A Week In Raleigh, NC On A $113,000 Salary

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Occupation: Program analyst
Industry: Government
Age: 30
Location: Raleigh, NC
Salary: $113,000
Joint Income/Financial Setup: n/a
Assets:
Car value: $18,510
Vanguard brokerage account: $57,415
Marcus HY savings account: $20,199
TSP (government version of 401k): $88,594
Debt:
Car loan: $11,598
Paycheck Amount (Biweekly): $3,231
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $1,316 for a one-bedroom apartment.
Loan Payments:
Car payment: $536
Google storage: $3
Oura: $6
Netflix: $8
Spotify: $13
WeGlow (workout app): $15
Union dues: $41
Phone: $55
Internet: $60
Car insurance: $80
Utilities: It varies but around $120
Pension: $384
TSP (government version of 401k): $872

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?
There was an expectation for me to attend higher education because I was unusually academically gifted in my family — straight As, honor roll, etc. If I hadn't performed like that academically when I was younger, I'm not sure if the expectation would have been there as much. I'm sure my paternal grandma would have expected it of me regardless, but I'm not sure about my parents since they didn't attend college themselves. I attended a four-year university and it was completely free. The university had a generous financial aid plan that was simply based on your family's income, so we didn't have to pay anything.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
We didn't really have conversations about money other than “yes, you can have that” or “no, we can't afford that” that I can remember.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
Technically my first job was as a camp counselor, but it was just a two-week-long day camp. I got it because it was fun/easy and my aunt ran the camp so I didn't have to apply. My first real job that I count was working part-time at my local State Park. I collected the fee for day passes, set up people's camping reservations, checked them in, and answered phones. I got it to have more spending money and start saving my own money.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Not really. I knew we didn't have a lot but we always had enough. I definitely worried about it when applying to colleges, but got very lucky that I didn't have to worry about it once I was accepted.

Do you worry about money now?
I'm a little bit more worried than usual at this very moment due to the Government shutdown (I'm furloughed) and my job going from extremely stable to fairly unstable with the latest administration change. Other than this, I think I feel pretty financially secure, usually, but worry that I'm sometimes not saving enough. If I did lose my job for some reason, I have enough saved that I would be fine for a bit.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself once I went to college at the age of 18, besides staying with my parents over winter break and portions of my summer break. I have a financial safety net in the form of my own savings. If it ever came to it, my parents would let me live with them, but they wouldn't be able to cover the cost of my current living conditions/lifestyle.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Yes! My grandma invested her money and became a millionaire just from her investments. She very generously gifted me 50 shares of Tesla. It was about $50K when she gifted it. I sold them all in 2025 when Elon Musk decided to get involved in politics (I blame him for the fact that I can't work remotely anymore as a government worker). I then bought other stocks with the money. I'm also expecting to receive a ~$100K inheritance because the same grandma passed away in 2025.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up sans alarm, get up, throw on sweats and walk my dog, B. It's a Tuesday, but I got furloughed yesterday! It's day 20ish of the government shutdown, so I'm super lucky to have lasted this long without getting furloughed. I got one full paycheck and am guaranteed one more. It was really stressful being at work and never knowing when the furlough notice was going to come — typically we'd get a heads up, but this time around they gave us no information and just told us to take our laptops home every day to “monitor our work status.” So at this point I'm honestly relieved to be furloughed. I have a chill morning, do my “morning pages” for the Artist's Way. It's a book/10 week program for “higher creativity.” The morning pages are three pages of journaling every morning. I make avocado toast with pepper jelly and an egg, my go-to breakfast.

8:30 a.m. — I run four miles at an 8:40ish pace which is a 5K PR for me! I'm pretty pumped about that since I wasn't even trying, but then worry I shouldn't have gone so fast since I'm running the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend. Oh well! After my run, I stretch a little, throw on a sweat shirt, and grab B. to go to the pet store. I buy his allergy supplements, three bully sticks, and three tennis balls. Then we head to the dog park to play fetch. For lunch, I have a Greek bowl that I meal prepped — lentils, roasted veggies, tzatziki, hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, and Greek dressing. I read my current book, All Fours by Miranda July, while I eat. $37.00

1:00 p.m. — I head out to Target to get some things I need — peanut butter, a sewing kit, upholstery cleaner, tinfoil, a frozen pizza (with pickle and potato chips as toppings, YUM), and chamomile lavender tea. My only impulse purchase is an orange cream Poppi which I drink while I shop. Then I walk over to REI to get more Nuun electrolytes and energy gels. I'm all out and need eight for the marathon on Sunday! I buy 10 because you save 10% when you buy at least 10. My total comes to $27, but I have $7 in credit on my REI card. $58.00

3:00 p.m. — When I get back, my dog is antsy and it's beautiful outside so we go for a 30-minute walk on the greenway. Then I start sewing my Halloween costume. I had gone to a friend's house to work on it and used her hot glue gun to attach my felt peanuts and stars to my purple cape (guess the costume!), but the glue ended up not sticking so I decided to sew them all instead. It's tedious but I like doing tedious work with my hands, and now I actually have time since I'm furloughed. I play my newest record, "Highway 6" by The Beaches, while I sew. When it runs out, I put on a record by Del Water Gap.

5:00 p.m. — I put away the sewing stuff, do a 20-minute Pilates ab workout with the app WeGlow, and then take a shower. After my shower, I walk B. and feed him dinner. I make myself dinner — heat up the “tofu tenders” I made the night before and make a salad of sautéed kale, tomatoes, beets, and lemon juice. I check signal (my union has a group chat) and Reddit while I eat to stay up to date on any shutdown news. Surprise, there is none. After dinner, I put on Gilmore Girls and do some more sewing until 8. Then I walk my dog one more time, make lavender chamomile tea, read a little, and get ready for bed.

7:10 a.m. — I wake up to B. whining to go out. It's only my second day of furlough and I'm already sleeping in! I'm grateful to be getting extra sleep the week of my marathon, but also know that this is going to make the 4 a.m. wake up on race day even harder. I get dressed and take B. for his morning walk. Then I grab a thermos and my keys to head over to the computer room which has a free coffee machine. I ran out of Nespresso pods and I like to buy a bunch at once, it's expensive but lasts a while — but not knowing how long the shutdown will last, I decide it's a purchase that can wait. I make my usual avocado toast, do my morning pages, and read.

9:15 a.m. — I head to yoga. I got a 10 class pass at this studio months ago when they were having a sale, but with marathon training and having to work in office full time, I haven't had much time to go. The class is lovely and just what I needed today. I stop at a shop on the way home to get some things I forgot yesterday: chocolate chips, ice pops, and emergen-C (my friend's kids are sick and I was just around them sharing a water bottle and can't risk getting sick before the race). My impulse purchase is a ginger kombucha. $24

11:30 a.m. — I get home, feed my sourdough starter, take a shower, and eat the same lunch I had yesterday (yay, meal prep). I read a little bit and then take B. on a long walk. I listen to one chapter of We Love You, Bunny then switch to music. I'm trying not to hit Spotify's audiobook hours this month so I am reading the book slowly. Also, I absolutely loved Bunny and so far this sequel/prequel is a bit of a disappointment. I walk B. to the stream that he likes to swim in, he finds a tennis ball and carries it all the way home! We stop at the leasing office so he can get a treat on our way back.

1:30 p.m. — I clean up my kitchen, open the kombucha I bought, and put on the newest episodes of Love Is Blind while I resume my sewing. I have a similar afternoon/evening as the day before — take B. on a few more walks, read a bit, more sewing and Gilmore Girls. I also prep my sourdough loaf once the starter has risen enough. I have the same dinner as the night before — kale salad and the remaining of my tofu strips. For dessert, I have an ice pop. I'm in bed around 9ish.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up. I get dressed and take B. on a walk. I do my typical furlough morning routine: morning pages, make my usual avocado toast, and read a little. I walk over to the free coffee machine again for coffee. I go on a 30-minute walk with B. Then my friend M. picks me up to go to the fair. I Venmo her $14 for my ticket. $14.00

10:30 a.m. — M. pays for the parking and she buys a ride pass for F. F. wants me to go on the rides with her so we go on four before I finally convince her to take her mom on one ride — they go on the teacups together. I try to take a couple of cute shots with my film camera but they're moving so fast! We're all starving by now so we order a pizza — I pay since I didn't pay for parking or the rides ($39! Fair prices are ridiculous!). Now this is when the real carbo loading begins for the marathon, so I have three slices. M. gets the girls some cotton candy and we walk around the farm areas to see all the giant produce and cute animals! The animals honestly make me sad and remind me why I'm a vegetarian. On our way out, I buy deep fried Oreos. I eat three and share the rest. $49.00

1:30 p.m. — M. drops me off. We make loose plans for me to go to her place later for a group run. I'm feeling lazy and exhausted after the fair, so I definitely need an accountability partner or I'm not going to go for one. I make my sourdough loaf, taking a power nap while it's baking. Once it's done, I head over to M's with B. We all go on a run together — M. pushing the girls in a stroller and me with B. We do four miles — last run before the marathon! After the run I watch KPop Demon Hunters with F. while M. makes dinner. I've honestly really wanted to watch this after seeing reels about it and it is her latest obsession, so I'm happy to have a reason to watch it! She also cuddles up to me in the beginning which is so stinking cute. M. makes garlic bread and feta pasta for dinner — delish and yay for more carbo loading!

7:00 p.m. — I leave with B. I get gas on the way home. When I get home, I take a shower, make tea, and read until 9ish. I see a cockroach in my bathroom while I'm brushing my teeth. I hate cockroaches. My only method of killing them is grabbing a giant book and throwing it at the wall/floor space the cockroach is occupying. Unfortunately, the cockroach is like on the side of my sink cabinet in which is close to the toilet and there is not enough surface area for my book maneuver. I shut the door in between the bathroom and try to go to bed. I feel nervous AF looking at the crack under the door so I get up and get a towel to put under the crack (as if that will protect me lol). I'm still feeling antsy so I break my no screens in the bedroom rule and grab my iPad to read (my Kobo broke a month ago and I have yet to replace it because I'm trying not to make too many purchases until the shutdown ends). I read for a little bit and luckily calm down enough to go to sleep. $40.00

7:00 a.m. — I wake up, walk B., have my usual avocado toast. I feel a little bit dehydrated and was around sick kids again so I have a Nuun and an essen-C. I start my laundry because I need everything dry later so I can pack for the weekend. Then I drive to a baseball field to play fetch with B. It's a cool morning so he has a lot of energy, we play fetch for around 30 minutes and then I head back home.

10:30 a.m. — I meet my friend/colleague S. for coffee. She just got back from maternity leave so we haven't caught up in a bit. She works for a different organization, but our organizations work closely together so that's how we met. She brings her new baby and we hang out for an hour until he has a blow out in the coffee shop and she has to leave to change him in the car lol. I get an almond latte. $6.00

12:00 p.m. — I stop at Trader Joe's to get some car snacks for the drive to DC. I get these onion ring things, jalapeño cheese puffs, dark chocolate orange sticks, dried mango, a kombucha, and brown sugar. I get home, put the kombucha in the fridge, and take B. on a 15-minute walk. I call his vet on the walk to make an appointment for him next month because he's due for a vaccine and needs more ear drops for his perpetual ear infection. I eat my meal prep lunch again and read until I finish All Fours. I give it four stars on Good Reads. $19.00

2 p.m. — I bake peanut butter oat chocolate chip bars. The recipe is from one of my college friend's mom. They are super dense and not just sugar but also protein-y and fiber-y so I think they'll be the perfect carbo loading snack to prep for the marathon. I spend the rest of the afternoon packing for the trip, and snacking on the said peanut butter oat chocolate chip bars. I update my spending chart and realize I'm probably spending too much money for someone that doesn't know when they'll get their next paycheck. Oops! But is the shutdown really going to last another two plus weeks? Doubtful.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm, take B. on his morning walk, make my usual avocado toast, and do my morning pages. I put my bags in my car and head out around 7:45 a.m. I get to M's house, go inside and hang with the kids for a few minutes and we hit the road by 8:20ish. I'm officially nervous! The marathon is really happening! We decide we'll take turns driving and we will stop as much as we need to so we can stay hydrated.

12:30 — We get to the harbor where the race expo is/where we have to pick up our packets. The traffic is insane and finding parking is mildly stressful but we eventually find a parking garage. I pay. $15

1 p.m. — We get lunch which I also pay for. After eating, we head into the race expo. It is so packed and I'm extremely overstimulated. We get our bibs and shirts and then struggle to find the exit through the expo because it's so crowded, but eventually we do. We don't bother shopping the expo because the lines are insane. $39

3:30 p.m. — We get to our hotel! Yay! Relaxation time. The hotel was free thanks to M's husband's boss having points on his company credit card that he let us use. We have a dinner reservation at 6 p.m. and just chill in bed until then, watching some TV and hydrating. M's brother, R., is in town visiting his girlfriend who lives there. They pick us up and take us to dinner. I get pad Thai. The check situation is very confusing but I end up not paying — M. and R. cover me to reimburse for gas/car use for the trip.

7:30 p.m. — We're back at the hotel and it's officially freak out time! Not really, but we are all nervous. We set alarms for 4:15 a.m. (gross). We put on KPop Demon Hunters because M. and I are now obsessed with it and want R. to experience it as well. I make everyone lavender chamomile tea. We get through maybe half of the movie before it's lights out. I take melatonin. I'm trying to stop using it, but it is worth it for better sleep the night before a race. I don't feel like being kept up with my pre-race anxiety. I fall asleep pretty quickly after taking it.

4:15 a.m. — Alarm goes off. Ugh. M. turns on some lights. I stay in bed for 10ish minutes. M. says she had the worst night's sleep ever and refuses to look at her Oura because she doesn't want to see her sleep and readiness scores until later. I, however, want to know mine. R. didn't even bring hers because she knew it would be bad lol. I have a 76 sleep score and 81 readiness. Not terrible. We all get ready in a state of nervousness. We eat dry cinnamon raisin bagels. It is not a pleasant breakfast but I know I need to eat so I force it down.

5:30 a.m. — We head out to the Metro. I put $10 on a pass. We're relieved with how quiet the Metro is when we get on, but then when we get off at our stop, it is insanely packed. It takes a while to get out of the station because the crowd filters slowly through the pay stations on the way out. When we finally get outside, we just follow the masses to runner's village. At runner's village, we drop off our bags with warm clothes for post race and get in a porta potty line. They at least have enough porta potties that the wait isn't terrible. Then we continue to follow the masses to the start of the race. We take a break by a fence to do some stretches/warm ups and each eat a peanut butter oat bar because at this point it has been like two plus hours since we ate our bagels. $10

7:30 a.m. — I cross the start line! Ahhhhh here we go. I'm honestly not feeling great. I think I need to use a porta potty again. At two miles, I see some porta potties and there's no line so I seize my opportunity. I feel SO much better, so glad I stopped. I check my paces for the first two miles and both were 9:30ish. I was nervous about starting too fast but 9:30 isn't crazy fast for me so I'm okay with it. The first half of the race goes pretty well but then I realize I need to do this entire distance (13.1 miles) again. I feel a bit discouraged. Once I get to mile 18, I'm feeling pretty good knowing that I only have a single digit number of miles left! I slow down a bit the last three miles, but I'm so close to the end and so happy about it. I keep telling myself that I never have to do this again. I listen to "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters to hype me up.

12 p.m. — I cross the finish line! YAY! My time is around 4:25 and my goal was to be under 4:30 so I'm happy! Also, there were several references throughout the race of beating Oprah's time of 4:29 so I'm glad I beat her, too. I didn't even know that was a thing until today. After finishing, we are all corralled through a super busy long walk that feels worse than the race at this point. I just want to lay down in grass somewhere. Eventually I get out and meet up with M. who finished before me. We know we have to wait another hour or more for R. to finish. The finish area is in Ballston and it's honestly a terrible spot for a finish area. All races should finish in parks with grassy areas. I didn't know I had this opinion until today, but now it's a hill I will die on. We take a couple of photos with the backdrops and find a sunny spot to sit against a wall. We have some snacks and track R. obsessively, hoping that she is almost done so we can leave.

2:15 p.m. — We are finally reunited with R! She is in good spirits after finishing and is fine with walking a few more blocks so we leave the area right away to meet up with M's brother for a ride home. Getting out is still a pain with all of the traffic, but SO much better than trying to get the Metro — the lines are multiple blocks long.

3:30 p.m. — We are back at our hotel, praise be! We immediately work on ordering food, deciding on Shake Shack because R. wants a burger and they have veggie options for me. We all get burgers and fries. I also get us a large Coke Zero to share and M. gets a hot dog and R. gets onion rings. I pay ($100, ridiculous). When the food arrives, I go wait for the down elevator but it's taking so long I take the stairs down (we are on floor seven). I get the food in the lobby and turn around to see that there is a line to get the elevator so I take the stairs up. Walking up seven flights of stairs post marathon is worth it to get food in my body ASAP! I'm so winded when I get back but the food is so good. I shower after I eat. We spend the next few hours watching TV (we finish KPop Demon Hunters). We bought a bottle of champagne and a bottle of white wine when we got back so we open those to celebrate. $100

7:30 p.m. — We have enough energy to go out so we start getting dressed and make a plan. My favorite bar from when I used to live in a different part of town has karaoke tonight so we head there. We take the Metro and then have to walk for 20 minutes to get to the bar, meeting up with my old roommate K. and M's brother and girlfriend. First we have a beer and a shot downstairs and then we head upstairs for the karaoke. The karaoke vibe is exactly what I wanted — barely anyone is there and it alternates between drunk people singing terribly and random people singing surprisingly well. I sing two songs with M.: "What's Up" by the 4 Non Blondes and "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters. The crowd loves us and laughs at us a lot, but we are laughing with them. I'm a terrible singer, just so you know. M. is maybe only slightly better than me. We get a bunch of food to share and a few vodka sodas throughout the night. R. and M. pay but we're planning to do a Splitwise thing at the end of the trip.

11:15 p.m. — We decide to call it a night and J. and M. drive us back to the hotel (yay no walking to the Metro!). When we walk into the hotel we decide to get a drink at the hotel bar, which turns into a bottle of wine and an espresso martini split between the three of us. The bartender did the marathon, too! We charge these drinks to the room (which will be included in the Splitwise thing at the end of the trip). We head up to our room around midnight, have some tea, and go to sleep.

8 a.m. — We wake up to housekeeping knocking on our door. We have no idea why because checkout isn't until 11 a.m. It's good we're awake though because M. realizes we need to be home by 2:15 so her husband can take one of their kids to a doctor's appointment. We pack up our stuff and take all our bags down to my car. Then we walk over to a cafe for breakfast. I get a breakfast sandwich, a coffee, and a guava pastry. $27

10 a.m. — We check out and hit the road! I take the first leg of driving. There is zero traffic, thank god. We stop to pee and get gas about two hours into the drive. I pay for gas and get a Diet Coke. M. takes over driving from here. $40

2:15 p.m. — We make it home in time thanks to a traffic free drive! We stopped once more to pee but that was it. We had car snacks for “lunch.” I'm so happy to see B! I grab my stuff, B's stuff, and head out. When I get home, I carry all of my bags up and then go for a 25-minute walk. It's raining, but I know walking will be good for my recovery and B. has to poop. After our walk, I take a shower. Then I retire to the couch and binge like half of the second season of Nobody Wants This. I take B. for a few more short walks to avoid sitting too long because longer sitting = worse soreness. The post-race blues have set in hardcore. I make a grilled cheese for dinner. We do our Splitwise thing and it works out that I owe M. $60. She spent the most because the hotel charges were on her card (parking and champagne/wine/espresso martinis). $60

8:30 p.m. — I brush my teeth and head to bed. I have some delayed hangxiety from drinking the night before combined with the post-race blues and struggle to fall asleep so after 25 minutes of trying, I give in and take some melatonin.

I actually always record my spending, but writing it down in a descriptive form made it more fun. I'm proud of myself for not buying anything material, but I think I could probably spend a little bit less on eating and drinking out given the fact that I'm furloughed. But obviously I needed to buy food and such on my trip.