A Week In Boston On A $56,000 Salary

Occupation: Clinical fellow
Industry: Health
Age: 32
Location: Boston
Salary: $56,000
Assets: Checking: $238; HYSA: $500; regular savings: $5,800; total investments: $42,884 (Roth IRA: $34,514; Robinhood: $8,371).
Debt: ~$118,000 (student loans).
Paycheck amount (1x/month): $3,400 + ~$700 part-time work.
Pronouns: She/her

Housing costs: $900 (living with two roommates).
Loan payments: $0 (currently in grace period for student loans).
Energy bill: ~$22.50
Water: Included in rent.
Gas: ~$11.03 (fluctuates seasonally).
Renter’s insurance: $11
Health insurance: $50
Dog food/walks: $330
Groceries: $320
Spanish lessons: $85
Therapy: $40
Gym membership: $15
Phone bill: $15 (Mint ftw!).
Internet: $17.14
Amazon Prime: $6.99 (student plan).
Netflix: $6.99
Spotify: $12.99
403(b): $100
Roth IRA: $450
HYSA: $600
Safety net: $200
Travel account: $300

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, both of my parents attended university and a private school upbringing made this pretty much an assumption. I also grew up overseas, where it was expected to move abroad for school and return with higher education degrees to work in finance. Many of my friends chose their subject of study prior to even applying (common in the UK) but I was 16 at the time and had no idea what I wanted to do. Thus I ended up studying architecture at a four-year liberal arts school in the US, which my parents paid for in full by moving in with my grandfather.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
None whatsoever. I did chores but an allowance was not part of the deal for me (more just the expectation). My mother was the breadwinner as an architect with her own practice, but she suffered a brain injury while I was in college (coinciding with the 2008 economic downturn) and our family finances plummeted. I credit this time completely with educating myself about money and savings, especially as I became more aware that my parents had no idea about their own money and savings, and had been living a lifestyle above their means throughout my childhood. I am now supervising their finances as a result of the enormous debt they are in.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I worked as a summer recreational coach beginning around age 14 — summer jobs were pretty normal and just expected.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Growing up I was incredibly privileged and completely sheltered from money problems — we traveled as a family, I attended private school and I had several extracurricular activities. I think when I was younger I credited this to being an only child; now I realize my parents were “keeping up with the Joneses” and being pretty financially irresponsible. I often feel conflicted between feeling grateful that money was not a worry for me as a child and angry about how their choices have impacted our lives now.

Do you worry about money now?
Constantly. I have my monthly budget down to the dollar and stress a lot about student loans, given my parents’ debt — especially whether the 10-year forgiveness plan will survive across multiple presidencies. As an only child I worry constantly about my aging parents, one of whom is very ill; the other has no sight of retirement given their financial situation.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
My parents paid my rent and some of my school fees through my first master’s degree. After this, I moved home and lived in my aunt and uncle’s home for a year while applying to doctoral programs (rent-free). I became financially independent in 2019 when I started that program. My parents are unable to support me financially but my aunt and uncle would be able to help somewhat if I were in a really bad spot.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I inherited $5,000 from my paternal grandmother, which I used to purchase my first car in the US, and later $20,000 from my maternal grandfather, which I used to pay down some school loans.

7 a.m. — I’ve been awake for about two hours now and decide to finally give up and take the dog down to a school field where a group of dogs play in the mornings. She’s a herding dog and proceeds to bark at and/or chase any dogs that appear to be breaking the rules of her world. I grab a lavender lemonade on the way home at one of my neighborhood cafes. $4.30

8:30 a.m. — Breakfast (TJ’s Honey Os and a banana).

9:30 a.m. — Head to the gym, it’s leg day. I jump on the treadmill for a quick warmup followed by backsquats and a leg circuit — shaking by the end, I’m definitely going to be sore tomorrow. Zip home for a quick shower and change to go into the office. I had planned to wear a cute dress with Alohas ankle boots but after much debate, I decide that it might be a bit too progressive this early into a new job. Switch to vintage pleated trousers and a linen top with slingback kitten heels. Few wear heels in my profession (especially in clinics) but after a childhood dream of being a lawyer so that I could “dress up every day,” this is my reward.

11 a.m. — I decide to drive in, given the short day of just a few meetings. I just started a new job and the onboarding process is very chill, which I can’t complain about after finishing a year from hell on a clinical internship. Parking is comped, a perk I never thought possible in Boston! $30 (expensed).

12 p.m. — Sit in on team rounds and I’m glad I’m not patient-facing yet, given the drama on the floor. This is followed by a few introductions to various department heads. One of the directors asks me what my “five-year plan” is and I panic. Sir, what is your five-year plan? After eight years of graduate school, I just want to have a job that pays me consistently; with my student loans, it has been difficult to think about professional goals other than surviving. I end up giving him a generic response about honing my clinical skills and learning more within my specialty.

3 p.m. — Head home and f***, realize I forgot to take my second antidepressant and now it’s too late in the day… This is the second or third day I’ve done this. I need to switch to a new script. Feeling down and decide to take a nap to reset before returning to some onboarding tasks.

5 p.m. — Finally give in and throw on Good Girls (my new obsession — Christina Hendricks AND Retta?!?) to wind down. While watching I scroll my “Buy Again” list on Amazon and order dog food and toilet paper for the apartment. $66.92

7 p.m. — Take the dog out for a walk in the park, thankful that we have such a beautiful spot nearby. I’m lucky that I can let her off leash if it’s pretty quiet.

8 p.m. — Prep a bunch of food that I don’t want but that’s about to go bad; at the last minute, I give up and switch to a turkey burger for dinner. Watch another episode of Good Girls while throwing a ball for the dog (sorry, downstairs neighbors).

9 p.m. — Weekly video call with a friend to do bedtime stretches together and catch up. Being fairly active, I need to stretch more (I just can’t with yoga) and I figured that combining this accountability with a friend catchup would be a good idea. She agreed! Discuss woes of adult dating and some of my associated grief (denying my parents grandchildren) about choosing a child-free life.

9:30 p.m. — Brush my teeth but skip the face routine and nightly meditation; feeling generally moody and decide to call it an early night.

7 a.m. — Wake up to the sound of my roommate cooking breakfast and also to yesterday’s workout aftermath (aka my legs are dead and gone). I scroll the news while my dog gives me her biggest puppy eyes for a walk. Currently in the throes of regret about missing meds and feeling unmotivated and irritable as a result, despite my original plan to run with the dog. I finally muster some guild-induced energy and walk the dog for about 45 minutes. Will have to reorganize the workout schedule this week.

8:30 a.m. — Breakfast: two hardboiled eggs, steamed kale (I hate vegetables so I eat them as quickly and early in the day as possible) and a piece of toast with cream cheese and jam (don’t judge me).

9:30 a.m. — It’s a work-from-home day today, with just two meetings. Opposite action time (can you tell a therapist wrote this?). I throw in a load of laundry and make a cup of decaf tea.

10 a.m. — Work on some psych reports from my part-time gig (private practice) before the first meeting at 10:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m. — Virtual meetings until 1 p.m. today, getting to know various members of the team and understanding how the program functions. I’m honestly in awe, given my past experiences in community health and government settings where no one knows what anyone else is doing and people are generally unhappy (patients and staff). So far it seems like people are genuinely supportive and excited about the work they’re doing, and I’m feeling hopeful for the year to come!

1 p.m. — After my second handful of TJ’s chocolate-covered pretzels, I realize I’m hungry. I half-heartedly attempt to eat some of the leftovers from yesterday (salmon with a mango avocado salsa) but eventually give up and eat a yogurt. It’s a hot day today so I have to skip the midday dog walk and give her a treat to munch on instead.

2 p.m. — Resume working on some onboarding training until I can no longer click the “continue” buttons on mind-numbing instructional videos and switch to prepping my mother’s will. Along with their finances, I am helping my parents prepare their wills and various legal documents for care in the future. It’s no fun at all, but someone has to do it and I’m their only child so bingo for me. Give my mum a quick call to go over a few specifics and send a draft for her to review with my dad.

3 p.m. — Take a break with a 20-minute Pilates/barre video, fold my laundry and vacuum the house. I also attempt to make sense of my new work phone; I’m a lifelong Android user being forced into the Apple world and I am completely lost. ET, send help. 

5:30 p.m. — Jump online for a few individual client sessions. Although I love the hospital team environment, having access to private practice keeps me connected to other parts of my work that are meaningful. I’m slowly consolidating so that I only have evening clients two days a week — yay for boundaries!

7 p.m. — My last session is canceled, the gift of time. Walk the dog for 45 minutes and heat up a few TJ’s black bean taquitos for dinner (another salmon strike).

8:30 p.m. — Read a few chapters from my most recent library acquisition, Without Children. Now that I have graduated, I am in a bit of a “what’s next” existential crisis and am feeling a little bit lost and lonely about life goals that don’t involve raising kids but instead building a community. I’m feeling hopeful and validated with this book.

9:30 p.m. — Night routine: brush teeth, wash face, 20-minute meditation.

7 a.m. — Wake up sans alarm and take the dog down to the school field for some playtime with the neighborhood dogs. The temperature suddenly dropped so everyone has come out to play!

8 a.m. — Make breakfast of hemp seed hearts, TJ’s grainless granola, vanilla yogurt and blueberries. The temperature drop has me craving a hot chocolate so I skip the morning tea.

10 a.m. — More meetings and introductions from home. I browse flights to visit my friend in London who just had a baby and realize that tickets are getting expensive quickly, especially during the week of Thanksgiving. I debate postponing the trip but want to make an effort to see her and the new baby. Even though I am pretty sure I do not want to have children of my own, I realize the importance of community and feel inspired by my current reading to be a part of mothering in alternative ways, such as supporting my friends who are parents.

4:30 p.m. — Take the dog out for an early walk and swing by the pharmacy to sort out my prescription. Apparently they put it on hold because of my switch in insurance, and of course my new job has yet to provide an insurance card. I find out that the GoodRx price is basically the same as my copay would be so problem solved. The pharmacy guy appears to have the time of his life giving my dog a treat. $26.95

6:30 p.m. — Head over to a Chinese restaurant for a date that I scheduled earlier in the week. He seemed interesting, well traveled and enjoys outdoor hiking so I am hopeful. Arrive at the restaurant and immediately know I’m not attracted to this man but decide to stick it out with the possibility that he might be a new friend instead. He proceeds to discuss himself for the majority of the evening, eats most of the shared appetizers and then pays “his half” when I excuse myself to the bathroom. Immediately grateful that I suggested we keep it casual with just appetizers and remind myself on the way home to only go on coffee/walking first dates in the future. $31.95

6:30 a.m. — I get up after tossing around for a bit and throw on my running clothes for a short 30-minute run with the dog. My legs are feeling heavy from the gym earlier this week but I’m hoping they’ll be fresh for my longer run this weekend.

7:30 a.m. — Feed the dog, jump in the shower and make breakfast (boiled eggs, steamed kale, toast with cream cheese and jam, decaf tea). I contemplate putting on “real clothes” this morning but opt for lululemon yoga shorts and a sweatshirt that can pass as semi-professional during my meetings today on Zoom.

1 p.m. — Quick break between meetings to walk the dog and drop off and pick up library books.

5:30 p.m. — After debating for half an hour what shoes to wear, given the walk to and from the T station (prepaid CharlieCard), I finally head out to meet a friend downtown. We miscommunicate and overlap by two stations and end up meeting at a midway point, which means even more walking than I had planned for. From there we walk over to the Institute of Contemporary Art where they’re hosting happy hour and an outdoor DJ. Tonight’s theme is R&B and it is packed! This is my first time out with this friend socially, so I check in with her about me having a drink (she’s Muslim) before getting in line at the bar. Of course they run out of margarita mix when I order so we wait until I realize they’ve forgotten, at which point the bartender gives me twice the shots, with a wink. We find a seat and nibble on Egyptian pastries she brought with her while people-watching and listening to the music. $14.95

10 p.m. — Back home with two blisters. We stayed later than I expected because the DJ started playing Afro-Caribbean music, which is comfort food for my soul. I immediately crash and realize that the margarita was stronger than I needed. I fall asleep to the spinning of the room.

7 a.m. — Wake up feeling terrible and remind myself that alcohol is poison and that I am old now. Take the dog on a short walk and retreat to the couch with tea and cereal.

9 a.m. — I end up napping on the couch for an hour, then muster the energy to go grocery shopping. I shop almost exclusively at Trader Joe’s after comparing pricing across other stores nearby. It’s not too busy yet but they’re out of strawberries, which is a bummer. I pick up the basics (eggs, yogurt, milk, broccoli, granola) plus some indulgences (mini cheese sandwich crackers and dark chocolate-covered pretzels). $72.35

10 a.m. — After dropping off the groceries I head over to the public library for a weekly community Spanish group. We pair off and it gets loud quickly. One man doesn’t seem to get the prompt and despite my trying, he can’t seem to understand and asks where my accent is from — this is what I get for speaking Spanish without an American accent. My friend from last night texts me saying thanks for the great night and suggests a rollerblading activity for our next outing. I text her back that I’m definitely in.

11 a.m. — I walk over to the gym and get a fast arms session in. My schedule is going to shift to earlier during the week soon and so I am trying to shift my workout schedule to weekends. I seem to be able to convince myself to go when I say it’s just for 30 minutes, so we’ll see. Feeling lazy, I make some yogurt, blueberries and granola for lunch.

3 p.m. — After a quick nap, I pack the park bag (book, blanket, ball, long leash, water, speaker) and head over to the park with the dog where I read a book while throwing the ball for the next two hours (she’s obsessed). Spot a cute guy hanging out nearby and five seconds later notice the ring on his finger… Damn, why are they always married?

6 p.m. — I feed the dog and reheat some chicken leftovers and mac and cheese. I spend an hour video chatting with a friend from my program about her recent move to DC. She’s feeling lonely and stressed — the worst combination. She’s in the middle of applying for internships while also writing her dissertation and I offer to review her cover letters and essays since I’ve had so much extra free time lately.

7 a.m. — Wake up sans alarm and throw on running clothes before I lose motivation. Manage three miles for what’s supposed to be my “long run” before grabbing the dog for a 30-minute cool-down walk.

9 a.m. — Breakfast time: oatmeal with peanut butter, blueberries and cinnamon. I spend the majority of the morning sucked into my new book, The Way of Kings, which I was supposed to savour and realize by midday that I’ve already half-finished. Oops.

3:30 p.m. — Weekly Zoom meeting dubbed “family teatime” with my parents to go over their spending for the week, current account balances and budgeting for the rest of the month. We started this earlier in the year and while I wish this level of supervision weren’t necessary, my mum likes to shop and my dad can’t say no. My dad is my mum’s main caretaker and takes a lot of emotional/verbal abuse from her (common with brain-injured individuals) and so I take one for the team by being the gatekeeper of spending.

6 p.m. — Jump on a call with a close childhood friend. We are planning a trip to Colombia and need to finalize a rough schedule. I am both excited and stressed about the trip after a few unexpected big purchases (new tires) but trying to stay positive and focused on my financial plan to manage. We book the first hostel, which feels like a start. Heat up a TJ’s pizza and some broccoli for dinner while we talk. $55

7 p.m. — My aunt gifted me a Dash mini ice cream maker for my birthday last year, so I decide tonight’s the night — I’m making ice cream! I realize that the worst part about making ice cream is that you have to acknowledge how much sugar and cream is required. It’s a success; my only note is to sift the cocoa powder before adding to avoid small powder bursts.

10 p.m. — After another several hours of inhaling my book, I brush my teeth, wash my face, meditate and jump in bed.

7 a.m. — Up early to walk the dog despite it being a holiday — I can never seem to sleep in much past this time. I made plans a while back for a coffee/walk date later this morning, so I debate what to wear that’s both comfortable and cute (this is hard since I’m short, and cute is usually accompanied by heels). Mental note: Buy platform sandals.

10 a.m. — I head out to meet my coffee/walk date. Fortunately the cafe is walkable from my house so I only need 15 minutes or so to get there. I wait about two minutes at the cafe before he arrives and we both grab coffee inside. Decaf iced latte for me, purchased separately. He’s cute and I’m feeling hopeful. $4.56

12 p.m. — I’m not sure if I’m dating-jaded or what but I walk away from the date feeling “off.” I realize that he may have asked me one personal question the entire time we were together even though the conversation was flowing, and I curse my analytic psychology brain for this observation. We shall see, but I’m open to meeting up again.

12:30 p.m. — Feeling reflective, I sit on our apartment balcony and meditate. I have become more consistent with this practice after graduating and am now getting to a space where I actually want to meditate when I notice strong feelings. I’m hoping that this practice will eventually help me better manage my depression without medication.

1 p.m. — I reheat some leftovers and talk to my dad on the phone about a minor surgery he has scheduled for later this week. This reminds me that I need to get the power of attorney and advance directive documents completed for both my parents. I procrastinate instead and grab my book.

6 p.m. — After another long bout of reading, I’m feeling hungry. I prep cherry tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, brussels sprouts and garlic and throw on a sheet pan with gnocchi. Top with pesto and parmesan once out of the oven, yum!

7 p.m. — Check my email and review the week’s schedule while watching some more Good Girls episodes.

10 p.m. — Night routine again: teeth, face, meditation and head to bed.