A Week In New York, NY, On A $60,000 Salary

Occupation: Copywriter
Industry: Advertising
Age: 23
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $60,000
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $1,550
Gender Identity: Female

Monthly Expenses
Monthly Housing Costs: $1,511.33
Student Loans: $143.36 (for student loans my parents generously paid the interest off on)
Metrocard: $127 for a monthly pass (I currently contribute $105 from each paycheck into benefits)
401(k): $375 (15% of my salary, because I wanted to maximize my savings while I was still living at home and not paying rent. I'll probably switch back to the 6% my employer matches, now that I'm living in the city)
Roth IRA: $2,000 (this is what I currently have invested, but my dad and brother suggested I contribute another $1,000 so that I can invest in mutual funds)
Gym Membership: $0 (my parents offered to pay for a year-long Blink membership)
Netflix/HBO: $0 (on my family's plan)
Spotify: $9.99
InstaSize: $5 (embarrassing, but I downloaded it for the free trial a year or two ago and I like using it when I want to give in to social media)
Health Insurance: covered by my mom's plan until I turn 26
Savings: ~$20,000 saved (I try to only keep ~$5,000 MAX in my checking account, unless I know I have a big expense coming. Otherwise, I transfer the rest back into savings.)

7:30 a.m. — I'm awake, I'm awake! I moved in five days ago and wow has it been a roller coaster of emotions. I'm going to get out of bed and sweat out the stress.

8:30 a.m. — This run was such a good life decision, even though I'm breathing like I have asthma (I honestly might). There are so many pups running around the park without leashes and I feel like this is the embodiment of bliss. I shower and blow dry/straighten my hair when I get back to the apartment since my parents are stopping by to take my roommate, D., and I out to brunch.

10 a.m. — Our other roommate, B., comes home with the 34-year-old she's been seeing and, even though we think the situation is a little weird and she's told us about red flags, he's really cute and sweet.

11:25 a.m. — Brunch reservations are at 11:30 and my parents have just arrived, because as my mom put it, my dad is just as stubborn as me and circled my block about five times trying to find a parking space, before giving up and surrendering his money to a parking garage. They come bearing the TV I didn't think we'd need and a few toiletries I forgot in the chaos of the move. We head to meet my brother at brunch and feast on pumpkin banana bread with apple butter (drool), Bloody Marys, mimosas, ham benedict, brioche French toast, etc. The restaurant is so cozy and I feel tipsy with my people. My mom called me last night and I had myself a mini-breakdown, so it's nice to hug her and have her remind me not everything has to be perfect all of the time. My parents graciously pay.

4:30 p.m. — I feel like all D. and I have done the past five days is blob. We keep falling asleep and then resurrecting and laughing about it. It feels too early to be craving dinner or bed, but too late to do anything else. I decide it's time to get a Brazilian. I call for an appointment without realizing they close earlier on Sundays, so I jump in the shower and walk over to make my appointment. The waxer is so sweet and I make plans to see her again in four weeks. Damn, it hurts, but I always feel confident afterward. $43.58

6 p.m. — B. and 34 are back, holding pie and leaving, as I walk in. Quick hello, a glass of water, and then I do my nighttime skin routine — Plexion cleanser, Glossier Solution, Finacea foam (shoutout rosacea), Aczone gel, and Cera Ve nighttime lotion, most of which were prescribed by my derm —and crawl into bed to watch Modern Love on Amazon Prime. The Anne Hathaway episode makes me sad.

8:30 p.m. — Yes, I've been relaxing in bed for two hours. Yes, I'm just about ready to call it lights out. I text with a Hinge boy I matched with the other day and one I matched with a few months ago who I just haven't gotten around to meeting. We talk about me maybe, possibly coming over for takeout and wine, but we know that's not happening.

7:30 a.m. — Yesterday was another early night and yet, somehow, I still don't want to leave my bed. It's rainy and blah outside and D. and I were up texting through our wall about the baby whose parents seem to let her run wild through the halls for an hour every night. This morning, I text with Hinge boy, H. We matched a few weeks ago, before I found out he just moved to another city and forgot to change his location. I throw on two-toned jeans, my favorite black booties, and funky earrings and leave before roomie-friend D. is up. We work at the same company, but I'm definitely more of a morning person so I always leave first.

9 a.m. — I made a vow to myself that I'd stop buying Starbucks every morning when I moved in, so here I am, with my own mug doing the damn thing. The machine pours out more coffee than I'm expecting, so when I go to top it off with vanilla milk, it almost overflows. In an effort to stop it, I take a sip and end up burning my entire mouth. This is why God wanted me to buy my own. I eat a coconut Siggi's with a mint chocolate chip Lara bar crumbled in and chat with a few coworkers before putzing around at my desk. D. texts me laughing that I'm already at work before she's even out the door.

9:45 a.m. — I grab another cup of coffee, because I'm bored, but THIS time, I don't burn my mouth.

12 p.m. — I text D. and another friend from downstairs, K., about hanging with them for lunch, but they're booked. I eat a sad sad lunch of Trader Joe's plantain chips and dried mangoes while perusing the interweb for Christmas gifts and working on a few concepts for an unbranded disease awareness campaign I got asked to help on.

3:35 p.m. — This day has been the longest shortest day. I spent most of it hiding in the kitchen because work is light and my boss-friend, N., is out today In the past few hours, I've made a last-minute Christmas list for my aunt and grandma, agreed to a happy hour on Wednesday for my friend K. who's leaving the company and told her she can crash at D. and my place that night, and planned drinks with my childhood BFF, N., on Thursday. H. is trying to convince me to book a flight to visit him in a few weeks and I honestly might do it, as long as he visits NYC before and we decide we don't hate each other. Spontaneity is not my forte!

4:35 p.m. — One of my best friends from college, B., lives in Boston, but we either text or send each other memes (lol) almost every day. We met during a semester “abroad” in NYC and have gotten closer ever since, especially because we've had similar relationships and life experiences that have bonded us. She's one of my people and we vent both happy and stressful things to each other and never judge each other. I text her about the whole feeling lonely thing and she offers some advice and support. Talk about a #wise #woman! I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have close friends like her who run deeper than just nights out.

5:20 p.m. — I have to go to my therapy appointment, so I'm leaving a little early today. It's pouring out, so I grab my umbrella and brace myself for the nasty that is NYC in the rain.

7 p.m. — I for sure thought I'd cry during my therapy session tonight, but I surprise myself and keep it together. My therapist and I decide I'm going to write down a list of things I want to do in the city and when I'm feeling lonely or down or feel like going out but can't seem to make plans with friends, I will refer back to the list and check something off alone. I leave feeling excited to channel the independence and confidence I know I have deep down.

8 p.m. — I snack on Wasa crackers with sharp cheddar and sriracha zig-zagged all over and pop a TJ's frozen chicken tikka masala in the microwave. I “make” my lunch, which simply requires me taking snacks out of their bags and putting them into smaller Ziploc bags and indulge in a few dark chocolate-covered almonds.

9 p.m. — I let D. shower first, because she's quicker and then hop in After, I pop my mouth guard in and snuggle under the covers while texting H. I'm in a good mood tonight, which normally happens after a therapy session and promise myself I'll get up early to run in the park before work, to get a good sweat in since I skipped today.

6 a.m. — Nope.

6:15 a.m. — Sure. Slide out of bed and throw on workout leggings and a crewneck sweatshirt for my run. The morning doorman I've befriended, says “Hi, New Jersey.” I laugh because he's totally forgotten my name and only remembered where I moved from and it's kind of cute, as much as it is cringeworthy. I have a love-hate relationship with running, but it's especially felt like a nice escape and outlet these past few days. I use Charity Miles to track my runs and it claims I've logged 3.2 miles this morning. I look like a sweaty tomato and jump in the shower as soon as I get home.

8:45 a.m. — Funky earrings, Levi's, and black booties again, and a slick layer of subway sweat. Yum.

9:30 a.m. — I run downstairs to Starbucks, but only because my new credit card came in the mail and I was told to make a small purchase to activate it, so this is necessary! $7.35

11:30 a.m. — I meet with a coworker to go over/brainstorm more concepts for the unbranded campaign we're working on. Concepting at my old agency was a huge part of the job and felt more intense and important, but this art director and I are really relaxed about it and come up with what we hope are some gems. I'll send him the final copy for our internal review tomorrow after he sends me the art.

12:30 p.m. — I go to meet my mom at her office, which is one of my favorite buildings in the city. I've loved visiting her office since I was a nugget and am so proud to be her daughter. She bumps into two men who run her company's foundation and they gush about how great she is and I happily agree. She's so well-respected and what I strive to be. We both get grain bowls with a mix of brown rice and lemon farro salad and I get it with salmon, shaved brussels sprouts, dill cucumbers, sautéed mushrooms, curried cauliflower, pickled cabbage, seasoned sunflower seeds, and cucumber dill yogurt dressing (she pays). We chat for an hour or so and she sends me off with a few extra things for the apartment that I forgot. I hug her goodbye and literally drown in sweat on the subway. It's so grossly humid out and I feel like everyone can see how shiny I am everywhere. Every. Where.

2:45 p.m. — K. asks if she can come hang for a little and duh, I'm bored and pretending to work. I cannot stress enough how little there is for me to do right now and how difficult it is to look like I'm busy, even though everyone knows there is zero work for anyone.

4:30 p.m. — I'm hungry — boredom or actual hunger? Who knows. I scarf down some dried mangoes and fruit leather pieces from TJ's and D. texts me asking if I'm leaving soon. N. is all “yep, we still have nothing,” so I send my copy tweaks to the art director I'm concepting with and promise him I'll continue brainstorming tomorrow. When D. and I get home, I microwave some TJ's Thai shrimp dumplings and drizzle them with sriracha while snacking on plantain chips.

7:30 p.m. — Sometime around this hour, our third roomie B. comes home. She hasn't been around for a few days, because she's busy falling in love and we gush with her about it. We all chat and laugh and I feel happy that my two friends are meshing well.

2 a.m. — I finally set my alarm for 6 a.m. and shut my eyes, after texting back and forth with H. about random things and how he's visiting NYC in a few days and we want to see each other. I haven't broken out in a while (I take 75mg of Spironolactone every day, am on birth control, and stick to a pretty strict morning and night skincare routine), but maybe the grimy NYC air, move-in/work/life stress, and my period in a week and a half are aggravating my pores. I make sure to dab some of Lush's Grease Lightning on my zits and change my pillowcases before sleep. G'night!

6 a.m. — I get out of bed, happy to see it's not snowing like they said it would! I joined a Blink ten-ish blocks from my house the other day. Okay, it's, like, kind of snowing, but I walk there, elliptical for half an hour, and walk back home to a warm shower.

9:10 a.m. — I'm out of the subway and have a little bit of time to kill before I'm supposed to be at work so I pop into Sephora to pick up the copper eyeliner I ran out of this morning. Get into the office, make a cup of decaf coffee with vanilla milk, and scarf down a mint chocolate chip Lara Bar, before I sit down at my desk. $13.07

4 p.m. — I realize I barely ate lunch (I think I ate a mix of TJ's root vegetable and plantain chips, but cannot confirm), so I ask D. to come with me to Pret and proceed to eat a chipotle chicken wrap in maybe four bites total. I need this if I'm going to drink later. $8.37

5 p.m. — N. stops by my desk and tells me I can head out if I come in a little early tomorrow. Deal.

9:00 p.m. — K.'s happy hour is fun and I catch up with coworkers from my old agency. I had a beer, then another beer, then some sweet dad we work with left and covered our whole tab as it stood so I only ended up paying for the chicken quesadilla I ordered after he left. $17.34

11:30 p.m. — K. is all set up on the air mattress and I put a glass of water and peanut butter chocolate chip Lara bar near her bed, in case she gets hungry in the middle of the night. I quickly shower and text H. for a little before bed, while K. and D. talk to me through the foot-wide gap on the top of my flex wall. Can't get any privacy these days!

5:45 a.m. — I walk to the gym, elliptical for 30 minutes, and come home to shower and get ready. K. wakes up once I'm out, so I don't feel as bad about the noise as I blow-dry my hair in my room.

8:40 a.m. — We're out the door, people! I run to a medical download call as soon as I get into the office. It's for a pitch that deals with a similar pitch I worked on at my old agency. N. looks at me from across the room and nods his head as if I should be able to come up with 9,182,172 concepts easy peasy lemon squeezy.

10 a.m. — I spend the whole day doing a tedious task that basically ensures all of our claims are cited in a valid manner. The work is mindless and Harry Style's Watermelon Sugar is on repeat. No joke, I don't listen to any other song for a straight seven hours. N. offers to take over the project if I can't finish it in time to leave for my date, but I get it all done and save him the stress. I'll take my laptop home, just in case something comes up later in the night. Lunch is a random assortment of food that involves Caprese salad, sweet plantains, grilled chicken, lentil salad, and a heftier price tag than it's all worth. $14.72

5:15 p.m. — I subway home and decide to shower again because I'm kind of psycho and want to feel ~fresh~ for my date. I sit on my B.'s bed and drink wine while I wait for H. to let me know where to meet them. I almost don't go because it doesn't feel like a proper date, but I have to live my life and see what he's about.

8 p.m. — I get to the bar and call H. who sneaks up behind me and gives me a huge hug. He's adorable. I feel immediately comfortable with the friends he's with and we talk over some beers. H. is being cute and keeps touching my thigh and making sure I'm okay and have enough beer.

1 a.m. — I've totally lost track of time at this point. I think I drink another beer? I definitely buy a round of shots ($30). I bond with his friends over the night and decide to Uber back to their Airbnb in New Jersey with them. H. and his friends paid for everything tonight and I Venmo H. $20 for what I assume is my portion, but he Venmos it right back. $30

6 a.m. — I sleep surprisingly well until I'm tossing and turning this morning and anxious about getting back to the city for work. H. walks me to the door and kisses me goodbye before I catch my Uber. He texts while I'm in the Uber and mentions hanging out again tonight. $51.77

8:30 a.m. — I get home, shower, and get ready for work.

9:45 a.m. — I finally make it into the office and text K. to ask if she'll come with me to get Plan B. I'm on the pill and take it correctly, but I'm a little nervous because I forgot to refill my prescription in time to start this month's pack, so I started it a day late. I know I should be fine, but this will give me more peace of mind. $50

10:30 a.m. — After my team's daily meeting, I grab spinach, egg, cheddar, and turkey bacon on a whole wheat wrap and throw in a side of hash browns from a cafeteria-style restaurant nearby. I make decaf coffee with vanilla milk in the office. $9.47

5:30 p.m. — I didn't eat lunch and kind of just drifted through today. I hang out at home for a little and finally jump in the shower and blow-dry my hair. H. is super busy running around meeting friends. I eventually put on makeup, in case I meet them out, but they got a later start today, so I'm not sure that'll happen.

11 p.m. — H. eventually makes it clear he thinks I should meet up with them, but I tell him it's too late at this point and I'm falling asleep on the couch. An hour or so ago, I realized I never ate dinner and ordered pad thai, so I stay up until it's delivered, chopstick my way through every last bite, wash my face, and get into bed.

4:30 a.m. — I accidentally fall asleep with my AirPods in, while listening to music before bed (oops, this was a very frequent occurrence at home), and am woken up at this ungodly hour by a FaceTime call from H. He's back at the Airbnb they rented and I see a text from him at 2 a.m. that I obviously missed. We talk for a few seconds before both of us fall asleep.

8:45 a.m. — Time to run. Not totally feeling it this morning, but I'm supposed to meet my friend, G., for brunch soon, so I want to get this out of the way. I run to the park and do a 3.2ish mile loop, sprinkled in with some walking, because I start to cramp up.

9:45 a.m. — G. texts me as soon as I get back home and we agree on 11:45, so I jump in the shower and get ready. Shower, blow dry, throw on a high-neck white tank, navy bell-sleeved jacket, funky earrings, and two-toned jeans from Madewell, some snakeskin boots, and I'm out the door.

12 p.m. — The subways are running slow today, so G. and I get there closer to noon and run into each other on our walk. I get a Bloody Mary and veggie Benedict for me. It's so nice to catch up with her and have a chill Saturday, especially since Santacon is in full swing around us. $37.12

2 p.m. — I'm having fun with G., so we decide to continue exploring. We run into some weird Chanel pop-up. They give out snowflake cookies and I take one home for D. We pop into a funky, cash-only dive bar I've been to with G. before, have one beer, and then end our adventure at Gotan for an iced tea/latte. G. has to babysit tonight and I need to go home and figure out what I'm doing with my life. We promise to see each other soon. $10.90

5 p.m. — I stop by my favorite pizza place down the street on my way home and grab a buffalo chicken slice and a veggie slice. It's two blocks away from my apartment and one door away from my ex. I get paranoid that I'll see him. I go home and drink wine with B. while she gets ready for a date. H. is out with friends and I'm trying to decide whether or not I should meet him. B. says it's exciting, but she wants to know he'll make an effort. I agree, so the fact that he keeps inviting me out and back and is comfortable having me around his friends says something. $9.75

8 p.m. — I decide why not and Uber to Midtown. H. is so cute and is so excited to see me and the feeling is mutual. He buys us beers and we meet his friends on the dance floor. Most people have some form of Santa paraphernalia on, but I don't really care, I'm just being goofy with H. and his friends. A couple of beers and a game of Deer Hunter (I pay so H. can show off his skills) later, I agree to go back to H.'s hotel. $26.59

11 p.m. — It feels so early in the night, but we're all tired from our long days. It feels really nice to fall asleep in H.'s arms and even though I've promised myself not to obsess over boy stuff going forward, I can't help but wonder where this will go, if anywhere. And with that, I snuggle myself up to his chest and fall asleep to him rubbing my back.