A Week in Toronto, ON, On A $127,360 Joint Income

Occupation: Production Manager
Industry: Natural Cosmetics
Age: 30
Location: Toronto, ON
My Salary: $70,800
My Husband's Salary: $56,860 (He's always on contract, so he doesn't have a set salary, but this is how much he made last year.)
My Paycheque Amount (2x/month): $2,205
My Husband's Paycheque Amount (2x/month): $1,850
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $2,500 (This includes utilities.)
Credit Cards & Lines Of Credit: $3,700 (Right now, I'm paying 100% of our rent and household expenses, while my husband puts his monthly income against our debt. Combined, we owe $36,000. Our plan is to pay it off in a year.)
Phone: $0 (Work covers my phone.)
TTC Pass: $69.27 (Work covers half of my transit pass.)
Health Benefits: $38.26 (covers my husband and myself)
Dental Benefits: $31.90 (covers my husband and myself)
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Coverage: $85.36
RRSP: $236 (My company matches this. I have $25,000 saved.)
Audible: $14.95

7:45 a.m. — I live in Toronto, but I'm at offsite training in Mississauga today, so I take an Uber, which I'll expense. ($24.60 expensed)

8:15 a.m. — The training facility has its own cafeteria, so I grab a danish. I don't buy a coffee, because they're serving us the same (crappy) coffee for free in the training session. I'm a coffee snob, but I drink the crappy stuff anyways, because it's the morning, and I need it. $1.89

11:30 a.m. — We break for lunch early, because we have a test this afternoon. I have a Greek-ish plate with chicken, rice, chickpeas, salad, and a delicious garlic-yogurt sauce. I also get a cookie, which is so good that I go back for another, but they're sold out. I forgot to charge my headphones, so I play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on my phone for the rest of lunch. $13.44

2:45 p.m. — I pass my test. Yay! We get out of class early, and I take an Uber back to my neighbourhood. I ask the driver to drop me off at the corner, because I have to pick up a package at the post office. It's sweaters for my dogs, and I can't wait to see them! ($24.94 expensed)

3 p.m. — I deserve a treat for getting a good grade on my test and walk to a bakery for a lemon square. I eat it while walking down the street, which isn't a great idea, because it's sticky and gooey. I've finished the lemon bar by the time I'm at the post office. $4.01

3:15 p.m. — I get home and take my dogs to the park. An acquaintance is there with her dog, so we chat about our new favourite true crime podcasts. We end up talking about Over My Dead Body for a while.

4:30 p.m. — I walk home and make dinner. I have a chicken carcass in the freezer, so I make chicken stock in my Instant Pot. I end up making something vaguely Asian with udon noodles, ginger, garlic, the chicken stock, and roasted squash. It's okay but would've been better with a protein. I'm glad I didn't spend anything on groceries, though, and used what we had.

7:45 a.m. — I snooze for almost an hour. Oops. I email my team to tell them I'll be in an hour late, then get ready for work. No matter how late I am, I always do a little makeup. I catch the bus around 8 a.m. (when I usually start work) to work around 8:45 a.m. I grab a coffee, breakfast sandwich, and doughnut at Tim Hortons and power walk down the street to work. I don't worry too much about being late, because I end up working late most days anyways, so it evens out. $8.79

12:30 p.m. — I didn't make enough soup last night to have for lunch, so I order dim sum on Uber Eats. I get steamed chicken buns, red bean cakes, and veggie dumplings. I end up ordering too much and share it with my co-workers. My husband and I have been trying to pay off our debt (line of credit and credit cards), so it bums me out that I didn't have lunch prepared and had to order in. $22.40

6:30 p.m. — I take the subway home after work and take the dogs out for a walk. My husband and I have plans to get burgers at one of our favourite diners, which is closing.

7:30 p.m. — There's a huge line at the diner! I guess other people had the same idea as us. We walk up the street to an eastern European restaurant instead. They have a half-price special on large-format beer and ciders, so we order a wine-sized bottle of beer and way more food than we had planned: a soft pretzel, cevapi, a corn dog, spaetzle, and dessert. All of it is amazing. $100.40

10:30 p.m. — My husband walks the dogs, and I get ready for bed. I try to be in bed by 10:30 p.m., but I usually fall asleep around 11 p.m., because the dogs like to run in our room after their walk and get snuggles.

7:30 a.m. — Today is the Climate Strike, and my company is participating. I rush out the door after carefully picking out my strike outfit (a jumpsuit by 69 Clothing, a slow-fashion company) and a fanny pack, so I don't have to carry anything. I stop by my favourite café for an Americano and a breakfast cookie. My stamp card is full, so I get a free coffee. $4.50

7:40 a.m. — I don't want to be late, so I call an Uber to get me to work before 8 a.m. My colleagues and I are excited to march, and we make signs and patches together. $16.96

11 a.m. — We take public transit downtown. I've only done one protest before, the Women's March circa the beginning of Trump times, and this one seems even busier than that one. I have anxiety and get a little overwhelmed by the crowd, but I stick with my co-workers and have a good time.

2 p.m. — After the march, my co-worker and I go to a café on our way home for a late lunch. I get a lemonade and sausage-and-egg sandwich. We're both exhausted from all the socializing, so we barely talk, which is nice.

3:30 p.m. — I go home and take my dogs to the park for an hour. I try to get in a nap, because I'm going out tonight, but I end up watching RuPaul's Drag Race on the couch instead. $24.13

7:30 p.m. — My friend and I are going to a launch party hosted at our Pilates studio. I want to loosen up, so I take an edible before meeting her. There's food and champagne there, so we mingle and take advantage of the free food. My friend has to leave early, and I don't know anyone else, so I leave, too.

8:30 p.m. — The edible has kicked in, and I want a sweet treat, so I stop by a bakery and buy two cupcakes and two cinnamon buns (one each for my husband and I) before getting on the subway. I'm pretty stoned on the ride home. I get home, lay on the couch with my dogs, turn on RuPaul's Drag Race, and enjoy my cinnamon bun in my blissful state. $19.34

11 p.m. — I wake up on the couch (classic me) and move to the bedroom.

8 a.m. — I'm a part-time student, and my class is every Saturday morning. I check to see when the bus is coming, and it's at least 10 minutes away, so I grab a coffee and a scone before catching it. I get downtown and sit through my class, feeling grateful for the powers of coffee. $12.36

10:30 a.m. — During break, I rush to Starbucks for more coffee and a yogurt parfait. One of my classmates is in line behind me and has forgotten her wallet, so I get her latte. I head back to class and drink my second Americano of the day. $16.89

3 p.m. — I'm a member of a slow-fashion buy-and-sell group on Instagram, and I'm always on the lookout for Elizabeth Suzann clothes. I bid on a Clyde Trench, which is one of her most coveted items, and win! Then I realize it's $300 U.S. dollars, which means it's over $400 Canadian with shipping. I go through with it anyways, and decide I need to list more clothes on Depop, a social shopping app, and through the sell/trade community on Instagram. I spend the afternoon going through my closet and end up listing a linen jacket, a maxi dress, a fringe jacket, and a pair of jeans that are too short on me. My hope is that I can make back the money I spent on this jacket, because I've been trying to minimize my spending, especially on clothing. $428.12

8 p.m. — My husband and I are meeting friends for dinner at a brewery. We weren't planning on going out but got invited last-minute, and we decided to be social beings. This brewery is known for their sours, so I order one with a fried-chicken sandwich. My husband orders a roast-beef sandwich and a beer. We share pepperoni sticks, pickled eggs, and shishito peppers. About 20 minutes into dinner, my friend is feeling sick, so she leaves with her partner. My husband and I stick around and order another drink. I get the bill. $73.30

10 a.m. — It's Sunday, and I've been lazing in bed since 8:30 a.m. Both of my dogs are snuggled up with me, and I don't want to leave, but I have intentions to study before my cardio class this morning. I get ready and take the dogs out for a walk before catching the bus. I go to a vegan café that has amazing doughnuts and order one with a coffee for breakfast. I do some reading for school before I walk to the gym. My friend and I meet up, and she brings along another friend. We all have fun in class, despite the jumping jacks and jump squats. $8.11

12:45 p.m. — After class, we all walk over to a café for a coffee on the patio. I get a "healthy" cookie, because I'm very hungry after all the cardio. We chat about boyfriends, husbands, and chores. My husband bikes over to the neighbourhood we're in, and I meet up with him and another friend to get Tibetan food. $6.51

2 p.m. — We're starving and order an excessive amount of momos (Tibetan dumplings) and eat them while discussing what we've all been up to. My friend recently left the company I work for to go to another natural cosmetics brand, so it's interesting to hear her take on changing companies. We ordered too much food, and my friend packs the rest up to bring home to her husband. We wander down the street to look at the fall clothes in a boutique we like, and my husband bikes home to go grocery shopping and start dinner. He makes really good chilli from a Bon Appetit recipe, which makes me happy, because I love when I don't have to cook. When I get home, I throw in a load of laundry and play my Nintendo DS. $32

8 a.m. — I sleep late again. I wake up with a sore throat and hope that the extra 30 minutes of sleep will help. I get ready for work and check to see when the bus is coming. It's at least a 10-minute wait, so I grab an Americano and banana bread at my local café. I get to work around 9 a.m. During a meeting, I realize I forgot to pack the chilli I had intended to bring for lunch. $9.06

12:30 p.m. — I order a turkey-bacon ranch sub on Uber Eats. I wanted pho, but all of the Vietnamese places have high delivery fees, and I wanted to keep this under $20. The sub is totally fine, but my sore throat is getting worse during the day, and that soup would've hit the spot. I make turmeric-chai tea I have stashed in my desk for times like this. The rest of my work day is uneventful. $16.55

6:15 p.m. — It's actually pretty cold out now, so I put on my dog's new sweaters (CUTE) to take them for a walk.

7:30 p.m. — I don't feel like cooking dinner, and my husband suggests the pho place up the street. Is he a mind reader? I forget my phone, which seems tragic for a moment, but it really isn't. We chat about how our days were, our dogs, whatever. We go home to our excited dogs and hang out before getting ready for bed. $42.97

6 a.m. — I wake up feeling worse than yesterday and call in sick. I go back to bed.

9 a.m. — My husband is running late, so I help him make coffee. I lay down on the couch with my dogs (and one cat at some point) and start a marathon of American Horror Story: Apocalypse, while drinking coffee and eating cinnamon-raisin toast. I really don't want to leave the house, so I'm eating whatever is here today.

12 p.m. — I take the dogs outside for a walk, and it's almost 30 degrees. IN OCTOBER?! We walk for 30 minutes, and they are clearly as confused about the weather as I am. When we get home, I look in the fridge, and it's a pretty sad state: wilted broccoli, lots of condiments, cheese. I settle on old cheddar with wheat thins. I also have a spoonful of honey straight from the jar to soothe my throat. I schedule more Pilates and cardio classes and realize I'm out of classes, so I buy a five-class pass. I debate buying a monthly pass, but decide against it until I know I'm committed to at least two or three classes a week. $107.35

4 p.m. — A thunderstorm has just blown over, so I take the dogs for a 30-minute walk. I'm so tired and continue my American Horror Story marathon on the couch. I realize I should make something for dinner and remember my co-worker gave me a jar of tomatoes that her family had canned. I chop a bunch of garlic and a fresh chili from my mother-in-law's garden and let the sauce stew for an hour. Meanwhile, I load the dishwasher and do laundry. I feel guilty if I'm at home and not getting anything done. I know that's stupid, but the guilt is just part of my life.

7:30 p.m. — My husband gets home from work, and we eat pasta together in the living room while watching American Horror Story.

9 p.m. — I take a sativa edible, because I want a really good sleep. I end up finishing the season and crashing.