A Week In Vancouver, BC, On A $39,500 Salary

Occupation: Key Account Specialist
Industry: Apparel Manufacturing & Marketing
Age: 32
Location: Vancouver, BC
Salary: $39,500
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,177

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $630 (I live in a two-bedroom condo with my two wolf huskies.)
Student Loan Payment: $0 (I went to community college and paid for it out of pocket.)
Condo Strata Fee: $292
Phone Bill: $65
Internet & Cable: $113
Spotify & Netflix: $16.50
Lash Treatment: $220 for 2x/month
Office Breakfast Program: $24
Electricity: $40
Dog Expenses: $120
Car Expenses: $155
BCSPCA (Charity): $27

6:30 a.m. — Wake up! My BF stayed over last night and doesn't have to work today, so he offers to take care of the wolves while I sleep in. I start work at 7 a.m. and get off at 3:30 p.m. everyday, so it's super nice to get an extra 30 minutes of sleep. My work is super casual, so I just throw on a hoodie and jeans, brush my teeth, and wash my face. Then I grab eggs for breakfast and a leftover turkey burrito bowl and head out the door.

7 a.m. — My office is a five-minute drive from my house, but when it's nice out I choose to ride my bike. It's raining today, unfortunately, so I drive. I check my email and then go to the office kitchen to scramble up two eggs (my go-to breakfast).

8 a.m. — So I totally forgot that our office breakfast program starts today! I'm getting a second breakfast I guess. For $2.50 a meal, a local chef comes in three times a week and makes us food from sustainable ingredients. Today is a poached egg on a bed of pea shoots, a baked potato, and a radish tart with apple and leek vinaigrette salad. It's delicious and super filling on top of the two eggs I ate earlier. (I pay monthly for the breakfasts.)

12:30 p.m. — It's sunny now, so I go outside for a walk. I walk down to the sea wall and grab a ginger-flavored Rise kombucha from the local grocery store. My favorite! I get an hour break every day, so I walk pretty far along the sea wall and feel super refreshed when I get back to my desk. $5

3:30 p.m. — Off work. I get home and am greeted by my happy fat little wolves. My BF is still here, surprisingly, as he's usually out when it's nice. He's a pro-athlete, so his schedule is very flexible. He goes on two week-long filming trips at least once a month, so the dogs are very happy when he's around and so am I. His main source of income is from his sponsors and odd jobs he picks up from his friends. We decide to go for a bike ride to the beach before the rain hits us again.

6 p.m. — When we get back, we feed the dogs and take them out to pee. We're super hungry, so we decide to order a pizza: thin crust with cream sauce, arugula, mushrooms, and red onions. I pop open a bottle of red and have a glass while my BF has a beer from the fridge. We settle in for the night, rewatching Shameless. $25

9:30 p.m. — Because I wake up so early everyday, I have a weeknight bedtime of 10 p.m. I brush my teeth, change into sweats, and do my nightly beauty routine: Amorepacific Enzyme Peel, Eve Lom Cleanser, The Ordinary Lactic Acid and Hyaluronic Acid, and GlamGlow Dreamduo Overnight Treatment.

6:30 a.m. — Same ol' routine, except today I'm wearing Adidas track pants. You know those memes that are like: "Me at work vs. Me on the weekend?" I am that girl. I look like shit during the week and then turn up on the weekends. I'm constantly told I look different outside of work. Who am I trying to impress in front of my computer? NOBODY. Pair up my track pants with my Timbs and my Alpha bomber jacket, and I'm out the door feelin' great.

12:30 p.m. — Meetings all morning. I swear our meeting room is nap-inducing. Spent the entire meeting trying to keep my eyes open and thinking: "This all could have just been sent in an email." I've been with this company for seven years now, and I'm really good at my job, but I'm getting super bored of it. I actually went on a few interviews a few months ago and got an offer from a company I was really excited about, but when I went to quit my job...my company basically said no and that they'd give me whatever the other company was offering and change my job title if I stayed. I stayed. I can't really complain, because I'm so comfortable here and I love everyone I work with. But the challenge just isn't there.

3:30 p.m. — Off work! It's raining, so it's going to be a lazy night I'm sure. My BF has a bunch of friends over when I get home, and the dogs are right in the middle of it just loving all the attention. There are constantly guys over, which I don't mind at all. They're all so nice and I'm kinda like their mom. I ask if they've been eating their veggies or if they just live off beer. They're watching skate videos, so I go into my room to watch Gossip Girl and relax.

6:30 p.m. — The boys are hungry, so we venture over to a local pub a few blocks away. The BF and I share nachos and I get a cider. He pays. He pays anytime we go out, which evens out because he stays with me at my condo whenever he's in town. I know people might assume that he's a freeloader or whatever, but he has never taken advantage of me and is so grateful. Also, it's cool because if I ever need anything handy done, I have like 10 dudes I can hit up to come fix things. We're just one big family.

10 p.m. — We get home and the boys are still hanging out in the living room, so the lady dog and I go cuddle in bed and fall asleep to Gossip Girl.

6:30 a.m. — LOL, I wake up to two guys passed out on the dogs' memory foam beds in the living room. This is actually pretty normal around here...the dogs' beds are actually so comfy and each fits a full-sized adult (because the dogs are both 90 pounds). The maximum number of people I've had crashing at my place was 10 guys from the States when they came up to Canada for a trip. And oddly, even though I only have one bathroom, it actually wasn't that bad. A couple of them camped out on the patio.

7 a.m. — Make my two scrambled eggs and get to work on boring emails.

12:30 p.m. — Buy a ginger kombucha from the store, find an empty bench by the water, and sunbathe. $5

3:30 p.m. — The boys are out filming when I get home, so it's just me and the dogs. It's super nice out, so I text some friends to come over. I grab the bottle of wine I opened on Monday and a couple ciders from the fridge, and we bike down to the park by the water. It's so nice today! We laugh, gossip, and drink until the sun goes down.

6:30 p.m. — My BF comes to meet us at the park and says he's hungry, so the group of us bike to my favorite vegan place, Meet in Gastown. I get the hot "chik'n" ceasar salad, my BF gets chili fries, and we each get a snakebite (half beer and half cider). My BF pays.

8 p.m. — BF and I bike home and walk the pups. Then we get ready for bed and cuddle with the dogs while watching Superbad until we pass out.

6:30 a.m. — I'm going snowboarding after work today with my friend, so I pack my gear up and put it in the car.

7 a.m. — I make two scrambled eggs and work on emails.

8 a.m. — Again, I forgot that the breakfast guy was coming today! So I get a second breakfast. It's a Mexican-themed egg dish. It's really good. I love Mexican food.

12:30 p.m. — BF and I are going to a wedding in Kelowna this weekend, so I decide to walk to the store to buy snacks for our trip and pick up chips, meats, cheeses, a case of grapefruit Perrier, and lots of fruits. $25

3:30 p.m. — Snowboard time!!! My friend meets me at the office and we take off from there. We drive over to Seymour Mountain, where we both have access passes.

6:30 p.m. — Snowboarding is so fun! We call it quits and go to the restaurant to get food and drinks. I order the beef dip with a salad and my friend gets butternut squash pasta. We both get beers too. She pays for us both because I drove.

8 p.m. — I'm home and the BF is watching Prison Break with the dogs. He's already walked and fed them, so I relax with him and tell him about my mountain time. I've been snowboarding since I was five years old, so it's a huge part of my life. I go around three times a week, mostly on weekends, and make frequent trips to Whistler.

8 a.m. — My dad flew in from Texas this morning to watch the dogs while we're at the wedding this weekend. He jumps at every chance he gets to come spend time with his fur grandbabies. He legit loves them more than me, I think. We go get pho with my dad. Mmm. My BF pays for me.

10 a.m. — My BF and I say goodbye to the fur babies and my dad, and then we hit the road. It's about a four-hour drive, but we want to get there a little early to get unpacked and checked in. BF pays for the first gas fill-up.

12 p.m. — I have to pee, and I want Subway, so we stop and I get a turkey foot-long with two cookies. $10

2:30 p.m. — Okay, so weirdly, Vancouver has NO Taco Bells. Growing up in California, I used to get Taco Bell ALL the time, so every time I go somewhere with a Taco Bell, I have to have it. I order a beef Taco Supreme, a Nachos Supreme with LOTS of extra hot sauce, and a Mountain Dew, and my BF gets the Doritos Taco Supreme. He pays because he thinks it's cute that I have this weird obsession with Taco Bell.

3 p.m. — We get to Kelowna and stop at a liquor store to stock up. I get so much booze — and am ready to party! I buy ciders, sparkling vodka drinks, a bottle of red wine, and tequila. My BF gets a 15-pack of beer. I pay. $82

4 p.m. — We're checked in and our fridge is stocked! I see one of my best friends who came from Alberta, and we're instantly ready to start drinking. We literally don't even have to greet each other — it's just: "DRINK?" "DRINK!" We head to the park with our cooler and hang out while we wait for the other guests to start rolling in. It's so nice out today! It's kind of a sausage fest at this point, but I have one lady friend with me, which is all I need. My best friend from California is coming later tonight. I'm stoked!

8 p.m. — We go back to the hotel after it starts getting dark, and my friend and I have a dance party to the new Cardi B album. Did you guys watch Love & Hip Hop?! I did. It's like I watched Cardi grow up! #Proud. We go next door to join the boys and wait for our Cali pals to roll through.

10 p.m. — Okay so...apparently I'm still on my weeknight sleep schedule and I drank too much. I pass out at 10 p.m. while the party continues until 4 a.m. next door. Oops.

10 a.m. — Wake up SO thirsty. Good thing I bought those grapefruit Perriers. I sip on one and gently wake up the BF, trying to gauge how hungover he is. For having stayed up until 4 a.m., he's feeling surprisingly good! Thank god, because I always wake up starving after drinking.

10:30 a.m. — We walk over to Denny's and I get a Grand Slam with bacon, hash browns, scrambled eggs, and sausage. BF gets an omelette. He pays.

12 p.m. — Cali girlfriend comes up and we start getting ready for the ceremony. We look fireee!!! We head to the golf course and sure enough...there's an open bar...so we start drinking! The bride and groom are party animals, so this wedding is about to be lit. The bride looks so pretty!

3 p.m. — We're all back at our hotels, so everyone starts drinking again while we wait for the reception to start in three hours. We go to the pool with our drinks and hang out in the hot tub for an hour before we bring the hotel party back to our room.

6 p.m. — We take a cab to the reception hall, and my friend pays. We all laugh and cry and then drink some more. The bride is one of my best friends, and she loves The Eagles and really wants to see them live, so I decide to buy us tickets to their show as part of my gift to her. My BF and I already gave the couple cash for their wedding gift, but I want to do a little extra for her. I confirm that she hasn't bought her own tickets yet and buy two resale tickets for us on my phone. She is going to die from happiness. That's worth the price tag and the hours of boredom I'm going to have to endure during the show. $350

12 a.m. — Reception is over and we've all danced harder than anyone has every danced, I think. My legs are going to be real sore from all the stomping we did during "Cotton Eye Joe." We all head back to the hotel and keep the party going.

1:30 a.m. — I've hit my wall and pass out at 1:30 a.m.

8 a.m. — I'm up early and surprisingly not hungover, but I am hungry! I decide not to bother the BF, because he was probably up until 4 a.m. again. I go to the hotel restaurant and order us biscuits with sausage gravy. I eat mine alone in the restaurant and bring his up to surprise him. He's so grateful when he sees the food.

10:30 a.m. — We hang out and chill for a couple hours until it's time to pack up and check out.

11 a.m. — We're back on the road! Our friends from Cali are spending the night at our place before they continue on their journey home. We fill up the tank, and I pay this time. Gas is so much cheaper in Kelowna! $55

3:30 p.m. — I sleep for most of the trip, but my BF wakes me up when he spots a Taco Bell 45 minutes outside of Vancouver and asks if I want to stop. I say: "YES!" I literally don't understand this obsession either, but it's in me. I get the same thing as last time, beef Supreme Taco with Nacho Supreme, and my BF gets the Dorito Supreme with LOTS of extra hot sauce.

4:30 p.m. — We're home with the puppies and hanging out with my dad. My dad tells me that the dogs are out of kibble, so I go out to the pet store to buy some. Dog food is 25% off right now, so I grab two bags. $160

6:30 p.m. — Our Cali friends roll up and say they're dying to get poutine, so we walk up the street for poutine with my dad. I get a small classic poutine and my BF gets a classic poutine with a hot dog. BF pays.

10 p.m. — We're all beat from this weekend, so we smoke a joint, and my Cali friend and I do a GlamGlow face mask and watch Step Brothers before I pass out. Can't believe I have to work tomorrow — but it was a great weekend!

Your Spending In Your State: We want to run one Money Diary from a different state each week. Want to rep your state? Submit here!

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here: r29.co/mdfaqs

Want even more Money Diaries? Pre-order our new book: Money Diaries: Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Your Finances...And Everyone Else's.

This graduation season, we want to hear from you: Is your career totally different than what you thought it’d be while you were in college? Did you major in something that feels completely random now? If your college major is unrelated to your current job, fill out these questions for a chance to be featured on the site!