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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 millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
This week a case manager and graduate student who makes $50,000 per year and spends it on black Aerie underwear.
Occupations: Case Manager (Full-Time), Crisis Hotline Specialist (Part-Time), Graduate Student (Part-Time)
Industry: Nonprofit
Age: 27
Location: Arlington, VA
Salary: $50,000 + $18/hr
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,688-$1,788 ($1,288 + $400-$500)
Industry: Nonprofit
Age: 27
Location: Arlington, VA
Salary: $50,000 + $18/hr
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,688-$1,788 ($1,288 + $400-$500)
Monthly Expenses
Housing: $975. My partner pays the other half of the $1,950 total.
Loan Payments: $0. Scholarships and my parents paid for undergrad, and my parents are very generously paying for graduate school.
Housing: $975. My partner pays the other half of the $1,950 total.
Loan Payments: $0. Scholarships and my parents paid for undergrad, and my parents are very generously paying for graduate school.
All Other Monthly Expenses
Cell Phone: $0 (Still on my family plan.)
Gym: $15
Spotify: $0 (My partner pays.)
Netflix: $10
Utilities: $50. I pay for power and my partner pays for water and gas, which are about $75/month.
TV & Internet: $110. I pay all of this because I used to work from home a lot, and I needed reliable internet for work, and cable for entertainment.
Transportation: ~$40. The distance between my full-time job and my apartment complex only requires that I put this much on my Metro pass.
Health & Dental Insurance: $160 (taken out of paycheck)
Credit Card Bills: ~$400. This is a revolving amount, I pay off my credit card every bill cycle).
Retirement/Savings: ~$1,000/month. My job does not offer a 401(k) plan, so I save a lump sum all year and then transfer the maximum ($5,500) to my Roth IRA. It's not perfect but it's something.
Cell Phone: $0 (Still on my family plan.)
Gym: $15
Spotify: $0 (My partner pays.)
Netflix: $10
Utilities: $50. I pay for power and my partner pays for water and gas, which are about $75/month.
TV & Internet: $110. I pay all of this because I used to work from home a lot, and I needed reliable internet for work, and cable for entertainment.
Transportation: ~$40. The distance between my full-time job and my apartment complex only requires that I put this much on my Metro pass.
Health & Dental Insurance: $160 (taken out of paycheck)
Credit Card Bills: ~$400. This is a revolving amount, I pay off my credit card every bill cycle).
Retirement/Savings: ~$1,000/month. My job does not offer a 401(k) plan, so I save a lump sum all year and then transfer the maximum ($5,500) to my Roth IRA. It's not perfect but it's something.
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