A Week In San Francisco, CA, On A $65,000 Salary

Occupation: Account Manager
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 23
Location: San Francisco, CA
Salary: $65,000 (Estimated $5,000-$8,000 in bonuses)
Paycheck Amount (2x/month ): $1,708.28 + ~$600 (Bonuses are monthly, based on a commission structure)
Gender Identity: Cis Woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,400 (I live in a six-person house with five friends. My uncle owns the house so he gave us a sweet deal; our rent helps him cover the mortgage/taxes on the house)
Student Loans: $500 (Paid to my parents directly as they paid off my loans immediately to avoid interest)
401(k) Contribution: 20% including salary + monthly bonus, my company offers a 10% match
Gym: $70
Utilities: ~$60
Transit Pass: $40
Health Insurance: Still on my parent's plan, thanks mom!
Phone: $88.38 (family plan + paying off my iPhone)
Netflix: $0 (using an ex's like the leech I am)
Spotify Premium: $33/year (My friends and I set up a family plan)
Savings: $0 (I have a pretty healthy savings fund set up, and I'm now focusing on putting most of my money into my 401(k) to take advantage of my company's insane match)

6 a.m. — My alarm wakes me up and I instantly regret signing up for a 6:30 a.m. spin class. I use ClassPass and am still using the referral credit I've stacked up over time. Shout out to the friends I've roped into ClassPass, I've been on it for almost a year!

8:05 a.m. — I step in DOG POO on my way to catch my train for work. What a great way to start the day, am I right?

8:30 a.m. — I get into the office and automatically grab an assortment of snacks from the office kitchen. I don't really like the cereal or yogurt we have so I usually eat a cheese stick and bag of popcorn in the morning.

1 p.m. — I step into a one-on-one call with my boss who sits in NYC. I do enjoy my day-to-day autonomy at work, since my managers are offsite, however, there are times where I wish I could just ask them questions or go through scenarios with them live.

1:38 p.m. — I meet up with a friend for lunch. I bring the leftovers of a Sweetgreen salad I got last night on Seamless. Sometimes after I stay late at work, I'll use the company account to get dinner.

6:15 p.m. — I head to Target and try on some boots that a coworker recommended to me. They don't have my size, bummer, but I commit to buying them online later when I get home. I need a good fall bootie.

7:30 p.m. — I walk over to a lady's house to buy a bike rack. She posted the rack in the neighborhood Facebook page and I'm all for second-hand shopping. I Venmo the lady for the rack and my roommate, A., Venmos me her half ($30 for the full rack, $15 for my half) since she'll be storing her bike there as well. $15

9 p.m. — I put my sheets in the wash and buy my boots online. I mess up on the order form and they're being sent to the wrong Target! It's not inconvenient enough for me to cancel my order, so I decide to take the L. $32.45

9:30 p.m. — My roommate (C.) and I make pumpkin spice cookies for our neighbors as a peace offering. We're throwing a giant housewarming party over the weekend and want to give them a heads up.

12 a.m. — Cookies baked and fresh fleece sheets on my bed, I fall asleep instantly.

6:50 a.m. — I wake up to urgent emails from work, ugh. An international project I'm running has hit some bumps. I start to answer emails as I get ready to head out.

8:20 a.m. — I felt a cold sore coming on when I was getting ready this morning so I head to CVS to pick up some medication. I get them around the same time each year and it's always a pain, so I try to stifle them early. Why is cold sore medication so expensive?! $24.94

3 p.m. — Most of my day has been taken up putting out (work-related) fires, so I decide to get some fresh air. I head to Uniqlo to return some items that didn't work out.

6:30 p.m. — I go to the gym after work. I need to be active five times a week or else my body starts to get restless and I feel gross. I do a leg workout off of Instagram.

8 p.m. — While at the gym, I get hit with a targeted Facebook ad for the Keds collab with Rifle Paper Co. I got a pair of black slip-ons last year that I absolutely LOVE! I check out the selection and there are a few styles on sale, but only for 15 more minutes!!! I scramble to get my wallet and grab a cute pair of white embroidered sneakers. $54.20

11:30 p.m. — In bed falling asleep to Gourmet Makes with sweet angel Claire Saffitz.

5:45 a.m. — Gym alarm goes off. Snooze instantly.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up naturally, but now it's too late to go to the gym. Oh well, guess I'll eat breakfast then! I have a mini pumpkin muffin, a slice of bread, and two eggs.

2 p.m. — It's a slow Friday afternoon at work so I start to look at jeans from Abercrombie. I recently lost some weight and all of my jeans are starting to feel loose and look baggy (but not in a cute way). I fill up my cart with three pairs of jeans, two jackets, and a few tops. It's a big price tag, but I expect to make some returns. I will say that I'm on a bit of a spending spree this week, which is definitely not normal for me! I'm typically pretty frugal but just got the motivation to update my wardrobe. $277.59

4 p.m. — I take a quick walk to the ATM and chat with my friend who lives in Chicago on the phone. I'm getting a tattoo today so I withdraw $200 from the ATM.

6:10 p.m. — My train breaks down on my way to my tattoo appointment, come on public transit!!! I don't want to be late so I call an Uber. $7.92

7:30 p.m. — My tattoo didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I was scared of getting a tattoo on my ribs, but my artist had such a light hand and it was mainly linework. The front desk staff tells me my tattoo is a total of $121, which is surprising as I thought it was going to be way more. I already put down a $100 deposit when I made the appointment, so I give my artist $50 and have him keep the rest as tip $50

9 p.m. — My roomie, C., and I prep ingredients for a beef stew we plan to make for our Friendsgiving on Sunday. We chop veggies and meat while chatting and watching YouTube videos.

11:30 p.m. — Need to rest up for the big event tomorrow, our housewarming party!!! Goodnight.

9 a.m. — Time to prep the house for our party. We clear out the bottom floor of or our house of all valuables and move tables and chairs for a dance floor. We set up a DJ station with speakers and a deck and start to brace ourselves. Six of us live in this house and we basically invited everybody we knew in the city. 150 people have RSVP'd to the Facebook event page.

10 a.m. — I make a quick Target run to pick up the boots I ordered online and buy last-minute party supplies. I grab some solo cups and spot a bright red jacket that would really bring my costume together. Oh yeah, it's a costume party and the theme is anything that starts with the letter "C". I'm being @champagnepapi (aka Drake) in his ICONIC hotline bling video. I cave and buy the jacket as well. I think I'll return it after the party anyways. $44.46

12 p.m. — I eat a quick meal of fried rice and a sunny side up egg. Then I start to pregame with a few shots and some White Claws. Did I mention the party was a dayger?

4 p.m. — Our house is packed to the brim and I'm very drunk. There are people on the dance floor, people drinking in the living room, and people playing drinking games out back. Everybody seems to be having a great time!

5 p.m. — I drunk text/call a guy I've been seeing. He was supposed to come to the party but bailed last minute. I assume he got nervous about meeting all my friends, which is understandable! I just wish he had handled it better instead of shooting me a few lines of text and a stupid gif. My friends buy me a slice of pizza to help take my mind off it.

8 p.m. — The party has descended into chaos. Several girls in the house are crying because BOYS SUCK (duh) and some people are too drunk to take themselves home. My boy also hasn't texted me back and I feel pretty disrespected and ignored (I'm still super drunk and am probably being dramatic). I curl up in my roommate's bed upstairs and we both cry it out together.

10 p.m. — I wake up and crawl back into my own bed and fall asleep.

3 a.m. — I wake up and can't fall back asleep because I'm finally sobering up and all I can think about is this stupid boy. I like him a lot but we've only been seeing each other for a little over two months. I'm prone to falling for guys who aren't down for commitment, and I'm afraid he'll be the same. I tell myself that I need to talk to him about it in person sometime soon.

8 a.m. — I wake up pretty tired due to lack of sleep, but with no hangover. My secret power is that I never get hangovers, I'm hoping this will continue for a few more years. I get dressed and head to morning yoga.

11:45 a.m. — I found it pretty hard to focus during yoga since I was sad about boy. I text him asking to meet up soon because I want to talk things through.

12 p.m. — My roommates and I all buckle down and clean our house after the party. The floor is caked in dirt and spilled drinks and it takes us around two hours just to tackle the floors and tabletops. After we're done, the house finally looks presentable again and you can walk barefoot without it feeling sticky.

3 p.m. — My roomie, C., and I get started cooking the stew for our Friendsgiving potluck. Our kitchen is overloaded as all six members of the house are using the oven and stove to prep their dishes as well.

6 p.m. — Time to eat! We have quite the spread and our house is packed again, this time with 30 close friends. I load up my plate with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, gravy, Brussels sprouts, turkey, and squash. All homemade and all delicious! I also go back for dessert. I get pumpkin pie, ice cream, and chocolate ice cream pie.

7 p.m. — In a food coma, my stomach and heart are both so full. I help my roommates clean up our house for the second time in 12 hours.

9:30 p.m. — I'm finally in bed, this weekend was physically and emotionally exhausting but overall I had a lot of fun. I watch a few episodes of Hot Ones on YouTube and fall asleep.

5:50 a.m. — I wake up and head to the gym to do a small arm workout. Honestly, I'm very sore from my weekend, especially my neck. It was all the headbanging, I guess.

11 a.m. — Boy texts me and we decide to meet up tonight. He asks if I want to join him for a workout (we coincidentally go to the same gym) and then we'll grab dinner nearby. It'll be my second workout today, but I'm game since it'll be good for me and I wanted to have our talk today.

4:30 p.m. — I feel like I haven't looked up from my computer all day. My clients are going crazy and everything is "super urgent" and "on fire." The beginning of the week is typically pretty rough for me.

6:20 p.m. — I get to the gym before boy so I start on a leg set. Boy gets to the gym and we do separate workouts and awkwardly smile at each other from across the weight room (ah, young love).

7:10 p.m. — I get a text from my coworker that a new project came in. I offer to take is since she's already pretty underwater. I tell boy I'll wait for him to finish up his workout outside. I pop open my laptop and get started on a client email.

7:30 p.m. — Boy is done with his workout and we head to a casual Italian spot near our gym. I get pesto fettuccine and he gets gnocchi. I take out my wallet to pay but he stops me. Aw.

8 p.m. — We have our "talk." I tell him I was pretty upset that he bailed last minute and ignored my texts/calls. I also ask him if this is just a hookup for him or if he sees this evolving any farther. I don't want full commitment right now, but I want to know where he stands. He apologizes for missing the party and explains he was just very anxious to meet all my friends. He also tells me he's nervous about going straight into a relationship because he just moved to the city, but lets me know he really likes me and wants to keep seeing me. We're on the same page so we decide to go back to his place to hang out more.

8:10 p.m. — We take one of those Lyft bikes home. I struggle to get started because the seat is too high for me and he laughs the entire time. Eventually, I get the hang of it and we're on our way! $2.17

9:15 p.m. — I keep working on the project from earlier while boy holds me and watches TV.

10 p.m. — I close my laptop for the night to spend some quality time with boy. We cuddle, have sex, and talk until we fall asleep.

7:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off. Snooze.

7:45 a.m. — My second alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed. I didn't bring a change of clothes so it looks like I'm wearing the same outfit to work today. I put on my striped Hollister top, black Shape jeans, white Converse, and Uniqlo puffer. I go over to sleepy boy and kiss him goodbye; we've made plans to see a movie on Wednesday.

8:30 a.m. — Boy's apartment is closer to work than I thought, and I am able to hop on a bus (covered by my transit card) that takes me straight to the office. I grab a cheese stick and apple from the kitchen and settle into work for the day.

1:30 p.m. — The day passes by so quickly when you're busy. I head over to Mendocino Farms to grab a salad. I get their Avocado Quinoa Salad with light dressing and pay with a gift card.

4:40 p.m. — I'm exhausted, is the workday over yet?? I'm feeling some burnout since I had a rager weekend and have barely slept last night. A coworker invites me out for drinks and I give a tentative maybe. They were at the party last weekend and I want to go over the things I don't remember, but also I want to sleep.

7 p.m. — I end up staying late at the office, so I order Indian food with the corporate Seamless account. It said my food would be ready at 6:50 but the restaurant is super busy because of this giant tech conference. I wait another 20 minutes, before I give up and leave without my order. I'll call Seamless later to get a refund.

7:45 p.m. — I heat up a plate of Friendsgiving leftovers for dinner: Guinness beef pie, pesto mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes. While I eat, I do some work and buy movie tickets for me and boy tomorrow. I have a gift card to Alamo Drafthouse, so I pay with that.

8:20 p.m. — I oven roast some veggies for lunch tomorrow and eat a small slice of pumpkin and apple pie for dessert.

10:20 p.m. — In bed watching more Bon Appetit YouTube videos. Chris Morocco trying to make Snoop Dogg's Lobster Thermadore lulls me to sleep. Goodnight!