A Week In Toronto, ON, On A $90,000 Salary

Occupation: Marketing Manager
Industry: Investments
Age: 30
Location: Toronto, ON
Salary: $90,000 (I received $7,000 for a bonus on top of this last year, but I’m at a new job now. Wish me luck!)
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,700
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,154 (I rent a one-bedroom apartment with a den that I share with my sister. Tip: If you’re looking to rent in Toronto, consider older apartments because many have larger floor plans. My sister’s den/bedroom is larger than a lot of master bedrooms in new condos.)
Rental Insurance: $14
Student Loans: $0 (I paid off $20,000 in 2017.)
Phone: $0 (Work pays for my phone, and I actually end up making $5 from the arrangement #onelattemoney.)
Transit Pass: $151.15
Internet: $85
Medical Benefits: $54.30 (This covers the remaining balance for supplies like syringes, alcohol swabs, and test strips because I have type 1 diabetes).
Pension: $0 (I temporarily paused contributions to start aggressively saving to buy property — see below. I'll re-start in a year.)
Household Expenses For My Mom: $250 (My mother suddenly became a single mom to five kids shortly after immigrating to Canada. We had such an incredible, happy childhood and we're thriving now. We owe all of it to her, so the kids send over cash each month to help out, whether it's for personal care items or utilities. Sometimes it will be a gift card to the spa, so she can treat herself. I hope to increase this number in the future.)
Spotify: $3 (family plan split among myself and four siblings)
Netflix: $0 (This is covered by a family member.)
Property Fund: $1,500 (This goes into a high-interest savings account. Any savings account you hold should be high-interest because why not make some dough, though?)
Rainy Day Fund: $700 (This is also in a high-interest savings account. I have $1,400 saved and will stop when I have $10,000.)
Travel Fund: $200 (I just started this to save for a trip to Asia in the spring.)
Tax-Free Savings: $500 (I have $5,500 saved so far.)
Banking Fees: $15

Annual Expenses
Amazon Prime: $30.96 (This is my portion of the membership, which I split with my two sisters. Conveniently, we all live in the same building.)
Charitable Donations: $1,000 (I donate to individual GoFundMe campaigns. Some people have incredible challenging lives, and they are so resilient. They just need some financial love or, as I like to say, lurve.)

8:30 a.m. — I hit the snooze button without guilt because I got an email saying WiFi will be down in the office this morning. I eventually get to work and make myself a matcha latte with almond milk. I'm not bougie about many things, but my caffeine intake is one of them.

1 p.m. — Lunchtime! I'm starving. I kind of intermittent fast, and lunch is typically my first meal. I have beef stir fry with crispy mushrooms, and a carrot and beet salad that I made yesterday. It hits the spot, and I read Money Diaries over lunch.

2:30 p.m. — I brush my teeth, floss, and treat myself to a Mento or four.

5 p.m. — And I'm off! My commute home isn't too bad: 30 minutes on the streetcar and subway. Shout out to public transportation!

6 p.m. — I do my hefty weekly cleanup and settle in with a dinner of crab rangoon and chicken with veggies that I ordered from a Chinese restaurant yesterday.

8 a.m. — I slept horribly last night. My blood sugar kept crashing during the night due to my diabetes. It requires me to get up and ingest sugar, which is so annoying. I'm not going to function well at work today and don't have anything urgent on my schedule, so I let my team know that I won't be in the office. I go back to sleep.

12 p.m. — Wakey, wakey. I'm irritated AF, but after a little self-pleasure I'm a ray of sunshine ; ) It works, ladies. I make an omelette and a berry smoothie and catch up on YouTube videos. I watch House Tours of Atlanta, and it's so relaxing. The idea of affordable property makes me cry.

3 p.m. — I feel a lot better, so I finish up an article that I'm writing on a volunteer basis for a women's empowerment organization. It's a departure from the conservative, formal work I do in my 9-to-5 life, so I have fun with this article. I always aim to have a volunteer gig, because it allows me to stretch my creative energy and network.

6 p.m. — I get roped into a three-hour video chat with my besties. They live in a different city than me, so I enjoy our stretched-out convos. I have a big-ass salad for dinner. I fancy myself a salad connoisseur and can make a sexy salad with random things. Today's edition consists of turkey on a bed of spinach, roasted mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, red onion, shredded carrots, and ranch dressing. I have two Lindt truffles for dessert.

9 p.m. — See a zit. Fight the zit. My nighttime routine is honestly such a highlight of my day: Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple Cleanser, Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum, and Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer with a drop of almond oil. Also, this lip combo will change your life: Beauty Treats almond lip scrub followed by the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. I'm ready for bed but stay up watching a beautiful thunderstorm outside.

1:30 a.m. I finally fall asleep.

9:30 a.m. — I arrive to work late because #publictransit. Toronto has a crumbling transit system, and we pay up the arse for it. And, as the cost of living rises, more people are heading out to the suburbs, which increases ridership. Also, I'm pretty sure someone peed on the streetcar. Happy Hump Day!

11 a.m. — I make my daily matcha latte and discuss real estate with a coworker. We're both interested to see how the outcome of the upcoming federal election will impact affordable housing. I'm considering purchasing property — outside of Toronto because I don't want to be stuck in a tiny condo.

1 p.m. — Guess what time it is? BIG-ASS SALAD time! I brought the same salad as last night, except no ranch dressing and I add avocado. I use a single-serving packet of balsamic–olive oil dressing labelled "minigrette." I love a cute word.

4 p.m. — I confirm dinner plans with a friend who is in town. We're eating at Trattoria Nervosa, a cute Italian place in a bougie area of Toronto called Yorkville. I saw Drake last time I ate there but, alas, no Drizzy this time.

8:30 p.m. — I'm stuffed and happy. I had heaps of fresh bread with olive oil, a fantastic mushroom pasta, and cannoli with vanilla gelato. It was great catching up with my friend. I tell her about my visit to a sex club last weekend (I'm shooketh, but in a good way). We split the bill, and I take leftovers home. $43.98

9 p.m. — I video chat with M., a guy I matched with on Tinder but haven't actually met in person. Shortly after we matched, he was stationed in the Middle East. I really enjoy speaking with him but I'm not getting my hopes up. Sighhhh, millennial dating.

9 a.m. — I'm hungry this morning so I get Earl Grey tea and a pumpkin spice doughnut from T. Hos. Tomorrow is Friday the 13th and a full moon, so I have to celebrate. I make plans with a friend to spend the night eating bougie cheese, taking edibles, and making CBD bath bombs. $3.27

11 a.m. — I run out of sweetener for my matcha latte, so I order Stevia on Amazon. I'm hungry. Again. I snack on raw cashews. $6.99

5 p.m. — I get home and start watching a show called Fleabag. It's hilarious and sad at the same time. I also book a dancehall class with a friend for tomorrow evening. I use the five-class pass I have with the studio, so I don't pay.

9 p.m. — I indulge in one of my fave activities: reading Dear Prudence articles. My god, some people are cray-cray.

9:30 a.m. — I'm working from home today, so I sleep in and try watching porn to inspire myself. It works!

12 p.m. — I need more Keurig cups. Amazon offers me a $2 off coupon, so my order of caramel–vanilla coffee is only $14.99. $14.99

7 p.m. — I go to my dancehall dance class and die. It's so much fun, and I can't wait to feel the burn tomorrow. Also, the instructor is fooiinne. My friend and I buy some weed at a dispensary ($46.26 for six pre-rolls), then get wedges with garlic dipping sauce and a Coke Zero from Pizza Pizza for my friend ($8.88), and head to her place. Lizzo blasting, we get stoned and make CBD bath bombs. We grab the wedges and sit on my friend's rooftop to watch the full moon. She has an incredible view of the Toronto skyline, and we read our tarot cards. Whewy, it's intense. This was my first time and won't be my last. $55.14

2 a.m. — I get into the wrong Uber and freak out when I get a call from my actual driver. We have to drive back, so I can switch cars, then I have a fantastic conversation with my new Uber driver. I get home and immediately pass out. $14.50

2 p.m. — Wow, I just woke up. I feel rejuvenated, though, so I guess I needed 12 hours of sleep. I make breakfast and write in my three-year journal. I love looking back on each day in the past three years to see the different places I was at in life. Also, I need tarot cards, so I order them from Amazon. $36.42

5 p.m. — I do a turmeric and honey face mask and deep condition my hair. I have super-frizzy, curly hair so I have to deep condition often. I head to a local art exhibition with a friend, and we go for dinner afterward. We split carpaccio, and I get lemon-ricotta agnolotti, plus an incredible olive oil cake and a decaf coffee for dessert. We split the bill $81.34

4 a.m. — What the f**k?! I ORDERED DECAF!

11 a.m. — I sleep in because I didn't fall asleep until after 4 a.m. last night. If you let me, I could sleep in way past 9 a.m. every day. After lazing around in bed for awhile, I get up and heat up mulawah (moo-la-wah), which is a delicious pancake in Middle Eastern and North African cultures. I melt peanut butter and drizzle honey over it. My mom always sends me home with some when I visit <3.

1 p.m. — I stop at the dollar store for acetone nail polish remover. I tried dip nails for the first time two weeks ago and am impressed, but it's time for them to go. I also pick up holiday cards because I'm sending a care package to M. Along with Canadian snacks, it will include cards for American Thanksgiving (he's American), Christmas, and his birthday. I will instruct him to open each card on the corresponding day. I'm such a sap, urgh. I catch up with my younger brother over the phone while I shop. $10.23

1:30 p.m. — I also grab groceries from Longos (so pricey but convenient): chicken breast, cream cheese, spinach, salmon cakes, mozzarella, beef, broccoli, asparagus, mushroom, string cheese, zucchini, and strawberries. I get home and start my meal prep for the week. I make spinach-and-cheese-stuffed chicken with grilled asparagus, broiled salmon with roasted mushrooms, and beef and broccoli with grilled zucchini. I portion out strawberries for snacking. $63.99

4 p.m. — My friend calls me bawling. She's been going through an extended break up, which I'm sure makes things incredibly hard. I feel terrible but she dodged such a lazy, useless bullet. I tell her to allow herself to sit with the pain but also know that she will ultimately be okay and forget about him one day. Ah, men.

6 p.m. — I need a burger, stat. I go to a nearby food court and grab a Mama Burger combo: burger, onion rings, and a root beer float. I pay for my sister's meal as well. $27.71

8 p.m. — I have an edible and watch the new J. Lo (is that still what she goes by?) and Vanessa Hudgens movie. It's so cheesy but just what the doctor ordered. I can't wait for Christmas, when Netflix rolls out the fromage.