A Week In Brooklyn, NY, On A $27,000 Salary

Occupation: Sales Associate/Freelance Writer
Industry: Media
Age: 23
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Salary: $27,000
Net Worth: -$20,000 ($20,000 in an investment account my mom started for me, $10,000 in savings, minus student loans)
Debt: $50,000 (student loans)
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): ~$1,000 (part-time sales associate job plus freelance work)
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $710 (Three-bedroom split with my boyfriend, F., and our roommate Y.)
Utilities: ~$70
Gym: $0 (My boyfriend pays $20/month and I take advantage of his free guest perk.)
Loan Payments: deferred (Will start paying this year when payments restart.)
Spotify: $5 (I'm on the family plan with my brothers, and I pay $60 to my oldest brother every August.)
Website Domain: $8 (Billed yearly, but I purchased a Black Friday deal so it was only $41 this year.)
Streaming Services: $0 (My mom pays for the family Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.)
Phone: $0 (Mom pays for a family plan.)
NYT Cooking: $0 (My boyfriend pays $40/year.)

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
I was always expected to attend college, though only one of my parents completed a bachelor's degree. I received scholarships but have student loans from college because I attended a private college. I decided to study Literature because I wanted to be a writer and love books, though I am increasingly moving into the journalism field. Now faced with student loan payments in an industry that is not known for a high-paying salary, I wish I chose a community college for the first two years of school and finished my degree at a public, four-year college. I love the private university I attended for the education I received, but I am very anxious about student loans.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
I grew up in a financially secure household and didn't worry about finances until my father died. My mom took over the family business and quickly saw how much money we were losing and had to cut costs. During that time, my oldest brothers were busy preparing for college, so my mom and I got really close. She leaned on me and was very open about our tricky financial situation, which definitely contributed to my anxiety about money. I always think about my purchases before pulling the trigger and often experience buyer's remorse, even if the purchase is a necessity. The bright side of this anxiety is that I always spend within my means and pay off my credit card in full each month. I'm also getting better at letting myself spend money on the things I value most. My mom is financially savvy, though, and started an investment account for me, which I'm trying to take over.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was working under the table at my family's business, but my first official job was working as a sales associate at a clothing store. I worked two to three days a week at $7.25/hour. It wasn't too much to balance with school and sports because shifts were only five hours long, and I liked having money to be able to say that I could pay for my own gas. More accurately, I bought books and overspent on coffee.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes, all the time. I avoided inviting friends to dinner because I didn't want my mom to pay for them and I tried not to ask my mom for money if I could help it. This was all pressure I put on myself — she always gave me money if I asked and never made me feel like a burden.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes, but I am becoming more logical about my financial situation. I don't make a lot of money right now, which is tough when it comes to being uninsured and working two jobs. But I also don't spend that much money, which allows me to put money away each month. I know I need to start planning for the future and contributing to my student loan payment, but I also plan to get a full-time, entry-level job this year. When I focus on the plan, I don't feel so anxious. When I overspend, however, it's hard to remember that it's normal and that I have a safety net (my savings and my family) to help me out.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
My mom still pays for our family phone bill and streaming services, but I do consider myself financially responsible. My college jobs gave me spending money while my scholarships and student loans took care of books, meals, and housing. I lived at home for a few months during the pandemic, but I moved to New York on my own and pay for everything myself. I do know that if I couldn't afford to live here anymore or needed help, my mom would let me move home for free and would help me. I avoid those options like the plague.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
During college, my mom gave me $100 each month until I was able to support myself. She also set up my investment account years ago and regularly contributed money to it. Now, I may receive cash for birthdays or holidays.

8 a.m. — My boyfriend F.'s alarm prods me awake each time it goes off and I'm up. He slowly gets dressed for work and kisses me goodbye while I lay in bed scrolling through my phone. Regardless of what the news tells me, looking at my phone first thing in the morning really does help me wake up. I consider getting dressed to surprise F. with coffee at his job but decide against it. It's too cold outside and my bed is too warm.

9 a.m. — After a nice start to the morning, I make some coffee, catch up on the news, and make a to-do list. I'm not working at my service job today, but I do have some freelance work for a new client. I put it off for a couple of hours under the guise of getting dressed and running errands, but by 11, I really need to get going.

12 p.m. — F. has a short workday and is back home, so he makes the two of us fried eggs with crispy cheese on a slice of bread. His breakfasts/lunches are probably what I look forward to most every day. I split some chocolate pretzels with him and get back to work.

2 p.m. — Take a quick break to text my brother, K., about what we're getting our other brother, M., for his birthday. M. typically buys himself what he wants, so it's tough to find him something he'll like. Luckily he told me that he's been eyeing a pair of Allbirds shoes, so K. and I decide to get him those. I buy them for $103.88, but K. will Venmo me for half ($51.94). I also plan to order M. a birthday cake that he can pick up from a bakery in his town, but hold off until I get a quote from the baker. $51.94

4 p.m. — I close my computer for the day and try not to bug F. while he does some coursework for job applications. We're going to meet his brother for an early dinner at a nice Italian restaurant so I resist the urge to eat the leftover Ritzy Cheddar Chicken Breasts (New York Times, look it up) we made last night. Instead, I have an orange and make myself an iced coffee as I catch up on a blog I read (A Beautiful Mess) and chase payments on invoices I submitted earlier in the month.

5 p.m. — F. and I bundle up and walk an hour to the Italian restaurant through the park. It's not as cold as it has been, so the walk is actually quite nice. We meet up with his brother and after a few minutes of struggling to find a photo of F. 's vaccination card, we eat dinner.

9 p.m. — Dinner is delicious. I get an Aperol spritz, beef ragu with pappardelle, and calamari and we split a lasagna. I don't often get Italian food when I go out (I usually opt for Thai or Indian), but this really hit the spot on a cold night. F.'s brother gets the bill for us (sweet older brothers), and I get F. and myself an Uber home because the temperature has dropped significantly. $19.60

10 p.m. — F. and I catch up with our roommate, Y., about our night and hear about his work troubles (note to managers everywhere: communication. That's it). I bake some cookie dough we have stashed in the freezer and pour us a glass of milk to go with it. We watch an episode of Westworld until I can't keep my eyes open and go to sleep.

8 a.m. — I wake up and spend a few minutes staring at the ceiling feeling guilty for being in bed when I have work to do, but also trying to remember to enjoy my morning. When the guilt wins, I get up and make F. and myself some coffee before settling on the couch to read the news.

9 a.m. — F. wakes up and joins me on the couch to watch TikTok while I have a look at my planner. I'm leaving for an international trip next week and have to sell some furniture, finish packing, and make sure I have several papers printed and ready to go. Y. leaves his room to make coffee and catches us up on his busy morning, which I take as a signal to get to work.

12 p.m. — After doing some freelance work for a few hours, F. makes us breakfast and leaves for the gym while I decide it's finally time to shower and get dressed for my shift later today. I work part-time as a sales associate in Manhattan, which supplements my freelance income. I long for the day I can work as a writer (full stop), but until then it's really nice to have something else so I don't feel anxious about paying bills.

2 p.m. — F. comes back from the gym and we work side by side for a while until he gets up to get dressed for his job. Both of us work service jobs to pay our bills while applying for other gigs to get out of service. For F., it's a matter of figuring out what he wants to do and applying for several positions in tech that align with his experience. For me, it's putting off starting my career until I get the chance to travel more freely and pad my writing portfolio. Great time to do that, though, isn't it?

3:30 p.m. — F. and I leave for work at the same time and I kiss him at the front door to our apartment. I have to take the subway to Manhattan and swipe in ($2.75). I spend about $25/week on the subway and choose to walk when I can (I rarely pay for ride services). Sometimes I'll buy a coffee and pastry before my shift to both satisfy my hunger and make me excited to go to work, but I've been watching my spending the past several months and have limited these purchases to morning shifts only. F. and I did a spending contest a few months ago to see who could spend the least money on non-necessities and I won (yay), but it did the job of making us both more conscious about focusing on the things we value instead of shallow purchases. $2.75

4 p.m. — Get to work and say hi to my friend, B. We chat for a few minutes about an ice skating date we have planned with a few other friends this weekend before I leave on my trip. I am planning on quarantining for a few days before my flight to minimise the risk of COVID-19, so this will be the last time I'll see them for a while. B. leaves for the day and I get to work trying to find something to do at the store.

7 p.m. — Only three hours to go. I pull out the leftovers F. and I made a few nights before and eat while watching Sex Lives of College Girls on my phone. It's my work show when there are no customers and I have limited things to do. I also remind myself to drink water and snack on an orange.

10 p.m. — Closing time! I say goodbye to the shop for a few months and wonder if I'll ever work here again. It's a great job in terms of providing a flexible schedule for my freelance work, but it can also be incredibly frustrating because of the owners and rude customers.

10:45 p.m. — Get home from the shop and meet F. in the bedroom. We talk about our days and watch a bit of Westworld while I finish some freelance work and send it off to my client. Lights out at midnight.

7 a.m. — I wake up feeling well-rested and decide to get a COVID-19 test before seeing my friends tonight. We'll be going ice skating tonight and then some people are coming back to my place for game night. I'm pretty comfortable about having indoor things with my friends because we're all vaccinated, but most of us work in service, and with Omicron, it can't hurt. I kiss F. goodbye and walk to the testing site.

8 a.m. — After standing outside in line for a few minutes, I sign in and wait in the lobby. Despite working a few different jobs, I don't have health insurance, but COVID-19 testing will still be free. I don't get it through my mom and I thought about signing up for Obamacare, but since I'll be out of the country for a few months it didn't seem worth it just yet. Plus, the volunteer program I am doing abroad provides health insurance, so I'll be covered there. After a few minutes, the nurse calls me back so I can get a rapid and a PCR test.

8:30 a.m. — Head back home to hang out with F. and plan my day. I have a few things to get done for my trip before ice skating tonight and want to plan a nice dinner for F. when he gets out of work. Then I get a phone call from the COVID-19 testing site. My rapid test came back positive and I am told to quarantine for the next five days. I am frustrated and upset, but also very grateful that I decided to get tested before exposing my friends. While F. calls out of work and leaves to get tested, I tell my service job, my roommate, and the friends I was supposed to see tonight about my positive result.

10 a.m. — F. gets back from getting tested and we brainstorm what I need to do. I'm stuck inside, but we have groceries and friends who are willing to help us out. Both F. and Y. test negative, which is great but it's also just a matter of time before they test positive. While F. talks to his bosses about his result, I cancel the tickets I had to see Scream the next day ($31 onto a gift card for future viewings) and call my family.

1 p.m. — After a few hours, I'm starting to feel better about testing positive before my trip and not exposing too many people. I'm always masked up and didn't see too many customers at the store the night before. I cancel my flight and inform the volunteer program that I won't be able to travel for a few weeks until I recover, but everyone is very helpful. F. leaves to get us groceries and promises to make a delicious turkey chilli.

4 p.m. — After realixing that I'm not going to get any freelance work done today, I spend a few hours reading my book, The Lying Life of Adults. It's my first Ferrante, and I'm really sucked into it. The translation is so good that I wish I could read Italian to read the original. F. works on some coursework next to me and I think about how I will be stuck in this room all day for at least five days. I check the weather and see that it will be in the 20s over the weekend, and I think it's probably not the worst time for me to get COVID-19 after all.

7 p.m. — Y. leaves the house so F. and I venture into the kitchen to make chilli. I mask up and get dressed in comfy clothes before dinner. I decide to watch the new Suspiria because I want something freaky but not too scary. After watching it for a couple of hours (it's long), we both agree that we liked it but didn't get it. It definitely has some qualities that I enjoy (tension building, nice aesthetics), but the end is a weird letdown. I think I would have liked the original more.

12 a.m. — After talking with F. for a while, I lay down to sleep. He gets me some water from the kitchen, and I try to verbalise again how grateful I am that I don't have symptoms and that I got COVID-19 after the holidays but before my trip. Around Christmas, everyone in New York was testing positive, but I managed to go home and visit my family without getting hit. It sucks that F. and I exposed to so many people for work, but it was bound to happen sooner or later.

Daily Total: $0

6 a.m. — F. wakes up to go to work for the day. Since he's tested negative, his bosses have told him to come to work but get tested every couple of days. He doesn't have any symptoms. He kisses me goodbye and leaves for the day as I sleepily remind him to take the compost from the freezer.

9 a.m. — I wake up and lay in bed browsing TikTok. There's no real reason for me to be up this early today, and I consider going back to bed for a bit. But unfortunately, once I'm up, I'm up. I go to the bathroom, make some coffee, and quickly retreat back to the bedroom. I work for a few hours on freelance stuff and message with the client about what they want for their website.

12:30 p.m. — My buzzer rings and a friend, O., messages to say she brought me something. I open the door and back down the hallway so she can throw me some Ben and Jerry's. Ice cream over soup always, please. We're both bummed that we didn't get to say goodbye at the ice skating date, but I'm feeling very loved that she brought me a treat. After, I get back to work in my room.

4 p.m. — F. comes home and promptly warms up in the hot shower after the 12-degree day. He makes himself a chicken sandwich from leftovers and fills me in on his day. After, he does a little coursework and I keep reading my book.

6 p.m. — I'm feeling a little hungry but don't want to overeat before date night. F. and I are going to watch Ratatouille and snack on wine and cheese (it's the little things to keep quarantine bearable). I have some chilli and clean up the room while he sets up the movie.

8 p.m. — The buzzer dings and surprise! My friend, R., has dropped off cookies, a travel planner for my postponed trip, some vitamins, and a little teacup. I thank her profusely over text and feel a lot of love for my friends who keep checking up on me. F. and I snack on some cookies and continue watching Ratatouille.

10 p.m. — Damn, that little rat sure knows how to make us feel. After crying with F. and planning some of the spots I want to visit in Paris, we throw on Adventure Time and go to sleep early.

9 a.m. — Happy Sunday. F. and I have crepes in bed and drink some delicious coffee. We chat for a few hours and watch TikTok before he decides to do some coursework (fine, I will also get some work done).

1 p.m. — After working for a few hours, I take a break to finish my book and craft a review for Goodreads. The Lying Life of Adults was charming and one of the most honest books I've read. Adults suck and the protagonist Giovanna is unflinching in her examination of them and herself. Can't wait to read more Ferrante.

4 p.m. — I do some yoga on my mat and shower. The shower is necessary after sitting in the same pyjamas for two days, and it wakes me up. F. and I take a break to chill for a bit and look through some restaurants we want to order from tonight. I'm getting us takeout as a treat and we have a plan to watch Euphoria. After settling on a new Indian restaurant with good reviews, F. showers and I waste time online. But is it really wasting time if you can't do anything anyway?

7 p.m. — I order food from the restaurant's website ($37.41) while F. puts his laptop away for the night. He's really getting into his coursework and fills me in on everything he's learning. My heart swells with love hearing him talk about stuff he's excited about. Once the food arrives, we put on an episode of Westworld and eat. $37.41

9 p.m. — Well, dinner was… disappointing. The meat was overcooked and the curry was spice-less, if you can believe it. We chide ourselves for straying from our usual Indian place but eat the food anyway. We queue up Euphoria. This definitely wasn't my high school experience, but I know this show is more realistic than people realise.

10 p.m. — F. and I put on Modern Family to fall asleep. It's not that we can't fall asleep without TV, but it's nice to have on.

9 a.m. — Coffee and news with F. He goes to get tested again and I start reading a new book, Lemon. After an hour, his rapid test comes back negative and he's cleared for work. Strange, strange, strange.

12 p.m. — I look at my monthly budget to add expenses. My goal for the past year has been to not feel guilty about spending money on things I enjoy (experiences, restaurants and quality grocery ingredients, books) and instead focus on cutting back on what I don't value (new clothes, general clutter/stuff, getting sucked into skincare). I've done well and spend within my means so that I can still put money into savings each month, but my financial goals for 2022 include planning for the future. That means becoming knowledgeable about investing and starting a Roth IRA. I've decided to push those two goals to the second half of the year for when I return from my trip abroad, as half of my savings is what I set aside specifically for the trip. I know many people will say that I should start planning for the future immediately, but this is easier for me to organise. I use a spreadsheet I created on Google Sheets that auto-calculates my spending by category.

4 p.m. — After a while, F. gets up to get dressed for work and leaves me for the night. I debate finishing my freelance work and end up closing my laptop to do some yoga stretches and watch random TV.

6 p.m. — I hear Y. leave the apartment and venture out to make myself dinner. Tonight I'm doing leftover basmati rice with a baked cauliflower recipe that calls for a gochujang glaze. Everything takes longer than I thought, but the cauliflower turns out very crispy and yummy to liven up the leftover rice. After, I snack on cookies and plan out the groceries F. and I need for this week.

7 p.m. — I feel a little guilty for not finishing my freelance work, but I'm still ahead of the game and plan to do more tomorrow. I put on several episodes of Emily in Paris and mess around on my computer.

10 p.m. — After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I read some more of Lemon. It's an English translation of a thriller that was published in South Korea and is full of tension and mystery. I like how different it is from other thrillers I've read and quickly move through it before F. gets home.

11 p.m. — F. is exhausted from work, so we put on Modern Family and head to bed. I fall asleep quickly — you'd be surprised how tiring it is sitting in bed all day.

9 a.m. — I wake up just as F. is getting dressed to leave for work. We plan to eat leftovers and bake cookies tonight. After sifting through TikTok for a bit, I get up to make coffee, wash my face, and plan out my day. I have some more work to do, including figuring out how to get my last check from the store before I leave for my trip in a couple of weeks. I create a to-do list and start tackling my day.

11 a.m. — I message my client for a bit to figure out how to wrap up this month's deliverables. I've done freelance before, but this is my first time being treated like a manager instead of an apprentice. The client asks for my opinion on graphics to go with my copy and I'm surprised by how much my opinion matters. Freelance is a bitch, and I don't think I could do it forever, but I am really enjoying the respect I am receiving for my time and experience. Now if only I could get benefits…

3 p.m. — F. is coming home in an hour, and I want to clean the bedroom I've been living in for days so that it can be nice for him. I also need to shower and get out of my pyjamas, but before I can get moving my brother, M., emails me a personal statement to copy-edit and I get sucked in. I also remember to order M.'s birthday cake for next week and call the bakery to pay ($42.52 with tip). I'll text him about it that day so he can pick it up (if I didn't order it, he probably wouldn't do anything to celebrate his birthday). $42.52

4 p.m. — Finally finished with M.'s edits, I leave my cave, take a shower, and sweep the bedroom. F. comes home with a large iced coffee for me, which makes my heart swell. He tells me about his day and we both try not to feel guilty for taking the night off — there is always more work to do.

6 p.m. — After hanging out for a while, F. makes the two of us bowls of leftover turkey chilli and catches up with Y. in the kitchen. F. comes back to the bedroom and we watch a few hours of Westworld (really into the last few episodes!!).

9 p.m. — We pause to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies (from, you guessed it, NYT Cooking) and use a bag of espresso morsels F. picked up from the store. This is probably a good time to mention that I typically pay for all of the groceries since F. gets dinner on nights that he works, and F. picks up the tab when we go out to eat. This week, F. took over the grocery shopping since I can't leave the house. We don't really keep track of who buys what because we think it tends to even out, but if it ever feels lopsided we'll Venmo each other.

11 p.m. — After waiting for the dough to chill and then baking the cookies, we finally sample our cookies and wow…delicious.

12 a.m. — F. and I watch more Westworld while I track today's expenses in my monthly budget. I recently got a second credit card for travel, which I plan to use exclusively once I rebook my trip abroad, so I reorganise my spreadsheet so I can track each account. So far, all of my expenses are on track, but I only have $50 left in my grocery budget for the month (I spend ~$200 on groceries each month ). I may go over since I like to cook at home, but I can always “borrow” money from my miscellaneous budget. I close my laptop and fall asleep.