A Week In Northcote, Melbourne, As An Environmental Consultant On $84,000

Occupation: Environmental Consultant
Industry: Consultancy / Construction
Age: 32
Location: Northcote, Melbourne
Salary: $84,000
Net Worth: $656,807 ($8,312 in my savings account, $26,578 in superannuation and $53,071 in my mortgage redraw account. I own a house that is worth approx $1.2 million. I currently rent out the house as I'm trying to pay off as much of the mortgage as I can until I move in in a few years' time.). My partner and I do not have a joint account. We've been meaning to set one up for years, but still use Splitwise for larger charges. For small things, we just take turns in paying and hope it evens out.
Debt: $50,128 in HECS debt and $581,028 left on my mortgage.
Paycheque Amount (Monthly): $5,128
Pronouns: She/Her

Rent: $820. I share with my partner and one housemate, and we split the rent evenly. As my partner and I share a bedroom, the third bedroom of the house is our dedicated study. Our house is nice enough, and we’ve worked hard to make it a nice place to come home to.
Mortgage Repayments: $3,225
Gas: ~$10
Electricity: ~$25
Water: ~$11
Rented-Out Home Expenses: $500. This includes the land tax, council tax, water connection fees, home insurance, and parks charge.
Spotify: $11.99
Streaming: $10. I use my family’s Netflix account and my housemates Stan and Disney+. In return, I share my Binge with them.
Veggie Box: $75. I get two fortnightly boxes and split the cost with my partner.

Yes. I did a Bachelor of Environment and received a Commonwealth-supported place, which my parents very generously paid for upfront. They did this as at the time you could get a discount on upfront payments. I paid for my Master of Environment via the HECS/HELP scheme.

My parents always encouraged us to save from an early age, and I cottoned on to that mindset very early. I had a Dollarmites account at primary school, which I didn’t love — having my money go where I couldn’t see it or use it didn’t sit well with me, but I’m grateful for it later in life. We received pocket money as well, which I was very good at saving. When I was about eight, I saved my $2 each week in pocket money and was eventually able to buy a Pokemon Red Game Boy game. It cost $53, but my parents struck a deal with me that they would buy the Game Boy to go with it if I saved enough to buy the game. It was a very slow process, but I eventually made it!

I got my first job at 15 where I was working shelving books at my local library. I did my year 10 work experience there, and when I was finished, they offered me the book shelving job. It was such a great job — just four hours a week that I was able to fit it in around school, and later uni. I stayed there for ten years!

I got the job because I wanted money to spend on things that I wanted. My parents also insisted that I worked as they wanted me to have my own money to pay for non-essentials.

No, I knew we had enough money to be comfortable, though I also knew my parents were very conscious of how they spent their money. We had holidays each year, but they were almost always local driving trips. We always had enough to eat and my parents owned their own house.

Yes. Even though I think I’m in a good situation financially. My mortgage/rental income/salary/own rent is balanced enough so that I can cover all my expenses and pay a bit extra off on my mortgage regularly. But I still worry. I think a lot of this comes from having anxiety, which affects my relationship with money.

I became fully financially independent when I moved out of home at 26. I was very fortunate to be able to stay at home during uni, which allowed me to save as much as I could while I was studying. The only things my parents still pay for are rego and servicing on the car that I use — it’s technically their car, but they bought a new one and no one but me regularly uses this one. It’s definitely not fancy (a 1998 rusted Corolla, anyone?), but it gets the job done, and I’m grateful to not have to pay car expenses beyond petrol. The money in my mortgage redraw account is my financial safety net.

Yes. I received $10,000 when my grandma died, which I added to my savings. I also used some of it to travel during uni. I later received $310,000 when my grandpa died. This money came with the stipulation that it was to be spent on a property in my own name — no going in with anyone else. My grandparents were very savvy with money and wanted to ensure that my sister and I were well set up, regardless of what our futures held. I am very aware I’m incredibly lucky to have received this and to have been born into a family that was able to provide this. I’d still rather have my grandparents, though. I currently receive $2,578 per month in rent which goes towards the mortgage repayments.

7:30am — Alarm goes off and I scroll on Instagram for half an hour. It’s a bad habit that I’m trying to break, but I’m feeling a bit worse for wear after going to Golden Plains Festival over the weekend, and it’s harder to bounce out of bed when tired. 

8:30am — After a cup of tea, two crumpets and a banana, I log on to work from home for the day. My work is nice and flexible with office/home work, and I appreciate being able to work from home today given I’m not feeling my best. This morning I’m mostly answering emails and adding things to my to-do list.

10:00am — I have a one-hour break between meetings and have arranged to meet my mum for a coffee. We walk around the corner and sit at a cafe for a while. It’s nice to have a chat. The weather is ideal and the sun, breeze and caffeine freshen my headache. Mum picks up the bill ($4.50 for a soy flat white for me). Then I walk home and continue with my meetings

12:30pm — Lunch time. I have some leftover frittata, another cup of tea and some pizza Shapes. Not the best, but the Shapes were open and I didn’t want them to go stale. 

1:00pm — I have a three-hour break until my next meeting, so I get stuck into some data crunching from a field assessment last week. I have a peppermint tea from the kitchen.

5:00pm — Finish work. I turn off the computer and have some yoghurt from the fridge before continuing to unpack from the weekend and do a general tidy-up. The bedroom is mostly my stuff and I feel bad when it’s messy, so it feels good to make some headway in the tidying. I also update my payment details for the password manager I use as my old card has expired. 

6:30pm — Realising I haven’t really done any exercise today, I head out for a walk. I head over to the shops and buy pasta and some shampoo since I ran out last week ($10.60). When I get home, my partner is back from the bike ride he went on. He cooks us dinner — a quick pesto pasta. The pesto was a gift from a friend and the tomatoes are fresh from the garden. I spend ten minutes writing in my journal to get out some thoughts that had been swirling around in my head. $10.60

11:00pm — After a couple of episodes of Veronica Mars, we head to bed.

6:40am — Alarm goes off and I accidentally snooze for nine minutes before I roll out of bed. It's dark and I make some tea, along with cereal and a banana. Although I don't love getting up in the dark, I much prefer having long daylight in the evenings, so I'm happy to suck it up. I read a couple of chapters of Infernal Devices by Phillip Reeve before I brush my teeth and pack my bag for work. I pulled the book out of a street library knowing nothing about it and I’m not sure if I’ll continue — I didn’t realise it was a kid's book.

7:50am — I arrive at work after a 20-minute bike ride. I love riding to work as it gives me a bit of time to myself, as well as helps get my body moving before a day sitting at the desk. My office in the city has really good facilities, so I wash my face and make my hair a little less helmety before heading upstairs. 

8:30am — Cup of coffee from the machine in the kitchen while I put my lunch in the fridge. I feel very grateful that the coffee in this office is quite good and I don't need to buy coffee on the days when I'm here. This year, I’ve been mastering the steam wand on the coffee machine. It was a bit intimidating, but I figured I shouldn't be intimidated by a noisy metal stick anymore. I’m actually getting pretty good at frothing milk! I get stuck into my emails before a morning of meetings kicks off. The meetings are a bit of a mix, but they’re usually either catching up with team members on various deliverables, hearing updates on the progress of projects, or providing ecological advice for the design and approach.

10:00am — There's a catered morning tea! I have some fruit and a little mushroom pie while catching up with colleagues.

12:30pm — Usually lunchtime, but I'm not hungry after the morning tea. Instead, I opt for a 15-minute walk outside given it's a really nice day. While trotting around the CBD, a pair of socks with seagulls on them catches my eye in a shop window. They cost $3, but there's a card limit of $10. The shop assistant haggles and lets me pay for it on card if I get two pairs of socks. I select a pair with cows on them as a present for Mum ($3). $6

3:00pm — I walk back to the office and am greeted by a bowl of figs in the kitchen! Someone must have a fig tree. I have two while making a cup of tea. I LOVE figs, but they're usually expensive so I don't buy them. But I noticed the other day that the fig trees hanging over fences in the neighbourhood are starting to ripen. Fingers crossed I can beat the birds to them this weekend.

5:00pm — Log off and ride home. I'm feeling pretty hungry when I get home, so I have an Up & Go as a snack and chill out for half an hour. I see that the fortnightly veggie box that we subscribe to has also arrived. We have bread, eggs, sweet potato, capsicums, eggplant, cavolo nero, grapes, apples, cucumbers, tomatoes and broccoli and a bottle of dumpling dipping sauce. I love this veggie box as it includes a ‘grocery surprise’ which is always an exciting time! It’s like Santa for boring adults. 

6:00pm — Wednesday night is ride night. I’m going mountain biking with some friends, so I get changed, put some air in my tyres and roll out. We ride around Yarra Trails for an hour and a half before heading to the pub for dinner.

8:00pm — I’m so hungry that I’m not sure if I messed up ordering my food, or the guy messes up taking the order, but I end up with a beef burger instead of a black bean burger ($23). I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 13 years, so this really isn’t ideal. But I’m so hungry and I don’t want it to go to waste if I send it back, so I eat it. It's not a good decision. It's kinda gross and my stomach is not happy afterwards. On the plus side, the beer I have is perfect for a warm evening — a tropical sour by Hargreaves Hill ($7). Highly recommend. $30

9:30pm — After riding home and having a shower, I have a peppermint tea to try to settle my stomach. My partner and I lie on the couch and watch a YouTube video about a guy walking 90km to go to work. It focuses on a philosophical journey about finding adventure in your own backyard. I like his outlook on life.

10:30pm — Head to bed. We have a neighbour who has been singing in the evenings for the past couple of months. This sounds lovely in theory, but unfortunately, the neighbour is tone-deaf and seems to prefer a wailing sort of singing. I do my best to block it out and fall asleep.

6:40am — Alarm goes off. I lie in bed for 20 minutes before getting up. My stomach is feeling pretty off from the meat last night, so I just have a cup of tea before getting on my bike and heading to work.

8:00am — Arrive at work and freshen up before I head upstairs. Thursday is my day with the most meetings and the most people in the office, so it’s going to be a long day of talking to people. I make a coffee in the kitchen which I drink at my desk with a banana.

9:30am — Apparently today is international happiness day. I had no idea that was even a thing, but the company that runs the building are celebrating by handing out sunflowers. Mine is a genetic abnormality with three flowers growing out of one. It’s really cool and makes me smile.

12:30pm — Lunch time. I join some colleagues in the work kitchen where I have leftovers from last night. It’s an Ottolenghi recipe tomato salad made with tomatoes from the garden and the veggie box, on sourdough from the veggie box. Definitely the best work lunch I’ve had in a while! It’s delicious.

3:00pm — Time for a break. There are Kit-Kats in the kitchen, which make a nice snack along with an apple and a cup of tea. As mentioned, today has been chock full of meetings and chatting with people. It’s nice to have a collaborative day like this, but it does mean that report writing doesn’t really happen. I’ve been using the time between meetings to stay on top of my emails and do my best to finish processing the data from a vegetation assessment that we finished last week. I often feel on Thursdays that I spend more time talking about work than actually getting any work done. 

5:00pm — Log off and ride home. It’s a nice sunny afternoon, and as I ride past the Carlton Gardens, I check on the progress of the set-up for the Flower and Garden Show which is happening in a couple of weeks. I like going to the show and seeing all the possibilities for what you can create in a small garden space. I do enjoy gardening, but our garden at home is pretty sad... mostly concrete with a small garden bed. We do our best, but the weeds are so tenacious. And it feels hard to be motivated to put too much effort in when it’s a rental place.

6:00pm — After saying hi to my partner and housemate, I get changed and ride to Collingwood to have dinner with my sister. She’s just finished up at a crap hospitality job, so it’s my treat in celebration. We go to Shop Ramen for veg miso ramen and peach saké. The marinated shiitake mushrooms in the ramen are so tasty — tangy and vinegary. $70

8:00pm — My sister and I walk back to Northcote through Edinburgh Gardens. I arrive at home and watch an episode of Gossip Girl while working on my knitting project. I’m making a present for a friend’s baby. Her baby shower is on Sunday, so the pressure is on to get it finished!

10:30pm — Sleep time! I toss and turn a little bit listening to my tone-deaf neighbour wailing away.

6:20am — I’m heading out on a site visit this morning, so the alarm goes off a bit earlier. I’m feeling pretty tired when I wake up and I'm already fantasising about going back to bed. My partner doesn’t work on Fridays, so I sneak around in the dark trying to find all my site clothes without waking him. Somehow, I manage it and head out to the kitchen. For breakfast today, I make some porridge with banana and a cup of tea. I also make a coffee with the stovetop Moka pot so I can take it with me on the drive to the site.

7:20am — Leave for site. It’s an hour’s drive, which I don’t actually mind if it isn’t every day. It gives me some time to myself and it makes the work day go faster if I’m starting so early. This morning, there is an ominous cloud hanging over the direction I’m heading, and with the sun just starting to rise, it’s pretty spectacular. Add in half a dozen hot air balloons and it’s quite the scene for a moment. 

8:30am — Arriving at site, I catch up with my colleague and we head out to check some vegetation that the construction team want to impact. There is not much ecological value, so the survey doesn’t take very long. Given this small area of vegetation is going to be impacted, I’m pleased there is not much value. 

10:30am — We finish up at the site and I hop back into the car to drive to another site which is an hour and ten minutes away. It’s rare I have this much driving in a day. The second site is much closer to home though, so it’ll be a shorter drive later. Before leaving the site. I fill up the petrol tank ($55.37 — though I will claim this through work).

I eat an apple in the car and use the hour and ten to listen to a podcast. I don’t often listen to podcasts as I can’t just listen and need to be doing something. But if I do something too involved, I don’t pay attention to the podcast. Driving or knitting are the ultimate podcast-listening activities. Anyway, for this drive, I’m listening to an episode of Multiamory, which as the name may suggest, is a discussion about relationships, especially polyamory and alternative relationship styles. Even if you do not practice polyamory, I find it to be a useful source to discuss relationships. There's so much information about communication, interaction and all sorts of other topics. Would highly recommend. 

11:40am — Arrive at the second site. This is a very quick visit to check up on a population of threatened plants and to see what the maintenance team have been up to. I just need to have a look, take some photos and head home.

12:20pm — Home again! I’m pretty hungry by this stage, so I have some cheese and tomato on toast. Then I log onto the computer to work from home for the rest of the afternoon. I’m feeling pretty drained by this point, so I’m focusing on easier tasks — answering emails, scanning some field sheets and tidying up some work papers.

3:00pm — Time for a snack break. I have a pear and a cup of tea for the last bit of work.

4:00pm — Work is done. I could’ve stopped a while ago, but I got a wave of energy and wanted to finish a couple of things. 

5:30pm — After showering and getting a bit dressed up, I hop on my bike and ride down to Brunswick St to meet my two best friends for some food and cocktails. We’re celebrating one of my friends getting a new job, though with three busy schedules, she’s been there for two weeks at this point. It’s a lovely evening and we manage to score a table at a rooftop bar, where we have snacks and drinks — $37 for my share. $37

7:30pm — We relocate to a cocktail bar down the street and I have a fruity concoction that is delicious. $23

9:00pm — We decide we’re all feeling our age and are ready for bed. I cycle home for a cup of peppermint tea on the couch and an episode of Veronica Mars.

10:30pm — I’m in bed and check Instagram one last time before going to sleep.

8:30am — I wake up naturally without my alarm after a small sleep-in. The weather is forecasted to reach 37 degrees today, so my partner and I are going to go for a ride to the beach later today. I start the day with a pot of tea, poured into my current favourite cup. I bought it from an artist last month at the Warrandyte pottery expo and it feels so lovely and smooth. I like the routine of drinking tea from a pot.

9:30am — My partner and I walk up to High St to get a couple of pastries. We LOVE this bakery and they’re only open on weekends, so it’s a bit of our weekend morning treat routine. This morning, I opt for an escargot danish (my favourite) ($6). My partner gets a rhubarb danish and a coffee. I’m feeling a bit over-caffeinated from the tea, so I skip the coffee. We then head up to the craft store as I need some more stuffing for a present I’m making for my pregnant friend. My partner also needs some clothing dye to refresh some pants that are a bit stained. When the cashier enters my account info, it turns out I get a $10 voucher as it’s within a month of my birthday. With the membership discount on the dye, it comes to $12. As we walk home, we stop in at IGA and get some milk and fruit, though my partner pays. $18

11:00am — Despite the forecast, the weather is awful. Super windy, hot and cloudy. There is so much stuff blowing around that my allergies are being set off pretty badly, so I decide I don't want to go for a ride or to the beach. Instead, I opt for a rare afternoon at home on the couch. I work on the baby present and watch Harley Quinn on Binge.

4:00pm — Tonight, we have tickets to see Ngairre at Hamer Hall with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It was my Christmas present from my partner, and I’m pretty excited. I haven’t gotten all fancy and dressed up for a show in so long! I have a shower, do my hair and makeup and get dressed. 

6:30pm — We ride down to Southbank and meet my colleague and his partner for a drink. Riding in high heels is a little tricky, but perfectly doable. Coincidentally, my colleague also got tickets to this show for Christmas, so we catch up beforehand for a drink at a bar on Southbank. My partner pays.

7:30pm — Heading into the concert, we get another drink from the bar and a packet of chips. This time, I pay. $28.50

9:00pm — The concert was incredible! Hearing Ngairre’s voice with the full orchestra was so powerful. The whole hour and a half went so fast. 

9:20pm — We ride home and watch YouTube videos with a cup of tea before bed.

7:30am — Alarm goes off. I’ve arranged to catch up with a friend this morning. I have a quick breakfast of toast, fruit and tea, before jumping on my bike and riding up to his house. We catch up over several cups of tea.

11:30am — I ride back to my place to get ready for the baby shower this afternoon. I’m a bit sweaty from the ride, so I have a quick shower. Then I get dressed and ride to my friend's house.

1:00pm — I've never been to a baby shower before so I'm not sure what to expect. This one ends up being a delicious sit-down lunch in the garden, which is so beautiful. Unfortunately, my present isn't ready yet as I discovered a mistake last-minute, but I'll have it done before the baby arrives!  

6:30pm — Baby is well and truly showered, and I'm so full from all the amazing food. Time to ride home.

8:00pm — Feeling like a snack, I share a tin of baked beans with my partner, though I add a handful of frozen spinach for some greenery. We eat in front of a couple of episodes of Veronica Mars. We’re almost finished with season three.

10:30pm — After too long scrolling Instagram, it’s time for bed. 

6:45am — Alarm goes off and it’s breakfast time. Today, I opt for porridge with banana and a cup of tea. I scroll Instagram while I’m eating.

7:30am — I leave for work. Today I’m working from a different office, which is a 40-minute ride away. I’m only in this office one day a week so I don’t mind the longer commute. Actually, I quite like the longer ride in the morning, but I often just want to be home in the evening. So I guess it’s a good balance. I’m lucky this morning and I run into a friend who is riding the same way. We chat while riding which is a lovely way to start the day.

8:15am — Freshened up, I head upstairs to the office. I’m early enough to snag my preferred desk (no booking system in this office), and I get settled in.

9:00am — Weekly Monday morning team meeting where we hear the updates and what’s happening this week in the team.

10:00am — Meeting done. I head downstairs for a coffee with a few colleagues. This is my one regularly bought coffee of the week. I don't mind spending the money as it's Monday morning and the coffee in this office kitchen is crap. It’s pod coffee, and aside from being weak and flavourless, I don’t like contributing to the waste. Though the cafe we go to is so pretentious they don’t have soy milk. It’s cow or oat. I go for an oat cappuccino in my reusable cup, ($5.50), but it isn't sprinkled with chocolate. The chocolate is what makes it a cappuccino! Now it’s just a frothy latte. Oh well. $5.50

11:00am — I have a morning of quick catchups with various colleagues, checking in with each other about where various projects are up to, getting inputs and passing some tasks around.

12:30pm — As we didn’t cook last night, there are no leftovers for lunch, so I pop downstairs to get some sushi. There are limited options near this office, but this sushi place is really good and not overly expensive. I get two rolls and an onigiri for $9.30, then take it back to eat with colleagues. $9.30

1:00pm — A permit application has come back requiring further information, so I have a meeting with my team members to discuss how to pull together the required information. 

2:00pm — I spend a few hours reviewing a report and adding comments for our new grad to address.

3:30pm — I have an apple and a cup of tea from the kitchen and continue with the report review.

5:30pm — I log off and ride home. My partner has made a roast sweet potato salad with chickpeas and broccoli for dinner, which we eat in front of the last episode of Veronica Mars season three.

8:00pm — Fig time!!! As we head out to collect some figs from the neighbourhood trees, it feels a bit like a spy mission. There is a train line just near our house that has three fig trees growing near it — and the figs are ripening. No one seems to pick them as the trees are laden, so we make the effort and spend an hour collecting a bowlful of figs. Yum!

10:00pm — After a dessert of figs, we head to bed.