A Week In Boston, MA, On A $79,000 Salary

Occupation: Therapist
Industry: Clinical Psychology
Age: 29
Location: Boston, MA
Salary: $79,000
Net Worth: $13,000 (savings: $13,000, retirement: $18,000, minus student loans. My wife makes $74,000 and we do not have joint finances. We have a joint credit card but split the bill evenly).
Debt: $18,000 in student loans.
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $3,200
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,300 (I pay slightly more than half of our $2,300 total rent since my wife makes less than I do).
Student Loans: $400
Utilities/Renters' Insurance/Car Insurance: $500 (I cover this and my wife covers health insurance).
HBO Max: $7.50 (my half).
Internet: $30 (my half).
Pet Insurance: $45 (my half).
Spotify: $10
Autostraddle Membership: $6
Patreon: $3

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?
College was always a non-negotiable in my family. In retrospect, this really hurt parts of my family because I have siblings who didn't function well in academic environments. I ended up on a very traditional route with college and grad school. My parents helped pay for college with the understanding that grad school would be my financial responsibility, but they still helped with some living expenses.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents were very big on raising kids who "understood the value of the dollar". This looked like my siblings and I working various jobs, my parents giving stipulations for gifts they gave, and them giving a lot of advice around money. However, because money was not a concern, there was still a lot I didn't learn.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I babysat as a teenager and then my first real paycheck job was as a TA in college. I got the job for fun money.

Did you worry about money growing up?
We did not worry about money growing up, my father made a lot of money.

Do you worry about money now?
I do. I don't know how any millennial could not worry about money. My wife and I are comfortable and saving modestly but we live in a financially unlivable town. I am at the height of my current type of role — I have so much I want to learn before I think about opening my own private practice, so I make sometimes less than half of what my practice is actually charging and our rent is constantly going up, I have 10 days of PTO a year including sick time and my wife's student loan forgiveness is tied up in legal nonsense. We are likely going to leave the city in a few years but in the meantime it feels like there is little room to accumulate savings or take big vacations.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I was responsible for non-living-related costs at around 19. At 22, my parents helped me move to Boston for grad school and paid my rent while I took on loans for classes. At 24, I became financially independent other than their health insurance. I would not be where I am without those various forms of help from them. I imagine if an emergency happened, my parents would help. They have helped my siblings with loans for moves and other big expenses.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When my grandmother died I got about $2,500, which helped me move in with my wife. When my grandfather died I got about $5,000, which I put entirely toward student loans.

6:45 a.m. — My new Bose sleep buds wake me up with their little bell noise. I recently paid way too much money for them in a fit of sleep deprivation and surprisingly they have been helping. For someone with chronic sleep issues, I will take that win. Kale smoothie for breakfast. I google the recommended caffeine intake for a human being and it is not a fun read for me personally. I'm trying to cut down by about half so that means only one to-go mug of coffee. I pack a grain bowl for lunch along with a Spindrift.

7:30 a.m. — Walk to work. I am stubborn and when I started returning to the office to see clients in person, I realized the walk actually takes the same amount of time as public transportation without the unreliability of the train. The walk is good for my mental health and transitioning between work and personal life, but it's less fun on rainy days like today.

1 p.m. — Four sessions down, taking my lunch break. This bowl is delicious and I will not get sick of having it every day. I watch a few episodes of Scrubs, which granted is very problematic but it takes my brain off of work and is nostalgic for me. With my busy days, mindless shows are honestly important for my lunch break.

5 p.m. — Head home. My wife, C., is away until tomorrow so I'm on my own tonight. I go to Target to get some nicer coffee beans and use a gift card. I spend the evening cooking a fancy chickpea toast, hanging out with the cats and rewatching Ted Lasso while I crochet a baby blanket for the cat's birthday.

6:45 a.m. — Same morning routine. I'm pretty regimented. With a 30-session weekly caseload, if I don't stay pretty in check with myself, it can wear on me emotionally.

8:30 a.m. — Walk to work, finish up some notes and get ready for my day. Tuesdays I have eight sessions, which can take a bit of a mental toll depending on how folks are doing. I am privileged to work with clients who I really care about and love working with, but eight full hours of other people's mental health puts a lot on the brain. It's not uncommon for me to be a bit spent or drained Tuesday nights.

1 p.m. — Lunchtime! Another bowl, an orange and more Scrubs. C. is hanging out with my brother today, which is super cute. They're apparently wandering around the city, going to Pokémon Go stops.

4 p.m. — Spindrift time. It's the little things that help me stay grounded in sessions so I can be present for my clients. One of my bosses also has a daily Spindrift, I wonder if it's a silly therapist thing.

6 p.m. — Finally done with work! I finish up most of my notes. I'll do the rest in the morning. Walk home and call C. to confirm that she really doesn't want me to pick her up from the airport. She assures me that she would rather I get sleep. I have leftovers for dinner and finish up Ted Lasso while I fix a button on a Goodwill Bonobos shirt find that just needs a little mending.

9 p.m. — C. being out means I can get to bed super early. She ends up arriving after midnight, I wake up briefly to make sure she's safe.

6:45 a.m. — Wake up, morning routine and talk with C. about her trip. We're both super excited she is home, but the time apart was nice. I need a bit more alone time than she does so having a few days to myself and the cats was nice.

12 p.m. — I join my boss in his office because it's staff meeting day. Our work culture is complicated because only a few of us are working in person — it's a personal decision for our group so half of my colleagues opt for being entirely remote. This means it's often a few of us on a couch for our meetings on Zoom. I don't mind it but it does create interesting dynamics.

3 p.m. — A client late cancels, which means a fee. I hate that but I also rely on my clients showing up to literally make money so I understand it. I don't have an annual salary, I make about $61 per session. So basically if a client cancels, I can end up making significantly less money (summer is rough for this). I use the break to write notes and go outside to see the sun.

6 p.m. — Done with work! I used to work until 8 on Wednesdays but I realized that was not great for me. I head home and see C. She made a fancy kale squash salad with tofu, yum. She got a few things for it on our shared card so I pay for half. We watch Abbott Elementary then end up just hanging out and talking for the night. She tells me she's planning a surprise date for tomorrow and confirms when I'm done with work. It's good to have her home. $3.44

6:45 a.m. — Kale smoothie. Walk to work. Rinse and repeat. Today it's snowing, which really sucks for my commute.

9 a.m. — Seven sessions today, two in person. It's nice having the variety, I find it helps my energy a lot.

5 p.m. — C. texts me that I have a package waiting for me in the lobby. I find an envelope addressed to me with a crossword puzzle inside, giving me the address I have to go to next. I think she was inspired by watching the scavenger hunt episode of Parks and Rec.

5:45 p.m. — The hunt ends up having three clues. I finish the crossword puzzle, the second clue is picking up a gift at Lush, and then I find her outside a restaurant we're going to for dinner. It is a place I mentioned a few weeks ago, it's so sweet she remembered.

6 p.m. — We have a lovely Italian meal with delightful drinks and homemade gelato. We talk about some future planning stuff, family issues going on in our respective families, and what we're looking forward to this weekend. A lovely evening, put on our shared card so it's split. $83.70

7:30 p.m. — We head home. She taps me in on her transit card so I don't pay. We spend the rest of the night watching an old season of Survivor, which I literally just started watching for the first time.

9 a.m. — I don't work Fridays. I am in charge of my own schedule so I do four-day work weeks. It's something I've been reconsidering lately because my days are so draining, but also I love having a day for errands. I wake up pretty nervous because I'm trying out a new weightlifting gym. Working out is complicated for me but I really need the outlet, it's been a rough few months since I left my last gym.

10 a.m. — The new gym turns out to be pretty great! It's a quiet morning at the gym so I get a lot of individual attention, which is good because I always worry about injuries. I hurt my back like five months ago carrying a bag of kitty litter so my goals are entirely around functional strength.

12 p.m. — I get home for our virtual couples counseling. We found our therapist while we were dealing with the hell that is wedding planning but have kept seeing her because finding a queer competent therapist who takes insurance and does couples counseling is a unicorn and we like having a dedicated space for our relationship twice a month. We split the copay on our shared card. $7.50

1 p.m. — I'm feeling super energized by the gym! Time to get some administrative stuff done. I renew our parking permit and pay the vehicle tax bill for the year. The car is technically mine so I pay the tax bill, but we both use it so we split other costs. $74.50

3 p.m. — I go to the local bakery store for fresh eggs. I also decide to buy a book by a sourdough baker. $39.83

4 p.m. — I go to the post office to mail out some wedding thank you notes. I buy more stamps. $12.50

4:30 p.m. — The local independent movie theater I love releases its schedule for the next few months. I organize two different groups of friends for each of the shows (Mamma Mia and School of Rock) and buy the tickets. They will reimburse me but C. and I will cover the Mamma Mia trip as a thank you to friends for watching our cats. I pay for two of my own tickets and split two of our friends' tickets with C. $54.75

5 p.m. — I spend the afternoon baking cookies. We then head to a friend's to watch RuPaul's Drag Race and hang out for the evening.

10 a.m. — It's a quiet, snowy weekend. I start working on a sourdough project for the day and C. and I make pancakes and an egg scramble. We play a game of cribbage before she goes off for a run and I get some solo time.

12 p.m. — I have a timer set for when I will need to hydrate my flour so I have a few hours to kill. I know I will be grumpy if I don't get outside but it's 10 degrees so I opt to go to a big antique market near us. I browse for about an hour and end up finding some plates. $10.41

2 p.m. — I get back home and start working on my bread. It's a long process, I should be done around 7 today before baking tomorrow. I love sourdough because it forces me to chill out and pause.

6 p.m. — C. mentions we have most of the supplies to make margaritas, which sounds perfect for a lowkey, snowy evening. We end up going to the liquor store anyways because we need more limes and are out of a few other alcohol staples (gin for me and Campari for C.). $36.26

7 p.m. — Homemade margaritas with fresh lime juice, is there anything better? We watch a bunch of Survivor and hang out the rest of the night with a few cocktail breaks.

10 a.m. — Time to get our lives in order for the week. We start laundry and go over a grocery list. I bake the two loaves of bread while we plan out our day. They turn out great!

12 p.m. — We stop to get gas en route to the grocery store. $21.22

12:30 p.m. — Our first stop is the Korean grocery store. They have our favorite rice and C.'s favorite frozen dumplings as well as the better KN95 masks. $22.99

1 p.m. — I realize I really need to pee so we stop by a coffee shop and I get a croissant. Inflation is really killing me on this one. $5.09

1:30 p.m. — Market Basket time! We get things to make soup for lunches this week, a lentil smash recipe for dinner, and some staples ($68.15 shared). $34.07

2 p.m. — I make the soup, which I've been obsessed with lately. It was a TikTok recipe find that I fine-tuned a little and it's been giving me a lot of life this winter. I also make some browned butter Rice Krispies treats.

5 p.m. — Laundry done, dishes done, food prepped. C. and I spend the rest of the evening watching Survivor, hanging with the cats and working on our respective fiber arts. A typical end to another week.