A Week In New York On A $107,141 Salary

Occupation: Marketing manager
Industry: Technology
Age: 25
Location: New York
Salary: $107,141
Assets: Checking account: $500; savings account: $1,909.45; HYSA: $13,108.08; Roth IRA: $18,768.83; Roth 401(k): $58,023.05; HSA: $3,898.03; employee stock: $44,461; brokerage accounts: $30,724.
Debt: $0
Paycheck amount (every other week): $2,505
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing costs: $2,600 rent.
Loan payments: $0
Utilities: ~$120 (on average, varies by the season).
Wi-fi: Work pays for this.
Public transportation: Work pays for this.
Subscriptions: $113 ($98 for Nuuly; $15 for Canva).
Yoga membership: $60 (the membership is more than this, but work covers some of it. My membership is currently paused).

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, I was raised with the expectation that I would attend college. I went to a small liberal arts college, and my parents and grandparents paid for my college education. My grandparents covered my tuition and my parents covered my housing and living costs.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
We didn’t have many conversations around money or finances growing up, but I picked up on various times in my childhood where my parents were stressed about money. I grew up in a very affluent neighborhood in the Bay Area, so we were surrounded by a high level of wealth. I remember my parents sometimes talking about moving somewhere less expensive, but I’m really grateful that we stayed and I had the opportunity to go to the amazing public schools in the area. I didn’t know much about finance until I went to college and started saving the money I made as a campus tour guide. I opened a Roth IRA and started putting money aside in a HYSA to help pay for my security deposit, broker’s fee, furniture, and other needs when I graduated.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
I babysat starting around the age of 12, but my first official job was lifeguarding at a local pool when I was 15. I got the job to make some extra spending money, mostly so that I could go to Starbucks and the movies with my friends.

Did you worry about money growing up?
For the most part, I didn’t worry about money growing up. My parents bought a house in California in 2008 and I remember that being a pretty stressful time. I’m the oldest of three, so I definitely have always had some anxious oldest sister energy. I worried about whether we would have to move and I would have to change schools, but never about major things.

Do you worry about money now?
Sometimes I worry that I’m not saving enough. New York is so expensive, and I do enjoy a lot of little luxuries, so sometimes I get anxious about spending too much on rent, clothing, restaurants, Ubers, etc. But I also try to remember that I’m not going to be in my 20s or live in New York forever, and I should enjoy it.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible just after I graduated college and moved to NYC. My parents covered my first month of rent to help get me on my feet, but after that I picked up all expenses (except for my phone bill, which my parents still pay). I know that I could move back in with my parents if I needed to, but they wouldn’t float my life here in New York.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My parents and grandparents paid for my college education at a small liberal arts school. My parents covered my first month of rent when I moved to NYC and my grandmother gifted me a brokerage account with ~$7,000 of assets when I graduated college.

7:15 a.m. — My Loftie alarm clock gently wakes me up and I slowly roll out of bed. I just got a new piercing and I woke up multiple times throughout the night when I rolled onto one ear. I go for a short walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air. It’s SO cold outside, finally feeling like winter. When I get home, I have eggs, toast, and a mandarin for breakfast. I also make a coffee and froth some whole milk with maple syrup and pumpkin pie seasoning to top it off. I sit down at my desk to eat and get ready for therapy, which I pay for out of pocket on a sliding scale. $50

1 p.m. — I take a break for lunch. I cut up some cherry tomatoes and douse them in balsamic vinegar, flaky sea salt, and black pepper. I toast a slice of sourdough and top it with Good Culture cottage cheese and the tomatoes. So good.

4:30 p.m. — I film some TikToks for my side account and make a little spritz with cranberry juice and sparkling water. Once I’m done with work for the day, I have some errands to run before I host book club tonight! I bundle up and walk to Anthropologie. I purchased a dress there yesterday but they forgot to take the security tag off, so I ask them to do that while I try to avoid looking at anything else in the store. I also pop into Trader Joe’s to grab tofu, crackers, bread, coffee, apple cider, cookies, egg bites, frozen peas, Scandinavian Tidings (the best), a decorative pine garland, and cheese. I’ll serve some of these items as snacks at book club, and other items are just for meals this week. $82.61

6:30 p.m. — Back at home, I set up for book club by cleaning the kitchen, lighting a candle, turning on some Christmas jazz, and making a charcuterie board. My friends arrive with wine and more snacks, and we sit around discussing Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When The Luck Happens. I eat a bunch of snacks and candy for dinner. My friends depart and I clean up and take a body shower. I lay out my clothes for barre class tomorrow morning, get in bed, and do my Duolingo for the day (French). I also read a few pages of my current book, Luster, before heading to sleep around 10:30 p.m.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up and quickly get ready for barre class (I signed up through a two-week ClassPass membership for $5.23). Brush my teeth, do skincare, throw on workout clothes, and I’m out the door. After class, I walk home and put on a green sweater with sweatpants, make breakfast (egg bites and toast) and a coffee (same as yesterday). I check emails and scroll for a bit while drinking my coffee and doing my makeup. I have a podcast recording that I need to be home for this morning, but I’m heading into the office later. $5.23

10:30 a.m. — The podcast recording went smoothly! I quickly change into leopard-print jeans, black moto boots, a black cardigan, and a black coat. I toss my work gear and a half-full container of Good Culture from the fridge into my brown suede tote. I say goodbye to my roommates and head out for the subway. The subway takes forever but I finally make it to my office and brew a cup of Earl Grey tea with milk and honey before my 11 a.m. meeting. I have a few more meetings before I take a break for lunch at 1 p.m. I eat some of my cottage cheese and scrounge around the office for pretzels, an orange, and a Larabar to round it out.

5 p.m. — Home! I unpack my work bag, wash some dishes, and chug some water (I never drink enough water when I’m in the office). I work on my newsletter (unrelated to work — just a fun project!) and make a quick dinner of brown rice, tofu, and peas with soy sauce before heading to French class. It feels like it’s 10 p.m. because it’s so dark and cold. I started taking beginners’ French about a month ago and I’m enjoying it so far, but sometimes class feels burdensome, so I’m not sure if I’ll continue with it. I walk 10 minutes to get to class (I paid $345 for seven classes). After class, I walk home, take an everything shower, change into sweats, and snack on Scandinavian Tidings while I write my newsletter and read my book in bed. I also contemplate signing up for the Brooklyn Half Marathon, despite not being much of a runner. I download the Nike Run Club app and convince myself to go on a light jog tomorrow morning to see how I’m feeling… 

6:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off for my run and I snooze — it’s freezing in my room and I need a bit more sleep. Up again and time to get the day going! I have a pimple on my cheek, ugh. I’ve battled acne for most of my life and take spironolactone, but it still pops up here and there. I do my skincare routine, get dressed, and do my makeup. I make breakfast and pack my work bag with a TJ’s apple cider vinegar drink and an apple. The F is packed so I take a more complicated route to get to Union Square, where I’m meeting an agency for coffee. They treat me to a latte and we chat for an hour about work and life and everything in between.

10 a.m. — I walk to the office and settle in at my desk before my first meeting at 10:30 a.m. I get an email that I was charged for my Canva subscription ($15, accounted for in subscriptions). I take a few meetings and order a Secret Santa present for a coworker on Amazon. I break for lunch around 1 p.m., and I cobble together some cottage cheese, sweet potato chips, an apple, and a Larabar. $23

4 p.m. — Not feeling super motivated today, but I manage to get some tasks crossed off my list. I drink my apple cider vinegar drink and finish writing my newsletter at my desk. I have a 5 p.m. meeting so I’m just hanging in the office until then. Once my meeting is done, I head to catch the train uptown — I’m meeting my boyfriend, M., at his apartment in Midtown. The trains are super congested so it takes me a while to go just a few stops. I finally make it! I haven’t seen him in a few days, so we cuddle and then walk over to the Bryant Park winter market. On the way, we stop for pizza. M. pays for my first slice, then I decide to get another one and I pay for it. $4.90

7:30 p.m. — The winter market is packed but super cute! M. is contemplating a big career shift so I try to listen while navigating the crowds and also finding the viral Dubai chocolate strawberries. We find them but the line is so long, we opt to split a regular hot chocolate from another vendor instead ($11). It’s not very good and we end up throwing most of it away. M. has soccer practice so we part ways and I take the train back to my apartment. I listen to my Spotify Wrapped top songs of 2024 and read a bit of my book on the journey. Once home, I unpack and chat with my roommate. She’s an actress and is filling me in on audition updates. I also chug some water, take a shower, do my skincare, brush my teeth, and unbox my Black Friday Gap order (purchased with a gift card) — a pink sweat set and a striped poplin PJ set. I’m not crazy about the sweats, so I keep the tags on for now in case I decide to return them. $11

6:45 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I do not want to get out of bed, but I have barre class and my friend K. is meeting me. I brush my teeth and do my skincare, then bundle up in leggings with sweatpants over them, a long-sleeve workout top, a fleece, a puffer, and a beanie. Meet K. at the studio and head in for our 45-minute class. I like this way more than Pure Barre, and it’s fun to be there with a friend. After class, we run into our other friend, B., in the lobby. K. and I walk to a nearby coffee shop where we get hazelnut lattes. $8.08

9:30 a.m. — Back home and time to get ready for work! I put on a sweat set, turn on my space heater, and heat up egg bites that I eat with mandarins at my desk. Later, I have a few afternoon meetings. My energy is loooow so I make an Earl Grey tea with milk and honey and eat an oatmeal raisin cookie that M.’s mom made. It’s delicious. In the afternoon, I head out for a haircut. It’s M.’s work holiday party tonight so I purposefully scheduled a haircut for this afternoon. I like my long hair so I just get a two-inch trim/clean-up ($113). On my way home, I pick up a candle as a gift for my friend E. who I’m visiting in D.C. this weekend ($32.12). $145.12

6 p.m. — Back home to check on work things, pack my duffel for D.C., and do my makeup before heading to Midtown to meet M. at his apartment and head to the party together. I’m spending the night at his place before taking the train to D.C. tomorrow. I’m excited! When I arrive at M.’s apartment, I put on my dress. He loves the dress just as much as I do. M. orders us an Uber uptown to the party. The traffic is insane but we make it eventually. I’m also starving by the time we get there.

8 p.m. — The party is so fun and glamorous! We chat with his coworkers and eat yummy Mediterranean food. Around 11 p.m., we call it and M. orders us an Uber back to his apartment. We pass out around midnight.

8:30 a.m. — Wake up and time to get ready for my 9 a.m. meeting. I put on a sweater, make a coffee, and head downstairs to M.’s building lounge since he also has a meeting at the same time. The wi-fi doesn’t work and my hotspot isn’t working either so I end up missing most of the meeting. I go back upstairs to M.’s apartment for my next meeting with my director. Once that’s over, I have a lil’ cry because I’m just not enjoying work or feeling very valued on the team recently. It might be time for my next thing. M. reassures me, and then we head to a nearby coffee shop to get some more work done. M. buys me a hazelnut latte and avocado toast that we split. I feel really nauseous — probably too much alcohol last night and caffeine this morning. I’m supposed to meet up with a woman who I met at a conference, but I cancel because I feel like I’m about to throw up. I buy a water from the coffee shop to try to feel better. $4.25

4 p.m. — I walk back to M.’s apartment and wait in his building lounge while he finishes a meeting. I start to feel better, which is good because I have a recruiter call for a new role. It goes well! I also chat with my dad on the phone about career stuff and eat a Chomps stick that I had in my bag. Back upstairs to pack my things and head out to catch my train to D.C. I walk over to the station and grab a salad and iced tea from Chopt while I wait for my train to arrive. $16.85

6 p.m. — On the train and the man across from me won’t stop talking to me, despite it being a silent car. Eventually he gets shushed, and I go back to intermittently reading and staring out the train window (the best way to spend a train ride, IMO). When we get to D.C., I purchase a Metro card with enough money for a few rides to get me around this weekend. $10

8 p.m. — I take the Metro straight to a Shabbat dinner at E.’s friend’s apartment. It’s so good to see E! There’s about seven other people there, and we chat over so much delicious food. After dinner, we watch SNL skits before I call us a Lyft back to E.’s apartment. I shower, unpack, and pass out on her couch. $14.80

9 a.m. — Up and at ‘em! E. and I sit in her living room and chat over tea before getting ready for yoga, which I signed up for via my $5 ClassPass deal. We walk to the studio and it’s an okay class, but not great. Afterwards, E. stops by a Walgreens and then we head home to get ready for the day. Then we head to Tatte for brunch. On the way, we stop at a new coffee shop and I get a dirty chai ($6.60). At Tatte, I get two mini biscotti and a halloumi egg sandwich with a side of sausage ($20.04). $26.64

3 p.m. — E. and I walk around the neighborhood and pop into some stores. I buy a thermal headband at a running store ($26.50) and a new tube of Glossier Lash Slick at Sephora, on sale ($16.96). $43.46

5 p.m. — We had plans to go ice skating but when we get to the rink, all of the times are booked up until hours later. We watch the skaters and FaceTime another friend for a bit. I pick up a medicine ball drink at Starbucks. $5.90

6 p.m. — E. and I meet up with her friend and her friend’s situationship at a restaurant nearby. We sit at the bar and I order a mocktail. For dinner, we get a bunch of little plates to share. $34

8 p.m. — After dinner, E. and I walk to the Capital One Arena for the Wizards game ($51). I buy some M&M’s and a water ($18.68), and we have the best time cheering the team on and chatting with people in the row behind us. Some guys ask us if we’re going out after, and we tell them that we’re going to sleep. E. gets asked out by one of them and turns him down. I promise we’re fun! We take the Metro home, then I shower and crawl into bed to read for a bit. $69.68

7:45 a.m. — My alarm jolts me awake. E. is still sleeping but I need to get myself packed, so I make Earl Grey tea and get dressed. I do some light skincare and tinted moisturizer. Around 8:30 a.m., we head to a local coffee shop where I get a cappuccino and croissant before catching the Metro to Union Station for my train. $12.50

10 a.m. — Board my train and snag a table seat, yay! I alternate between working on my laptop and staring out the window for most of the ride. I get hungry so I buy an oatmeal cup and tea from the train café car. $8.50

1:30 p.m. — Finally back in NYC! I hop off the train and meet M., who is eating lunch at a nearby restaurant. I fill him in on the trip, then I hop on the subway to make my way back to my apartment. Home sweet home. I unpack, throw in a load of laundry, chat with my roommate, and clean my room. Then I take a Citibike ($1.08) up to Trader Joe’s for some groceries. I get oranges, lemons, kiwis, tomatoes, chicken meatballs, pasta, tortellini, tea, milk, egg bites, orange juice, and some fun drinks ($48.59). I also pop into a specialty grocery store to buy Good Culture cottage cheese and my favorite pita bread ($6.88). Back home, I clean a bit more, shower, and change into sweats. M. is coming over to have dinner and watch a holiday movie. My roommate is also friends with M. (they went to college together) so she joins us. I make tortellini with pesto and chicken meatballs for us and we have a cozy night in before the work week :) $56.55