A Week In The Sunshine Coast, Queensland, On A $65,000 AUD Income

Occupation: Technical Officer
Industry: Packaging Design
Age: 24
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Salary: $60,000 from my main job, on track to earn $5,000 from my social media
Net Worth: $16,500 ($8,500 in savings, $3,850 in ETFs, $3,400 in cryptocurrency, $1,250 in shares, and $23,500 in super).
Debt: $24,000 left on my HECS/HELP loan.
My Paycheque Amount (monthly): $4,000, plus about $500 from my social media work.
Pronouns: She/Her

Rent: $1,000. I live with my long-term boyfriend and we rent a townhouse for $470 per week. I pay a little more because I earn more and can also claim work from home expenses.
Loans: $125 for my compulsory HELP repayment, but it comes out with my tax, so I never see it or need to think about it. I have no other debt currently.
Fuel: $150
Car Insurance and Rego: $90
Charity Donations: $75
Spotify: $19
Stan: $10
Keep It Cleaner app: $115/year
ETF: $200
Crypto: $100
Groceries: $300
Eating Out: $300 — $500
Savings Contributions: $1,200 — $1,500

I completed the first part of my engineering qualification at university but ended up halting my enrolment due to some personal struggles. Since I was already working in the field, I ended up transferring my credits to graduate immediately with a Diploma of Engineering. All of this was paid for by a HELP/VET fee loan from the government. I've been paying it off since my second year of study because I started earning enough.

Not really — I remember having some pocket money which I only earned if I did all my jobs and I was told I should save it. I naturally started saving when I started working, but as I got into my late teen years, I developed more of a spending habit, especially as my family struggled a bit financially. As an adult, I've seen my mum come into her own financially which has inspired me to rethink my money habits. We've both made a point of educating ourselves to manage our money better.

I was a casual retail worker in a bookstore and ended up staying there for seven years. I started working when I was exactly 13 and 9 months — the legal age to work in Queensland. I got the job because a family friend recommended me. At this stage, it was a really great learning curve to get me out of my shell and get used to the responsibility of working and how to interact with all kinds of people. It ended up being pretty much the only source of spending money I had at that time.

Yes. We always had food and a roof over our heads, but there were a lot of times that there wasn't any extra money for little luxuries like new clothes I wanted or books outside of school textbooks. I do remember what it felt like to have that money stress in the house, but I'm really glad to see my mum now flourishing and coming out the other side of those hard times.

Yes and no. I've made a real point in the last two years to turn my finances around, including paying off $6,000 worth of small debt (Afterpay and a Wallet Wizard loan). I also now have a substantial amount saved, so I don't worry about money week to week — like for groceries and rent — which is a real difference compared to two years ago. I'm proud of that. Bigger picture, I'm currently working towards having eight months of my living expenses saved as an emergency fund and then saving for a house deposit. I worry about those because I work for a start-up so my job security isn't super stable. Seeing house prices rise at the moment is quite disheartening, however.

I became responsible for paying my own rent and food when I turned 17, just after graduating high school. I've been working since I was nearly 14, including right through my studies because I didn't qualify for any government payments. At the moment, I have about four months of living expenses saved as a backup so I do have some safety net, but I'm working hard on growing that even more.

No, I haven't. The closest I have to passive income is returns or dividends from my investments (ETFs and cryptocurrency), but I reinvest everything I earn, rather than taking the profits.

5:45am — Wake up and get dressed in my workout clothes. I don’t bother applying any skincare until after I shower. My boyfriend’s car is currently having issues, so I’m taking him to work this morning.

6:30am — I get back home from dropping my boyfriend off and do a workout from my Keep It Cleaner app. I love that the app plans out your week for you with a variety of workouts, along with meal plans. I pay the annual fee, which is $115 per year, so less than $10 a month. I’ve been doing this for about three years now — it’s way cheaper than a gym membership and I actually find it way easier to keep me consistent.

7:30am — Make my first coffee at home and I’m out the door to drive to work. We moved three months ago because my boyfriend and I both had a long commute for work. The rental market has been crazy on the Sunshine Coast, so it took a bit of time to find a place, but now my daily drive to work is only about eight minutes! It’s ended up being such a positive change for our lifestyle and was worth all the stress.

9:00am — I make a second coffee at work and get ready for my company’s annual general meeting. It’s always a nervous time of year because we’re still a start-up company, but we get through it without too much drama. My role is materials engineer and I work for a packaging design company, so my day-to-day looks like running diagnostic tests on our machines, materials properties testing and some 3D design work. I really enjoy my role, especially when I get the opportunity to travel to our overseas partners, but Covid has hit our company pretty hard and as a start-up, we’ve found it a bit difficult to get investment at the moment. Hopefully, it all works out ok!

12:30pm — It’s lunchtime and for me, that’s a piece of fruit and a homemade sandwich. Unless we have a work event, I always bring my own lunch to work. Most of the time I just have leftovers from dinner the night before or a sandwich.

2:30pm — I don’t usually work Mondays, so I finish early to pick my boyfriend up from work and we head home. I find two parcels on my doorstep, which is exciting because one is an order I made from the new collection of Kynd Society — an activewear brand I love. The other is a press sample from Saya Skincare which I received through my Instagram account. I started a beauty-focused Instagram account nearly two years ago because I love talking about skincare. Now, it's turned into a bit of a side hustle for me! I love being able to share what I’m using, how it’s working for my skin and also see what other people think. It’s grown to the point now where I do receive press samples, which is essentially new releases or product sent out by press agencies for free. It’s still such a novelty to me and I’m so grateful to receive these send-outs, as it helps me test and post about new products without spending my own money.

4:00pm — Finishing a little early means I have time to catch up on the housework we didn’t get done (I had a busy weekend out with friends and family) and work on my Instagram post planning. My boyfriend suggests we go for a walk to wind down after the day but it’s cut short by rain.

6:30pm — I get started on dinner, tonight is just a sausage and tomato sauce pasta, along with whatever vegetables we have to use up. It’s the ‘lean week’ in the month for us, which means we try and use everything we have in the fridge and pantry first and spend only a small amount on fresh food. This is something we’ve started doing this year and has been a great way to reduce our food waste. My partner and I have been trying to educate ourselves better when it comes to our finances, and one thing we learnt is how much of a financial benefit it can be to make sure you’re only buying what you need and using it all up! Bonus points are that it cuts down on food waste as well, which is a win for the environment too.

9:00pm — After watching a couple of episodes of The Office, we head upstairs to get ready for bed. I do my evening skincare routine, which I also film to post on my TikTok account. I mostly use it to post more casual content than what I put on my Instagram. My current cleansing routine is the Paula’s Choice Omega Cleansing Balm followed by the Essano Hydrating Rosehip Gel Cleanser. I follow this with a hydrating serum and oil, then a light moisturiser to lock it all in.

Daily Total: $0

6:10am — I managed to borrow a car for my boyfriend to use, so I get a little sleep in before getting up to finalise the caption on a paid post that’s going live on my Instagram. It’s a brand I have been using for ages and I’d love to work with them in the future, so hopefully, it performs well. I make a little extra income from my social media and content creation, around $500 a month at the moment, but I’m working to increase this. I don’t have any plans to make my socials my main income, so for now, it’s a great way to boost my savings and have a little extra spending money. It’s raining outside, so instead of going for a run, I fit in a strength workout before getting ready for work.

7:15am – I make my coffee and do my make-up while I drink it. I keep my routine fairly quick on work mornings because I work in a lab, which involves wearing safety gear and operating a Thermoformer machine. Thermoformers are large machines that use heat to form materials into the desired shape, so they can get quite warm. At the moment, I’m reaching for the Ciate Dewy Tint as my base, Nudestix Vegan Splashproof Mascara for lashes and Kosas Brow Pop for my brows.

8:00am — On my way to work, I stop at the shop to pick up a carton of oat milk ($3.80) to use in my coffees at work for the week. $3.80

10:30am — I’m so glad that I bought a top-up of oat milk, as I take my morning break and make an iced latte. It’s been really rainy on the Sunshine Coast lately, but still very humid, so it’s nice to have a cold coffee. This morning has been a lot of barrier testing of the materials we form, which means leaving the samples in a controlled environment and doing regular testing to see how much moisture has been absorbed by the material. It’s quite fiddly work, noting down the weights of each sample and taking care to maintain the testing environment.

12:00pm — After a big morning of getting stuff done in the lab, I’m very glad to sit down for my lunch, which is leftover pasta from the night before. With all the online sales going on at the moment, it’s been very hard to resist picking anything up. Whilst on my lunch break, I do a little online shopping and repurchase the Saint Jack cosmetics cleaning mist ($43.50). It’s such a good staple to have on hand for keeping my products sanitary and cleaning brushes before switching coloured eyeshadow looks. $43.50

2:30pm — The rain clears up a bit, so I take a little break and go for a walk up the road. I try to do this each day at work just to get my body moving and clear my mind a bit.

4:45pm — I pack up my work for the day and head home. The rain has actually stopped by now, so I go for a run while the path isn’t too wet. I’m currently using the running plan in my Keep It Cleaner app to get back to being able to run 5km. While I’m on my cool down walk back, I see that the pizza place near us is having their cheap Tuesday deal. It's tempting me!

6:00pm — I tell my boyfriend about the pizza deal, so we order two for dinner ($26) and go for a walk to catch up on the day while we wait for the pizzas to cook. Now that we’ve cut down our commute times, it’s been really valuable to have the opportunity to go for a walk and download about the day together. $26

7:30pm — We eat our pizza for dinner while watching the newest episodes of a show we’ve been watching on Netflix called Arcane. It’s an animated series based in the League of Legends universe and although I haven’t played the game, I’ve been really enjoying the show. I have a habit of rewatching shows I find comforting because I know what happens. It’s good to have something a bit different to break that up

10:00pm — We accidentally watch all three of the episodes and stay up later than we meant to. This means it’s a very lazy skincare routine for me, using the same cleansing duo I used last night, followed by the Go-To Face Hero face oil and the Avene Hydrance Sleeping Mask. These products are my favourites when I’m feeling tired or lazy at night, as they still leave my skin hydrated and happy, but I can get my routine done in about two minutes.

Daily Total: $73.30

6:00am — I’m really trying to start my day early, but it’s still not easy getting up when my alarm goes off. The Keep It Cleaner app also has a HIIT challenge running at the moment, so I do a HIIT workout on the planner, adding a ten-minute booty burner to finish it off. It’s always hard to get motivated, but I feel so much better afterwards and it’s so nice to start the day that way.

7:30am — After my shower, I take a little extra time getting ready for work, using the Aceology Ice Globe Facial Massagers out of the fridge to help cool down my skin. My eczema has been flaring up a little lately, and this is one way that really helps to take the heat and itch out of my skin, plus it has the added bonus of being quite relaxing. I follow with the rest of my skincare, using the Boost Lab 2D Hydro Boost Serum, Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Serum and Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF50.

8:00am — I’m a little late starting work, but it was worth it to spend a little extra time looking after my skin. I eat my breakfast at my desk while I catch up on emails and make a to-do list for the day. One of my favourite things to eat is overnight oats because they’re super easy to make, cheap and really filling. If you google overnight oats, there are all kinds of different variations you can make based on your preferences, I love adding fresh berries while they’re in season!

10:00am — I take a break at work to make a fresh coffee and go for a walk up the road to stretch my legs a bit. Today, I’m doing a lot of online research, preparing a patent search report as part of the intellectual property management I do for my work. It requires a lot of reading to interpret the patents, so it’s a lot of screen time and mental energy which means it’s nice to get up and go for a walk.

12:30pm — It’s lunchtime and I have leftover sausage pasta from Monday night, which I’m excited about because I’m feeling extra hungry today. I also check my personal email and respond to a few enquiries for my social accounts, as well as clear out all the Black Friday emails. Whilst there are some really good specials on at the moment, I’m making a concerted effort to reduce impulse purchases. My boyfriend and I would like to try and buy a house next year, which means I’ve worked really hard the last few months to try and be more mindful when it comes to fun spending.

3:30pm — I take a quick afternoon break to have my collagen supplement, along with an apple and a protein bar. I like having the Hebe Hyaluronic Marine Collagen because it’s such a refreshing pick-me-up and helps hydrate my skin from the inside out. Whilst I look after my skin with the products I use in my routine, I also like to supplement my routine and I think it’s really making a difference.

5:45pm — It ends up being a long day because I’m trying to get a lot of samples prepared to send to investors, but I get it all done. Following the annual general meeting on Monday, some of the shareholders want to see updated samples of our designs, so it’s my job to get those ready and send them out. I stop at Woolworths on the way home and pick up some ice creams ($10.50) because I have a craving for something sweet. $10.50

6:30pm — My boyfriend and I go for a little walk, but neither of us can be bothered cooking so we heat up the leftover pizza and the last of the sausage pasta for dinner. Most weeks we like to have a bit of a meal plan that we base our grocery shopping off, but sometimes life gets busy and easy meals or leftovers win out.

8:00pm — I do a longer skincare routine tonight, using the Gunk Off Cleansing Balm to take off my make-up, before using the Youth To The People Unity Exfoliant for a gentle exfoliation. Needing some extra hydration, I follow it with the La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B% Mask which I leave on whilst we eat the ice cream I’d bought and watch some more of The Office. I organise the caption for my post that’s going live in the morning, so it’s all good to go. Sometimes it can be so hard to come up with the right caption, so I do try and plan them so I don’t need to worry about it in the moment.

9:00pm — I brush my teeth and lay out my workout clothes for the morning before hopping into bed.

Daily Total: $10.50

6:30am — I sleep through my first alarm but manage to wake up to my second, so I lay in bed and upload my Instagram post, then scroll on my phone for a little bit longer. After a little bit, I get moving so I can fit in a quick boxing workout before getting showered and dressed. I have to get some blood tests done, so I do that first thing because it’s fasted and I want my breakfast. We moved a little too far away from my previous doctor, so I’ve found a local GP to go to and she wanted me to get my bloods done to make sure everything is normal. The appointment is bulk billed, so nothing out of pocket today.

8:15am — After I’m done getting my tests, I head back home and walk to the café across the road to get a coffee ($4). My manager is really great with being flexible about working arrangements, so if I don’t need to run the machines or be in the lab, I’ll do a few days at home. I find it helps to break up my week a bit, so I can allocate certain tasks to different days, which keeps me focused on each task I need to get done. $4

10:30am — I take a break from work to make a fresh coffee and also shoot some content for my socials. The weather has made it tricky to get good lighting, so I’ve been trying to make the most of any pockets of sun. I do have a ring light that my mum got for me last Christmas which is really useful, but nothing beats natural sunlight in my opinion. Today I’m filming a TikTok series on products I use when I’m getting ready in a rush but still want a cute make-up look.

11:30am — It feels like a three coffees kind of day, so I make another one and heat up a chocolate croissant as a snack to help get me back in the zone for work emails. One has come through asking for my preference for a day we can have a big team meeting next week. I send through my best time and re-allocate my afternoon so that I can focus on ensuring I have all the material information ready for the meeting.

12:30pm — It’s lunchtime! I like to keep a similar schedule each day during the workweek, so it feels like I always get hungry at the same time, even if I’m working from home. Today I make a ham, cheese and tomato toastie because I feel like something cheesy and it’s raining again, so a hot toastie hits the spot. I have a quick browse online and end up buying a pair of Cools Club shorts ($71) I’ve been eyeing off because there’s an upsized cashback offer on it. I have a Shopback account and use the browser extension whenever I do online shopping — it’s a great way to save even more. The shorts were originally $119.95, but they had a 40% discount and then 30% cashback on top of that. Earning cash back on purchases is a great way to get a little extra discount and I’ve been banking mine up to put towards Christmas presents. $71

3:30pm — My boyfriend gets home from work, which makes me realise the time, so I get up to stretch my legs and have my collagen supplement.

5:00pm — I save my work for the afternoon and switch off my laptop for the day. Keeping really clear work hours at home helps me with balancing work and home life, along with the Instagram work that’s started to come in. I prep the marinade and chicken for tonight’s dinner, so I can put them in the fridge while my boyfriend and I go for our evening walk.

6:30pm — Our walk ends up being quite long but dinner is a honey soy chicken stir fry, so apart from the marinading, it’s quite a quick meal. The recipe is from the Keep It Cleaner app, but I’m using chicken instead of salmon, plus all the vegetables we need to use up. It makes quite a lot, so there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

7:15pm — After eating, my boyfriend wants to spend some time gaming, so I make a cup of decaf tea and read for a while. I’m currently reading Dune before we go to see it at the cinemas and it’s a great way to have a screen break before bed.

8:30pm — I go upstairs to do my nighttime skincare routine. Tonight, I’m trying a new second cleansing step, the Holifrog Superior Omega Gel Wash, because it says it’s good for a more clarifying wash. The brand has just launched in Australia and I got sent the products as a press sample, as well as attending a Zoom to hear about the brand from the founder, so I’ve been really excited to try it. I finish my routine with my face oil and moisturiser before hopping into bed to read a little more.

Daily Total: $75

6:00am — I wake up feeling really refreshed and well-rested, probably because I read before bed instead of being on my phone so much. Today’s workout is the next session in my running program, followed by a good stretch session. I’m now up to 40-minute run sessions, so I’m trying to make sure I cool my muscles down properly so they can recover.

7:30am – I shower and get dressed in some casual housework clothes because today is my day off from my regular work. My job is currently about 30 hours a week, which I mostly do across four days so that I have one day to spend on any work` for my socials or just general life admin. I make my first coffee and sit watching an episode of Friends whilst I drink it, going through my diary and emails to plan my day. I have a little bit of content I want to get done today, but I mostly want to get housework done before the weekend.

9:00am — All the rain lately has made it really hard to get the washing done and dried, so I put a load of towels on so that I can try and get them dry today. I then vacuum the floors, wipe down the kitchen and put the dishwasher on, followed by a general tidy of my desk and beauty spaces. Taking the time to have a proper reset each week makes it really easy to keep on top of the housework and also not let clutter pile up. My mum calls, so I chat with her for a little bit while I’m tidying.

10:00am — It’s time for a second coffee and to do my budget. My pay came through last night and it’s on a monthly cycle, so I like making sure my rent and bills are sorted for the month in advance. For me, the budgeting every dollar method works, so I know exactly where everything is going and how much fun money I have leftover to spend. It’s been a really effective way for me to budget, to make sure all my living costs are sorted first and be really clear about where the rest of my money goes.

12:00pm — I hear a knock on the door and it turns out that five parcels have been delivered today. Some weeks it comes in dribs and drabs and other weeks there will be one day where they all come at once. All but one are press samples from beauty brands, so I take them into our spare room to film an unboxing. I like to post unboxing Reels so that my followers can comment and let me know what they’d like to hear more about, which helps me plan what content I shoot.

1:00pm — I heat up some of the leftover stir-fry from last night and spend a little time sorting out my invoices to make sure there’s nothing overdue. December is shaping up to be my biggest month yet for income from my social content, which is really exciting. I do a bit of research online to look at a new laptop because my current one is on its last legs and doesn’t have the power needed for a course I’m doing in 2022. I’ve just applied to do an online Diploma of Information Technology next year — it’s a fast-track course to get into software engineering. Whilst this is outside my current area of qualifications, I’ve started learning to code this year and have a real interest in it. I enjoy my job a lot, but working for a start-up doesn’t always offer job security, so I’m looking to upskill and maybe move into an area that seems to have a lot of opportunities.

3:15pm — Instead of editing videos for TikTok, I get distracted with window shopping online for Christmas presents. My boyfriend gets home from work, so I show him what I’ve been looking at and we decide to go ahead and order a present for his sister. We end up getting a set of cocktail glasses from Mr Consistent for his sister, but the special is so good we end up picking up a cocktail set for ourselves as well ($120). There’s still time before I have to go out later, so I put on another load of washing. $120

5:00pm — I get in the shower, so I can get changed and freshen up to meet a friend for dinner. The weather is quite warm and humid, so I only put on a little make-up, I don’t want to sweat it all off. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation is my favourite, because it’s really lightweight but offers great coverage and glow. I then add a little of the Rose Inc Blush Divine Radiant Cheek Colour in Ophelia, which is such a pretty pink. Finally, I add a little Mecca Max Whip Lash Mascara and Kosas AirBrow Tinted brow gel to finish the look.

6:00pm — I drive myself down to meet a friend for drinks and dinner, where I order a watermelon margarita and fish tacos ($32). It’s been quite a while since we’ve caught up, so we order a second drink ($17) and chat for another hour. $49

9:00pm — We’re both pretty tired by this point, so we head home. As I’m getting in the car, I see I’ve missed some texts from my sister, so I call her for a little catch-up. Living in different states, we don’t get to see each other all that often, so we do try and chat when we can.

10:00pm — I get into my pyjamas and go do my skincare routine. After my cleansing balm, I use the Holifrog Cleanser again, because I really liked how it felt last night. I follow it up with the Naturium Niacinamide Serum, Go-To Face Hero oil and Youth To The People Adaptogen Moisturiser. The skin around my eyes is feeling sensitive so I add some of the Avene Cicalfate Cream, which is a lifesaver for sensitive patches.

11:30pm — I end up reading more of my book, so the night is later than I intended. I turn my alarms off because tomorrow is Saturday and I can have a sleep in.

Daily Total: $169

9:00am — I have a decent sleep in, but it’s a very rainy morning so I make a coffee and come back to bed. We have a lazy lie-in, going over the plans for the weekend and what we need from Bunnings later. Our new place has a small yard, which is mostly weeds, so we’ve been trying to rehabilitate the grass. We also need to do the grocery shopping, so we make a bit of a list for that.

11:00am — We decide it’s time to get up, so we get showered and dressed for the day. My skin needs a little extra TLC, so I apply some of the Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Serum, Nudestix Skin Citrus-C Moisturiser and Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF50 for some glow. I make a coffee and pop it in my travel cup, while my boyfriend puts his work clothes in the machine to wash while we’re out.

1:00pm — Bunnings is super busy, but we find the weed killer ($16) we need and end up looking in the plant section. We decide to also get one of the established terrariums they have ($45.95), which come in their own glass vase so all you have to do is keep them alive. We load them into the car and go next door to Woolworths for our groceries. It’s a bigger shop this week, as we’re picking up some bonus items for a cheeseboard and my birthday dinner ($192). We also end up picking up ingredients so that we can make margaritas ($71) for Facetime drinks we’re doing with my family tonight. My partner puts it all on his card but I transfer the money for my half of everything. $162.50

2:00pm — After unpacking everything from the car, I pop some pies from the freezer in the oven for lunch. The house has gotten really hot while we were out, so I put the air con on to make it more comfortable. The washing is done from before we went out, so I hang that on the line.

4:00pm — For dinner, we’re having slow-cooked beef tacos, so we brown the beef and get it simmering in the sauce. It’s a recipe from a cookbook my grandma gave me and it’s one of our favourites — really great to do on the weekend and it makes plenty, so there’s always leftovers. We use chuck beef because it’s being slow-cooked, so it’s also quite economical.

5:30pm — My boyfriend makes margaritas and sets up the cheeseboard whilst I get changed and put on a little make-up. We set up my phone so that when my family call on Facetime we can all do a cheers with our margaritas. It's super fun being able to have calls like this, so I can open my birthday present from my sister and it feels a bit like we’re together. The main part of my present is a gorgeous lilac linen robe, which I’ve been wanting for ages, so I feel very spoiled.

7:30pm — We have a really great catch up and part ways so that we can have dinner. The beef is cooked perfectly and the tacos taste great, worth it for the effort. While we eat, we watch Knives Out, a movie we’d had on our to watch list for ages.

9:30pm — We’re still a bit hungry after dinner, so we have a piece of caramel tart each for dessert while we watch an episode of The Office to wind down before bed.

10:30pm — We head upstairs to bed and I wash my face, finishing my routine with the new Aceology Rose Petal Wash Off Mask. I received it early as a press sample, so I’ve been trialling it for a few weeks and really enjoy it to stop my skin from dehydrating overnight. I also drink a big glass of water, because one margarita turned into three and I need some extra hydration on the inside too.

Daily Total: $162.50

8:30am — It’s my birthday!!! So, I get a little sleep in before my boyfriend brings me coffee in bed so I can open my presents. He’s such a sweetheart and for his present, he offers to split the cost of my new laptop, to help support me doing the course and looking at a little career change.  

9:30am — We get showered and dressed to go out for breakfast. My grandma calls while I’m getting ready, so I get a bit distracted but still put on a little make-up. I reach for the Ciate Dewy Skin Tint again, because it’s just so glowy and easy to use. I also put on a little blush, Anastasia Beverly Hills cream blush in Pink Dahlia, along with the Lanolips Bronze 101 Ointment for a cute bronzed skin moment. 

10:30am — For breakfast, we’ve booked a table at a new place by the beach and even though the weather is a bit miserable, the view is still really nice. I end up ordering my coffee, a juice and the pancakes, whilst my boyfriend gets the eggs benedict. Because it’s my birthday, he ends up paying. The food is all really good, and I definitely think we’ll be coming back here again soon. 

12:00pm — After breakfast, we go to the shopping centre nearby to do some shopping and see if they still have a special offer we saw online. For Christmas, we’ve decided to buy a joint present for ourselves that we’ll both use, so we’ve decided on a Nintendo Switch console. They’re out of stock in-store, so we don’t bother trying to buy one after all. It’s really busy at the centre and we don’t need anything else, so we head home.

1:30pm — I get changed into some loungewear and we end up starting the Harry Potter movies. We’ve had a couple of really busy weeks, so it’s really nice to be able to slow down and have a chill day.  

3:40pm — After we finish the first movie, we make some drinks and raid our snack cupboard before starting on the second movie. My boyfriend also gets started on dinner — tonight is homemade pork belly bao buns. It’s one of my favourite meals to order when we go out, so I feel very spoiled having it made just for me.  

6:00pm — I accidentally nap a bit during the second movie and wake up to a number of notifications from family members. I catch up on some messages and calls while my partner finishes making dinner.  

7:00pm — Dinner is amazing and the perfect way to end my birthday. We still don’t feel like doing too much, so we start on the third movie. I haven’t watched the Harry Potter movies in ages and it feels like a real luxury to spend a whole afternoon just watching TV and eating.  

8:30pm — Tonight’s skincare routine is focused on being really hydrating and calming, after a weekend of eating and drinking. I use another Holifrog product, their Tashmoo Milky Cleanser, before going in with Naturium Hyaluronic Acid Essence, Go-To Face Hero oil and Fresh Beauty Deep Hydration Rose Cream.  

9:00pm — We make sure it’s an early night so that we don’t undo the afternoon of rest. We’re booked to go out next weekend for more birthday celebrations, so I’m very happy with having a more chilled out weekend and eating a lot of good food. 

Daily Total: $0