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A Week in Queens On A $71,000 Salary

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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennial women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. (Thanks, New York mag, for the inspiration.)

Today, a woman working in city government, splitting everything with her husband.
Industry: City government
Age: 28
Location: Astoria, Queens
Number of roommates: 1 (my husband)
Salary: $71,000
Paycheck amount (2x a month): $1,615 (post-taxes and deductions automatically taken out of my paycheck)
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,125 (my half)
Utilities: $75 for internet and Con-ed, gas, and electric (my half)
Phone bill: $80
Gym membership: $20
Netflix: $0 — every Christmas, my stepmother's present to us is gift cards to cover a year of Netflix
Renter's insurance: $13 (my half)
Dog insurance: $26 (my half)
Dog savings to pay for the dog walker: $160 (my half)
Money for main savings account: $150
Personal travel savings: $50
Money for joint savings with husband: to use to pay for car insurance every six months and other random large joint purchases (i.e., Ikea trips and Hamilton tickets): $100
Monthly Metrocard (taken out of my paycheck automatically): $116.50
Union dues per month (taken out of my paycheck automatically): $72
Pension contributions per month (taken out of my paycheck automatically): $265
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