A Week In Philadelphia On A $374,000 Joint Income

Occupation: Human resources professional
Industry: Government
Age: 51
Location: Philadelphia
Salary: $190,000
Joint income: $374,000. Husband makes $184,000; both of our paychecks are directly deposited to a shared checking account.
Assets: Joint checking: $36,997; joint savings: $30,145; my Thrift Savings Plan: $840,364; husband’s Thrift Savings Plan: $1,219,925; my HYSA: $202,656; husband’s HYSA: $202,318.
Debt: We still owe $11,542 on my car.
Paycheck amount (biweekly): Me: $3,954; husband: $3,690.
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: $2,625 (we rent).
Loan payments: $769 for my car (I borrowed at 0% interest for three years).
Renter’s insurance: $42
Car insurance: $208
Motorcycle insurance: $51
Health insurance: $504 (comes out of husband’s paycheck).
Dental/vision insurance: $98 (comes out of husband’s paycheck).
Electricity: $184
Gas: $135
Donation: $200
Kids’ college stipends: $500 each for two kids (total of $1,000).
Gym: $15
Hulu Live: $87.97
Apple TV: $10.79
Netflix: $15.49
Cell phones: $85.37 (for four phones).
Internet: $69.99
Panera Sip Club: $16.49
Thrift Savings Plan contributions: Me: $1,180; husband: $1,175.
Savings account contribution: $3,000 ($1,500 each pay period).

Other Expenses

Water: $200 (quarterly).
Amazon Prime: $139 (annually).
Peacock: $64 (annually).

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?
There was definitely an expectation for me to go to college, but there was a lack of help on how to actually get into college. Thank goodness for teachers and guidance counselors along the way! I ended up getting a full ride for my undergrad degree. Over the years, I’ve earned two master’s degrees (my master’s in HR was paid for entirely by my employer at the time; my MBA was 75% paid for by my employer).

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
Growing up, my father definitely encouraged me to save money. Whenever I got birthday or Christmas money, he took a portion of it and put it in a savings account for me. My father was also incredibly frugal and I believe I inherited that from him. Once my parents divorced and I went to live with my mom, we often had money woes. Oftentimes, my mom would ask to borrow money from me, which was rarely repaid.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was as a newspaper delivery girl six days a week when I was in middle school. I was responsible for delivering newspapers for an entire apartment complex and collecting money from my customers. I was compelled to get a job as soon as possible because it was the only way that I had any spending money of my own. I have worked continuously since.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I did worry about money growing up, mainly because once my parents divorced, there never seemed to be enough to make ends meet.

Do you worry about money now?
I absolutely worry about money now — and I realize that is pretty absurd given my salary and net worth. I believe that growing up below the poverty line was so traumatic for me that it caused me to forever believe that I am but a day away from having nothing. To this day, I waste nothing and will rarely buy something unless it is on sale or I have a coupon for it. The nest egg that we have amassed is a direct reflection of this scarcity mindset that I cannot seem to shake.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
While I always had room and board growing up, I had to work so that I had spending money. Once I had a job, I was then expected to pay for anything beyond food and lodging, like my clothes, school supplies, tutoring, and field trips. My mother’s take was, “Why would you ask me for money when you have money?”

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No.

7 a.m. — I purposefully didn’t set an alarm last night so I could sleep in until whatever time my body decides to naturally wake up. I wake up around 7 a.m. to the sound of my dog chewing away at a squeaky ball — one of her favorite toys. I attempt to tiptoe out of bed and descend the staircase to turn up the heat in the house without waking up my partner, D., but apparently he wasn’t really asleep. The dog got him up at 5 a.m. and neither he nor the dog has been back to sleep since. Eager to knock out my workout for the day, I scan my yoga app to see if there are any other $5 flows scheduled for the day. Negative, Ghostrider! D. reminds me that he hasn’t used his one free guest pass for the month and it’s available for my taking, should I want it. While it isn’t D.’s first choice of instructor (“She likes chair pose — a lot!”), we agree on a 60-minute hot flow because it works out, timing-wise. He books me as his guest and then takes the dog out for a quick walk before our class.

9:30 a.m. — Fast-forward to said yoga class where midway through I understand his hesitation to take this instructor’s class. We are so rapidly cycling through mountain, bend, half fold, chaturanga, up dog, down dog, step through, lunge, warrior one, that I find myself skipping moves just to feign like I am keeping up with the class. As we move into bridge work, I think about the coffee shops and restaurants around the yoga studio. There is one that boasts coffee and plants and, as such, has the word “ground” in its name. I love a play on words! When it comes time to lie on our “favorite side” at the end of the practice, I face my husband and mouth “Did you bring any money with you?” He shakes his head no. With not a dollar between us and no knowledge if the café takes Apple Pay or Google Pay, we head home after class. This turns out to be a good decision as our fridge is busting at the seams with leftovers that need to be eaten.

11 a.m. — Straddling that sliver of time between breakfast and lunch, we each make a plate that is equally sweet and savory and eat together while watching a few minutes of Married to Medicine. Following brunch, I take a quick shower and D. takes the dog out for another walk. I use Beekman 1802 Sunshine Scrub on my body and face and brush my teeth in the shower with Boka whitening toothpaste while D. heads to his home office to get work done in preparation for the week ahead.

4 p.m. — I wander into D.’s office to see if he wants to go out. Like me, he also needs a break so we venture out. We pass by a brewery and I suggest picking up a six-pack to take home but once inside we realize that the Eagles/Ravens game has started and is on every big screen in the bar. Go Birds! We opt for a tabletop and order a beer for D. and a Diet Coke for me, and an order of nachos ($22.83 + $2 tip, because we order at the bar). After watching the Eagles make their first touchdown and narrow the point gap between them and the Ravens, we snag that aforementioned six-pack to take home ($12.09). $36.92

7 p.m. — We end up not formally committing to any type of meal plan for dinner and nibble on some of our leftovers in the fridge as the spirit moves us. Having browsed the sales, I purchase a Ring outdoor camera for my mom for her birthday and have it shipped directly to her. D. suggests that I spring for a gift bag for an additional $3.99, as it will make the delivery look more like a gift. It’s a good idea so I go for it. $121.67

9 p.m. — I get ready for bed. I wash my face with Cetaphil soap and brush my teeth with Boka toothpaste. Last step is adding a few dots of Tazorac (which I have been on for years) to my face. Before it was for acne; now it is for staving off wrinkles. Goodnight!

5 a.m. — We start the day off at the gym. We each have a Planet Fitness membership — the no-frills version, which costs $15 a month. I spend my time on the treadmill walking at a brisk pace with a steep incline and manage to finish my library book, Katherine May’s The Electricity of Every Living Thing. Such a good read. After we finish our respective workouts and replenish our water bottles, we place an order for Dunkin’ (order ahead Mondays nets me 100 DD bonus points.) I get a large iced tea with no ice and a turkey sausage wake-up wrap. D. gets a turkey sausage, egg and cheese on an English muffin. I buy. $11.06

6:30 a.m. — D. takes the dog out for a quick walk before he heads to work and I slide into my chair in my home office at 6:30 a.m. on the dot — starting Monday off strong! I take advantage of the quiet and knock out several lingering tasks that just need a smidge of head-down time to get across the finish line.

10:30 a.m. — I set my out of office and maneuver my small rollie suitcase down the stairs. I am headed to D.C. for a quick work trip this week. I specifically booked a room that has a kitchen so I also grab an insulated bag of things that I will be able to stock my kitchen with, in case the spirit does not move me to go find a grocery store when I arrive.

12 p.m. — When I arrive at the train station I consider buying another Dunkin’ iced tea to take with me but I don’t have a lot of time before I board. Or do I? Turns out my Amtrak train is running late. It ends up being a full 45 minutes late but the board keeps pushing back the boarding time in short enough increments that I never order another iced tea. Instead, I eat the turkey and Swiss sandwich that I packed, a miniature 3 Musketeers bar and crack open the lone Diet Coke that I brought with me.

2 p.m. — Once my ticket is scanned ($18 one-way; prepaid by my work), I read the latest Money Diary and then slip into a deep nap. I wake up over an hour later, buried headfirst in my jacket that I pushed against the window with both arms while deep asleep. Good thing I have 45 minutes before we arrive in D.C. to get my act together.

4 p.m. — I disembark and head for the Metro. I tap my Metro card on the kiosk and delight in seeing that I have $43 still loaded on it. I take the red line to Metro Center and then head downstairs to catch the orange line. Four stops later I am 0.2 miles from my hotel. Check-in is a breeze ($183 a night, charged to my government credit card) and I am back out on the street to scout out my temporary neighborhood while it’s still light out. I find the nearest Panera Bread and order a large iced tea. I am part of the Sip Club, which is $16.49 a month, so this tea doesn’t cost me anything today.

5:30 p.m. — I locate the closest Trader Joe’s and walk over there to see what sort of healthy goodness I might be able to use to tame my throat, which is feeling a little raw (the timing of this is unfortunate as canceling the work trip isn’t really an option, but I always wear a mask when I’m feeling under the weather). I pick up two propolis shots with zinc and then make my way up and down the aisles to see what else I can find. I pick up some maple spiced nut mix, three one-liter bottles of flavored seltzer water, meatless sausage patties for breakfast, kettle corn, some cranberry Phyllo Crisps, peanut butter-filled pretzels and the D.C. version of the Trader Joe’s reusable shopping bag (I collect them). $33.23

6:15 p.m. — I jack up the heat in my room and fire up both laptops, logging into the hotel’s wi-fi. I see that the quiet front at work that I encountered before I left this morning was a ruse. My work inbox runneth over with questions — some that I can quickly answer, some that will take a bit more digging or coordinating. I shoot my propolis and zinc shot — it is super tasty — and then nosh on both the Phyllo Crisps and the kettle corn as I populate my work to-do list for later.

7:30 p.m. — I get a text from D., who happens to also be in D.C. (but just for the evening) because he is taking a once-a-week class at George Washington University. His class finished up early and he’s got some time to kill before he takes the train back to Philly. Tatte Bakery and Café is right across the street from the building that his class is in and a short walk from the hotel that I am staying at. D. orders me the leek, potato and spinach quiche and gets a turkey BLAT for himself. Tatte is closing so we take our carryout bag around the corner to a student commons where there is seating and which isn’t closing in the next 20 minutes. We eat quickly as D. is keeping one eye on the Amtrak schedule on his phone. We part at the top of the Metro stop and I continue back to my hotel. $29.30

9:30 p.m. — Unload and unclothe and get ready for bed. No fancy potions or lotions for me tonight. I use the hotel pump soap and a nubby washcloth to clean my face. I remove my contacts and transfer to glasses and then brush my teeth. I apply a generous coat of Ursa Major cream on my face. The cold weather is taking its toll! I pop a Tylenol PM because I can feel the slightest signals of a potential headache on the rise and then crawl into bed. I start on my new book, Rest Is Resistance, but only get 24 pages in before I take the words to heart and slide into my own slumber.

6:30 a.m. — I had planned on getting up early to go work out but I had a terrible night’s rest. Sure enough, that slight notion of a headache was not a drill, people. I also have a sore throat now but am unsure if it’s a real sore throat or because I slept with my mouth open (mouth-breather, much?).

8 a.m. — I lie in bed and doomscroll while I decide how sick I am on a scale of one to 10. I hop into the shower to see if a hot shower will cure what ails me. Unfortunately, it does not, but I think a little breakfast and some caffeine might be enough of a kick start. I make two veggie sausage patties in the microwave and crack open a Diet Coke. It’s not exactly the breakfast of champions but it’s enough to propel me onward. I iron my clothes, grab a mask, put my work laptop in my backpack and head out the door. I stop en route at the same Panera Bread I frequented yesterday and order my (free!) black iced tea. I then walk to where we are meeting for my work trip.

9 a.m. — We do a fun (if not that novel) icebreaker where we have two minutes to chat with someone and list all of the things we have in common. As far as ways to start a meeting go, it’s not a bad one. I find out a few fun tidbits about my coworkers, such as one of them loves Wes Anderson movies as much as I do!

12 p.m. — For the rest of the morning, we brief out on our accomplishments for the year. An hour in, I cave and take an Aleve Sinus & Cold. My head and throat feel better immediately but my stomach isn’t thrilled with this move. I snack on the peanuts that I brought in a Ziploc from home and drink a full liter of flavored seltzer water. When we break for lunch, I walk up to a different Panera and get another (free!) black iced tea. I also eat the other turkey and Swiss sandwich that I packed yesterday at home and brought with me.

3:30 p.m. — We break for the day because a few of us want to take in some sightseeing. We arrive just in time to queue up for our intended slot on a tour that we booked. I purchase a little souvenir at the gift kiosk on the way out. $26.48

5:15 p.m. — When we exit, I bid adieu to my coworkers and walk back to my hotel. The sun is now down and it feels like the weather has turned, although that might just be a function of it being dark. I didn’t take the time to put my hair in a ponytail or to properly pull on my backpack so that the weight is evenly distributed so I am quite miserable on the walk back. My nose starts running and it feels like I am never going to get back to my room. I do make it back of course but I am definitely worse for wear. I peel off my work clothes and pull on soft joggers and a thin, long-sleeved zip-up, and jack up the heat in my room to as high as it will go.

6 p.m. — I sit at the desk in the room for a bit to thaw out and take advantage of the two online deals that I have been eyeing. I buy an Omnilux LED mask. It’s expensive but not as expensive as it normally is. Buying it today saves me $60 (total cost: $361.80). Secondly, I sign up for a YMCA membership. I love the Y for its pool and with zero initiation fee, no dues until January and the thought of a heated pool all winter long, I take the plunge (pun intended). It’s zero dollars today but will cost me $61 a month starting in the new year. The last time I had a Y membership I swam no less than once a week, oftentimes twice, so this will be money well spent. $361.80

7:15 p.m. — I really can’t gamble on a good night’s rest tonight so I decide to walk over to CVS for some NyQuil. I pull on another set of pants and add a hoodie to the ensemble, before putting on my winter jacket, hat, gloves and mask. I call D. just as I am crossing the street to CVS and we catch up on our respective days. I find a small box of generic NyQuil and then remember that I have a 40% off coupon on last night’s receipt from CVS. I do the math in my head and am this close to walking back to my room to get it to save $3.60 but D. convinces me not to. I self-checkout and pay the full $8.99 (begrudgingly). I walk across the street to the Student Union and get another Panera iced tea for the road and then walk back to my room. On the way back, I respond to the hotel’s earlier text asking if I need anything and request an additional blanket. I am told that it will be waiting for me at the front desk. $8.99

8 p.m. — I secure the extra blanket and return to my room and strip down to just one set of clothes. Then I put a potato in the microwave for seven minutes. I load it up with butter and shredded cheese (I hate revealing this but I brought the potato and little servings of butter and cheese with me from home since I knew that I was going to have a little kitchen in my hotel room). This quick meal warms me up instantly and I am delighted that I thought ahead to bring these ingredients with me.

8:45 p.m. — I watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills while I eat and then chase the potato with NyQuil. I already feel drowsy when I take the medicine so I decide to get ready for bed even though it’s not even 9 p.m. I wash my face, brush my teeth, and get into bed. I position the extra blanket over the length of my body, make sure that my alarm is set and fall asleep.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up before my alarm clock goes off. Today is my last day in D.C. and I have to repack my belongings so that I can check out before I walk to where my work meeting is being held. Ideally, I would have gotten my act together last night but going to bed early won out over being proactive. I am feeling a bit better today — knock on wood!

6:45 a.m. — I jump into the shower and decide to wash my hair using the hotel’s shampoo and conditioner. I have another day or two before I need to wash it but I am hoping that clean hair will help me feel better. I get out of the shower and get dressed. I put my last two veggie sausage patties in the microwave as I comb through my hair. I apply La Roche-Posay sunscreen on my face and then a bit of Hikari blush in Tango and Caliray Come Hell or High Water mascara. I wrestle all of my belongings into my suitcase and put the overflow into my new D.C. Trader Joe’s reusable bag. I take my belongings downstairs to the front desk and check out. (They charge my government credit card.) The hotel stores my luggage for me.

8:45 a.m. — I don’t need to stop for an iced tea this morning as I still have almost a full cup from yesterday that I stashed in my fridge overnight. I get to our meeting location and spend the time before everyone else arrives getting my backpack arranged for my train trip back home. Moving from backpack to meeting space to hotel room to backpack has caused my things to migrate out of their normal spots. I finish up and apply some of my Kiehl’s Ultimate Hand Salve just as people are starting to arrive.

12 p.m. — We get through our morning session in what feels like record time. The topics are interesting (one is on program evaluation and how to determine the metrics that govern if your workgroup is succeeding). HR can be a tricky beast when so much of my time is spent in consultation with employees and oftentimes not giving them the answer that they want. We break for lunch. I retrieve a cilantro rice cup (just needs to be zapped in the microwave) and two Babybel cheeses from my bag. I catch up on work emails while the rest of my colleagues disperse for lunch.

4:30 p.m. — The afternoon session goes almost as quickly as the morning did. We work through a practical application of what we learned this morning with one of my colleague’s work sections. I love the opportunity to see this technique in action and enjoy spending time collaborating with my colleagues. We wrap up right at 4:30 p.m. as we have a group (read: mandatory) dinner scheduled. I checked out the menu earlier and it’s some sort of Southern fusion restaurant. The restaurant is less than a mile away and I am down to walk but nobody else is. While I am perfectly fine walking there alone, I also feel like I’ve used up my #loner chits by bringing my lunch.

5 p.m. — We travel by Uber, which takes longer than if we had just walked. One of my colleagues booked it via her app and will expense it so I don’t know how much it costs. More than it should have, I am sure! I happen to be carrying my Panera cup from earlier in the day (still half-full). The employee on door patrol says that he must confiscate my cup from me. I am not sad about losing the cup but I am a bit embarrassed that this bouncer seems to suspect I am trying to shlep in a *drank*.

6:30 p.m. — I clearly failed to look closely at the prices on the menu when I scoped it out earlier — this place is wildly overpriced. I order water to drink and the mac and cheese ($14). I end up leaving a $20 bill with a coworker so that she can pay my share as the service is so slow that I begin to fear I will miss my return train if I wait any longer. $20

8 p.m. — I head to the Metro (no cost to me as I still have funds on my Metro card) and then the train station to catch my train back home. My ticket was $25 (prepaid by my work). I doomscroll for nearly the full two hours, alternating between email, Spotify, blogs, Pinterest, and Instagram. A few things catch my eye for gifts for people (and myself) and I take screenshots so that I can look into them further.

10:30 p.m. — My train pulls into 30th Street Station on time — this is a rare occurrence these days. D. has bought a Dunkin’ iced tea (using his points, so it’s free) and has it waiting for me when I disembark. Awwwww! We get home and I get ready for bed. Face washed. Teeth brushed. Contacts removed. Lights out.

7 a.m. — I had high hopes that I would be extremely productive today to make up for being away for part of the week, but my cold has seemed to have gained traction. I didn’t sleep last night so much as lie still in the hope that sleep would come whisk me away like those spirits do in the movie Ghost. As such, I am dragging today. All day long I think, Just one more email/call/chat response/memo tweak and I will sign off and go lie down, but that never happens. I end up powering through the entire day.

12 p.m. — I make a hot tea and a cup of ramen noodles for lunch, hoping that they will work their magic. No dice. As the day progresses, I feel worse and worse. I opt for an abbreviated dog walk for puppers instead of her usual longer loop.

5 p.m. — When D. comes home he seems visibly shocked that I have gone downhill so quickly. He insists I go to urgent care. I put up a bit of an argument but then realize that it isn’t that I don’t want to be seen, it’s that I don’t want to bundle up, trek across town and battle the cold. I convince myself that it’s a short amount of time in the cold weather for a good night’s rest. I make an appointment online and take a quick shower to try to pre-warm up for my journey. I pull on two of everything — shirts, pants and jackets — in preparation.

5:45 p.m. — D. drives me as close to the door of the urgent care as possible and I am immediately called up to the desk for my copay. The woman at the desk tells me that it’s $45 but I ask her to double-check because it’s never been that high. Indeed, it’s only $35. I pay with my debit card and am escorted to an exam room. $35

6:15 p.m. — The nurse-practitioner tells me that she is fairly certain that whatever ails me is viral and that while antibiotics won’t help, she can help a girl out and prescribe me steroids. D. and I walk across the street to the CVS to pick up the prescription. Total comes to $3.62 — thanks, insurance! $3.62

6:30 p.m. — On the way home I suggest we pick up something so that we don’t have to pull together some semblance of a meal from a few leftover stragglers that D. didn’t get to while I was away. He mentions a new pizza place that just opened near the yoga studio. I google it and while it’s only been open a few weeks, it has tons and tons of five stars and raving reviews. Sold! We order a large half-mushroom, half-cheese pie and wait in the car until it’s ready. $30

7 p.m. — When we get home, I get started on my first dose of steroids while D. takes the dog out for a walk. I eat a piece of pizza. Then I eat another. This is really good pizza — better than any pizza I’ve had in the city in the decade plus that I’ve lived here. I am elated that this is located blocks away from our house. What a find!

8 p.m. — The steroids (coupled with the lack of sleep from last night) make me feel super woozy. I head upstairs and leave D. watching our alma mater play a conference final football game. I do minimal hygiene, washing my face with hand soap and quickly brushing my teeth. I attempt to read my newest library book, Grief Is For People, but only get a few pages in before I have to put it down. In contrast to last night, I fall asleep immediately and don’t wake up until the morning.

8:30 a.m. — I wake up without an alarm and have a lot more energy than I did yesterday. Is it possible that these steroids have already started kicking in? I begin my day by joining D. and the dog on their morning gallivant around the neighborhood.

10:30 a.m. — I am grateful that I am feeling better because D. and I signed up a few weeks ago to help serve lunch to those experiencing food insecurities at a church in Center City today. Despite leaving with definitely enough time to get across town by car, D. and I barely make it in time. He drops me off and then heads to park the car in the parking garage. (We will get a voucher for parking from the church after we volunteer.) I stop by Dunkin’ and pick up the large black iced tea and turkey sausage wrap that I ordered on the app on the drive over. I wasn’t hungry earlier but think that having something in my stomach will be better than having nothing. $5.99

11:30 a.m. — Once we get our standard briefing, it’s a flurry of activity. We guesstimate that over 100 people show up for a hot meal of chicken adobo, rice, and green beans. There are Ho Hos as well, but these run out super fast as we are initially told that every guest can have two.

1 p.m. — After we clean up the space, we decide to make the most of the parking voucher that we are given as it is good for a full 12 hours. D. heads over to Jos. A. Bank to pick up two pairs of pants that he ordered on Black Friday. I do a quick spin around Di Bruno Bros, a deli/bakery/deliciousness specialty store, but don’t see anything that is worth battling the crowd for. D. and I meet back up on the street in front of Nordstrom Rack. I convince him to head in and look at the undershirts because he’s in need, and we’ve gotten him undershirts here before that were a good fit and good quality. He finds two different styles that he wants to buy. At checkout I am pleasantly surprised to discover that I have a $10 Nordy note which I can apply to my purchase. $27.94

1:45 p.m. — Despite serving 100 people lunch, we didn’t eat earlier. We pop into Dizengoff to see if we can possibly grab a table despite not having a reservation. We are seated within 10 minutes of arrival. We order a baby gem salad, shawarma-spiced lamb pita sandwich, and Turkish hummus (with an extra pita). D. sticks to water; I order a Diet Coke. The service is top-notch and the food is divine! At $75 including tax and tip, this is an indulgence but worth every penny. $75

3 p.m. — We walk to the parking garage and use the parking voucher to exit. D. drops me off at home and then sets out to finish up the errands. I take the dog out for a quick walk and then throw in a load of laundry and head to my office to see if I can do some desk work. I cannot go lie in bed. I read more of Grief Is For People and just lounge.

5:30 p.m. — We graze on things that we find in the fridge. Dinner is more of a collection of food items than a coherent meal. I am starting to go downhill again. So much for feeling better!

6:45 p.m. — I throw in the towel and get ready for bed while D. takes the pupper out for her evening walk. I wash my face with CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. I brush my teeth with Boka toothpaste (Cinna Mint flavor this time). I put rosemary oil on my scalp line and coat the bottom of my feet in Vicks VapoRub before pulling on thick cotton socks. I try to read for a bit but can’t seem to focus. I shut off my bedside lamp and try to fall asleep.

11:30 p.m. — Sleep evades me, and I lie awake for hours :(

9:30 a.m. — I wake up a bit groggy but am motivated to get moving because a friend of mine from college is in town. After D. gets back home from walking the dog, he and I head over to La Colombe and meet up with him. We each get a breakfast sandwich and he orders a pressed juice. D. gets a coffee and I stick to the carbonated water that they have for free on tap — it’s divine and a huge draw for me. We pay for breakfast and catch up on his adventures while we eat. $47.31

11 a.m. — We head to Termini Brothers Bakery to pick up a local treat to send to some family friends who live in Arizona. We buy a one-pound box of Italian cookies for them and a small bag of their chocolate chip cookies for us. We are gifted a coupon for a cup of coffee at their café across the street (which we decide we will redeem at a later date). $31

12 p.m. — We head to HomeGoods as D. is on the hunt for gift bags and tags for some employee appreciation gifts that he is giving his direct reports at work. We find everything that we need and more: gift bags, tissue paper, bag tags, small boxes of hot chocolate that look like diminutive Victorian houses, and a stuffed toy for the dog. HomeGoods never fails me! At checkout, I produce two reward certificates, bringing our total down to $69.73. $69.73

1 p.m. — I sit in the car while D. runs into Walmart for dog food. It’s something we simply can’t do without this week and buying it when we have the car is much easier than buying it when we are shopping on foot. $23.84

1:30 p.m. — We get home and I make a modest lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup while D. takes the dog out for a quick walk. I pack up two boxes that have to go out first thing tomorrow. I make a hand-drawn card for the friends who will be receiving the Italian cookies. It looks like I had one of the kids make them a card (if I had a 9-year-old at home, that is). I am hoping they are of the “It’s the thought that counts” mindset.

3 p.m. — I find the old Word document on my laptop that lists out who we normally send our Happy New Year cards to and the address that we sent each card to last year. I have to go line by line and cross-reference many of them with social media posts to jog my memory on who moved within the last 12 months. I do this every year, and every December I promise myself that I will keep up with the address changes as they occur and not at the eleventh hour. Grrrr!

4:30 p.m. — About halfway through addressing our cards, it dawns on me that the card we purchased to send out this year is larger than the cards we’ve received so far. I double-check the measurements of the card and — sure enough — it is oversized and requires additional postage. Between Google and the USPS site, I realize that each card will require a $1.19 stamp — which is available in the online store, saving me from having to piece together a string of postage on each envelope. I order three sheets of 20. Total comes to $73.95 with the $2.55 handling fee. As frugal as I am, I will gladly pay $2.55 if it saves me from running from post office to post office, looking for this stamp emblazoned with the Colorado Hairstreak butterfly. Oy. $73.95

6 p.m. — It’s family Zoom time! Once a week we join up via Zoom with our two kids who are away at college for a catch-up. Our daughter’s boyfriend is also a regular on this call and we always have the best time. Topic of conversation today is an upcoming trip to southeastern Europe. D. will be going with our daughter for the full time. (It was her trip originally; she just extended an invite to us.) I will be joining them midway through their journey for the last two countries. Our daughter is a renowned shoestring budget world traveler and I am looking forward to staying in hostels and taking public transportation.

7 p.m. — I head upstairs to get a jump start on my work week. After my work trip last week and not feeling well, I am woefully behind. I work on two PowerPoint slide decks, getting them to 95% solution before calling it a night. I head downstairs to get ready for bed.

9 p.m. — Same nighttime drill. I wash my face and brush my teeth. I finish up by dotting Tazorac on my face. In my room, I change into a pair of cotton joggers and a long-sleeved shirt from my college days. I slip into bed and consider reading but suddenly feel very, very sleepy. I fall asleep quickly. Goodnight!