken sausage. I check my phone and see that G. has sent over some Streeteasy listings that were posted today, so I discuss with him via text, then email the brokers to inquire about tours for the apartments we’re interested in.

2:12 p.m. — My period has started. The first day is always the worst for me so I take a break from work to roll out a yoga mat and stretch a little. My cramps get worse so I lay on the couch for a sweet, sweet minute. Then back to work.

5:44 p.m. — Work wraps up! I really don’t want to do groceries, but I’m running out of things in the fridge and the weather is semi-decent today, so I grab two big tote bags and head out the door. I usually like to pick two meals for the week, buy the ingredients, and only make those two meals the entire week. This week, I buy ingredients for salmon fried rice and pesto pasta. I also pick up some yogurt, breakfast bars, ice cream and a frozen meal (just in case I get lazy). $115.80

6:30 p.m. — I arrive home and put my groceries away. My cramps act up again so I end up heating up the frozen meal and eating some yogurt with a drizzle of yuzu honey.

7:18 p.m. — I check my personal email and reply to some brand enquiries, then I record a voiceover for a video I’ve already filmed and post it. The rest of my night is spent taking a hot shower, laying in bed, and FaceTiming G. to complain about my cramps. I sleep early since I’ll be going in office tomorrow.

7:45 a.m. — Good thing I went to bed early, because I woke up in the middle of the night sweating from a bad dream. Does anyone else get crazy temperature fluctuations on their period? I roll out of bed and do my skincare and makeup. I’m keeping it casual today with a Babaton wrap blouse, my mom’s vintage black denim, and some loafers. Hop on the subway to the office! $2.90

9:07 a.m. — I make myself some tea in the kitchen and eat a chocolate date bar while scrolling through emails. Make small talk with some coworkers and chat about past weekend happenings.

11:35 a.m. — My coworker and I leave to beat the lunchtime rush and grab burrito bowls (expensed by our company). We have a meeting at noon with some West Coast team members so we quickly eat and hop on the call. $16.15 (Expensed)

2:21 p.m. — I text my friend S. to confirm plans for tonight — we used to work together and we’re still great friends, so we hang out regularly. She has an upcoming wedding to attend and wants me to do her nails. She sends over some nail inspo pics, and I browse Pinterest for some additional ideas to bounce off her.

4:50 p.m. — I leave work a little early to prepare my apartment for S. I’ve been doing my own nails for years, but I still get nervous doing other people’s nails since I work so slowly. S. arrives and we confirm gel polish colors and the design she wants. I am sweating at first, but we start yapping and things go a lot smoother than I thought they would! S. loves them. $2.90

6:52 p.m. — In return for doing her nails, S. treats me to a pedicure at a nearby spot. We meet our mutual friend Z. at the salon and it’s pretty busy for a Tuesday evening. S. had made an appointment so we’re all seated in chairs immediately, but it takes a while for all of us to get our pedicure done. It’s no big deal since the nail ladies are super sweet about the wait, plus the three of us have much to discuss. Two of the nail stylists compliment S.’ nails and she proudly tells them they were done by me, hehe.

8:20 p.m. — We’re finished with our pedicures and starving. I know an empanada spot nearby so we each grab one and then head over to a sushi restaurant for round two. Z. tells us about some crazy drama in her friend group, and I gobble up some salmon and avocado rolls. “Life Is Worth Living” by JB plays in my head. Can’t wait to go home and knock out after this. $31.12

9:23 p.m. — I walk the girls to the nearest subway station and say bye! Once I arrive home, I shower, do my skincare, and text my sister. I do a bit of scrolling and hit the sack.

Conclusion:
“I think I did pretty well this week! The majority of my expenses came from eating out, and I didn’t spend excessively on clothes or beauty, which is what I usually have trouble with. Recording the dollar amount for each day made me more aware of how much I was spending in certain categories already, so I would make a mental note to rein it back in other categories. Looking back on this a few weeks later, I definitely reduced my spending on food after this diary was written (also this ridiculous heat recently makes me not hungry or eager to leave my apartment at all). I did end up selling my clothes at Crossroads Trading this weekend and made $160 cash, which I’ll probably spend on other clothes again, oops. And one last update on the apartment hunt: We ended up finding a two-bedroom apartment near where we currently live, and I’ll be paying around the same as I do for my current apartment.”