A Week In Philadelphia, PA, On A $92,000 Salary

Occupation: Client Service Manager
Industry: Finance
Age: 26
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Salary: $92,000
Net Worth: $93,382 (~$29,350 in my HSA; ~$11,295 in Robinhood; ~$25,455 in my Roth IRA; ~$12,493 in a brokerage account; ~$14,789 in my 401(k).)
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $2,332
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,539 for a one-bedroom that I live in by myself
Electric & Gas: ~$50
Water: ~$25
Gym Membership: $34.99
Viki: $9.99
Kindle Unlimited: $9.99
iCloud Storage: $0.99
Apple Music: $9.99
NYT: $4
Educational Non-Profit Donation: $10
Abortion Clinic Donation: $20
Wi-Fi: $39.99
Dog Daycare: $93/week

Annual Expenses
HBO: $104 (got it for a 30% off deal)
Disney+: $79.99
On Demand Korea: $89.99
Cell Phone: $300 (I'm on my cousin's account and I send him this every year)
Car Insurance: $990

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?
Yes, there was an expectation for me to attend higher education. Growing up with immigrant parents, education was the gateway to a "better future" so it was always expected that I would eventually attend. I chose to attend an in-state school where I received a hefty scholarship. Unfortunately, both of my parents passed away when I was in middle school. My dad had life insurance but my mom did not, so the money I received from my dad's insurance was used to pay for my undergraduate degree. I think for four years, my tuition totaled about $15,000. Looking back, I was really fortunate that my aunt and uncle, my guardians after my parents passed, encouraged me to attend an in-state school rather than the more prestigious college that I got accepted into (where I did not receive much financial aid). Because of the life insurance, we still probably would have been able to afford the more prestigious college, but I think I would have felt unhappy knowing I used literally the last of my parent's legacy to pay for a piece of paper.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Like many immigrant parents, the talks about money really only involved "save your money" and "don't buy items you don't need." I didn't get educated on things like HSA, Roth IRAs, investing, CDs, etc. This is probably because my parents, and subsequent guardians, didn't know for themselves, either.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first part-time job was at 15 working at a restaurant. I got the job because I wanted to experience making/spending my own money. Once I entered high school, I started needing money for personal fun like football games, shopping, games, etc. At this point, my parents had already passed and I was living with my aunt and uncle. I felt shy asking them for money since they weren't my "parents" so I got a job.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I honestly didn't! I had such little knowledge about money that I never realized how poor my family was. It never occurred to me when I was younger that we never did vacations, went out to eat, or had new clothes (we got a lot of hand-me-downs from church members). I was never unhappy, though. I never felt like I missed out.

Do you worry about money now?
I don't worry about money presently, however, I am conscious of money for the future. Not having any debt has allowed me to secure a financially stable position at 25 and I think about what a privilege that is all the time. So while I don't worry about money for myself now, I worry about the financial security of my aunt and uncle (who will retire soon) as well as any future children I may have.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself when I graduated from undergrad at 22. Up until then, the only thing being paid for was my tuition and phone. When I graduated, I no longer had a tuition payment and I started giving money to my cousin for my phone plan.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When my dad passed, he had a life insurance policy. My portion of the money was in my aunt's custody until I turned 18. It was used to pay for court/lawyer/funeral fees when my parents passed, tuition payments, and payments for the house that my aunt, uncle, brother, and I moved into. I believe my portion was about $50,000. Since I turned 18, my aunt gave me full control of it (she's still the POA so she can execute on my behalf like paying my tuition) but I honestly don't even know how much is left or what even to do with it. It feels kind of wrong to try to do anything with it.

7 a.m. — Wake up and greet my dog, J., with belly rubs. Once he has sufficient belly rubs, I go to the bathroom to wash up and do my skin care. Then I take the pup for a walk. Winter is our favorite season so we are loving how chilly it's getting.

8:30 a.m. — Back at the apartment. I feed the dog and make some tea for myself before logging on to work. I don't like the taste of coffee, so I have never been a coffee drinker, and it's the best unintentional financial decision I ever made.

12:30 p.m. — Leftover kimchi soup for lunch.

5:30 p.m. — Log off of work and take J. out. On the way back in I pick up a package from the mailroom containing a black bodysuit for my Halloween costume.

6:15 p.m. — The bodysuit doesn't fit. I quickly order a size larger to arrive tomorrow. I plan to wear this bodysuit as a regular shirt, not just as a Halloween item, which makes me feel less bad about purchasing something for my Halloween outfit. $24.99

6:33 p.m. — Gym time!

8 p.m. — I get home from the gym, shower, and then eat leftover salmon for dinner.

10 p.m. — I take the pup for one last walk then it's lights out!

7 a.m. — Same morning routine. Belly rubs, skin care, and a walk.

8:13 a.m. — I take the pup to daycare. Dog daycare is a splurge, but it is so nice and convenient, and J. loves it. I buy him a zucchini treat that they will give to him later. $2

8:30 a.m. — Work, work, work.

12 p.m. — Lunch is a sad combo of leftover charcuterie meats, Mini-Wheats, and an apple. I desperately need to go grocery shopping.

5 p.m. — Log off and go grocery shopping! My fiancé, L., is coming to PA for the weekend and we both feel like eating tacos. I buy some stuff for me to eat during the week and stuff for our taco night. The avocados are rock hard at the store, so I resort to premade guac. When I get home, L. is here! $89.92

8 p.m. — I make dinner for both of us. I make steak with seasoning, homemade pico de gallo, guac, corn cooked in the steak juice, cheese, lettuce, black beans, pickled cabbage, and hard/soft shells. I like a hard shell whereas L. likes a soft tortilla.

10 p.m. — After tacos, L. and I take J. for a walk.

11:30 p.m. — I'm so happy L. is here. I do my skin-care routine and then lights out!

8:12 a.m. — Wake up and snap some cute pics of J. sleeping on L. He is currently traveling this month for work so J. always attaches himself to L. when he visits. It's so cute!!

9:30 a.m. — After our morning walk, we all eat breakfast. I eat leftover tacos while L. eats breakfast tacos. J. gets fancy unseasoned scrambled eggs with kibble.

2:50 p.m. — Time to meet my friends in the city for a Halloween bar crawl. L. is going to his friend's surprise birthday party. L. doesn't like going to clubs, but I do, so it's convenient he has another event today. I'm not a casual alcohol drinker so if I drink, I want to be able to go hard and be in a place where I can let loose. This is also a celebration for one of my friend's birthday weekend so a good two-in-one.

4:45 p.m. — I park my car at a nearby garage that I find on SpotHero. $22.99

5 p.m. — We're staying in a hotel so we don't have to drive home later. I booked two rooms under my name using points. While the other girls start to get ready, I head down to the hotel market to get some additional snacks and chasers. I get two Gatorades, an iced tea, some M&Ms, and a can of Pringles. $16.50

7:25 p.m. — Two tequila shots and two High Noons in and we are ready to go to the first club!

7:35 p.m. — I buy everyone a round of this club's special Halloween shot. We bought wristbands before the bar crawl so we don't have to pay a cover and some places are giving us free drinks. The first bar has shots for $9. I also tip $3 to the bartender. $66

9:05 p.m. — We leave for the second club. The second club also has a free cover but they tell us they ran out of their special shots. At this point, I am a little loose with my money and I buy a round of tequila shots for everyone. $52

10 p.m. — We head to the third club! The third club has a free cover and free mixed drink special. I get a rum and Coke. I finish about half and then start to feel the alcohol really hitting me, so I toss the rest of my drink.

11 p.m. — Here's where shit starts to hit the fan. Two of our friends are insanely drunk — like slumped-over-in-a-chair drunk. I tell our group that I need to take these two girls home. The three of us head outside, I give the girls five minutes to get some air and basically say, "If you need to throw up, let it out now because we are gonna catch an Uber home." Neither of them throw up and they both say they can hold it together for the seven-minute ride.

11:08 p.m. — One of the girls does not hold it together LOL. She throws up mostly outside the car through the window but a bit does get inside. I profusely apologize to the driver and usher the girls out telling him to charge me for a clean-up fee ($9.58 Uber + $150 clean-up charge, my friend will Venmo me the $150 tomorrow). $159.58

11:20 p.m. — We arrive at the hotel and while waiting for the elevator, the second girl throws up in the lobby. I ask the concierge to call cleaning and tip each person $10. $20

11:25 p.m. — We are safely back in our respective rooms, one girl each with a toilet. I alternate checking in on them and then run downstairs to grab more Gatorade and water. $12

12:15 a.m. — The rest of our group arrives and brings me food, hallelujah!

1:10 a.m. — I take a long hot shower to clean myself from the lingering smell of throw-up. Do my skin care, take an Advil, chug two cups of water, and head to bed.

7 a.m. — Wake up with thankfully no hangover. (Anyone else always wake up insanely early after a night of drinking?) As everyone begins to wake up, we head to one room and attempt to recall all of last night's events. At this point, I absolutely flame my two friends for their actions. It's all in good fun though, I don't hold anything against them! The one friend Venmos me for the $150 Uber cleaning fee.

10 a.m. — Personally, nothing hits better after a night of drinking than McDonald's! I have a coupon in the app for a free large fry with any purchase so I get a McDouble and four-piece McNugget with my fries. $3.79

1:13 p.m. — I head over to L.'s parents' house to go to lunch with them. Before L. went to his friend's party yesterday, he took J. to his parents' house to stay with them and their dog. When I arrive, I am instantly greeted by the best puppy party!

7 p.m. — Time for us to go to our respective homes. I leave for my apartment and L. has to make the drive back to his work in a different state. I'll be glad when this month is over and he will be back in PA. Makes me sad every time he has to leave on Sunday. I stop by for some gas on the way home. $28.12

10 p.m.— Walk with the pup then skin care and bed! While I'm scrolling, I see an ad for the Dyson Airwrap. I consider putting it on my Christmas list since I know it is the craze nowadays, but I had no idea it was $600! I go down a rabbit hole of googling "is the Dyson Airwrap worth it?"

6:30 a.m. — Wake up and do my usual morning routine. As I stare at my messy hair in the mirror, I think about the Dyson Airwrap.

1:12 p.m. — I see that Petal and Pup is having a sitewide 25% off. I peruse the website and find a dress and sweater that I like, both on sale. $102.23

4:45 p.m. — I'm meeting some old coworkers for happy hour in the city. We all worked for the same company at one point. Out of our group of six, three of us have gone to different companies so it is really nice to be able to continue our friendship outside of work. I order fried mac and cheese and a Diet Coke, plus tip. $17.28

9:30 p.m. — Back home to walk J. His kibble is getting a little low so I peruse Chewy & PetSmart to see where I can get the best deals. PetSmart has the better deal so I go ahead and get his kibble from them. Once I buy his food, it's skin care and lights out! $48.99

6:30 a.m. — Usual morning routine.

8:30 a.m. — I drop J. off at dog daycare. Daycare is offering a homemade yogurt treat for $3. Of course my dog deserves a yogurt treat. $3

8:45 a.m. — I start work. Lots of meetings today, which sucks. Two meetings I don't need to participate in so I browse the web for some Christmas gift ideas.

12:45 p.m. — Lunch today is kimchi fried rice. It's my go-to meal when I don't have a lot of food. If there are three things I always have it's rice, kimchi, and SPAM (don't come at me for loving SPAM).

4:45 p.m. — Log off, then head to the gym! Small rant — while I am there, a person takes up the abductor machine for more than 15 minutes! After 15 minutes, I go up and ask how many sets they have left. They try to claim that they just got there so they have four more sets. LIES.

6 p.m. — Time for some food shopping. I'm making spicy beef and vegetable soup (yukgaejang) tonight and I need some final ingredients. I get some beef brisket, scallions, eggs, and soy bean sprouts. $18.89

6:47 p.m. — Pick up J., shower, drink a protein shake, and begin my soup.

8:32 p.m. — Deeply regret starting this soup at 7 p.m. because it needs to boil for another two hours. It's one of my favorite soups, but now I am annoyed. I grew up eating a lot of Korean food and as I got older I wanted it to continue to be a part of my adult life. Once I left for college, I barely ate Korean food because it was always a hassle to get to. Then I realized that I could just learn to make it! Learning to make Korean food spurred my general interest in cooking and the overall greater benefit of making food for myself rather than eating out all the time.

9:45 p.m. — The soup should boil longer, but I am tired and J. needs to be taken out so I eat it early. It tastes good enough to me! Once I get back from our walk, it's skin care and bed!

6 a.m. — Wake up and do the normal routine. I'm going to the office today in the city, so I have to be strict about my 6 a.m. wake-up time. I go to the office once or twice a week.

6:42 a.m. — Back home after walking the pup. I feed J., get dressed for work, and pack my lunch. Then I am out the door to take J. to daycare!

8:16 a.m. — I take the Septa Regional Rail to work. I pay $6 from my pre-loaded Septa Key Card.

12:45 p.m. — I go to the kitchen to heat up rice for my soup. I feel like I shouldn't be, but I am shy about eating my Korean food at the office. I only ever heat up my rice, not my soup, then I'll head downstairs to the building's communal dining area and eat there. I get an intense craving for potato skins chips. I pick up a bag at the corner store next door. $3.50

3:21 p.m. — I take an early train home because I have plans to meet a friend for dinner. I use my pre-loaded card again.

4:30 p.m. — Pick up J., then head home to finish some work.

6 p.m. — Meet my friend, D., for dinner. It's so fun catching up with her. We have a really lovely conversation about work. Making friends as an adult is so hard in my opinion, so I really try to latch on to the ones that I make. Last time we hung out, she paid, so I pick up the bill this time. $81.89

10:03 p.m. — After taking J. on a long night walk, I decide I want to give his face a little trim. I trim him up and give him some chicken treats. I am beat from going into the office. Skin care and bed!