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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 millennial women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. (Thanks, New York mag, for the inspiration.)
To mark our 50th money diary, we decided to do something a little different. A brave Brooklyn diarist decided to track four complete weeks (not a month, but close enough). Ahead, a project manager for a construction management company with an almost weekly pot delivery and a penchant for horror movies.
Industry: Construction Management
Age: 31
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Salary: $105,000
Bonus: 10 to 16% annually ($11,500, paid in March)
Savings: $40,000
401(k): $60,000
# of roommates: One (boyfriend)
Age: 31
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Salary: $105,000
Bonus: 10 to 16% annually ($11,500, paid in March)
Savings: $40,000
401(k): $60,000
# of roommates: One (boyfriend)
Paycheck Amount (Every Two Weeks, 26 paychecks per year)
Gross: $4,038
Taxes: $1,280
401(k) (10% of gross pay): $405
Insurance: $104
Total Biweekly Take-Home Pay: $2,250
My BF is the same age and makes $130K per year, his bonus payout will be $37K this year (gross). We work in the same industry, but in different roles. He contributes to a 401(k) and Roth IRA, his biweekly take-home total is about $2,450.
Gross: $4,038
Taxes: $1,280
401(k) (10% of gross pay): $405
Insurance: $104
Total Biweekly Take-Home Pay: $2,250
My BF is the same age and makes $130K per year, his bonus payout will be $37K this year (gross). We work in the same industry, but in different roles. He contributes to a 401(k) and Roth IRA, his biweekly take-home total is about $2,450.
Biweekly Auto Transfer To Savings: $350. In addition to this, I keep about a $2-5K in my checking account at a time. When there is an accumulation beyond $5K, I will transfer that to savings on top of the $350 auto transfer that occurs each paycheck.
Monthly Expenses (all numbers represent my half of joint expenses)
Rent: $1,113. We live in East Williamsburg in a 670-square-foot one-bedroom apartment with a backyard that we share with our neighbor.
Car Loan Payment: $207. We have four car payments left (car was $26K).
Car Insurance: $65
Electric & Cooking Gas: $50
E-ZPass & Monthly Metro Card: $122
Phone Bill: $0 (company-paid cell phone)
Cable, Internet, & Landline: $107.50 (Yes, I know, but we have every movie package and bad cell service in the apartment.)
Netflix (streaming and one disc): $9
Spotify: $5
Student Loans: None. My parents paid for college. My four-year bachelor’s degree cost $46K (this includes two years of dorms and meal plans, the tuition itself was only $32K). I worked through high school and during college so I could pay for my living expenses and my rent after I moved out of the dorms. My boyfriend just finished paying off his student loans, which were about $50K total when he graduated. He received some scholarships and did a work study program that covered half of his tuition.
Total Fixed Monthly Expenses: $1,678.50
Rent: $1,113. We live in East Williamsburg in a 670-square-foot one-bedroom apartment with a backyard that we share with our neighbor.
Car Loan Payment: $207. We have four car payments left (car was $26K).
Car Insurance: $65
Electric & Cooking Gas: $50
E-ZPass & Monthly Metro Card: $122
Phone Bill: $0 (company-paid cell phone)
Cable, Internet, & Landline: $107.50 (Yes, I know, but we have every movie package and bad cell service in the apartment.)
Netflix (streaming and one disc): $9
Spotify: $5
Student Loans: None. My parents paid for college. My four-year bachelor’s degree cost $46K (this includes two years of dorms and meal plans, the tuition itself was only $32K). I worked through high school and during college so I could pay for my living expenses and my rent after I moved out of the dorms. My boyfriend just finished paying off his student loans, which were about $50K total when he graduated. He received some scholarships and did a work study program that covered half of his tuition.
Total Fixed Monthly Expenses: $1,678.50
Editor's Note: All expenses were rounded to the nearest half-dollar. Expenses that are marked with an * indicated a shared expense, with the number representing the diarists' half. Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women’s experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.
The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here.
Have a money diary you'd like to share? Send it to us at https://you.refinery29.com/submit-money-diary.
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The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here.
Have a money diary you'd like to share? Send it to us at https://you.refinery29.com/submit-money-diary.
Read These Stories Next:
Bridesmaid Confessions: "I Spent $1,225 On Your Wedding"
A Week As A Cam Girl On A $90,000 Salary
20 Ways To Stop Wasting Money & Start Saving Now
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