A Week In Eastwood, Sydney, On A $89,000 Salary

Occupation: High School Teacher
Industry: Public Education
Age: 26
Location: Eastwood, Sydney
My Salary: $88,935
Net Worth: $422,600 ($650,000 in our house value, $23,600 in superannuation, $9,000 in shares, $20,000 in my savings account (which is also my mortgage offset account). My partner and I keep our bank accounts separate.)
Debt: $280,000 in mortgage repayments. I don't have any credit cards or student debt.
My Paycheque Amount (Fortnightly): $2,356
Pronouns: She/Her

Mortgage: $1,200, split 50/50 with my long-term partner. I live in my own 2-bedroom apartment worth $650,000, which also has a car space. My partner isn't on my mortgage, but we split half of the mortgage payments, utility bills, and groceries.
Water: $30
Electricity: $50
Strata Bill: $220 (I pay for this by myself)
Council Bill: $110 (I also pay for this by myself)
Streaming (Netflix, Disney+, Stan and Amazon Prime): $30 — I split these costs with my partner.
Phone: $15
Medication for my hormone condition: $25
Birth Control: $13
Gym: $80
Savings Contributions: $1,000
Groceries: $1,200 — $1,500. I split this 50/50 with my partner. I've tried really hard to reduce my monthly spending on groceries. I look out for half-price specials, shop at local Asian supermarkets, and only buy what I need. However, I just can't manage to spend less than $250 — 300 a week on food. I cook everything from scratch, but with the inflation that we're currently seeing in Sydney, this is the absolute best that I can do!

Yes. I completed a Bachelor's degree in Science, followed by a Master's in Education. I worked in part-time retail jobs and private tutoring all through my university years. I did take out a HECS loan to cover the upfront costs of my degree, but I made weekly voluntary payments every week as I was living at home and didn't have to pay rent. I was adamant that I would graduate with zero student loans. I was able to achieve this from my part-time jobs and a strict partying/socialising budget during my student years.

They never explicitly taught me about money, other than that I needed to work hard. Being raised in Australia, there was a huge language and cultural barrier between myself and my parents, but watching them make sacrifices and hunt for bargains made me aware of spending hard-earned money carefully. Even now, I can only ever recall three to four incidences where my parents actually ate out or splurged on themselves. Every penny was spent on our education and our home. Growing up, I have always felt guilty about eating out or spending my paycheck on a $200 dress because of this. In a certain way, I think I've adopted a very frugal way of living, so I'm able to throw my money into larger purchases such as an apartment. At the same time, it is also very restricting. For example, I've never travelled the world, despite having the means to, but that would mean that I would be spending my house deposit — something that I cannot justify to my parents. As they taught me, work hard first and set up your life early on, and enjoy life at a later date!

When I started university, I began tutoring high school students in science on the side. It started with my two younger siblings who went to a selective high school, and slowly, their friends from school started coming to get tutored too. Naturally, I charged them for it. I like to think that this was what got me into teaching in the first place. For me, it was much more gratifying than working in a cashier or retail job. It paid three times as much too!

Absolutely. Both of my parents immigrated to Australia and as a child, I never really saw them during the day. They came home late from work, had dinner, and went to bed almost straight away. I was raised by my grandparents as mum and dad couldn't afford childcare. At a really young age, I immediately understood how precious money was — it was what made the world go around. I started feeling guilty about asking them for things, especially as they worked so hard as blue-collar workers doing manual labour. Even now, they still don't know that I skipped my ski trip in Year 11 and opted to do work experience instead. I just couldn't let them spend that much money on me. That being said, I never let my younger sisters skip any of their school camps or excursions. Ever.

Yes and no. I think all my hard work has really paid off. My parents did help contribute to my home deposit and I think I do have a huge leg up because of this, especially in my group of friends. I fully intend to pay them back though. I'm currently saving up for a second property with my partner, which means that I anticipate that I'll have an investment property in a few months' time. My current home loan is at a very manageable amount and I don't expect any monetary losses in the future. In fact, having a passive income stream from my investment property will really help boost my ability to pay my debt back faster — and maybe even acquire a third property! That being said, in my mind, money will always be something that I worry about.

I started working at 18 to cover my HECS debt while living at home. But I was 23 when I first secured a full-time teaching job. After I signed my contract, I bought an apartment and moved in with my partner — all in one go!

My parents contributed a hefty $300,000 to my home deposit which was roughly half of its value. They are by no means well off as this was their life savings and retirement nest, but I fully intend on returning everything to them once I acquire my investment property. Without their help, I doubt I would be able to purchase a property in Sydney, especially on a teacher's salary!

7:00am — I wake up and get ready for work. I take my medication and grab yesterday's leftovers from dinner, pack it in a Tupperware container and leave for the station.

7:30am —  I tap my debit card on the Opal machine and catch the train to work ($4.55). Both my home and the school I work at are pretty close to the train station, so I don't really see the need to own a car. Besides, everyone will tell you that I'm a terrible driver! My partner has also been working from home for the last two years and when he does need to go into the office, he hops onto a train bound for the city. Easy. $4.55

8:10am — I get off the train and make a beeline to my usual cafe for a regular flat white. It's a $4.50 charge that I need to spend this morning, especially given the week I'm anticipating. I'm a young female teacher working at an all-boys high school, so there's nothing like a kick of caffeine to really help me get through seeing a sea of pimply adolescent faces today. $4.50

3:30pm — I use my free period to plan all my work for tomorrow. Before hopping on the train home, I pass through the shopping centre and pick up some groceries from Coles. I need to spend a minimum of $50 to get extra points on my Flybuys card, which is not hard to do. A couple of punnets of fresh fruit, a bag of baby spinach, two potatoes, a half-priced bag of croissants, yoghurt and chicken thighs set me back $51.55. I jump on the train and head home ($4.05). $56.05

7:00pm — My partner and I watch The King's Man on Disney+ while eating dinner. I never grew up watching TV or movies. In fact, we didn't really even have a TV! It's been over 20 years and my parents still don't have one, but it's a guilty pleasure that I must have. My partner had Netflix when we moved in together in 2020, and during the first Covid lockdown last March, I bullied him into getting Amazon Prime, Stan and Disney+ as well. It's safe to say that I am quite satisfied with this little feat.

7:00am — Wake up, medicate and take my vitamins. In addition to my minor health condition which I'm treating, I'm planning to try for a baby later this year. My hormones are out of whack, so I'm currently taking pills and seeing an endocrinologist every three months, of which I have an appointment with this afternoon. I take the train to work again — $4.55.

8:15am — Arrive at work. I have a couple of minutes to photocopy my worksheets and get my lessons for the day in order. I have a cup of tea and chat with my colleagues in the staffroom before the first bell of the day rings.

1:22pm — I finish my last class for the day and then it's lunchtime. I'm not on playground supervision so I duck out to the shops to grab something to eat. I'm pretty lucky that my school is quite close to the shopping centre and there are a few cheap food options around. Whenever I buy lunch, I try and eat really healthy. This helps balance out my unhealthy snacking tendency, especially as I'm a stress eater. I grab a regular salad at the shops — $13.90.

4:00pm — Sitting in the doctor's office. It's small and cramped, and once again, I'm seemingly the only person under 60. As a teacher, I struggle to find the time to book doctor appointments. Specialists like this one are generally only open Monday to Friday until 5pm at the latest, so I always have to find an appointment after 4pm to accommodate school hours. Because of this, I deliberately choose to visit the doctors closest to work, rather than at home. I pay for my appointment — $290 with a $135 rebate from Medicare. I don't have health insurance, so I'm left with an out-of-pocket cost of $155. I take the train back home ($4.55). $159.55

7:00am — My partner has the day off today, so I wake up to a fresh, home-cooked breakfast. It's nothing fancy — just bacon, mushrooms and eggs on toast — but given that I don't usually eat much for breakfast, it's a blessing. I opt for a takeaway coffee close to home ($5.60) and take a slightly later train this morning ($4.55). Breakfast has put me in a good mood and I'm in no hurry to get to work as I have a free period for the first class of the day. $10.05

1:30pm — I have a packaged sandwich that my partner prepped from home today. Wednesdays are always great because my partner will make me breakfast, lunch and dinner. I check my email and the quarterly strata levy has come through. Conveniently, so has my fortnightly pay. I prefer to clear outstanding bills immediately, so I pay the strata invoice from my smartphone — $650, covered in my monthly expenses.

5:00pm — I leave work a little later than usual as I have some marking to do. I'm in no rush to get home as dinner will be taken care of tonight. I visit Chemist Warehouse to get my scripts from yesterday filled. Apparently, my blood work has shown that my levels are too high, so I've been bumped down a dose on the medication I've been taking. I also pick up some essentials, including mouthwash, toothpaste, female toiletries and vitamin gummies ($95.40), before taking the train home ($4.40). $99.80

8:00pm — Furnishing your dream home is not easy, nor is it cheap! I've had my eye on a little dining set for a while now — a fibreglass tulip table. I can't stand how the matching tulip chairs look, so I've also been on the hunt for some simple, minimalist, white dining chairs. I find some that are going to be perfect — $69 per chair, down from $79. I bite the bullet and get four chairs ($325 including shipping, split 50/50 with my partner). The tulip table will have to come later. Like many things at the moment, it's out of stock due to supply issues. But baby, I'm going to snap it up in a heartbeat when it's back, believe me! $162.50

7:00am — New day, same old morning routine. I get up, grab an Up&Go, and tap onto the train using my debit card ($4.55). I used to have an Opal card but I kept on losing it. It's much easier to tap on using my debit card as I keep a much closer eye on it. $4.55

8:00am — There's a birthday in the staffroom today as a colleague is turning 40. It's a pretty big milestone because it's also his 20th year of teaching service. I chip in $20 for presents and cake. Luckily, I'm not the one organising his gift because I'm pretty terrible at that sort of thing, but I'm more than happy to pay my share. I'm teaching the whole day today, including lunchtime supervision so I don't have my cake slice until 3:15pm. Sad. $20

5:00pm — I need to sit down at my desk just to wind down from a full-on day of teaching. Teaching four classes of 30 teen boys really just takes it out of me. Luckily, I have such a supportive staffroom, so we chat for a full hour. I'm the last to leave today, but that's okay as I'm meeting my sister for dinner tonight anyway. I take the bus ($2.56) and meet her at a Japanese restaurant (FYI, you can NEVER go wrong with Japanese cuisine!). I get a large bowl of ramen and we share a sashimi/sushi platter ($43.50). She ends up driving me home after we stopover at our parents' place. My mum showers me with a bag of fresh fruit and groceries all the while complaining that I don't have enough fresh produce. She doesn't say it, but it's her way of saying "I love you". $46.06

7:00am — I have to physically drag myself out of bed today. After a full day of teaching yesterday and a late dinner, the exhaustion doesn't fully hit until this morning. Evidently, I did not have enough sleep.

8:15am — Another morning, another train ride ($4.55). Today, I walk out through the opposite side of the train station so I can stop by 7-Eleven and grab a large coffee for $2. God knows I need it. $6.55

1:20pm — I don't have a packed lunch today and I don't have time to duck out to the shops as I'm teaching after lunch. This means that my only food choices are: a can of tuna from the staffroom kitchen (which is not mine or anyone else's that I know of, so it's probably really old), or I can go to the school canteen to get a small bowl of white rice with bland, watery butter chicken. I choose the latter because it's a pretty good feeling to get to cut the line ($5). Teacher privilege. $5

4:00pm — I arrive home. I usually race home as soon as the bell goes for the end of school on Fridays so I can hit the hay before dinner. Unfortunately, this does mean sharing at least part of the train ride home with high school students. $4.55

6:00pm — I wake up from my nap and at this point, I'm absolutely starving, having only consumed a coffee and a less-than-mediocre butter chicken today. My partner has gotten off work and bless him, has ordered Doordash from the local Thai place. He knows me really well, so I have a Pad See Ew arriving at my doorstep in a matter of minutes. He has a Massaman curry with a few extra sides. We split the order 50/50, my share is $24.50.

7:00am — Wake up, take meds and go straight back to sleep. It's the weekend, baby!

9:00am — I wake up for real this time and run myself a bath. I have to admit, I was too exhausted last night to shower before bed. I didn't even cleanse my makeup off. I usually have a quick shower twice a day, so to compensate, I decided to give myself the luxury of a bath. You might think it's weird to have a bath first thing in the morning. My partner would agree with you.

10:00am — I still have one $25 Dine & Discover voucher left. You don't see much Dine & Discover signage outside restaurants anymore, so it's easy to forget about. I treat my partner to a nice cafe breakfast around the corner. We grab a dish and a coffee each, and I finally redeem the voucher. I pay the difference — $26. Before heading home, we go for a walk to stretch our legs. $26

4:00pm — I go to the gym. Currently, I find myself only going to the gym on the weekends. I used to go at least two or three times during the week, but those good habits died along with my healthy eating ambitions, thanks to the most recent lockdowns. I did pause my gym membership, but I've used up all my pause time, so the payments are being taken out of my account again ($35.90). I've thought about cancelling it as I know I'm not getting the most out of it, but that means I'll probably go back to a sedentary lifestyle. $35.90

5:00pm — I leave the gym and meet my partner outside. We walk over to the Eastwood night markets. They're still setting up some food stores. I get freshly squeezed sugar cane juice ($4) and spicy cumin lamb skewers ($11). We go into Woolies to pick up some groceries for the next week, coming to $64.50. At home, I whip up a quick stir-fry and we catch up on The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+. We are two episodes behind, but we finally finish the series. It's good stuff — I highly recommend it! $79.50

7:00am — I wake up and do my morning routine. I don't usually wake up this early on a Sunday morning, but we're visiting my partner's parents today. They live a little bit more out west but luckily there is a bus close by that takes us to Paramatta ($2.65). $2.65

8:00am — We get to his parents' house and have breakfast. I proceed to spend the next hour making cards with my future mother-in-law while my partner catches up with his dad. After that, we drive out to a plant nursery and as a proud plant mumma, I help pick out a couple of plants for my parents-in-law. I also bully my partner into letting me get a few for our own place ($68). He thinks we don't have any more space, but I'll show him! His parents treat us to lunch at a cafe and drop us off at home just after lunch. $68

3:00pm — Hit the gym, do some weights, do some cardio. Good stuff. I feel pretty productive and end up staying for an hour.

6:00pm — I make a Japanese curry using groceries from home — it's really easy! I spend the rest of the night with my partner on the couch. We browse through Netflix and watch a new release called Don't Kill Me. I love horror and thrillers, but this one sucks. I scroll through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to keep myself entertained. I head to bed quite early at 9pm in anticipation of a big school day tomorrow.