A Week In Cockburn, Perth, As A Compliance Manager On $150,000

Occupation: Compliance Manager
Industry: Engineering & Construction
Age: 36
Location: Cockburn, Perth
Salary: $150,000
Net Worth: $4,000 ($140,000 in super, $120,000 in home equity, $4,000 in shares). My savings have taken a hit since my last diary as late last year, my partner and I needed a new (used) car, so we depleted our emergency fund to buy it. My savings went into the mortgage, renovating the bathroom ($10,000), and giving myself a boob job ($14,000). My super and shares have not only stagnated but have also decreased in value.
Debt: $260,000 in my mortgage. I used my savings and refinanced my mortgage a few months ago which was helpful at the time, but interest rates have shot up so I don't really notice the difference anymore!
Paycheque Amount (Monthly): $8,500. I still salary sacrifice $500 towards super which hurts my heart with the current market!
Pronouns: She/Her

Mortgage: My mortgage has gone up to $1,700 a month (previously $1,500) despite refinancing to a lower interest rate a few months back. It's still being paid solely by me. The kids (one mine, one my partner's) live here 50/50. They're teens, so they're out and about with friends or their other parents quite a bit.
Credit Card: I pay this off every payday.
Gym: $70
Health Insurance: $125
Phone: $70
Internet: $80
Charity Donations: $50
Utilities: Our bills have gone up a fair bit recently. I now pay $250 for water, $150 for gas, and $300 for electricity every two months. Our consumption has gone up, which I think reflects where our kids are at — they have more showers, put the aircon on when we're not home, charge their phones and practice doing their makeup with the heat lamps on!
Savings Contributions: I still tuck away $500 a month, but it's not stretching as far as it used to. I've had to dip into my savings to pay for the home and car insurance recently — usually, I would have enough there.
Extra Mortgage Contributions: I transfer at least an extra $2,000 each month into my mortgage. I can redraw that money if I need to so it also acts as my emergency fund. I wasn't able to do this with my last bank.

Not a great deal, honestly! The job is the same, but it's a bit more stressful due to the company and economy. The kids are well. My partner continues to be amazing and supportive and my sister is my third child. I did get new boobs a few months back because I've always been insecure about mine. I feel a lot more comfortable in my body. They're not huge or anything so I don't think too many people have noticed.

It's nice to get that feedback! I think I was probably set to follow the same crappy path as my parents until I started listening to people around me. I remember a friend and me talking at TAFE about big bills coming in, and a random lady was like, "You don't put money away so it's there when the bills come?"

I genuinely didn't know there was any other way other than scrambling to find spare change in couch cushions. The older and wiser gentlemen I worked with would talk about super and investments and would answer all of my silly questions. When my child came along, that was a huge motivator, so I really did it for them in addition for myself. 

I still know the value of a dollar and tend to hesitate on purchases. I probably don't beat myself up so much now, given that I can afford to buy things I want, but I know resources are finite. Hence the decision to treat myself to cosmetic surgery that I've always wanted! Everything is still very much about making sure the kids have what they need first, but it was really nice to do something big for me. 

The pandemic eventually hit Western Australia mid-last year. Lots of people caught COVID, including me, but life has otherwise trucked on as normal. We worked from home a lot more but are back at the office now.

We haven't had any holidays and don't have any planned. We have been discussing visiting Scandinavia, but it's probably going to be for one of our special birthdays coming up in the next few years because we'd like to save up and enjoy ourselves freely. The kids will also be a bit older and be able to travel with us more independently or even stay home if they're not interested. 

4:30am — I wake to the sun rising and enjoy my flat white. I love my morning ritual. I check my horoscope and everything looks like it's going to be positive today (I'm a Cancer and often moody and broody!). I'm on leave this week which is AMAZING. I haven't had a break since I took a week off for my boob job a few months back. They're just a little fuller and don't look like fluffy pancakes anymore. My partner wasn't keen, but he'll do anything to support me and is happy that I'm happy. 

5:10am — I take the dog for a short walk, then I head to the gym. I love glute day. I take my time today because I don't have heaps of energy to get my heart rate up. The regulars are discussing their New Year's resolutions. 

7:00am — I get home and make myself a chocolate protein shake. I only have full cream milk at the moment, so I water it down a little to try to contain the fat content. I'm conscious that I've put on a few kilos, so whilst I'm not actively on a diet, I'm trying to control my calories and be a bit more mindful of where they're coming from. Could also be the boobs, though. After getting them, I couldn't work out for a few weeks.

9:00am — Kids are up and request pancakes. How can I say no?! One wants blueberries, the other wants chocolate chips. It's indulgent, but we're all on holiday! I sneak a plain pancake for myself and top it with Greek yoghurt and strawberries. It's nice to sit and chat together. Afterwards, I clean up and the kids stack the dishwasher. 

11:00am — I take the old boy to the vet (he's a golden labrador and is ten years old now, hence why he's my old boy!). He's been lifting his paw and I can't feel any prickles so it's time to see a professional. The vet says it's arthritis so we start a course of injections to try to improve it. She also gives him pain medication and his vaccination, since it's well overdue. $178

2:00pm — I deserve a nap. Zzz.

4:00pm — My email alerts me to multiple sales. I order some new ASICS Kayano runners from The Iconic, down to $120. I also fill my cart with other items, then decide I should wait before buying and close the browser. $120

6:00pm — Kids want pasta bake for dinner. Whatever you want, kids! Less effort for me! 

7:00pm — I have to beg the kids to stack the dishwasher this time. We sit down and watch Futurama on Disney. I make us bowls of ice cream and add sprinkles to theirs.

9:00pm — Let the dog out for a wee and hit the hay. 

5:00am — Wake and coffee. It's hard to wake up today so I make a second coffee. 

6:00am — Hit the gym for a light HIIT session, which probably defeats the whole purpose of HIIT.

7:00am — I get home and make a smoothie with chocolate protein powder and frozen banana with my full cream milk/water hybrid. Nobody is awake, which means nobody has let the dog out yet. I let him out and enjoy the morning sun while sipping my smoothie.

7:30am — Bestie texts and asks if I want to go to brunch. I do. I shower and get ready wearing jeans and a tee. I can't be bothered with makeup, so I just slick on some mascara to look more awake and kiss my partner goodbye. 

8:30am — We meet at our fave beachfront cafe. I order scrambled eggs (which are amazing) and she gets smoked salmon croquettes. We also both get a cappuccino. We sit and chat till we realise it's already 11:30am. It's my turn to pay so I foot the bill. $58

12:00pm — Bestie and I realise we aren't done hanging out (it's been a week!), so I call my partner to tell him I'm staying out and we hit some shops to check out their sales. I pick up two pairs of gym shorts from a sports store, one pair of casual shorts, a tee and a cute casual dress from Decjuba ($180). I need these since I'm sure I'm a size up from last summer, not even considering my new tatas. $180

6:00pm — I get home and my partner is in the middle of cooking pork belly. I shower and decompress before joining the family for dinner. 

7:30pm — The kids watch some crap on TV that I'm not interested in, so I discretely motion to my partner to go to the bedroom. Any further information would be TMI. I'm spent, so I ask him to take the dog out so I can go to bed early.

5:00am — Wake up and have coffee. Partner is awake, so I make him one too. We sit in bed and chat and cuddle with each other and the pets. The pussy cat is purring very loudly! 

6:30am — My sister messages me and suggests a walk. I meet her at the river with the old boy. The pace of our walk is steady because it's more about chatting with each other. It's nice to catch up and enjoy nature. I offer to do some batch cooking/meal prep for her to help out, and she's very grateful. She's kind of couch-surfing at the moment but isn't with us right now as the house is too cramped with the kids. Rentals are so hard to come by right now, but she has enough support to tide her over. Fingers crossed!

9:00am — Kids want to go shopping. Okay! I shower and get ready. It seems like recently Western Australia has been more flexible with retail opening times on public holidays, but I'm still annoyed that I can't do a food shop before 11am on a Sunday! It's ridiculous. We need to get with the times. Rant over. 

10:00am — One of the kids recently got a casual job, so wants to buy some new clothes. We talk about saving and budgets. They're going to try to save half of what they earn, which I think is great! The other was promised new shoes if they got a good school report, so it's time for us to cough up. My partner pays for the new shoes. 

12:30pm — We stop for a food court lunch. Two of us get sushi (I pay $22) and the other two get Chinese (my partner pays). $22

1:00pm — Partner wants some new clothes for his new job. Well, not so new anymore. This is the job he interviewed for during my last Money Diary. Transitioning into a new workplace has been a challenge, especially working in an office after being a tradie for so long, but he's ready to up his clothing game after wearing more casual clothes for these first few months. He'd live in trackies if he could, so even casual clothing was an achievement! We get a pair of business pants and three shirts for $230. I pay for these because he's bought a lot of groceries lately and I didn't really get him anything for Christmas. $230

4:30pm — We're all pooped when we get home, so we have some quiet time. I shower and enjoy my satsuma shower gel from The Body Shop that I treated myself to over Christmas. It's got such a lovely smell.

6:00pm — Partner cooks some pasta with a jar of Leggo's sauce while I feed the pets. Old boy enjoys some little frozen treats we bought from PetBarn that are targeted at senior pups. Seems I haven't given as generous portions as the kids give themselves, so they come back begging for more.

7:00pm — I sort out the dishes and we sit down and watch the original Top Gun movie in preparation for our plans to watch the new one. I fall asleep on the sofa and my partner wakes me up when it's over and takes me to bed. 

5:00am — Wake up and coffee.

5:30am — Hit the gym. I try a 600-rep leg challenge on the Sweat app. I probably could've worked harder. 

6:30am — Home for a protein shake. Then I take the dog to the dog park for a little runaround. 

7:30am — Okay, I've slacked off this week and it's time to play catch up on chores (or at least do my share). I put on two loads of washing (plus towels and sheets), vacuum the whole house including under the beds, descale the coffee machine, wipe down doors, handles and light switches, clean the bathrooms, change the kitty litter and water, and weed our little garden. The dog follows me the whole time. I hand him a treat. I eat a peach. The clothesline is full so I put the towels in the dryer. They'll be nice and fluffy later. 

11:30am — I order some more dog treats, cat biscuits and some hemp oil for the old boy online ($110). The place I use tends to deliver the next day, which is great. We're still waiting for a few things we ordered before Christmas. The weather on the east coast and the train derailment has meant we've had to wait for a while, plus the Australia Post depot seems to be a black hole where things go in and don't reappear for another couple of weeks. $110

1:00pm — We heat up leftovers for lunch. 

1:30pm — We need a few things for dinner, so I head to the supermarket and get some salt and pepper squid, salad, milk (full cream and skim) and nectarines. $60

2:30pm — I desperately need a shower and get straight into my pyjamas. I binge-watch Colin from Accounts on my bestie's Binge account and fall asleep.

5:30pm — I wake up to my partner preparing dinner. Good. I'm hungry. I bring in the washing and fold it while hubby and I chat. 

6:30pm — Scoffed down the squid with some aioli. Kids sort dishes. I get out some chocolate for the family to share and a glass of rosé for myself. We watch the new Top Gun movie. It's better than expected (I didn't expect much).

9:00pm — Let the dog out, brush teeth and go to bed.

5:00am — Wake up, coffee, gym. It's easy to see I'm a creature of habit, but it's a nice way to start my day. I've thought about trying a pre-workout mix but I'd rather have the ritual of my coffee. 

7:00am — Protein shake. Kids are up early. I think they're excited to see the family at a barbecue tonight. It's been a little while since we've seen each other, but it's so hard to coordinate schedules with everyone working FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) or shift work.

9:00am — I'm worried I'll forget to pay some bills, so I go online to pay my council rates ($495 — four instalments total) and electricity ($300) — both covered in monthly expenses. I also go back to my carts and buy a new dining table from Temple and Webster. It costs $500, but I have to pay $220 in shipping and I'm honestly offended. We don't need the dining table, but we're keen to start freshening up the house as I've had a lot of this furniture since moving out of home and some of it is secondhand. I'll probably get the matching chairs next payday or maybe there will even be sales around Easter. I could also probably find some on Gumtree. Then I buy a bunch of new protein powders for my partner and me ($290). That should do us for a while! We get a variety of brands and flavours, including raspberry cheesecake and chocolate hazelnut. I like to have variety, otherwise, I get bored. $1,010

11:00am — I make scrambled eggs for everyone, putting hot sauce on mine for something different. Then, the pet food delivery arrives.

4:00pm — I feed the pets before we head to the barbecue. It's with my partner's family. His dad greets me with the biggest hug which is very unexpected and unusual, but I welcome it and reciprocate — he's a gruff bloke but softening with age.

6:00pm — I spend most of the night chatting with his sister while our kids play Xbox games with her kids. There's a buttload of pulled pork up for grabs so we make our own rolls. Unfortunately, there's no dessert. I'm disappointed.

10:00pm — I get a headache, so I let my partner know that I'm ready to go. In the car, he thanks me for having a headache because he's been ready to go home for a while but didn't want to be rude since we'd be the first to leave! I fall asleep on the car ride home and my partner puts me to bed.

4:30am — I wake with a headache still. I don't think I drank enough water yesterday. I skull a big pint of water and head back to bed. 

6:30am — I wake up to my partner spooning me. So nice. After a while, I realise I need my coffee so make one for both of us. 

8:00am — Kids are up and having breakfast. I put together some yoghurt, muesli and peach for breakfast, then take the dog around the block. Time for them to go with their other parents. They pack up the things they want to take with them and we hit the road.

10:00am — We pop in to see my dad for a quick coffee on the way home. Not much new to report. When we get home, I realise I have to go back to work soon and I'm just not ready. I send my boss a message asking for a few more days off and she says yes. My phone buzzes a few times with notifications from my bank. My health insurance, gym membership and charity donations have all come out of my account (covered in monthly expenses).

12:00pm — We desperately need to do a big food shop. We get everything we need, including all of our staples (fruit, veg, bread, pasta, rice, curry mixes and meats), as well as a bag of Doritos and a block of chocolate. We also buy toilet paper, dishwasher tablets and washing powder. In total, it comes to $300! I swear, this time last year the shop would've been maybe $230. The new 'specials' are just the old full price! It's my turn to pay, so I tap my card. $300

1:30pm — My partner bought Cheetos and I can't resist. But after my partner finishes playing the guitar, they come inside and catch me in the act. I offer to share and all is forgiven. 

4:30pm — We take the old boy to the beach for a small walk and swim. It's really hot, so we carry him across the hot sand to the water. He's having a happy time. 

6:00pm — We get fish and chips while we're out (my partner pays). We end up waiting almost 45 minutes but it's worth it. We eat at the beach and the wind has picked up, which cools us down. I share my fish (no batter) with the old boy. He really likes it! 

7:00pm — Partner, old boy and I all shower. Dog baths are a two-person activity! He shakes his fur dry and I realise I'll be doing a deep clean in the bathroom tomorrow. 

8:30pm — I've started keeping a gratitude diary, so I write a few notes in it before bed. It was recommended by my therapist because I struggle to identify feelings, so I write a few notes to identify different feelings throughout the day. Today I feel really grateful that I can pay my bills and buy food without stressing. It wasn't always this way. My life is so much better now that I worry less about money. 

4:30am — My partner's phone alarm goes off. He's back at work today. I invite him to the gym with me. He packs his gym bag and I get dressed, make our coffees and let the dog out. 

5:00am — Hit the gym. We attempt to work out together but I'm keen to get my heart rate up and he's feeling lazy. I am grateful that he put in the effort to join me! 

5:45am — He's done, but I'm not. He has his new work wear with him so he goes and takes a shower at the gym. I'm still not done when he gets out, so I encourage him to head to work. I finish my workout and walk home. It's only 15 to 20 minutes depending on traffic, and since a lot of people are off work still, today is a quick walk. 

6:30am — I make a smoothie with vanilla protein powder, frozen berries and full cream milk. I know I'm going to be sore tomorrow so I do some stretches on the carpet. 

7:30am — I shower and decide to use a face mask. I bought a pack of TonyMoly sheet masks a while ago and I still have two left. I'm really not good at this self-care stuff. 

8:00am — Old boy is begging for a walk. Okay old fella, let's go! Just a little one to the park and back. He likes watching the kids on the playground. It's good to get out before it gets too hot.

9:30am — I go to the GP to discuss birth control as I'm over the pill. He's running late already. We agree on Nexplanon and I dash to the pharmacy to get it ($33), before heading back to the surgery to get it implanted in my left arm. It's quite simple and only takes a few minutes, but I'm not out of there until 11:30am because the doctor had to see other patients. I pay $33 out of pocket at the GP. $66

12:00pm — I eat Greek yoghurt with nectarine and muesli. I also prepare Greek yoghurt with chia seeds topped with nectarine for my breakfast tomorrow. 

1:00pm — I'm still hungry, so I attack the fridge and chop up vegetables to eat with hummus, cheese and crackers. It's a party platter for one by the time I'm done. I sit in front of the TV and watch Only Murders in the Building on Disney. Old boy wants to share, so I let him have a carrot stick. 

4:30pm — Partner arrives home, so we talk about his day. He felt really good in his new work clothes. We definitely treasure that unwinding time together. He heads off to play the guitar and I lay on the couch and chill more while listening to him.

6:30pm — Time has flown by today, so I whip up spaghetti carbonara — the traditional way without cream (I still don't understand why Australians add cream — and I'm Australian!). I put aside a portion for my sister in the freezer and another for hubby for lunch tomorrow. 

7:30pm — I find ice cream in the freezer. Partner doesn't want any so I finish the third of a tub that's left. It's only one of those 500ml tubs so shouldn't be too bad for me!  

8:00pm — We can't decide what to watch on TV, so we decide to have an early night. My partner takes the dog out while I get ready for bed. I brush my teeth, put on a vitamin C serum, and finish it with Clinique's Moisture Surge moisturiser because I've noticed my skin is drying out more as I age. Hubby snuggles into bed next to me and we doze off while we spoon.