A Week In Victoria, BC On A $150,000 Household Income

Job Title: Freelance writer/visual merchandiser
Industry: Fashion/retail
Age: 32
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Pronouns: She/her 
Annual Salary: $50,000
Household Income/Financial Setup: $150,000. My husband J. and I split our finances in the sense that we have separate accounts to build up our individual credit scores, but we send money between the accounts as needed. It’s an “our money” versus “your money/my money” situation.
Assets: ~$50,000
Debt: $0
Paycheck: This varies from month to month as a freelancer, but I typically earn between $3,000-$5,000 a month. I also do visual merchandising at a local boutique twice a week, so that gives me a more stable paycheck of around $1,300 a month. My paycheck frequency depends on how many projects I have each month. I currently have three retainer clients that I work with on a regular monthly basis, but I also have other clients that I work with on an as-needed basis, as well as one-off projects. I get biweekly paychecks from the boutique. 

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $1,900 (rent).
Loan Payments: $0
Cell Phone: $168 — this includes J.’s plan; we are both paying off new-ish phones in addition to the actual plan.
Internet: $91 
Spotify: $20 
Amazon Prime: $11 
Netflix: $9 
Hydroelectricity: ~ $25 (we get charged fluctuating amounts based on our usage and are only billed every few months, but $25 is our monthly average according to our hydro company).

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, my parents both come from cultures where education is important and my dad worked in academia. However, I took an alternative route and went to a private fashion and beauty college rather than a regular college or university. I took out a student loan to pay for it, which I paid off in 2020.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
I was told when we were doing ok financially, and when we needed to focus on saving. Apart from that, my parents did not really educate me about finances.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked at a rock climbing gym in high school. I wanted to have my own spending money, and I also got to climb for free on the days I worked. 

Did you worry about money growing up?
Not too much. My mom was a hard worker and she always made sure we were comfortable, but she was transparent about not being able to afford certain things. Still, I never felt that we were seriously struggling. 

Do you worry about money now?
Somewhat. Things have gotten a lot easier since J. started working again (and got a six figure job to boot), but I also know that life is unpredictable and anything can happen. Even though our household income has essentially tripled since he started working again, I haven’t changed my spending habits very much because I know that our situation could change again.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I moved out of my mom’s place when I was 20. My husband and I have about $50,000 in savings, which we’d like to invest more in the future. 

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No. 

7 a.m. — I wake up to the sound of my alarm, roll out of bed, and head to the bathroom. The cat we’re looking after for the next week follows me in and jumps in the sink while I’m trying to wash my face and brush my teeth. He walks a very fine line between funny, cute, and annoying. We somewhat unexpectedly lost our dog three and a half months ago; she was a senior, but she seemed to be doing so well until her health turned. It’s been absolutely heartbreaking and the grief has been overwhelming at times, so I started pet sitting last month for some non-committal animal companionship. Neither of us feel ready for another dog, but we also miss the presence of a pet at home, so this has been a good solution. I still miss my girl like crazy, but it’s nice to hang out with other animals. I hope she isn’t too offended up in heaven, but I also don’t think she’d want me to be sad all the time. 

7:30 a.m. — I make myself breakfast (Greek yogurt with blueberries, peanut butter and honey toast, and a big mug of green tea) and carefully assess how I’m feeling, since I’m meant to go into the boutique and update a window display today. Yesterday I had a blood test that really took it out of me; last year I was diagnosed with a hereditary form of kidney disease (thanks, Dad), so now I need to get biannual blood and urine tests to monitor my kidney function and the progression of the disease. Usually they don’t affect me much, but last night I started feeling super light-headed and headache-y after a simple yoga session. 

8 a.m. — After breakfast I’m still not feeling great, so I let the boutique owner know I won’t be coming in. I don’t think running around and climbing on ladders is the best idea for me right now. I wash my dishes and go back to bed to lie down. 

8:30 a.m. — I pull my laptop into bed to check if my blood test results are up. They are, so I do a bit of analysis. Overall, all my chemistry, hematology, and mineral levels are within a healthy range, but there are two flags for items that are just under healthy range. I guess that explains my sensitivity to the blood test this time around. I do some more digging to try and better understand the results, and discover that they can be triggered by kidney issues. I share the results with my husband J., who reassures me that everything is probably fine and my nephrologist will let me know if it isn’t. Sigh. I try not to let this disease overtake my life because I’ve statistically still got a few decades until my kidney function really goes down, but it’s something that’s always in the back of my mind now.

9:30 a.m. — A friend calls me to catch up, which is a happy distraction. She lives in another city and we don’t get to see each other very often, so we try to check in with each other every week. She’ll hopefully be moving closer soon, but until then we laugh and share our love through the phone. 

10:30 a.m. — I try to get a little bit of freelance work done, because my upcoming workload is looking pretty full with some new client projects on the horizon. There’s one project that I’m close to finishing, so I decide to just work on that today. All I need to do is write one blog article, which I should be capable of doing. I create my outline, start writing, and hope that J. won’t have any distracting calls in the other room. 

1:30 p.m. — J. tells me that lunch is heated up (leftover mushroom, zucchini, and lentil pasta), so I head to the dining area. He’s also made me a little salad to ensure I’m eating enough leafy greens (aka iron). He’s so cute. 

2:30 p.m. — I go back to my desk to finish up the article. Once I’m done, I check some other client messages: one informs me that we’re switching up pretty much our entire content strategy for the fall, and the other is a new client giving me guidelines for the project. I’m glad that I managed to get the article done so I can focus on my new client project tomorrow. 

4:30 p.m. — I check my personal email and see that my Poshmark order (a watercolour print maxi slip dress) has been delivered, so I go to the lobby to pick it up. Generally, I try not to shop for new clothes too much, but this was a good deal and it was filling a gap I had in my closet. I lost a bunch of my summer clothes in transit when we were moving from the UK to Canada, many of which were my favourite dresses (it’s a long story, but basically I shipped a box of clothes to save myself lugging another suitcase during the move and the shipping company discarded it because their label fell off). This new one serves as a replacement. It fits like a glove and J. loves it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this enthusiastic about a new piece. 

5 p.m. — I’ve been trying to learn my father’s native language after visiting him earlier this year and barely being able to say anything beyond “hi” and “thank you”, so I open up YouTube for some language learning. I love learning languages and find linguistics very interesting, so I’ve been enjoying these little lessons. They’re a great way to stimulate my brain.  

6 p.m. — I usually try to end my day with a yoga session, but I’m hesitant because I’m still not feeling 100%. Still, I don’t like how tight my muscles get if I skip a day, so I decide to try a gentle, low to the ground practice; it was a lunge that got me yesterday. The neck circles in the beginning of the practice didn’t feel great for my headache, but I felt ok doing floor poses like butterfly. After the practice, I take a minute to rest and snuggle on the couch with the cat, who enjoys following me around. He can be quite sweet when he wants to be. 

6:30 p.m. — We start making dinner, a rice bowl with bok choy, mushrooms, and eggs. It’s one of our go-to easy favorites. 

7 p.m. — We eat and watch a few episodes of The OC, our current rewatch. For dessert, we have cherries and I sip on my favourite decaf tea (rooibos chai). I’m dreading the end of summer and berry season. 

9 p.m. — J. cleans up and does the dishes while I get ready for bed. He wants to game for a bit before sleeping, but I want to read so I go to the bedroom. The cat is passed out on his side when I arrive, it’s pretty cute. I settle in and grab my book; I’ve been making my way through the Wheel of Time series and am currently on book five. It feels like my energy levels are coming back, so I hope a good night’s sleep will get me back to normal for tomorrow. 

7 a.m. — I wake to my alarm and kitty kisses. I don’t need to get up immediately, so I lay in bed and enjoy the cuddles for a bit before hopping in the shower. 

8 a.m. — I make the same breakfast as yesterday because we’re a bit low on other breakfast ingredients (we forgot granola during our last shop and there’s not enough milk for oatmeal). I notice I’m definitely feeling better, which makes me relieved. 

9 a.m. —  Focus time. I’m working on website copy for a new client, so the pressure is on. We had a great onboarding chat and I don’t want to let her down. Her industry isn’t one I typically work with, so I’m feeling a little bit nervous, but she also gave me very thorough guidelines and a lot of reference points so I’m sure I can do this. 

11:30 a.m. — I have a coffee date with my mom at noon, so I start getting ready. I’ve made some good progress with my copy project already, and besides, taking a break is often the best thing to do to get fresh ideas. 

11:45 a.m. — I start walking out. The café we’re meeting at is only a 10-minute walk away, and it’s a gorgeous day. I think about how weird it still feels to walk without my dog, and feel a bout of sadness. I know she would have loved to join me. 

12 p.m. — My mom is at the counter when I get to the café. She grabs us a table outside, and I order myself a chai latte. I’m often skeptical about ordering chai because some places make it too weak, but I decide to take a chance and am pleasantly surprised at the spice level. She fills me in on the family gossip and some other personal things. I give her some little gifts I found for her over the past few weeks, and luckily she loves them. $7

1 p.m. — The café didn’t have proper food, so I’m left to my own devices for lunch. There’s still some leftover pasta that J. conveniently forgot to take to work (typical), so I heat it up and also eat a mandarin as a sweet treat. 

2 p.m. — Back to work. I keep researching, refining, and referring to the guidelines and inspirations. I’m feeling pretty good, but I decide I’ll sleep on it before doing final edits just to make sure my brain didn’t get too fuzzy. I still have a few days before the deadline, anyway. 

5 p.m. — I share my draft with a friend who works in the industry I’m writing about for feedback, and she gives me amazing insight that I didn’t think of. I should ask for feedback like this more often. Then I take some time to do creative writing. I think it’s good to take time to write for myself instead of just writing for clients. Maybe one day I’ll write a novel. 

6 p.m. — Yoga time! I think I’m ready for a more challenging practice, but I still don’t want to push it so I choose one that isn’t super flow-y. I follow it up with a Madfit “lazy girl” floor workout, which challenges my glutes more than I expected, but I guess that’s a good thing. 

7 p.m. — I get dinner started, a vegetarian salade niçoise. Halfway through chopping the potatoes I realize we’re out of mustard, but J. says he doesn’t mind. He’s more interested in the potatoes. I go with a simple balsamic vinegar and lemon dressing, and it’s still pretty tasty. 

8 p.m. — We put another episode of The OC on, and I make peaches and cream for dessert because we have some vegan whipped cream that probably needs to be used. I haven’t had peaches and cream in years, and remind myself I should make it again before peach season is over. 

9 p.m. — I want to go to bed early again because I have a writing webinar first thing in the morning. Sometimes this time zone really doesn’t work in my favor. I wash up and hop into bed to read a little bit before dozing off. 

6 a.m. — My body wakes me up a few minutes before my alarm because of a weird dream. I’m very impressed by my body clock sometimes. I need to wash my hair, but I decide I’ll do it after the webinar, so I just wash my face and brush my teeth.

6:20 a.m. — Yesterday J. picked me up some special granola and a seed mix that are fairly iron-rich, so I pour it over Greek yogurt and add blueberries for breakfast. It’s pretty good. 

6:50 a.m. — After I eat, I sip on green tea and check my emails, only to see that the webinar has been cancelled. I feel slightly relieved because I had another blog request come in overnight and am getting a bit stressed about my workload. I check my plan/schedule for the day and rest of the week to reassure myself I have enough time to comfortably meet my deadlines, and I should. I always do this, but it ends up being fine. 

7:30 a.m. — Before starting my workday, I throw in a load of laundry (we have coin-operated machines in the building), run the robot vacuum, hop in the shower, then hang the laundry up to dry. I contemplate always waking up earlier, because I feel so productive. Back in the day, I used to work from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and I loved it — more so for the early finish. I don’t struggle to wake up early if I have something scheduled, but when I’m freelancing I’m more relaxed with my schedule. Oh well, I guess we’ll see what happens. $3

9:30 a.m. — I start working a little later than planned (I was aiming for 9 a.m.), but I figure since all my errands are out of the way I won’t have any distractions and can just focus. 

12 p.m. — I break for lunch. We have some leftover salad, which I add camembert to because I want to conserve our eggs. They’re so expensive these days that I feel bad having them more than a few times a week. After finishing my salad, I grab a mandarin and head to the balcony to sunbathe for a little bit. 

1 p.m. — I get back to work, doing some finishing touches and prep work for next week. I submit the new copy project that I was working on yesterday, and thankfully the client loves it! She only requests one minor edit. I don’t know why I was doubting myself. 

4 p.m. — Since I’ve prepped what I can so far this week (waiting on details from clients about other projects I have on the horizon), I shift my focus. Earlier in the week an agency owner messaged me on LinkedIn about a part-time role. I was hesitant at first because there were some points in the job description that made me think I might not be qualified, but after texting another freelancer friend for advice I decide to go for it. The application requires a short video recording that sends me into a panic. Why do employers do this? I’m a writer, not a YouTuber! I re-record the video about 20 times before landing on one where I don’t seem entirely nervous and hope for the best. 

4:45 p.m. — I take some time for creative writing and language learning. I’m pleasantly surprised that I have time for both today. Maybe I should wake up at 6 a.m. more often.

6 p.m. — Today I feel like there are no excuses for not doing a harder workout, so I do an upper body opening yoga flow and a quick weight workout. I’m not the biggest fan of lifting weights, but I know they’re good for you so I try to do weight workouts a few times a week.  

7 p.m. — I start making dinner, which is a stir-fry with broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, and tofu. J. is working late, but he gets home right when the food is ready. We watch another few episodes of The OC, snack on cherries, and split a brownie he picked up as a little treat for having to work late. 

9 p.m. — I start getting ready for bed as I want to try and wake up early again tomorrow. I read a bit and tentatively put my alarm on for 6 a.m.

6 a.m. — I wake with my alarm, but I’ve lost a bit of my motivation. J. and I cuddle for a bit, then I wait for him to leave before I get up. It’s annoying to try and get ready at the same time and I don’t have to take a long hair wash shower this morning, so it’s ok if I rest for a bit. I’ll still manage to stay on my early schedule. 

6:45 a.m. — J. leaves for work, so I get out of bed and start getting ready for the day. After freshening up, I make myself green tea and granola with Greek yogurt and blueberries for breakfast. 

8 a.m. — I put another load of laundry in. It’s sheets and towels today, so I also change the bedsheets. The cat thinks everything is a game and climbs under the sheets while I try to pull them over the mattress. I reminisce about my dog, who would get annoyed with me for disturbing her peaceful morning snooze when I changed the sheets. She would lie on the duvet, making it hard for me to put the cover on. I miss her terribly. $3

8:20 a.m. — I start working earlier even though I woke up a bit later than yesterday, success! I’m working a short shift at the boutique later on to cover lunch breaks because they’re short staffed, but I have a blog I need to write, hence why I wanted to wake up earlier. I kind of regret agreeing to the boutique shift, but I guess I called in sick earlier in the week, so whatever. Still, now that J.’s work situation is really settled, I want to scale back at the boutique so I can focus more on my freelancing. That extra boutique income was really helpful when we were dealing with his immigration and he couldn’t work, but now we’re in a better place. I guess I wouldn’t mind doing visuals once a week or so just to get out of the house and express my creativity in another way, but the other boutique work isn’t really what I want to be doing long-term.

9 a.m. — My blog outline is done, so I take a quick break to finish up the laundry. I find it’s helpful to step away for a second after planning and drafts. Ideas, words, and sentences often come to me when I’m doing completely different things.

9:15 a.m. — I get to work on the draft. It’d be amazing if I finish in the morning, but I have enough time in the afternoon to finish up as well. 

11 a.m. — My draft is in good shape, so I start getting ready for my boutique shift. I realize that since I’m covering lunch breaks, I won’t really get to have one myself. I snack on peanut butter toast and a mandarin (it still feels too early to have a proper lunch, and I have to get dressed soonish).

12 p.m. — I get ready to head out. The boutique is only a 20-minute walk away, and the walk gives me a chance to enjoy the sun.

3 p.m. — The sun is still on the balcony when I get back home, so I have a little sunbathe before it’s gone. Afterwards I snack on some hummus, crackers, and another mandarin. I’ll definitely have a more substantial dinner.

4 p.m. — I finish up my blog, write some social media captions for another client, and tentatively plan out my workflow for next week. Then I take some time to do my own thing. Today I also have time for both personal writing and language learning. 

6 p.m. — I had a great little creative session, so I hit the mat and do yoga and a weight workout. But first, I roast some veg (broccoli, zucchini, and mushrooms) and chickpeas with zaatar for dinner. 

7 p.m. — I boil some couscous and check on the oven. It’s looking good. Every time I make roasted veg I tell myself I should do it more often because it’s just so easy. 

7:30 p.m. — We eat dinner, then watch a few episodes of the new season of Wednesday. The cast is great, I’m so glad they brought Fred Armisen back. I have cherries and mini baklava for dessert. 

9:30 p.m. — I’m feeling sleepy from my early morning, so I start getting ready for bed and call it a night.

7 a.m. — I have a full shift at the boutique today, so I don’t care about waking up earlier. I get ready and have granola with blueberries, a mandarin, and green tea for breakfast. 

8:30 a.m. — I head out for my walk to work, soaking in as much sun as I can. I wish I didn’t have to spend my day indoors. 

12:30 p.m. — I have leftover couscous for my lunch break. I check on messages while I eat: a few client check-ins and some memes from friends. What would we do to stay in touch when nothing much is going on without memes? 

5:30 p.m. — I power walk back home after work so I can get to my local drug store before it closes. Luckily, I get there 10 minutes before closing time. I know how annoying last minute customers are, so I make a beeline for the items I need: deodorant and toilet paper. There are good specials on for both, yay! $13

6 p.m. — Once I get home, I take some time to just decompress before doing yoga. J. starts making an omelet towards the end of my practice. He’s still cooking when I’m done, so I lay down with our new-ish electric massager. I was skeptical of this purchase because we had one before that mostly just got ignored, but this one’s shape is much more comfortable. I vow to personally ensure this purchase goes to use. 

7 p.m. — We eat dinner and watch The OC, and I also snack on cherries and chocolate. 

9:30 p.m. —  I clean up and start getting ready for bed. I manage to read a little bit before falling asleep. 

8 a.m. — It’s Sunday, so I’m sleeping in. Or at least I try to. The cat has other plans (he’s walking all over and under the bed, and us), but I have a somewhat lazy morning before getting up. 

9 a.m. — I finally get up and head to the bathroom to wash up. Then I treat myself to Nutella toast, peaches, and green tea for breakfast. Now that J. is working again, I’m embracing rest and am trying to take more full days off. It’s been much needed. 

10 a.m. — We’re going to the beach later because it’s a hot day, but first J. wants to watch football. Rom-coms love to romanticize British men, but they don’t show you how much time they spend watching football. I don’t mind though. It gives me an opportunity to catch up on emails and other little things. 

11 a.m. — I do my weekly bathroom clean. Usually, I try to do mini cleans throughout the week in the kitchen and living room so I don’t have one massive clean to do at the end of the week, but with the bathroom I find it easier to do in one go. We run the robot vacuum at the same time. It really has made cleaning so much easier, as I don’t really have to worry about the floor anymore. This is the kind of robot technology we need more of. 

12 p.m. — I make spinach quesadillas for lunch, then we start getting ready for the beach. 

1 p.m. — We head out, but first we stop by our local coffee shop to get some drinks for our walk. I get an iced matcha, J. gets an iced latte and a raspberry bar. $23

1:45 p.m. — We walk to the beach, lay out our blankets, and soak up the sun. I try to read as much as I can, but get distracted by the other beachgoers and end up eavesdropping a bit. Oops. 

3:30 p.m. —  We have plans to hang out with a friend, so we head back to our place because she’s almost there already. 

4 p.m. — Our friend is waiting for us outside, so we all head up to our apartment. I want to shower after the beach and we also need to do groceries (our local grocery store does a weekly 10% off on Sundays), so we split up. Our friend goes with J. (groceries are his domain and she enjoys visiting this particular grocery store) while I shower. J. takes my credit card for the groceries because we get extra travel points for food purchases. $116

5 p.m. — We all meet back in the apartment and hang out for a bit before going out for dinner. We decide to go to a burrito place that we like, but our friend has never been to. 

6 p.m. — We walk because it’s still nice out. I feel a bit sad when we arrive, because the last time we went there was with our dog for New Year’s; the restaurant has one of the city’s best dog-friendly patios and there are indeed a lot of dogs there. Still, the company and the food is good. I order a veggie burrito bowl with brussel sprouts, cauliflower, black beans, and greens. J. pays. 

8 p.m. — We walk back home and say bye to our friend, who we plan to see next week for a night market in her neighborhood. 

8:30 p.m. — After washing up and changing into lounge clothes, we watch our favourite guilty pleasure show: 90 Day Fiancé. We don’t watch a lot of trashy reality TV, but 90 Day is our kryptonite. It’s probably because we’re also an international couple, so it always has a certain level of relatability for us. 

10 p.m. — We feel ready for bed after the end of the episode, so we brush our teeth and call it a night. 

7 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm and get up immediately because I have another full day at the boutique. It should go by fast as I’m catching up on the visuals I didn’t get to do last week, then I’ll have the rest of the week off for writing. I get ready and make myself granola with peaches and blueberries for breakfast. 

8:30 a.m. — I head out and walk to work. It’s another beautiful day. 

12:30 p.m. — J. made me a spinach and camembert sandwich for lunch, which I eat on my break. He’s so forgetful with his own work lunches, but he’ll always make me something if we don’t have leftovers. It’s cute.

5:15 p.m. — I meet up with my mom after work because she picked up pasta and black beans for us at Costco. We don’t feel that we buy in bulk enough to warrant a membership of our own, but she offers to get us non-perishables when we need them. I also buy a 15lb bag of rice from another grocery store. Our cupboards will be all set for a while. $39

5:30 p.m. — I get home and check on a few client notifications I missed during the day. I try not to do actual work on boutique days, but I like to ensure I’m always communicative. 

6 p.m. — I rolled out my yoga mat and chose a super stretchy practice because I missed yoga yesterday. It feels amazing.

6:45 p.m. — I make another bok choy rice bowl for dinner. We find bok choy goes off pretty fast, so it’s usually one of the first things we make after grocery day. I also add avocado, because we have two that ripened all of a sudden. The avocado is absolutely perfect. I hope a special word that describes the niche feeling of relief and satisfaction you get when you slice open a perfect avocado (or do something else similar) exists in some language. 

7:30 p.m. — There’s another 90 Day spin-off on, so we have another trash TV night while snacking on more cherries and chocolate. This franchise keeps us busy. 

9:30 p.m. — Time for bed! I get ready and spend a bit of time reading before dozing off. 

“All in all, this was a pretty standard week for me. I’ve reined in on the unnecessary purchases lately because we’re going on a vacation soon, so I’m trying to save with that in mind. Still, I’ve been wanting to enjoy the summer, so I will loosen the purse strings on little treats like café drinks. I’m going to keep focusing on my freelance work so that I can hopefully leave the boutique and earn more on my terms while still having time for rest and self-care. I definitely feel better now that J. is working again and I can have some breathing room, but it’s also important for me to have my own source of income. This past year has taught me that you never know what the future holds, so let’s see what happens!”