A Week In Elwood, Melbourne, As A Client Relations Manager On $180,000

Today: a client relations manager who makes $180,000 a year and spends $899 of her money this week on the new Dyson Airwrap.

Occupation: Client Relations Manager
Industry: Automotive
Age: 23
Location: Elwood, Melbourne
Salary: $180,000
Net Worth: $610,000 (A $290,000 apartment that I own outright as an investment, $80,000 in super, a $150,000 share portfolio, $25,000 in savings, and a $120,000 stake in a business. I was lucky enough to get this through a long-time friend who offered me a buy-in at a great price. He needed a business partner and I was happy to invest!)
Debt: $55,000 on my car loan. I also have a credit card but I pay it off monthly.
Paycheque Amount (Fortnightly): $4,796
Pronouns: She/Her

Rent: $1,400. I rent my apartment as I like the area but didn't want to buy there due to the high market. It's a two-bedroom renovated apartment by the beach and close to everything. My investment property covers $1,000 a month, which is almost half of my rent.
Car Loan: $646. I have a brand new European car and chose to have it on finance as I upgrade cars frequently. 
Pilates: $360
Home and Car Insurance: $300
Phone: $30
Body Corporate: $210
Health Insurance: $30
Groceries: $200
Transport: $500 (Petrol and Uber) 
Cleaner: $160. I work all the time, so this is worth the money as it gives me more free time.
Investments: $2,000 (This can be more if I sell shares or receive dividends)
Pet Care: $100 (Mainly towards grooming my cat)   
Personal Care: $200 (For things like getting my nails and eyebrows done)
Savings Contributions: $1,000

Yes. I completed my bachelor's degree on a HECS loan. I was lucky enough to work at my company while I was in university, so when I graduated, they promoted me to a higher-up role straight away. With this pay increase, I paid off my HECS loan within two years.

We had conversations about investing and money quite frequently. By the time I was old enough to understand financial issues, my mum and her husband were already very successful and pretty well off. As a result, there was a large focus on growing wealth, rather than budgeting. Money was always spoken about in a positive light in both of my households. However, my dad wasn't in the same financial position. He always spoke about how to be responsible with money while enjoying life — he helped me a lot when it came to budgeting and saving. I think the contrast between my parents really helped me understand money in different lights. A lot of people don't have this opportunity.

I worked in a country town bakery from 5am to 3pm every Saturday. I got the job because I wanted to be in a position to do things without my parents' help. I had this job for four years during school and managed to save enough for my first car. The hours were long, and there were early starts, but overall, it was a great job!

No. I was fortunate that my family was in a comfortable position and didn’t worry about money. I was not born into money though, so as I grew up, I became more aware of how my parents struggled when we were younger. Even though they struggled, they never talked negatively about it in front of us. They sheltered us kids, so we didn't have to worry.

No. I don't worry about money as I believe I have set myself up to be in a good position if all goes south. I do think about it a lot though. I try and make sure that I'm growing my stock portfolio and that something I'm buying is truly going to make me happy. I just want to make sure that I am always able to support myself and my lifestyle as I grow older. I also want to retire quite early, so I guess I worry about that.

Even though I moved out at 18, I must admit that I'm not completely financially responsible for myself. When I first moved out, my mum gave me a $250,000 handout. This helped me purchase an apartment to live in while I was studying. I now rent this out as an investment. Nowadays, I can afford to support myself with my work, but I still receive money from a family trust — $25,000 each quarter. This is my safety net. I'll be forever thankful for the step up this has given me.

Yes. My stepfather had a high-up role in a large industry, so when he married my mum, they set up trust funds for the kids. I am paid $25,000 quarterly by the trust. I don’t really spend that money as I have a large income, so it's usually invested, donated, or used as my safety net.

6:00am — I have an early morning reformer Pilates class this morning. It's normally $35 a class, but I have been buying packs of 20, which work out to be $18 a class. It's not raining so I walk to class, which is only two minutes away from my place.

6:50am — I stop by my local cafe and get a coffee and an almond croissant ($13) before walking home to enjoy my breakfast. Then I get ready for work. $13

7:25am — I leave for work, stopping by the petrol station to fill up my tank on the way to the office ($126.32). I need to drive as I work in an industrial estate with limited travel options. I get into the office and start my day. My days usually vary, but I'm always in meetings or in the car, which makes snacks quite essential. Today, I have an apple and a protein bar, both bought earlier. $126.32

11:20am — I have some spare time before a meeting, so I do some personal admin and pay my share of accommodation for an upcoming trip to the Gold Coast for a friend's wedding. We've decided to splurge and stay at the Versace Hotel, which comes to $425 for two nights of accommodation, plus meals. I don’t travel a whole heap, so I figure we might as well treat ourselves! $425

12:45pm — I rarely pack lunch as I don't know where I will be at lunchtime. There's nothing worse than bringing a meal that needs microwaving and not having one around! Instead, I head to a local cafe and buy soup for myself and my assistant, which sets me back $24.

3:00pm — As I'm driving back from a boring meeting, I stop and get a Red Bull Zero from the servo as a bit of a pick-me-up. $4.50

6:25pm — I leave the office and order pizza ($26.50) to pick up on the drive home. It's been a long day. I'm hungry and quite frankly, it's a bit depressing cooking for one. I do enjoy cooking for other people, but when it's just for myself, it always feels like a bit of a chore. I love living by myself, but this is definitely one of the downsides. $26.50

9.00pm — I curl up in bed and watch the replay of last night's F1 race on Kayo. I love watching all the races as it makes me nostalgic — when I was growing up, my brother, Dad and I used to stay up late and watch them. Now that I work in the industry, I have a deeper love for it and always make an effort to watch the races, even if it’s late! My favourite driver spins out of the race and I fall asleep not long after. As much as I'd love to watch the race live, I don't have it in me to be up at 1am every weekend!

6:00am — I head to Pilates again. I walk to the studio even though it's freezing cold.

6:50am — I stop to grab a coffee on my walk home. Today, it's free, thanks to the loyalty program my cafe offers. Then I head home and make myself some avo toast for breakfast before getting ready and heading into the office.

9:10am — I've forgotten to bring snacks into the office today, so I buy a banana, muffin and hot chocolate from the coffee van that stops in every morning ($16). I love how convenient it is, but it's quite expensive. $16

12:15pm — After a long morning of paperwork, I head to a lunch meeting with a supplier to finalise a deal we have been working on. We go to a nice restaurant by the beach and enjoy the small amount of winter sun. I order pumpkin gnocchi ($36) and charge it to the company card, so I don't have to spend anything. By the end of lunch, the deal is all sorted. It's a relief as I've been working on this deal with the company for three months!

2:20pm — I head back to the office, stopping by BWS to pick up some celebratory champagne. I buy two nice bottles (one for myself, one for my amazing assistant). The $155 splurge is well deserved. $155

4:30pm — I leave the office early and pop by my mum's place to say hi. I end up staying for dinner — her shout. We pop the champagne and have a glass each. 

8:00pm — I drive home. I crack a bottle of wine and finish my book, The Body Keeps Score. It's a brilliant psychology book that focuses on trauma. It's super emotional, but a great informative and interesting read. I do my bedtime routine and head to sleep.

7:00am — My alarm goes off and I'm feeling too comfortable in bed, so I snooze it. I eventually wake up (again) and start getting ready while munching on some toast.

7:40am — I realise I'm late for work and decide not to make a coffee pitstop. After all, we have a machine in the office. I could realistically make coffee at work every day, but the staff at my local cafe are so nice and make the best coffee!

11:15am — After a long but exciting morning of client handovers, we enjoy some pastries a client has gifted us. One of the things I love most about my job is these happy moments during handover. We get to see the client come in to pick up the car they've imported. For many people, this is a dream car and something they've waited a long time for. Seeing everyone so excited always makes my day. The clients are also really generous, so we usually have cake, wine and other gifts being dropped off as thank-yous.

1:20pm — I've managed to rip a hole in my pant legs, so I head to H&M to get a new pair. After trying on multiple pairs, I have a minor breakdown because the sizing is ridiculously inconsistent and the fits are not flattering. I head to David Jones to see if they have a better selection and manage to find the most flattering pair. They're also really similar to my current ripped pair, so it's a win. They're on sale and I score them for $83. On the way back to the car, I pick up two sushi rolls for lunch ($8.50) and head back to work. I pick up my car from the valet and pay $20. I hate parking at shopping centres and the valet is extremely convenient! $111.50

6:45pm — I finally leave the office and head home to reheat a meal that has been sitting in my freezer since last week. Then I clean my apartment to prep for the cleaner who is coming tomorrow. They'll deep clean everything, including the windows, bathroom and kitchen. It's a great help as I work so much and want to use my free time to do things with my friends and family.

9:00pm — I'm still hungry and order ice cream from Uber Eats. It comes to $12.90, and I add a $5 tip. $17.90

5:45am — My alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed to go to Pilates. It's raining so I drive to class. I pay $3 for parking, but it's worth it because I don't get wet. $3

7:00am — I leave the studio and drive home to get ready for work. I leave $80 in cash out for the cleaner and put my cat in her carrier, ready to take her to the groomer. $80

9:15am — After dropping my cat at the groomer's, I go to my local cafe and work remotely while my apartment is being cleaned. I have a large meal to get me through the day, enjoying the most amazing fritters with egg, avo and feta. As I work, I sip through two coffees. After a few hours, I settle my $38 tab and leave to pick up my cat. I pay the groomer $50. $88

11:20am — I head to our office on the other side of the city for back-to-back client meetings. My meetings usually consist of conversations about where current orders are at, taking new orders and bookings, as well as general client check-ins. We have a super small team, so my role is quite big. It can be exhausting, but it's also nice because I get to know everyone, from suppliers to customers.

3:00pm — After all my work in the office is completed, I eat some of my snacks and drive back to my normal office. On the way, I stop and pick up some coleslaw and potatoes for dinner tonight. $4.10

5:25pm — I leave the office and head home, where I have a glass of wine while I make baked potatoes.

7:00pm — I eat dinner and tuck myself into bed to watch some episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before falling asleep.

7:00am — I wake up and get ready for work. On my way to the office, I pick up a coffee from my local cafe. Today, it's covered by my online bank, UP, which is offering free coffee as part of a promotion.

12:20pm — My boss treats us all to a sushi lunch to celebrate a great previous financial year. Then I head back to the office to finish up all my jobs for the week and head home.

3:30pm — I meet my friend for an afternoon drink. We have a great catch-up and chat about everything from work to all our current boy drama. Dating as a 20-something professional is a rollercoaster — it makes all the high school drama look easy! We have a cocktail each and I pay for us as she got our cheque last time ($36). I normally split things like this with my close friends as everything always evens itself out. $36

5:15pm — I get home and do some rearranging of my lounge room. I toss up getting a new couch, as my current one has been claimed by my cat as a new scratching post. I look at prices and quickly decide that my current couch is fine. Then I walk to my Pilates class. 

6:45pm — I get home from Pilates and make myself some ramen noodles. I pop on some Love Island to help me wind down. I like being able to zone out when watching TV, and the mindless drama of reality shows makes me very relaxed. 

9:30am — I manage to sleep in this morning, before finally getting up and going for a walk. I walk to my mum's house and bring her and my stepfather some coffee ($12.50). We enjoy it in the park across from their place. I didn't spend a lot of time with Mum and her husband growing up, but after the Covid lockdowns, they moved to the city to be closer to my brother and me. Since they moved, I've always made an effort to see them at least once a week, but I also call Mum on the way home from work every day to fill her in. One of the best things about moving out of home was rebuilding the relationship with my mum — we're not in each other's space all the time, so it makes life so much easier! $12.50

11:45am — I get home and decide to finally do the washing I've been putting off all week. As the machine runs, I head down to the local Mexican restaurant and get two takeaway tacos ($9). Then I stop by the local market to pick up some honey ($25). $34

5:00pm — After an afternoon nap and many loads of washing, I start to get ready for a night out with friends. I realise I have no drinks in my house, so I have some Cruisers and wine delivered on Uber Eats while I shower ($45). I have a few drinks at home while I do my makeup, then I get an Uber to my friend's place ($9.40). $54.40

11:00pm — My friends and I have some pre-s at her house before we head out. These are my best friends from high school — we've been friends since Year 7 and now all live in Melbourne, so we make an effort to keep in touch. We play Mario Kart and Monopoly all night before catching an Uber into the city, where we head to a club that our friend runs. It's opening weekend, so our friend hooks us up with a VIP booth, free entry, and a bunch of free drinks. I only spend $40 all night! By 4am, we're ready to leave. I stop off at 7-Eleven for some snacks ($10) and head home. $50

10:00am — I drag myself out of bed and order a McDonald's McMuffin meal ($14). I accept that I won't be leaving the house today, settling in to binge-watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (again). $14

12:30pm — I pull myself out of bed and head to Chadstone to buy something for a work event that I have in a few weeks. I park my car in the valet section ($40 on weekends) and head to a few shops in search of a gown. After trying on a few pieces, I accept that I'll have to find something online. In Myer, I see that the new Dyson Airwrap is in stock. I've been debating getting this for at least six months, as I've seen it everywhere. I think it would be good for my hair type and make my life a whole lot easier, but it is ridiculously expensive. After standing there and debating the purchase for a good ten minutes, I bite the bullet and get it. I figure if it's horrible I can return it or give it to a friend. I pay for it and am set back a whopping $899. It's probably not my smartest purchase, but I'm hoping it lives up to the hype! $939

2:30pm — I get home and get ready to meet my friends for an afternoon drag brunch. I try out my new Airwrap. It's harder to use than I thought it would be. Was it worth the money? Probably not. But I'm sure that it will be once I get the hang of it. The brunch is at a super nice place just off Chapel Street. I've never been to a drag show before and it turns out to be a really fun and entertaining experience, filled with singing and comedy performances. I definitely want to go again. My meal and drinks come to a total of $79.

7:00pm — After heading home, I tidy up my apartment and change my sheets. I then resume my normal position in bed with a cup of tea and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I'm obsessed with this show. I've just started from the beginning and I'm already on Season 3. Nothing brings me more entertainment after long nights out than watching Brandi talk smack about everyone's family.

Daily Total: $1,032

This is a pretty accurate week in terms of spending for me, although I'll usually have to pay more bills and rent at the start of the month. There are definitely ways I can cut down on my spending, but I'm incredibly fortunate to be in a position where I have the disposable income to do fun things while I am young!