A Week In Triangle Area, NC, On A $110,000 Salary

Occupation: Medical Writer
Industry: Pharma
Age: 25
Location: Triangle Area, NC
Salary: $110,000
Net Worth: -$106,000 (savings: $1,200, HYSA: $15,000, IRA: $2,600, 401(k): $1,500 minus debt)
Debt: $126,000 in student loans
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $2,856
Pronouns: She/they

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $466, water included (I live in an apartment with one roommate)
Student Loan Payment: $20
OrangeTheory: $119
Climbing Gym: $4
Utilities: $20
Internet: my work pays
HYSA: $2,000 or more (aggressively adding to this to use towards student loans after payments restart/I receive my $10,000 forgiveness)
HSA: $800
High Deductible Health Plan: $64
Cell Phone: on my parents' plan
401(k): $500
Roth IRA: $500
Spotify/Hulu: $10.74 (I get other streaming services through friends and family)

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?
Absolutely! There was never a point in my life where I didn't think I would go to college. It was never an option that I would do anything else and I was okay with that. I ended up going to undergrad and graduate school in-state and I paid for that fully through loans. I admit, I had no idea what I was doing with the loan process when I went into undergrad at 17. Now, on the other side when I'm starting to pay off everything, I'm wondering if I could've done something sooner to make this easier on myself.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents were always frugal, I'm guessing partially as a consequence of being immigrants who came here with "one suitcase and $300." Despite that, we never openly spoke about money. They passed their unspoken money philosophy onto me in a way that probably isn't the healthiest in the long run.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked at a pet store when I was a junior in high school. I got it because I thought it would be a good idea to start working somewhere. I didn't really spend much of the money I made there, though.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I never worried that bills wouldn't be paid or I wouldn't be able to eat. I did try not to need much in terms of clothes or money for sports/hobbies.

Do you worry about money now?
No. I can afford all my essentials and there's nothing I would want that I wouldn't be able to buy. I'm a single person with no responsibilities to anyone other than myself and my student loan payments. I'm in a good place right now!

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I'd say I'm just starting to become financially responsible for myself — I just graduated a few months ago and while in school I was fully reliant on family and loans. Even now, if I need anything, I know I can fall back on my parents.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My parents bought me the car that I use.

7 a.m. — So this is a weird week in my life — it's a holiday week so it's already short, I took a few days of vacation last week, and I've been housesitting/cat-sitting at the beach for a few weeks. I've lived in this town before and it's great to be back to see old friends and go to old favorite spots. I wake up early and make myself an egg and cheese sandwich.

9 a.m. — I log onto work and have a mini heart attack when I see how many emails are waiting for me. I was only gone for two days! Thankfully there aren't a lot of action items in those emails.

12 p.m. — I take lunch and buy a pumpkin cold brew from Starbucks. I then come back to the apartment, heat up leftover hibachi from the other day, and watch an episode of Hacks. $5.62

7 p.m. — Training sessions and meetings swallowed up the rest of my afternoon. After I get off work, I go to a class at OrangeTheory. Then I shower and finish the rest of my leftovers. I usually try to cook more, but it feels weird cooking in a stranger's kitchen with so many curious cats (and cat fur!) in my way. Plus, the cat owners are paying me to stay here, so I can afford to spend a little more.

9 p.m. — I'm taking tomorrow and the day after off in order to work as an extra on a TV show filming in my area. They require everyone working background to take a COVID test (they pay us $50 for it) at the studio the day before, so that's what I do. Then I go home and go to sleep — early morning tomorrow!

5 a.m. — I wake up Way Too Early to go to the location. I'm glad I found something to do on my time off; I only started working at my main job recently and don't feel like I've made enough yet to spend money or go somewhere on vacation. Still, I have to use my PTO days before the end of the year and I wouldn't want to take time off to do nothing. Plus, I make an extra $130 a day.

7 a.m. — They get us ready and then I eat a breakfast burrito they provide. I always love how much time I get to read when I'm working as background and today has been no exception. Right now I'm reading Verity by Colleen Hoover and it's good so far! Suspenseful and easy to read.

1 p.m. — We break for a basic lunch of chicken and rice. I'm glad to recognize a few people I worked with last week, so we get together and chat a bit about how everything is going. The scene they're shooting today is pretty dramatic, so it's interesting to see that play out in person. I have high hopes that it'll turn out well on TV too.

8 p.m. — After a long day of lighting delays and shooting the same scene over and over and over again (movie magic is a lot less magical when you're in the middle of it), we're finally done! I order Cava for pickup since I have no energy left. I go home, hang out with the cats, eat, watch some TV, and go to sleep. $14.41

5 a.m. — I wake up, get ready, and go to where they want us to park. Most of the productions I've worked on before have had coffee available for background actors if they have early morning call times, but this one has been lacking in the caffeine department. Thankfully, there's a coffee shop near holding. After going through wardrobe and hair, I get an overpriced vanilla sweet cream cold brew from a knock-off Starbucks kiosk. By the time I come back, breakfast is set out and I grab a chicken, egg, and cheese burrito. $6.43

2 p.m. — After an emotional big group scene, we get let out fairly early! They hand us take-out containers of cheese ravioli, lentils, and corn on the way out. I'm exhausted from the early wake-up times of the past two days, so I end up putting on the tv (Hacks) while scrolling through my phone for a few hours.

6 p.m. — I get up and get out of the house to get two gallons of water. Tap water here isn't the safest to drink due to GenX poured into the water supply by a certain company (unfortunately, I still drink it at restaurants/coffee shops, but the less exposure the better), and I used up the last of what was in the water cooler. I get the water free with Food Lion rewards.

8 p.m. — I get an email about a promotion at my part-time job that I was looking out for! I celebrate by eating leftover Cava, watching more TV, and then going to sleep.

7 a.m. — I work out at OrangeTheory and then stop by Starbucks on the way home for a caramel macchiato and a breakfast sandwich. I admit the only reason I choose those specific items was because Starbucks said they would give me extra stars for ordering them. Gotta love those free stars, which aren't really free at all if you think about it. Then it's back to work at my regularly scheduled job. So many emails to catch up with! $11.45

12 p.m. — A vintage shop near me is holding a sale, so I go there on my lunch break. They have a cool hat I might wear for Halloween for a Ms. Maisel look. Unfortunately, that's the only thing I found there. When I get back, I eat the rest of my leftover Cava. $5.34

6 p.m. — Looks like the outdoor market I was looking forward to tomorrow is preemptively canceled due to rain, and I don't really have other plans in mind. For some reason, having a whole day free with no plans stresses me out to an unusual degree. To console myself, I get a pitaya bowl and chia seed pudding from a smoothie bowl place for dinner. After, I watch some more TV and then go to sleep. $22.97

9 a.m. — After having last night's leftovers, I go to a coffee shop to work on a manuscript I've been editing for my part-time job (I do a few hours of research work a week for my alma mater and get paid $35/hour). So many authors have so many opinions on what needs to be changed and what would be good to add. I sort through all the noise and work in some of the suggestions. I order a pumpkin spice latte (first of the season!) to bribe myself into working. $7.21

12 p.m. — I have lunch with a friend at a Mexican restaurant. I'm glad I get to see her again before leaving this area tomorrow. She just had a baby, so it's interesting to see how her life has changed now. I'm quite impressed with how little sleep she seems to be functioning on. $15.79

2 p.m. — I get my hair cut. I usually don't pay that much for a haircut, but it was my birthday recently and my grandmother wanted to get me a gift. I don't need anything material in my life, so I told her she could get me a fancy haircut. The salon I go to serves coffee, the hairdresser seems to know what he's doing, and my hair looks nice at the end of it. Overall, great experience although I don't know if the cost translated into much better hair than I would've had otherwise. Still, not sure I'll want to go back to Great Clips after that if I can help it. ($54.35 paid for by my grandmother)

4 p.m. — As consolation for the canceled market, I drive around town going to different antique and vintage shops. It's great — it's like going to a history/art museum except I'm allowed to touch everything. I end up buying a dress on sale from the '60s. $10.70

7 p.m. — I grab Panera on the way home and spend the rest of the night hanging out with the cats and cleaning in preparation for leaving tomorrow. It stresses me out to think I won't leave the house clean enough. I'm normally not the neatest person, but the person I'm housesitting for is so sweet and the house was so spotless when I arrived that I don't want to leave it any worse than it was. $12.50

10 a.m. — I meet up with a friend at a brunch spot downtown. It's changed a lot since I lived here and it's not as good as it used to be. Maybe for the best; it gives me one less thing to miss when I go. I grab a pastry for the person I'm cat-sitting for on my way out. $25.58

4 p.m. — I arrive back to my regularly scheduled life in the triangle and lie down and do nothing for the next few hours. I'm sad to leave the small beach town, but I'm very glad to be back.

7 p.m. — I rally for a Hinge date. We go to a sushi spot half an hour from my apartment. He's nice, but the conversation feels stilted. He also seems to have a relationship with money that makes me a little uncomfortable. Like, he obviously makes a lot of money and doesn't mind spending it in a careless way. He talks about the future and alludes to me being in it. We've only had a few text conversations and only just met, so that adds to my discomfort. He pays.

10 p.m. — I go home and hang out with my roommate, B. We watch an episode of Echoes and talk about our dating lives (more specifically, how much our dating lives suck).

8 a.m. — Back to real life and my real job! I spent so much at Starbucks these last few weeks away that they gave me a free drink, so I end up going again for a PSL and breakfast sandwich. $5.11

1 p.m. — After morning meetings, project management things, and emails, I take a break to eat some leftovers from yesterday's brunch.

5 p.m. — Done! I go to a workout at OrangeTheory and am exhausted after. I ordered a week of GreenChef to try it out, and the box came while I was away. I choose to make a ricotta chicken and pesto green bean keto meal. Definitely a mistake ordering this meal — the food is good, but I still feel hungry after. $52.96

8 p.m. — B. and I watch another episode of Echoes, which isn't my favorite show but I kind of like talking about how stupid the concept is. Afterwards, she goes to sleep and I start a new book: The Starless Crown. The start is fairly interesting! After, I go to sleep.