A Week In Newtown, Sydney, As A Junior Product Owner On $88,000

Occupation: Junior Product Owner
Industry: Telecommunications
Age: 25
Location: Newtown, Sydney
Salary: $88,000
Net Worth: $29,962 ($25,144 in my big (life) savings account, $200 in my dentist savings, $2,397 in rainy day savings, $9,281 in shares, $22,624 in super and a 2010 make car which is worth $5,000.)
Debt: $34,684 in HECS
Paycheque Amount (Fortnightly): $2,146. I salary sacrifice $250 per pay into my super.
Pronouns: She/Her

Rent: $1,080. I live with three other housemates in a terrace house. It's pretty run down and we all rent. We don't know our landlord as we go through an agent.
Internet: $58.68 (split four ways, so I pay $14.67)
Gas and Electricity: $50
Gym Membership: $75.80
Binge: $10. My housemates and I all pay for a streaming service each.
Therapy: $176.70. A portion of it is covered under a Mental Health Plan.
Phone: $79.43

Yes, I studied a double degree in Business and Arts and took out a HECS loan to pay for it. It was an unspoken expectation that my siblings and I went to university, and although we all travelled throughout our studies, our parents never really encouraged us to take a gap year or to consider other options for life after high school. I worked three jobs for most of my uni days and saved up most of my paycheques for travel, thanks to still living at home. I’m grateful for what my degree has offered me, but I do wish I had taken more time off and just worked casually and travelled for a few years. I still feel pretty young to be working full-time already.

I had a Dollarmites account when I was in primary school. Dad would give us $5 each week to deposit into the account. My dad definitely taught me the value of money, having grown up in a blue-collar household himself. He showed us the importance of saving and that we had to work for our money. We would get pocket money by doing chores around the house and I was a pretty keen saver from a young age. I remember the first big thing I bought with my own money was an iPod classic, which turned out to be my absolute best friend for years to come. In my later years, I definitely inherited my mum’s love for shopping. Her best advice is to buy pieces that are timeless, so while I spend more on clothes, I buy for longevity and as an investment.

Mcdonald's when I was 16. I wanted to have my own money to save or spend as I wished.

Yes. My parents worked so hard and gave us such a beautiful life, but it didn't come without its challenges. My mum would voice her concerns about money, especially as they entered a couple of business deals that left them quite dry for several years. Also around the time of the GFC, I always panicked as I could tell money was tight for my parents.

Yes and no. I know that I am capable of working hard and creating an amazing life for myself and hopefully my partner and kids one day, but I also do worry about the world we live in. Rising interest rates, inflation, and an insane housing market. It's hard to avoid.

I became completely financially independent when I moved out of home at 23. I don't have a financial safety net.

I inherited $5,000 from my great-grandmother when I turned 21. I didn't touch that money for 1.5 years and in the end, put half of it into shares and with the other half, I treated myself to some nice clothes and shoes.

5:55am — It’s an early morning for me as I'm trying to get into a workout routine that I have failed to consistently commit to for the better part of six months. Having recently been diagnosed with depression (which is several years in the making) plus being a light sleeper, living in a noisy area and having low iron (phew!), it makes waking up in the morning difficult for me. The warmer weather and lighter mornings are a great help though, and I keep reminding myself of how good and important this is for my mental health.

7:30am — I head home to make breakfast. Today is a berry protein smoothie and my trusted cinnamon and maple syrup oats. A combo that I don’t think I will ever get sick of. After breakfast, I have a shower and get ready for work.

9:00am — I'm working from home today, so I start my morning with emails and a daily team meeting to get up to speed on what everyone is working on. Things are ramping up as Christmas approaches, so I have plenty to work through for the morning.

10:30am — I recently came across a new swimsuit brand, Luka Rey, that is made in Perth and is sustainable — and they just launched a new collection. I have been looking for new bathers for a while, so I decide to buy a pair ($197). They have a 15% discount code too (which we love), so I make sure to add it at checkout. $197

12:30pm — Eggs for lunch today. As tempting as it is to eat out, I'm usually very good at eating at home as often as I can. I am a huge foodie who appreciates the dining out experience, but I like to save that for meaningful catch-ups with friends and family. The increase in the cost of living has made me even savvier with my money. I still spend well, but not beyond my means. I also put on a load of washing during my break as I am going camping this weekend and need clean clothes.

1:30pm — After lunch, I head back to my desk for an afternoon of work and meetings. I’m currently working on a few digital initiatives for our website that need to be prepped and approved before we go on Christmas break. I work in a hybrid project manager and content kind of role, so it’s a lot of stakeholder management and ensuring deadlines are met. I love it because I get to work with so many people from across the business and in an area that I think is super innovative and full of great minds!

4:00pm — I pause work as my pay has just come through for the fortnight! I recently found out I was getting a pay rise as part of the role I am in, so I am keen to see that lush number come through. I am very quick to work out how much is going into my different savings buckets, including the dentist which I have coming up in December, which always costs an arm and a leg.

6:30pm — I don’t have much food leftover in the fridge, so I pick up some roast veggies and chocolate from Aldi to hold me over until the weekend ($12.21). I really value my weeknights and prioritising rest after a busy day, so once dinner is cooked and eaten, I sit down with one of my housemates for a debrief, then head to my room to wind down and journal. I’m really into cold showers at the moment and have heard the benefits of them, so I take one and spend a few minutes breathing through the chill. Once dried, cleansed and moisturised, I make my way to bed. $12.21

9:00pm —  I need a new TV show to keep me occupied while I wait seven whole days for a new episode of The White Lotus. I see the final season of The Walking Dead is about to air, so I figure why not give it a go. I am usually terrible at starting new TV shows — I’ll watch one ep and then never watch another, but this seems pretty good and the first ep has me hooked. I cap myself to one episode otherwise I won’t be waking up in the morning.

5:15am — I am up early as I'm going for a run and a pre-work food shop for this weekend's camping trip. I won’t lie, I’ve been good at committing to the routine this week, and hopefully, it gets easier. Mind over matter.

7:00am — No time to waste post-run, so I dash off to the supermarket and pick up dinner for night one of camping, which is foolproof pesto pasta. I also get enough breakfast items to last us two mornings and snacks to last us a lifetime. $80.55

9:00am — Working from home again today. I usually work from home two or three days a week which I like as it allows me to fill in the gaps with appointments and other errands. I have had a few health issues this year, so the flexibility has honestly been a godsend. I make breakfast — my usual oats — and get stuck into the day’s work.

12:00pm — I run to Chemist Warehouse during my lunch break. Without a doubt, this place has become my most frequented since moving out of home. It's where I spend a good chunk of my money. I need to stock up on a few things before the weekend including iron tablets, omega-3 fish oils and deodorant. $73.30

1:30pm — In between meetings, I peruse Instagram and pack my bag for the weekend. I see someone on my feed wearing some sick Adidas slides. They're not your normal slides and are more Croc-looking. I must have them. After doing a lot of digging on the web, I find my size. It’s a dangerous skill I have — I can see someone wearing something I like and almost always find it on the internet. They’re on sale, which is a bonus, but shipping turns out to be just less than the shoes themselves. I’m clearly feeling generous since the new paycheque yesterday, so I click checkout. $110

4:00pm — I clock off a little early today and load up the car to drive to my friend’s house, as they've kindly offered to be the chauffeur for the weekend. I realise I forgot to buy alcohol and enough water to last me 2.5 days, so I stop off at the supermarket on my way. I'm not a huge drinker these days as I don’t enjoy the feeling anymore, nor do I enjoy the hangxiety the next day. I pick up a six-pack of seltzers and 12 litres of water. $39

8:00pm — We make it to the camping ground and set up our site. My friend has all the gear and all the ideas, so she’s in charge. The rest of us are just her little minions (happily). I cook up the pesto pasta, which again, is a tried and tested hit. We enjoy some drinks and board games late into the night. We head off to bed but not before we gaze up at the plethora of stars before us and naturally question whether we should pack up life in the city and move to the country.

8:00am — Despite the late night, we are up and about as the rest of the campsite wakes up with the sun. We dig into some breakfast and plan out our itinerary for the day.

9:45am — We decide to do a trail walk that is connected directly to our campsite. A couple of us have never been to the area before, so we are mesmerised by the breathtaking views of the New South Wales country region. We are loving the analogue life and disconnecting from civilisation.

12:30pm — A long walk later, we make it back to our campsite and tuck into some delicious and underrated salad wraps. When was the last time you had a simple salad wrap? Unbeatable.

2:30pm — We decide to head off to a winery nearby. The views are beautiful, and we are again mesmerised. We love this life. Without us knowing, we get a free wine tasting of all six wines on offer and decide to buy a bottle of the one we like the most. We sit and look out on the ranges as we sip our wine. As I’m the designated driver on the way home, I am cautious and only have two glasses worth of wine over the three hours. My friend pays for the bottle. I will pay her back after the weekend. $6

5:30pm — I drive the crew back to camp and we sit around chatting and debriefing on the day. We cook up burritos for dinner and watch the hazy sunset behind us.

10:00pm — Much more exhausted tonight than last night, we all hop off to bed reasonably early, but not before some choccy to end the night.

9:00am — Lazy Sunday morning before we head back to civilisation. It’s time to pack up, so we scoff down brekky quickly, pack everything away and head off.

10.30am — We have another hike in us and decide to drive to a different location for another scenic walk. It’s been peaceful to connect with nature again — something I really do love, but don’t do enough of. I make a commitment to myself to do this more often, knowing that it won’t happen. Views upon views of New South Wales' finest. I’m lucky to get to explore it all.

1:00pm — We stop by a nearby town which is so cute and wholesome. We get some much-needed lunch, a BLT ($15.90) and then have a browse of all the cosy and quaint shops. I daydream about living in a small town and being a small-town girly. Ah, the simple life (that’s hot). I think about taking some stuff back for my family but then decide against it as Christmas is coming up and my presents are already sorted. $15.90

3:00pm — We make the trek home and I enjoy debriefing on the weekend with my friend/chauffeur. My social battery has run out by this point and I can feel the depression creeping in. It’s so good to be able to spend time with friends, but it can be extremely difficult in tough mental moments. I am proud of myself for getting through the weekend and remind myself that this is good for me.

6:00pm — I make it home and unpack my clothes, have a shower and make some dinner with the leftover pasta and pesto I had from the trip.

8:00pm — I've been recommended to watch Stutz, the Jonah Hill documentary, so I pop it on. There's a lot to take in so I think I'll have to revisit it soon, but overall, I really loved it.

10:00pm — Can’t keep my eyes open. Goodnight.

7:00am — Monday, Monday, Monday. It comes around too often. I’m a ball of anxiety this morning as I muster up the courage to face another week in a job that I have found to be particularly challenging over the last 18 months. The lockdowns didn’t help with finding my feet in my first full-time job out of uni and sometimes I have felt unheard in such a big corporation. But as I mentioned earlier, I am starting to love aspects of it more and more, which makes me realise that some things just take time and I need to remind myself to be patient and not so hard on myself. Easier said than done. I snooze my alarm (multiple times) and wish that I was still waking up in nature. I eventually roll out of bed at 8:00am.

8:30am — I work from home on a Monday, so it’s oats for brekky (shock!). They’re a staple in my pantry, so I’m lucky to have enough leftover even though I didn’t have time to grocery shop on the weekend.

9.00am — I sit down in front of my computer to read through emails and check off the things on my to-do list. I love my past self, especially when she makes Monday mornings easier to get through.

12:00pm — Eggs again for lunch today. I’m running low on supplies, so I'll have to make a trip to the supermarket after work. I have also been mulling over whether to buy a Garmin watch for a couple of weeks now, and given that I’m upping my exercise and hoping to run a marathon next year, I decide it’s a worthy investment. It’s certainly not cheap, but there’s a sale on, so I get it for $250 cheaper ($329). I’m clearly not having a problem spending my money right now… someone needs to tell me to rein it in. $329

1:00pm — Back to work for the rest of the afternoon. I receive a message that my watch is ready to be picked up, so I'll pick it up when I get my groceries this afternoon.

5:30pm — I finish work and decide to walk to the shops. Before I do, I notice the prescription slip that is sitting on my desk and decide that today feels like the right day to get it filled and begin taking antidepressants. This has not been an easy decision for me to make. I got the prescription from the doctor over a week ago and I initially began discussions with my therapist about medication nearly two months ago. I feel blessed to have an incredible therapist and GP in my corner to help me on this journey. Not to mention, the support of my family and a few close friends. But today feels right. I know I’m making the effort and putting in the work and have been for several months now. But I have finally accepted the fact that medication will help me and that it’s okay to take it.

6:00pm — I pick up my Garmin watch, then head off to do my groceries. I start at Aldi and cross off as much of my list as I can there. I pick up some chicken schnitzel, garlic prawns, all my veggies including eggplant, capsicum, tomatoes, cucumbers, and cheese, oats and pasta ($39.32). Then I head to Coles to pick up the stuff that Aldi doesn't have — yoghurt, muesli (I like the Jordan's brand), eggs, Grain Waves and frozen berries ($24.50). I’ve become pretty savvy with my grocery shopping these days, given inflation. $63.82

7:00pm — I pick up my medication and a protein bar at the chemist on my way back ($8.35). I'm surprised at how cheap it is. $8.35

7:30pm — I make a super quick dinner with some of the ingredients I bought at the shops, then sit down with my roommate and debrief on our weekends and have a nice life chat. We sometimes have those chats and I really enjoy them. I also take my first bit of medication and as weird as it sounds, now that I see it in its medication packet, it just seems normal to me and I don’t think twice about taking it. The start of a journey that I hope is positive.

8:30pm — I hop into bed with a dessert of yoghurt and muesli and hit play on The Walking Dead. Call me a fan? I guess so. But I better not go researching any of the characters and accidentally spoiling anything because I know they’re like nine seasons deep. I’m liking this show. I think I’ve found a winner! After, I have another cold shower — I'm really starting to enjoy them (probably because summer makes them so much more bearable). I cleanse my face and brush my teeth in the shower to kill three birds with one stone, then moisturise my entire body (got to preserve the small glow I currently have). I treat myself to one more episode of The Walking Dead, then say goodnight. 

5:15am — It’s an early morning wake-up today for a pre-work gym workout. Every morning I get up early is already a win for my day. I feel strong in the gym too, a bonus! Consistency really is key. Do I love a quote? Yes.

7:00am — I make my breakfast and lunch for the day and get ready for work in the office.

8:00am — I catch the train into the city then take another bus to the office. I don’t have to pay for the bus on the way there, so it’s just the train ride for the morning. I have started listening to the podcast The Diary of a CEO and it’s interesting. Today’s ep was with the CEO of Bumble. I enjoyed her story, but it certainly didn’t come without its challenges. It reminds me that we still live predominately in a man’s world. $3.40

8:45am — I make it into the office and start my day. There are a lot of moving parts for different projects at the moment so I am busy and distracted in the office. It can be hard when the depression wave comes over me and I’m in the office. I haven’t openly communicated with anyone from work about my depression, which is a personal choice. I feel capable of holding myself together and would communicate it if needed.

5:15pm — I head home from the office. The bus to the city is free at the moment, so I only need to pay for my train. $3.40

6:30pm — I quickly eat dinner as it’s netball night tonight and I don’t want to be full for the game. I start watching episode five of The White Lotus but don’t get to finish it. I love how wild and weird this show is, it’s got me hooked. I also got the thankless job of organising Kris Kringle for my family’s Christmas, so I send out a reminder message for everyone to message me their three present ideas. It can be an arduous task rounding up the troops this time of year, but a few messages start trickling in.

8:30pm — Netball game with my friends, which is always equal parts fun and competitive. The opposition team had no banter tonight, however, and were way too serious which got me fired up. I’ve got white-line fever. We lose.

10:00pm — Home, shower and bed. I do some journaling before I doze off.

5:15am — Alarm goes off and I can’t get up this morning. Instead of forcing myself out of bed, I allow myself the extra rest and doze off again until 7:00am. Once my eyes are open, my new favourite thing to do is check my sleep record from the night before and analyse how much REM I got. I only clocked 1 hour 45 minutes, which is still good considering you need only 90 mins a night to wake up rested. However, it’s my goal to get that number up significantly.

8:00am — With lunch and breakfast prepped, I head to the train station. $3.40

9:00am — I make it to the office and heat up my oats to eat at my desk before I start my day. I’m working in a fairly new role at the moment and am slowly but surely building up my confidence to communicate and back myself in meetings. It’s a good feeling.

10:30am — My housemate messages me to say she's booked the pottery class we've been planning to do before Christmas. I’ve never done pottery before (except for making odd shapes out of clay in primary school), so I’m excited to try something new. I’m terrible at art/anything creative so this will be hilarious. There was a sale on for the class, so it only came to $84.15.

12:00pm — Lunchtime! I’m in between meetings today (Wednesdays are always busy) so I quickly eat in the kitchen. I realise I’ve forgotten half my lunch at home, so I’m feeling disappointed (and hungry).

5:00pm — I wrap up at work and catch the bus and train back into the city with my friend/colleague ($3.40). We decide to go and see Timothée Chalamet’s new movie, because well, it’s Timothée. Tickets are steep at $24.50, but it’s not often I go to the cinemas. We grab some burritos ($12.90) before the session, which I sneak in. $40.80

9:00pm — The movie was… odd. I honestly didn’t realise it was about cannibalism. It also had a lot of coming-of-age themes thrown in the mix, so it was bizarre and much more violent than I had anticipated. I’m glad I went for the experience though. Timothée with a mullet is seggsy. I make my way home and have a shower before hopping into bed.

9:30pm — My rent reminder comes through, so I pay $270 (covered in my monthly expense). Thank God for phone reminders. Honestly, they are my best friend and I use them daily. I also owe my friend for petrol and toll expenses from camping, so I transfer her $50.

10:00pm — I stalk all the actors from the movie and find out their life stories before putting the phone away and dozing off. I pray for a longer REM tonight.