A Week In Newcastle, NSW, As A Science Research Officer On $87,000

Occupation: Research Officer
Industry: Science
Age: 29
Location: Newcastle, NSW
Salary: $87,202
Net Worth: $251,900 (A house worth $550,000 that was purchased at the end of 2019. I've paid off $230,000 of this so far. I also have $33,000 in my superannuation, $1,900 in a savings account, and a Kia Rio car worth $6,000.)
Debt: $320,000 remaining on my mortgage and $19,000 left on my HECS debt.
Paycheque Amount (Fortnightly): $2,273
Pronouns: She/Her

Mortgage: $1,394 as a minimum monthly repayment, however, I always put in extra every month (usually around $2,000). My partner and I live together in a small three-bedroom house, which is close to the university where we both work and study. It's not too far from the CBD. My partner pays me $200/week in rent to help me with the mortgage. He also pays 40% of the bills we receive.
Loans: I have my HECS debt taken out of my fortnightly pay — I wish I had paid it off at the time of my studies so it didn't accrue with inflation! I didn't realise that this happened at the time, naively assuming it would stay the same amount until I got a job. However, I've gotten the debt down from $33,000 to $19,000 over a few years of working full-time. You've got to be happy with that!
Internet: $80
Phone: $30
Gym Membership: $63.96
Personal Training: $30/session. I usually go once or twice a week.
Home Insurance: $109
Netflix: My partner and I still mooch off our parents' Netflix accounts.

Yes. I did a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) followed by a PhD. I put my Bachelor's on HECS and didn't have to pay for my PhD as I received a government-funded scholarship.

My parents have always been good savers and encouraged me and my brother not to waste our money. However, they never wanted us to deprive ourselves of enjoying life. For example, I would go grocery shopping with my dad when I was younger and we would make a 'game' of sorts to find the best deals on the products we wanted. He taught me to look at how much an item is per kilo and to compare that with other brands so we knew if we were getting the most bang for our buck.

However, we went on several overseas holidays as a family, and certainly didn't worry too much about spending then! Now I realise how privileged I was to be taken on such extravagant holidays at a young age and appreciate it now as an adult. These holidays were in part funded by my parents coming into a decent amount of money when my father sold his company shares. This happened when I was in late primary school. Before that, we weren't particularly well-off as my mother wasn't working.

My first job was at a fish and chips shop that my family frequented. I was 15 at the time and the owner asked me if I wanted a job, so I said yes, to get some independence and extra spending money for myself.

No. I had a rather privileged life growing up, in that, by the time I was old enough to be aware of the reality of finances, my parents were very financially secure. To be honest, I was spoiled a bit as a teenager. My parents brought me a brand new car for my 17th birthday (a Mazda 2) while my friends had to buy their own. I didn't appreciate it though, and since I didn't buy it myself, I didn't take all that good care of it. I regret that now and feel uncomfortable whenever I think about my behaviour as a spoiled teenager.

Yes. I have a well-paying job and a mortgage now, but I have a slightly pathological relationship with money. I'm not even sure where this anxiety originates from, but I do remember that as soon as I moved out of home at 26, I became obsessed with money. I would open my online bank account multiple times a day just to look at my savings (even though the balance hadn't changed at all).

For me, having money means having security and stability in life. When I bought my house and drained all of my money, it was difficult for me, even though I knew I was lucky to be able to afford a house at all. Currently, I put as much money into paying off my mortgage as I reasonably can. I love to be in front of monthly repayments as much as possible. I'm $21,000 in front currently but would love to get it up higher. I'm weird, I know. 

I become financially responsible for myself at 26, when I completed my PhD and moved out of home and into an apartment in Sydney to do post-doctoral research. It was a big change for me but I gained some much-needed independence and life skills. I don't have much of a safety net now as I usually put all my extra money into paying off my mortgage. However, I have started putting a little bit away and almost have $2,000 so far. However, if it came to it, my parents would be able to lend me money for any unexpected large costs.

Yes, for my house deposit. I had $91,000 of my own money and $100,000 from my parents. This was inheritance money that my mother received when her father died. She gave half to me and half to my brother to help us buy a house, which I am extremely grateful for.

5:15am — I wake up to my cat walking on my chest, ready for his breakfast. Anyone else who has a cat would know this to be a daily occurrence. I'm not ready to wake up properly yet (it's Saturday!), so I put him outside my room and close the door to go back to sleep. He's usually pretty quiet for another hour or two after I do this.  

8:00am — Wake up again to feed the little monster and his dog sister their breakfasts. As usual, when I open the bedroom door they are waiting for me and race each other to their respective food bowls. I always find it hilarious — I wish something as simple as breakfast made me that happy and excited! I make coffee for myself and my partner, N. We bought a pod coffee machine recently from Costco and we love it! Well worth the money, considering how much coffee we drink. My partner and I have a morning routine where we have our coffee and breakfast in bed while we watch an episode of a sitcom, usually Modern Family or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A few months ago, I started a new job in the same neuroscience lab where my partner is doing his PhD. It means we get to travel to work together and spend a lot of time with each other.

10:00am — Eyebrow wax time! They are definitely overdue. I also get a tint done and love the results. $39

12:00pm — Lunch with mum. She pays and we catch up about my latest work and life dramas. On the way out, I buy pesto sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, capsicum and spinach for dinner tonight. $21

2:00pm — N. wants to buy a new shirt as he is presenting his PhD research at a conference next week. I'm very proud of his achievements! We go to Connor to find one. On the way out, we stop at Woolies for Saturday night snacks. I see some body wash and other toiletries that I use on sale for half price, so I do the only rational thing and buy multiples. $34

3:00pm — I try and read some of my book while my cat is playing in bubble wrap on the floor. He won't play with his expensive toys but loves random items around the house. I love anything to do with evolution and today's book is no exception. It's called The Vital Question and is a non-fiction book about how complex life arose on Earth. I find it fascinating, even if no one else I know does!

4:30pm — I get up to grab a drink from the kitchen. On the way there, I pass by the window entrance to our catio (an enclosed outdoor area for my cat to safely explore). As he comes inside the house, I notice he has something in his mouth — it's a lizard! It must have crawled into the catio under the small gaps in the gate. My cat runs into the house and I chase after him. After a panicked few minutes of trying to get the lizard from him, my partner scruffs him and removes him from his prey. Poor lizard, he is missing his tail and seems to be in pain. I take him outside and put him in a safe spot where he can hopefully recover. I go back inside the house to find the cat playing with the lizard's tail. I shoo him away and close the catio entrance — he's in big trouble and not allowed back out there!

5:00pm — After the traumatic event, I take the dog out to the park. She has a ball (literally) and spends lots of time playing fetch, eating grass and staring at clouds. 

6:00pm — Dinner time! I rarely cook (it's really not my thing) but there are a few things I will willingly make. I make enough pesto pasta for an additional three servings. My partner and I cook in bulk a fair amount and save extra servings for our work lunches. 

8:00am — TV and snacks time. We watch It's Always Sunny while eating chocolate. Our cat is upset that he's not allowed into his catio and meows at us. We ignore him as we're still upset over the lizard incident. I remember I need some more sanitary products, so I jump online to Chemist Warehouse and order some things on sale. It's free shipping if you spend over $50, so I purchase some face cream, shampoo and conditioner as well. $69

11:00pm — Bedtime!

Daily Total: $163

5:48am — Wake up to the cat walking on my chest, so I get up and feed him and the dog. Then back to bed for more sleep.

8:30am — Wake up again and make a morning coffee. N. cooks fried eggs on toast while I clean up the kitchen a bit. Then we eat in bed while watching an episode of Modern Family. He leaves soon after to go to uni. Currently, he's running experiments every day of the week, so he doesn't get much free time on the weekend. I also did a PhD a few years back and can confirm, it's not an easy life! 

10:00am — I've been feeling very tired the past few months and have a doctor's appointment this Tuesday to get some tests done. Today I have zero plans, so it's a perfect time to rest and recuperate. I watch some Supernatural in bed while eating cheese on bickies with the dog curled up next to me.  

11:00am — I try and read some more of my book, but quickly fall asleep. I need to not read while laying down!

12:30pm — I feel like doing some shopping, so I look online for some handbags. I hardly have any good-quality bags (or clothes and shoes, for that matter) as I usually buy everything as cheaply as I can. But I'm in the mood to treat myself, so I browse Colette online while watching more Supernatural, and end up deciding to buy two bags (the second one is 50% off!) — a black square tote bag and an ivory mini bag. I hope I don't regret buying them! $110

2:00pm — I can't be bothered to make anything for lunch so I eat snacks. More cheese and bickies and fruit from the kitchen.

5:50pm — Take the dog to the park. More ball chasing, grass eating and cloud watching.

6:30pm — I don't feel like anything home-cooked tonight so we decide to get Henny Penny for dinner! I love their chips with mash and gravy. N. offers to pay as I paid for takeaway the last few times.

7:30pm — We feel like trying out something new on Netflix, so we watch some episodes of Wedding Season. I enjoy it but, N., not so much. We go back to watching It's Always Sunny.

10:00pm — We're tired, so go to bed a little earlier tonight!

Daily Total: $110

5:40am — Cat walks on my chest. I put him outside for some more sleep.

6:40am — Today is Monday so, unfortunately, I have to do things today! I get up to feed the animals and then play with the dog in the backyard. We'll be gone for a while today due to work and N. is going to a local research conference today, so we leave early for me to drop him off.

8:00am — After coffee, TV in bed and a shower, we head off. I'm not used to driving this way at this time of morning and don't realise how busy the traffic will be. I sit in traffic for over 40 mins to get N. to the conference and then turn around to go to uni for my own work. I was invited to the conference as well but happily declined as I have work I need to catch up on (and conferences can be exhausting).

9:15am — I get to work. I first have a quick coffee ($5) and then get into today's jobs. We are using mice for neuroscience experiments to examine the neural pathways involved in stress and depression. I weigh, feed and record the activity of the mice. $5

12:30pm — Lunch! Leftover pesto pasta from Saturday night. I eat at my desk as I don't feel like socialising with the other researchers (I'm a massive introvert).

1:30pm — I analyse some behavioural data from an outstanding experiment. The data is looking interesting! It looks as though stimulating a pathway in the brain involved in stress and fear increases exploratory behaviour to novel objects. 

4:00pm — I leave and pick N. up from the conference. Traffic is better this time of day, luckily. We come back to uni after to finish up some work and then head home.

5:15pm — Stop by Coles on the way home from uni, we get candy for potential trick-or-treaters and things for dinner for the next two nights. I pay and N. transfers me half. $29

5:40pm — I get home and feed the animals. They were waiting for us at the door when we arrive. I feel exhausted and don't feel like taking the dog out, so I announce to no one in particular that I'm not doing that today. I have a bath instead.

6:30pm — I feel guilty and play with the dog in the backyard.

6:45pm — Still no trick-or-treaters. I feel sad about this as I love kids. Oh well, more chocolate and lollies for me!

7:00pm — N. cooks dinner. Chicken piccata tonight. It's delicious and I give some of the chicken to the animals.

8:00pm — Feeling productive tonight after being lazy earlier. I do two loads of laundry and change the cat's litter. I also play with the cat a bit. He's in full zoomie mode tonight!

9:15pm — We're ready for some Netflix before bed, so we watch Modern Family and eat some snacks.

10:45pm — The cat and dog jump on our bed and curl up, they're ready for bed! We go to sleep soon after.

Daily Total: $34

6:15am — The cat gives me a sleep-in this morning. I get up to feed him and the dog (how do they have so much energy this time of day?!) and then go back to bed for a snooze before facing the day.

7:00am — Get up again and make coffee. N. and I drink it and eat yoghurt while watching an episode of Modern Family. 

8:10am — Time to leave to drop N. at the conference for his second day. I give the pets some dental treats as we leave.

8:30am — Stop to get petrol. Usually, I go to Costco as it's cheaper (we were given a Costco membership for Christmas last year — best present ever), but I haven't had a chance to get there, so I stop at a petrol station along the way. $69

9:05am — Get to work after dropping N. off. I'm doing an experiment with a student this morning. Training students is my favourite part of my job. Today we're looking at cell activity in the brain using a technique called immunohistochemistry. It's a three-day protocol that will hopefully tell us which brain areas of the mice were activated following stress and novelty exposure.

10:20am — There's a small break in experiments so I run off for a coffee from a uni cafe. I've been trying to stop buying coffee as it's so expensive, but it's hard to resist! $5

12:00pm — More pesto pasta for lunch. I eat at my desk again like a recluse.

1:15pm — Back to my data analysis. Some of the data is looking a little inconsistent. I make a note to discuss this with the lab's postdoctoral researchers after the conference is over.

1:45pm — I get a text that my Colette bags are arriving today — that was fast! I'm excited but it says they will leave it at the post office if no one is at home to collect it.

2:00pm — I was meant to have a doctor's appointment today but I cancelled it as I felt stressed thinking about how I would fit it in between experiments. I go to the lolly shop on campus and get a kombucha and a muesli bar for a snack. $7.50

4:00pm — Finish off my experiments, check the mice again to make sure they are healthy and happy, then leave uni.

4:20pm — Collect my bags from the post office, yay!

4:50pm — Get N. from the conference. He presented his first research poster today at the conference and had a lot of interest.

5:20pm — Get home and feed the pets. They inhale it and then want some cuddles. I'm very happy with my bags, they look quite classy as I do some modelling with them in the kitchen. I don't feel like taking the dog out, but I go anyway due to guilt (she's giving me her manipulative puppy-dog eyes). We spend some time at the park and take the hilly route home. Good exercise for us both!

6:00pm — I watch Supernatural in the bath with some snacks. The cat sits on the bath rim in hopes of getting some cheese (he succeeds).

7:00pm — We decide to watch It's Always Sunny. We've probably watched all the seasons about three times, but it's still absolute gold to us. 

10:45pm — Bedtime. We have a big day tomorrow. We're both going to another local conference. This one is about the neuroscience behind motivation and appetite. I'm super excited as this was my postdoctoral research interest a few years back. As well as interesting talks, I'll see some of my old colleagues and friends. I can't wait!

Daily Total: $81.50

6:45am — Wake up. Somehow the cat didn't wake me up any earlier. Either I slept through it or he's suddenly gained some morning manners. I get up to make N. and I a coffee.

7:30am — We leave for the day. We have to drop by uni on the way to the conference to check on some experiments and animals. Following this, we go to the train station to pick up one of the lab's students. It's his first conference, so we take him in with us so he doesn't have to arrive alone.

8:55am — We finally get to the conference and I see my old post-doc supervisor/mentor from a distance. I'm keen to catch up with him. He's been battling cancer for the past couple of years and the prognosis is unfortunately not very optimistic. I really want to see how he's doing.

9:00am — That will have to wait though as the presentations are starting. The first three presentations are great. The session is on substance use disorders and the stand-out presentation is using a mouse model of repetitive transcranial magnetic brain stimulation. This is a technique that is used in humans for major depressive disorder. We know that it works, but are unsure of the therapeutic mechanisms behind its effects. This mouse model will help scientists figure out how this technique treats depression.

10:30am — Morning tea break. Time for me to work the crowd! I spot a few old colleagues I want to talk to. I've just stood up when an old student of mine from my postdoc comes over to me and gives me a big hug. It's so good to see her. We briefly catch up on how her PhD is going before my previous supervisor comes over to us. We chat on the way to get coffee and snacks, and he informs me that the immunotherapy treatment he's currently on for his cancer is working well and the tumours have shrunk a bit. I'm happy for him and his family, despite him informing me that this treatment is only delaying the inevitable, as there is no cure for his disease.

11:00am — More presentations. This session is on eating and feeding. This is my jam! I'm enthralled by the talks, which are attempting to understand how the brain regulates food intake. There is a particularly intriguing presentation that shows data on how mice respond to intermittent access to junk food. These mice, compared to mice who are allowed free access to junk food, actually have worse behavioural outcomes and increased fat mass. The presenter goes on to say that this highlights how a negative relationship with food, as opposed to access to junk food itself, could be a major contributor to obesity.

12:30pm — Lunch time. I barely eat anything during this break, as I'm so busy chatting to people. I'm such a social butterfly today!

2:00pm — More talks, this time on decision-making neuroscience. This isn't really my thing, but I do find the presentations interesting. The last talk of the day is from another student I have worked with in the past. She is filling in for another presenter who is sick, so she barely had any time to prepare her presentation. Despite this, she does an excellent job. I'm very proud of her.

4:30pm — Home time. I'm exhausted. We help pack things down before we leave. N. and I talk about our favourite presentations on the drive home.

6:00pm — We need to have dinner but can't be bothered to cook after such a big day. So I Uber Eats us some fish and chips, with scallops and seafood sticks. $47.56

7:00pm — Relax and Netflix until we fall asleep. We have another big day tomorrow.

5:20am — Cat wakes me up and I put him outside our bedroom. Back to usual, I see.

6:45am — Alarm goes off and I get up to the usual morning routine.

7:30am — We have to take the dog to N.'s parents' vet practice to get groomed. She's shedding hair everywhere at the moment so we decide to get her a summer clip. We drop her off before heading back to uni. Unlike most animals, she loves the vet. She can't wait to get inside and get pats and attention from N.'s parents and the other staff there.

8:40am — Get to uni to prepare for the day's work. Today is a big day, where N. is end-pointing his experimental animals. It's never a fun day, as euthanising mice is the worst part of our research. On the drive in, the postdoc who was originally meant to be helping N. messages me to help him instead. This isn't a great day for me, but I say yes anyway and try and figure out how I'll have time for this amongst my own experiments. 

9:05am — We're setting up for end-pointing N.'s animals when our lab supervisor walks in, as he is helping as well. We're not ready yet so we scramble to get going. It's one disaster after another, as we are both relatively new to this and can't find some of the items we need. Luckily our supervisor waits patiently.

9:45am — A student messages me to tell me he's here and ready to start a separate experiment. This stresses me as I don't have time to do both. I message another postdoc and ask for help. Luckily for me, she agrees and helps the student with the experiment.

12:30pm — We're done with the animals and running around. We go to a restaurant on campus and get some lunch. $39

1:30pm — Back to work! I still have heaps to do today for my own experiments, including finishing off the immunohistochemistry that I started on Tuesday.

3:30pm — Myself and a student finish the day's immunohistochemistry experiment and it works! Last time we tried, nothing happened and we think we used a faulty antibody. So, today we used a different one — and success! Feeling more positive, I make plans to do another batch next week with some experimental animal brains.

4:30pm — Home time! N. and I are both exhausted. We go to the vet clinic to pick up our dog and have a chat with N.'s parents. Our doggo looks so different! She looks incredibly skinny without all of her fur and now I'm worried we've accidentally been underfeeding or overexercising her! I make a mental note to give her more dog food at breakfast and dinner. N.'s dad also gives us some tennis balls, as I'm forever losing them over the fence in the backyard when playing with the dog. The neighbours must hate me! We leave for home without paying anything, as N.'s parents let us get her groomed for free.

6:00pm — N. cooks dinner (Turkish bread melts) while I have a bath and watch Supernatural.

8:00pm — Relax in bed with N. and the pets while watching Modern Family.

10:00pm — Bedtime, as I have an early start tomorrow morning.

Daily Total: $39

5:00am — My alarm goes off and I immediately turn it off and quietly get up. The pets wake up too and follow me outside the bedroom to get their early breakfast. I have personal training at the gym this morning, so I grab my towel, drink bottle and car keys, and leave the house.

5:15am — PT starts. My sessions are only 30 minutes long but that's more than enough! This morning we are doing lower body, including one-legged leg presses, deadlifts and 50kg squats. I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I leave. $30

6:00am — Make myself a coffee (quietly) and play with the pets a bit until it's late enough to justify waking N. up.

6:30am — Hop in the shower and get ready for the day.

7:50am — Leave for uni. N. is WFH today so I go in alone.

9:00am — It's time for our weekly lab meeting. We have a visiting researcher from the University of Melbourne with us today. We all say what we liked most about this week's conferences before getting into presentations. This week, our two Honours students are practising their final presentations. They both do so well!

11:00am — Today is a quieter day, so I catch up on some lab jobs and give a tour to the visiting researcher. She's lovely and clearly very knowledgeable. I'm a bit surprised to hear she is planning on leaving research to go into science commercialisation. I don't blame her though. Preclinical research is a difficult profession to be in.

2:00pm — I leave uni to go to my rescheduled doctor's appointment, which is only a five-minute drive away. I see someone new, as I've been to a few other doctors at this clinic and didn't really gel with them. This doctor, however, is great. I tell her about my recent fatigue and brain fog and she pulls up my last blood test results from six months ago. My iron was low (I knew that) and so was my B12. The B12 deficiency was news to me! I feel annoyed that this previous doctor neglected to tell me. The current doctor tells me that I should probably get B12 injections, as oral supplements aren't well absorbed by the body. We also discuss my heavy periods, which likely are contributing to my fatigue. Two years ago, I got the Implanon inserted in my arm for contraception and period control. Most women have reduced or no periods after the Implanon. For me, however, my periods got heavier! I need to get it out at the three-year mark anyway, so I talk to the doctor about getting it removed ASAP. She has a feel of my arm and informs me that the doctor who put it in inserted it too deep. It's fine, but it will be a bit trickier to take out and may need extra local anesthetic. Great... I pay $40 out of pocket. $40

2:50pm — Back to work. I'm feeling tired and unmotivated, so I don't get much done for the rest of the day.

5:00pm — Home time. I get home and play with the pets after feeding them. After a hectic week, we get takeaway again for dinner. Naughty, I know. We decide on Crust pizza from Uber Eats. $66

7:00pm — Netflix and wine time. We have a bit too much and fall asleep early. I wake up at 11pm to turn the lights out. The pets are snuggled up on the bed.

11:05pm — Bedtime for real.