A Week In Mosman Park, Perth, As A Marketing Coordinator On A $92,000 Salary

Occupation: Marketing Coordinator
Industry: Utility
Age: 27
Location: Mosman Park, Perth
Salary: $92,000
Net Worth: $235,694 ($435,000 for my half of the house, $29,000 in savings in an offset account, and $60,602 in super.)
Debt: My half of the mortgage is $288,908. I've paid off my student loans and my 17-year-old Yaris is still alive and kicking, so there's no car loan for me!
Paycheque Amount (Fortnightly):  $2,524 after tax and with an extra super contribution (3%).
Pronouns: She/Her

Mortgage: $672 for my half. I live with my partner in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that we purchased together at the end of 2020. We were really lucky to be ready to buy just as housing prices were beginning to get crazy in Perth. I think if we were trying now, or even six months later than when we did, it would be a very different story.
Spotify: $8, split with my partner.
Swimming Fees: $124 
Gym: $52 
Health Insurance: $56
Salary Sacrifice: $492. This is the 3% I mentioned in my paycheque amount. I never receive it in my pay — it goes straight to my super. I started salary sacrificing into my super about four years ago to take advantage of the First Home Super Saver Scheme. My work also offers a bonus 2% super if you contribute an extra 3%, so I've kept going with it post-house purchase to take advantage. I hope to take time away from work when I have kids, so I'm trying to set up my super to allow for that. I don't want it to get too far behind when that time comes.

Yes. I completed a Bachelor of Commerce between 2012 and 2014. I was fortunate to have my dad pay my fees upfront (on behalf of both my parents — my mum passed away at the beginning of 2012), with the agreement being that I'd pay him back when I'd secured a job after uni. This saved me a lot of money. The loan wasn’t indexed like a HECS/HELP debt is. Plus, back in 2012, you'd also receive a 10% discount for paying upfront. I added $5,000 to this debt when I studied abroad in the US, extending my stay there for an additional semester and pushing me just outside the reigns of what my savings would cover.

I was (and still am) so grateful for the help I received to pay my university fees. I found it mind-blowingly expensive when I was there and still do now. I finished paying my dad back the total (which was about $38,000) at the end of 2020. 

In 2016, I was struggling to find the right job and thought post-graduate study might help me on my way, so I commenced a Master's of Strategic Communication. Plot twist — it didn’t. I put this on a HECS debt, but I found a job within the first semester. So once I’d completed my exams, I dropped out with a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Communications. That one semester cost $11,000 and took about three years of full-time work to pay off.

We didn’t talk about money at all in our family. We received pocket money— $2 a week in primary school and $5 a week in high school. We had to do all our jobs and be ready for school on time without causing a fuss.

I could tell my mum was more of a saver and my dad was more of a spender, but that was more of just a personality thing than an explicit conversation. 

I think the closest we came to straight-up talking about money was when we spoke about value. For example, if I signed up for a term of dance classes and wanted to quit after two weeks, it wasn’t allowed as we had to get value out of the fees that had been paid.  

In Year 10 I babysat for a lot of different families in my area. I was lucky to have a little sister that was six years my junior, so a lot of her friends' parents knew me and were happy to hire me on the weekends and during school holidays.

My main motivation was a school trip to Italy at the end of Year 11. My parents made it super clear that they were paying for the trip, but wouldn't pay even $1 of spending money. So for about 18 months, I was in hardcore savings mode. The families of my neighbourhood ended up funding a very fun trip for me! 

Not at all. I think if I were more alert to money and the fact it can be scarce, I would have tried a little harder to earn that pocket money! 

I was aware that I was growing up in a fortunate family and I was lucky to be able to do things like swimming and netball. I was taught to value these things and be thankful for them, but I was definitely never worried. 

Not on a day-to-day basis. I’m lucky to have a stable job and I think as long as I stay in the industry I’m in, I always will. I would also say I’m a natural saver rather than a spender. If I didn’t have a little cushion of savings, I think I would worry more. 

Occasionally I’ll freak myself out a bit about money. Usually when I think about retiring or how I would afford to give my future kids the same opportunities I was given. But I'll usually come back to the conclusion that I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. It's not a money strategy I would recommend, but it does give me a lot of inner peace.

I moved out of home when I was 20, and that was when I really became financially responsible. That said, I'm very lucky to say I've always had the option to move back to my dad's house if a rental didn't pan out. I'm also lucky to say I've never needed to use this option.

I've also always had a decent savings cushion for rainy days. I'm a saver by nature and a good savings account has always given me peace of mind.

My parents paid for my degree and I paid them back with no interest. When I bought my house, I also received a $60,000 gift towards the deposit that I won't need to pay back.

5:05am — I’m up! On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I swim with a squad in a pool close by. I quickly get ready, pack my lunch for work, put everything in the car and hit the road — ready for a 5:30am session. 

7:00am — All done! These sessions are always hard, but it's particularly painful today as I'm back after a month off. I have a shower at the pool and move my car to the train station car park where I’ll leave it for the day. I use my SmartRider to pay for parking. $2

7:10am — The best part of swimming is getting coffee with everyone afterwards! I order a flat white ($4.30) and sit around chatting until it’s time to get the train. $4.30

8:01am — I tag on and off the train to get to work. It’s 22 minutes on the train and costs $4. I get a discount for using a SmartRider, plus another discount for using their autoload feature where my SmartRider card tops up with $20 every time my balance is below $5. Public transport still seems kind of expensive to me, but parking at work is $22 a day, so I can’t complain too much. While I’m on the train, I order a little gift set from Little Posy Co for a friend who's having a bit of a rough time at work ($62). $66

9:00am — Once I’ve settled in for the day and answered some emails, I grab my breakfast out of the fridge. I always have overnight oats (with Greek yoghurt, soy milk, and fruit). I find it really yummy and filling, and I just don’t seem to get sick of it. I also find eating brekkie at work breaks up the morning a bit. For the rest of the morning, I’m just playing catch-up on some projects that had a lot of movement while I was away. I have a few meetings too. 

12:30pm — My colleague and I go for a walk down the road. We’re super sedentary during the day, so whenever the weather is nice, we try and get some steps in. I go to IGA and buy some soy milk ($2.50). I have everything I need for dinner tonight, but I need soy milk for tomorrow’s oats. I’d rather buy it now than do a separate stop because I always end up buying things I don't need. $2.50

1:00pm — Back at my desk, I eat my lunch that I brought from home — cauliflower chickpea tacos. I usually try and eat outside, but on days when I use my break to go for a walk, I have to just eat lunch at my desk.

3:30pm — I’m getting a lot done today and my holiday is already feeling like a distant memory. I stop for an afternoon snack — a pear I brought from home — and indulge in some chocolate and a cookie from the snack table (IYKYK). I also check my phone and see my friend has received their gift box — they love it! 

4:42pm — Done with the workday! I hop back on the train ($4), pick up my car from the station and head home. $4

6:00pm — I did a big shop over the weekend so tonight I’m using the last of my groceries. I make a roast pumpkin salad with lentils and honey-miso dressing. I bulk my bowl up with tofu as I'm vegetarian, and my partner, N., has lamb in his.

7:30pm — We're on a free trial for Apple TV, so watch the last episode of Pachinko. I enjoyed it, but I also loved the book, so it was really hard not to compare them. I don't think I'll renew my Apple TV subscription though — most of the shows and movies I would watch are for an extra cost, so it kind of defeats the purpose of a subscription. That said, when the next season of Pachinko comes out, I’ll probably sign up again. 

8:30pm — I read for a little bit (I'm currently finishing up Still Life), and then head off to sleep.

Daily Total: $78.80

5:15am — Up and at 'em for the gym this morning! I bought a 12-month ClassPass voucher for half the cost from a colleague who had one they didn’t want. It gives me access to a lot of boujie fitness studios near me. I usually book classes over the weekend because I'm tired of my gym and swim routine by then, but I guess I'm over it really early this week! I sign up for a strength circuit, which I usually really enjoy. 

6:30am — All done with the gym! I can’t believe how quiet it was. That class usually has about 25 people, but today there were only five. It's probably a combination of freezing mornings putting people off, plus its school holidays so a lot of people are away. I swing by a cafe on the way home and pick up two flat whites ($8), poured into my reusable cups. $8

6:45am — Back at home, I drink my coffee and chat with N. for a bit before I shower and get ready for work. We only live a five-minute walk away from the train station, which is really convenient. 

7:50am — On the train again. I finish my book on the way to work, which is a nice perk of catching public transport. $4

9:00am — Same oats, same desk, different day. 

11:17am — My work is putting on a NAIDOC Week event, so my colleagues and I head down to see what there is to see. We end up catching the end of the Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony. We also see a performance from a local Indigenous theatre group and eat some damper for morning tea. I feel like every year this event gets bigger and better. It provides so many different perspectives and new ways of learning about the culture of First Nations peoples. 

1:30pm — I’m not that hungry but it’s definitely lunchtime, so I eat some leftover salad at my desk. 

4:20pm — Snack time! Let's go, kiwifruit!

4:53pm — I stay back at work a little longer to help a colleague with something, and then I’m back on the train. $4

5:30pm — There's almost no food left at home, but there are a few little salad bits (avocado, spinach and tomato), as well as some staples like cheese and pickles. Burgers seem like the natural choice. I go to Coles and get tofu for me and beef patties for N., as well as burger buns. I've also been making a mental list of other things I need to top up, so I buy oats, stock powder, frozen and fresh fruit, baking paper, paper towels and laundry detergent. $57.56 from the joint account later, we’re all stocked up. While our mortgage is split down the middle, we have a joint account for groceries, bills, eating out — basically anything we’re sharing. $57.56 

6:30pm — Burgers are a success! I also find some potatoes, so I make some chips for us to have on the side.

8:00pm — I’m feeling exhausted from being back at work, so we skip the usual ritual of watching a show, and it's straight to reading and bed. 

5:05am — Back to swimming! N. also swims on Fridays and Mondays, so the car is packed to the brim today with swimming and work gear. 

7:00am — The usual shower and drive down the road routine. I’m working from home today though, so I don’t need to park in the paid train station parking. I nab a spot on the street and head into the cafe for my flat white. $4.30 

8:20am — A few of the girls I swim with are also working from home or have the day off today, so we have an extra long coffee catch-up. At 8:20am, I drive home, ready to start work at 8:30am. 

9:00am — After I’ve gone through my emails, I make some porridge. While I love the overnight oats, my house is just too cold today. 

11:08am — Snack time! I make a cup of tea and find a chocolate Digestive in the pantry. 

12:36pm — I use my lunch break to drive down the road and pick up a parcel from the post office. I decided to buy a new puffer jacket after a particularly frosty wait for the train on Monday. I can’t wait to be warm! I also head to the library and pick up two books I’ve been waiting for — Young Mungo and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. I read a lot, so I don’t buy every book I read. As a bit of a random rule of thumb, I try and buy books written by Australian authors from local bookstores near my house. Then, I borrow the bigger, best-selling books from the library. The flaw in this system is that I always assume books aren’t Australian unless it’s kind of obvious from the title or it’s an author I already know. On this occasion, I've stuffed up by not purchasing Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone as it's Aussie. Oops!  

1:00pm — I’m back at my desk and have made a random plate of leftovers for lunch. It's an eclectic combo of pumpkin, lentils, tofu, broccoli and a pickle. 

4:47pm — I finish everything for the day and log off. 

5:09pm — I have an appointment at the Apple Store as the microphone on my AirPods hasn’t been working. I have to wait a while as they’ve got a bit of a backlog of appointments, but once they get to me, they immediately replace my faulty ones with a brand new pair for free.

5:45pm — I head home. My partner and I are meant to meet up with some friends to go indoor bouldering and have a late dinner, but I'm starving now. I stop by a sushi shop I like and get a tofu noodle salad for $10.

7:00pm — We arrive at bouldering and there’s a group of six of us. N. has a membership here which includes a free monthly guest pass, so sometimes I use that. I'm just happy spectating today, though. I like the bouldering gym environment — there's music, dogs, and a bar — what’s not to like?! Although the actual sport itself doesn’t thrill me. 

9:00pm — We’re off to burgers! I’m very happy I ate an early dinner as I would have eaten my arm off by now. N. buys some chips along with his burger and I nibble on those — it would be rude not to. 

10:30pm — We’re home! We’re well past my usual bedtime and I’m exhausted, so it's straight to bed for me. 

Daily Total: $14.30

7:17am — I can’t believe I slept until after 7am! A truly rare occurrence for me. I get up and get ready to go to the pool. I don’t have a swimming squad on Saturdays, but it’s nice and sunny outside today, so I thought a swim would be nice anyway. I have an oat bar on the way as I’m not having brunch until a bit later today. 

7:45am — I’m in the pool! It’s not busy at all, which is a great bonus. The gym membership I have through work includes access to a handful of pools and this is one of them, so I don’t have to pay anything. 

9:15am — I’m done with my swim. It never ceases to amaze me that swimming 5km always takes me an hour and a half, give or take two minutes. Just goes to show how much of a mental game exercise can be. Sometimes I feel like I’m going really slowly and doing a terrible job, other times I feel like I’m flying through.

10:00am — I meet my friend at a cafe near her house. I’ve seen it on Instagram a lot, so I’m excited to see if it'll live up to the hype. I haven’t seen her in over a month so we have heaps to catch up on. We contemplate how strange it is to see people our age having babies and how intimidating the concept is. She’s sure the optimum number of babies is two — I think it might be two or three for me. We both get quesadillas — they're yummy but a bit cold on the inside. I might return to try one of their sweet breakfasts, though. Our coffees and breakfasts come to $51. I pay for both of us to say thank you as she lent me a piece of luggage for my most recent trip. $51

12:30pm — I get home and lie on the couch to read my book. N. is deep in gardening and weeding. He suggests we get solar lights for the path at the side of our house. We use this path to get in and out of the house and it can be hard to navigate in the dark, so it's probably a good idea. He heads to Bunnings to pick them up — $109.96 from the joint account. $109.96

3:30pm — I head to an appointment to get a brow wax and tint. I’m not sure if the tint is worth doing as all my swimming in chlorine annihilates it fast, but when I’m already going for a wax, I feel like I might as well get it. It looks amazing for a few days, so I just really live it up while it lasts. I have a great chat with the eyebrow lady about which veggies and herbs we’re growing for winter. I’m very jealous of the success she’s having with coriander. It comes to $55 — $40 for the wax and $15 for tint. $55

5:00pm — I’m still really full from brunch, but as is my habit, I snack on some kiwifruit. 

6:30pm — N. started a new job this week, so we're heading to Ippudo as a mini celebration for him as ramen is his favourite food. Unfortunately, when we get there, they tell us they don’t have any vegetarian ramen today. I’m happy to just order some sides for dinner, but N. says he’s happy to go elsewhere. I feel really bad that my dietary requirement is separating him from his celebration ramen, but he seems genuinely happy to try somewhere else. 

7:00pm — We walk a bit further into the city and find an alternative. I order a black garlic tofu ramen, and N. gets spicy pork ramen and a beer. We also share some edamame. It's delicious and I'm really happy that we ended up going somewhere where I could have ramen too. It comes to $59.50, paid on our joint card. $59.50

9:00pm — We contemplate seeing a movie but there isn't really anything we're both excited about. We head home and watch Iron Chef on Netflix before heading off to bed.

Daily Total: $275.46

7:06am — I wake up and make a coffee. Today’s the first day I haven’t rushed out the door all week! I've got a Pilates class booked for 8am which is close by.

7:58am — I get to Pilates with the ideal amount of time to put my shoes away and grab a reformer bed. But when I open the door, I’m the only one there! The instructor looks equally confused and says there were supposed to be two other people. We wait a few minutes for them before deciding to go ahead, so I end up having a private class! It's a bit awkward, but I guess it's technically great value.

9:08am — I go to a fruit and veg shop that's close by to get supplies for the first half of the week. On Sundays, I usually pick three or four recipes I want to make to get me through to Wednesday. I get rocket, broccoli, cucumber, sweet potato, pears, bean sprouts, garlic, shallots, green onions and cauliflower, which comes to $22.50 on the joint account. I usually like to get eggs here too, but they're out of the free-range ones, so I add those to my list to get later at Coles. $22.50

12:00pm — We’re having lunch with my extended family at a cafe nearby today. I order a Gado Gado and N. gets a laksa ($40.30 on our joint card). It's really fun to see my family, but as with all long table situations, I feel like I only spoke to the people sitting down my end. $40.30

3:35pm — It’s kind of sunny outside after a very rainy few days, so I decide to go on an extended walk to Coles to get the rest of my groceries. I buy tofu, veggie sausages, more fruit, frozen berries, chilli oil, canned tomatoes, crispy shallots, eggs and turkey rissoles, coming to $65.65 on the joint account. $65.65

6:47pm — I spend the rest of the afternoon reading my book and hanging out at home. For dinner, I make a nasi lemak with Asian greens from Hetty McKinnon’s book, Community. If you’re thinking of eating a bit less meat or are looking for a cheaper grocery shop, check if your library has her other book, Family. It’s got a lot of really yummy and easy recipes which are very approachable if you’re new to plant-based eating. 

8:19pm — N. has a work morning tea tomorrow, so he spends the evening making a lemon slice to take along. I get my things ready for work and swimming tomorrow, then read some more. 

5:05am — The usual swimming routine is back in action. We hop out of bed, get into the car and head straight to the pool. 

7:00am — I shower and drive over to the parking at the train station ($2). I grab a coffee ($4.30). I’m feeling very warm and smug in my new puffer this morning. Perth isn't this cold usually, but it already feels worth the investment for days like these. $6.30

8:15am — I somehow end up on the early train today ($4), so I’m having a very rare early start to the day. I’m super hungry this morning, so my oats never even make it into the work fridge. $4

11:00am — I’m hungry again, so I eat my afternoon fruit — today it's a pear.

12:30pm — Lunchtime rolls around fast. I go outside to the courtyard and eat my lunch in the sun. It’s a nice break in the day and great to get some vitamin D. 

2:00pm — I have a piece of the lemon slice N. made. It’s delicious but different to what I was expecting. It’s kind of like a cheesecake texture. 

4:00pm — I’m having a hungry day! I keep some Carmen’s nut bars in my drawer for such occasions, so I eat one of those. It’s the last one though, so I need to remember to re-stock the stash. 

4:30pm — Home time! I’m back on the train to pick up my car. $4 

5:00pm — I have everything I need for dinner, but I stop by Woolworths on the way home because I feel like buying some hummus to go with my carrot and celery snack sticks at home. This hungry day knows no bounds! While I’m there, I also pick up some cauliflower bites from the frozen section. I saw someone talking about them on Instagram and I'm easily influenced. The total comes to $9.10.

6:00pm — I start prepping the sweet potato and make a pear, rocket and parmesan salad to have with it. When N. gets home, he'll cook my veggie sausages and his turkey rissoles on the barbeque. I snack on my veggie sticks and hummus as I go. When the sweet potato is almost done, I add the cauliflower bites to the oven. They were kind of expensive ($5.30) and the amount that tips out onto the baking tray is laughable. Their “four serves” is a solid two.

7:00pm — Dinner time! It never ceases to amaze me how salad, veggies and some proteins on the barbeque take a full hour to cook. It seems like it should be so quick! It’s all really yummy though. I probably won't buy the cauliflower again — or I’d at least try to recreate it at home before I cave to the frozen convenience. 

8:00pm — For sweets, I have the very last of my Easter chocolate. I have no idea how this has made it this far in the year — I have a massive sweet tooth and this is very unlike me! We start watching Morning Wars on Apple TV. I’ve been meaning to watch this for ages and I really like it so far. 

Daily Total: $23.40

5:15am — I’m off to the gym. I feel like I’m always a lot slower getting ready when I’m just doing my own thing rather than attending a class, but I get out the door eventually. The gym I go to isn’t my favourite — it’s a bit small and not the closest option to home. But it’s included in the membership I get through work, so the value for money is just too good to refuse!

6:53am — On the way home from the gym, my petrol light starts flashing. I stop and fill up ($65.87). I probably only fill up every three weeks. I only drive short distances during the week, so it depends on how much damage I do on the weekends. $65.87

7:03am — Back home. I quickly get ready for work — shower, clothes, makeup, and straighten my hair. I pack my breakfast and lunch and I’m off to the train station.  

7:55am — N. and I are on the train together today ($4). His new job means we have almost the same commute — I just get off one stop before him. $4

8:30am — Again, the oats haven’t even made it into the fridge, I’m straight into them as soon as I’ve logged in. 

12:30pm — My pod is having a big discussion about the best cheese-flavoured Arnott’s biscuit. (We talk about food a lot, so this is not abnormal candour for us. Don’t even get us started on the taste differences between fun-size and block-size Cadbury chocolate). The contenders are Cheds, Cheddar Shapes and Country Cheese. No one has eaten Country Cheese recently though, so I go down the road to purchase a sample box. $4.30

When I get back, I eat my lunch — leftover salad and veggie sausages. Then I cleanse my pallet with some of Arnott’s finest. The consensus is that Cheddar Shapes are best on their own, but Country Cheese with butter and Vegemite is an elite snack.

3:00pm — I keep snacking on Country Cheese throughout the afternoon (the box is never ending!) and eat a pear.

4:30pm — I'm done with work and back on the train home. $4 

5:17pm — I’m making a tofu and tomato egg drop soup for dinner, but I'm unfortunately short one egg. I dash to Coles where not a single egg is in sight. Sigh. I decide I’ll make do with the two eggs I have instead of going to a second shop in search of a third egg. While I'm here, I pick up some things for tomorrow night’s dinner (zucchini, pasta, fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes), coming to $15.35 on the joint card. $15.35 

6:55pm — The soup is quick and easy to make and very delicious. It's a bit sweeter than normal tomato soup, and a bit more filling because of the tofu. I'm definitely going to make it again.

7:36pm — I have a piece of N.'s lemon slice N. He made too much to fit into his container, so there's a bit leftover for me! We watch some more Morning Wars and head to bed, ready for another early start with swimming tomorrow. 

Daily Total: $93.52