A Week In Dublin, Ireland, On A $37,100 Salary

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Occupation: Digital Marketing Account Manager
Industry: Hospitality
Age: 26
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Salary: $37,100
Paycheck Amount (Monthly): $2,595

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,970 (My boyfriend and I split this. I pay $810, and he pays the rest. We don't really keep track of who pays for what in our day-to-day, but he generally pays for more than I do and takes care of the larger bills, as he makes more than three times as much as I do.)
Student Loan Payment: $0 (My parents generously paid for my bachelor and master's degrees, but I also had a partial scholarship.)
Utilities: $95-130 (My boyfriend pays.)
Internet: $70
Cell Phone: $29
Health Insurance: $0 (Incredibly, my boyfriend's company covers us both.)
Charitable Giving: $18 to the Irish Cancer Society, as well as $25-70 to various GoFundMe causes. I try to donate to at least three causes per month, but it can be more, depending on what's going on at the time.
Gym Membership: $24
Netflix, NFL Pass, Hulu: Boyfriend pays for these.
Spotify: $12
Savings: $920 (I'm trying to save rather aggressively at the moment. I put this amount in every month, but sometimes I have to dip into it a little. Also, all major purchases and expenses like medical bills and airfare come out of this account.)

9 a.m. — I get to sleep in a bit this morning because, although it's Monday, my boyfriend B. and I are in Switzerland visiting my parents, and our flight back to Dublin isn't until later tonight. I read a little of my current book, Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain, to start the morning.

10 a.m. — After a quick breakfast of eggs and avocado on toast for me and cereal for B., I cuddle with my dog for a bit. She's about 14 years old (we adopted her, so we aren't 100% sure of her age) and her health is failing fast, so I am very aware that this might be the last time I get to see her. She has been a big part of all our lives, and I'm really going to miss her.

12:30 p.m. — My mother, brother, B., and I go out for lunch before we have to drag ourselves to the airport. Mom treats us to an Indian feast of onion bhajis, raita, samosas, various curries, rice, and naan bread — her treat!

1:30 p.m. — We get to the airport, go through security, and head over the the business lounge, which B. has access to (with a plus one), thanks to all his business travel. They have a very well-stocked free bar in this one, which I take full advantage of, and by the time we head to our gate two hours later, I have to admit, I'm a little tipsy. I have a fear of flying, and unfortunately, alcohol is the only thing that calms me down. I stop by Duty-free to buy a bag of chocolates for my office ($12.30). After rough turbulence kicks in mid-flight, I order wine on the plane ($10.30). $22.60

6:45 p.m. — We land back in Dublin and grab a taxi home. B. pays.

7 p.m. — Time to restock the fridge. We head to the supermarket below our apartment and pick up diced turkey, Greek yogurt, cherry tomatoes, grapefruit juice, two small flavored waters, cauliflower, broccoli, red onions, green beans, mushrooms, rice crackers, asparagus, pickles, watermelon, a lemon, microwave lasagna (for B.'s lunch), tissues, and toilet paper. $72.50

8 p.m. — Despite the grocery haul, we're both tired and not in the mood to cook, so we decide to order Japanese. I get salmon nigiri, pork gyoza, and a small side portion of egg fried noodles. B. gets chicken Katsu curry. He pays.

11 p.m. — After two episodes of MasterChef Australia and an episode of Grace and Frankie, we're ready to call it an early night. B. has to travel to Dusseldorf for a business trip tomorrow, so he packs while I get ready for bed. My evening routine consists of washing my face, cleaning with micellar water, applying toner and moisturizer, brushing my teeth, and heading to sleep.

7:30 a.m. — B. wakes me up and helps encourage me out of bed. I'm really not a morning person, so it's always a struggle. As I finally step out of bed, B. is ready to leave. We say goodbye, and I finish getting dressed, apply my basic makeup (concealer, powder, eyebrow gel, mascara, and a little lip color), and head out the door.

8:30 a.m. — Get to the office, make myself a coffee with almond milk from the office coffee machine, and get started on my emails. I work in the hospitality industry, which never sleeps, so Monday mornings are always an exercise in playing catch-up. Since I was off yesterday, I'm even further behind. My angel of a coworker made Christina Tosi's chocolate chip cookies, so I have two and call it breakfast. No shame — they are AMAZING.

1:10 p.m. — The morning flies by — I'm so busy! It's lunchtime now, though, so I head home. I live a six-minute walk from the office, and I really enjoy taking my lunch break at home to really get away from it all for an hour. Plus, I save a lot of money on food this way. I cook the diced turkey and mushrooms I bought last night, add sun-dried tomato paste and cottage cheese to make a sauce, and boil pasta to go with it.

5:30 p.m. — The rest of the afternoon is a blur of emails, calls, reports, and meetings. I actually leave on time today though (for once), because I have an appointment to get to.

6 p.m. — Today is my first assessment with a CBT professional. I have a lot of anxieties and really need to get my fear of flying under control in a healthy way, so this is long overdue. After the appointment, I'm a little apprehensive about the process, but I want to give it a real honest try, so I book another appointment for next week. The assessment costs $52 but I don't have to pay until after the next appointment.

8 p.m. — Time for my Zumba class! I hate the gym, really, but this Zumba class doesn't feel like work. It's so fun!

9:15 p.m. — As tired as I am now, I feel amazing! I really love to dance and I'm always proud of myself for getting my shit together and going to class (something that I have, prior to this class, never been able to do). I don't stick to things for long, so this is a big deal for me. When I get home, I eat lunch leftovers for dinner. B. calls afterwards and we chat for 20 minutes until he heads to bed.

10:30 p.m. — Zumba days always tire me out, so after two episodes of Unreal (I'm still catching up) and an old rerun of Cutthroat Kitchen, I'm ready for bed. I go through my normal evening routine of washing, toning, and moisturizing and brushing my teeth, and am out by 11.

8 a.m. — I've snoozed three alarms, but I have to obey to the fourth. Whenever B. is out of town, I struggle even more, and my whole morning routine is totally thrown off. After losing my keys, water bottle, earbuds, and phone, and forgetting to lock the front door and having to run back. Then, I'm finally off and on my way to work.

8:40 a.m. — Arrive at the office, make a coffee with almond milk from the office kitchen, settle in at my desk, and get right to work. I wish I could put together a to-do list for my day, but I am always at the mercy of my inbox and the phone. My job is 50% actual marketing strategy and implementation, and 50% putting out fires and answering client queries. We do a lot more than marketing at my company, and although I work on the marketing team, my job extends much further than that. I'm expected to know about and help out with other departments, so there is never a dull moment and always a whole lot to learn.

10 a.m. — I'm feeling hungry, so I pour a bowl of granola brought from home with almond milk from the office fridge and eat at my desk. I usually eat breakfast late, since I don't get very hungry early in the morning.

1:10 p.m. — I pull myself away from my screen to head home and eat lunch. I stop off quickly at the supermarket and get radishes and fresh tarragon. At home I make a salad with radish, watermelon, mint, and pine nuts from Jamie Oliver's 5 Ingredients cookbook. I thought I had feta left, but I guess I only imagined it, so I substitute feta in the salad for cottage cheese I have on hand, and it works just fine. $2.30

4 p.m. — I've been feeling a little run down since Monday evening, which I attribute to the stress of being back at work, but it has persisted and now it's getting noticeably worse. I make an echinacea tea and plan to stop by the pharmacy on my way home.

6:30 p.m. — Call it a day and head home. I stop by the pharmacy and get cold and flu medicine ($10), and then quickly pop into the supermarket for tortellini (I can't be bothered to cook tonight) and two small green juices ($7.56). $17.56

7 p.m. — I make the tortellini and watch more of Unreal. B. calls and we chat, but he has a lot of work to catch up on, so our call is brief.

9:30 p.m. — This run-down feeling is getting the best of me, and after my usual evening routine, I head straight to bed and am asleep by 10. I have a busy weekend ahead of me and really don't want to miss out.

4:30 a.m. — I wake up from a vivid nightmare in a cold sweat and can't go back to sleep right away. Usually B. is beside me to offer comfort and cuddles, but this morning I have to self-soothe. I put on an episode of the Beautiful/Anonymous podcast and end up falling back asleep around 5:15.

7:50 a.m. — I get up after my third alarm, text with B. a little, and roll out of bed. My skin is really dry from lack of sleep, so I choose to just put on a little mascara today with my toner and moisturizer. I get dressed and head out the door.

8:30 a.m. — Get to work. I'm barely at my desk for 10 minutes and I have to head into a meeting. B. texts me that he's boarding his flight back home and I wish him a safe one.

10 a.m. — Out of the meeting and I need food. Our office coffee machine is broken, so I drink one of the green juices I bought yesterday and pour a bowl of granola with almond milk from the office fridge.

1:10 p.m. — Time for lunch. I walk home and make another recipe from the 5 Ingredients cookbook — this time asparagus, soft-boiled eggs, tarragon, and a red onion mustard vinaigrette. I have a lot of cookbooks, and I love to cook and try new things, so this year I have set myself the goal of cooking at least three new recipes every week from my books. Doing well so far!

6:15 p.m. — A big group from work is going out for drinks tonight and they're trying to encourage me to come, but I think it's best I stay home tonight. I feel serious FOMO, but I know this is the right move, plus I haven't spent time with B. since Monday, and I'm going out with friends this weekend. I pull myself away from my computer and walk home in the warm evening sun.

7 p.m. — B. decides we'll order Japanese again, and I'm happy to oblige. I get four salmon nigiri and a salmon avocado roll, and he orders pork dumplings and chicken katsu. He pays.

8 p.m. — I decide to play a little Sims 4, which I recently got as a gift and started playing again. I spend most of the time designing houses and I love with it — it's a great distraction. I also watch the rest of Unreal on the side, and am ready for bed around 9:30. I need a good night's sleep to really shake this cold. Same evening routine and straight to bed. Asleep by 10:30.

8 a.m. — Finally pull myself out of bed after four alarms, thanks to a surprising fifth in the form of my sister calling. She lives in Australia, so it's hard to find a good time to talk that isn't really early in the morning or super late at night. It's good to hear from her, and we chat while I get ready for work.

8:20 a.m. — Walk to work with B. this morning and get right to answering emails when I get to my desk.

9:30 a.m. — I definitely need coffee, and our office coffee machine is still out of order, so I pop over to a cafe around the corner with a colleague and get a large latte with almond milk. $4.05

10:40 a.m. — I've been so busy that I forgot to eat breakfast. I pour a small bowl of granola with almond milk and eat at my desk.

1 p.m. — Every Friday there's a street food market near our office. I go there with a colleague and get an avocado, black bean, and plantain arepa with yucca fries from one of my favorite stalls. On the way to the market though, a colleague pulls me aside to let me know she's leaving her job. I'm crushed. Our team is small and we're all close, so it hits hard. We are an understaffed division, underpaid for what we do, and the workload is very demanding, so I'm not surprised to hear the news. This job is an amazing learning experience, which is why I'm still here, but the way the company is run is starting to get to me. $12

5:50 p.m. — We are allowed to leave at 5 on Fridays, but I have a lot to finish before the weekend, so I get out a little later than I'd like. I meet B. at the supermarket to get a bottle of wine and Quorn Swedish meatballs for dinner. He pays. Once home, I open the bottle, pour a small glass, and continue designing my dream apartment on the Sims. I need an escape from today...

7 p.m. — B .cooks up the Quorn meatballs and couscous with red pesto, which we eat for dinner in front of the last episode of Grace and Frankie. Then we peruse Netflix and iTunes for something new to watch, but can't settle on anything, so I decide to draw up a bath instead, pop in a Lush bath bomb (my kryptonite), and go for a soak. There really is nothing better after such a long and stressful day.

10 p.m. — Bath over, and I think it's time to call it a night. Wash my face with micellar water, use toner and moisturizer, brush my teeth, and tuck myself into bed. I read a little more Medium Raw and fall asleep after a few pages.

9:30 a.m. — I slept really well last night and wake up feeling refreshed. Read more of Medium Raw and watch some videos on YouTube videos on my phone in bed before getting up.

10 a.m. — I take a shower and get ready for the day. I am meeting my friend, S., for brunch this morning and also to pick up our numbers for a 10k we're walking tomorrow. I leave the house and take the tram into the city using my prepaid travel card.

12 p.m. — I hop off the tram and run into another mutual friend, A., so I invite her to join us for brunch. I order a cauliflower and halloumi fritter with bacon, poached eggs, micro greens, and beet whipped ricotta, plus a flat white with oat milk. $20.50

2 p.m. — As we're picking up our numbers, A. decides to join us for the 10k tomorrow too (it's a charity run for women). The more the merrier — I'm really looking forward to it! At the check-in, I spot a sports store booth with big discounts on sneakers. I've been looking for new ones and spot a pair of Nike running shoes on sale, so I snag them. After we pick up our numbers, we part ways and I head home on the tram with my prepaid card again. $62.50

5 p.m. — I snack on watermelon and rice crackers whilst getting ready for tonight. A friend and I are going to RuPaul's Werq the World Tour, and I can't wait!! I am a huge fan of the show — obsessed even. I've seen every season at least twice. I bought the tickets for myself and a friend, who is just as big a fan as I am, for Christmas, and have been counting down the days ever since!

7 p.m. — We meet up ahead of time for a drink. I buy the first round, a pint of Guinness for me and an alcohol-free Paulaner for him. He gets the second round, although I only order a half pint of Guinness this time. I don't want to drink too much tonight before the race tomorrow. $11.40

8:30 p.m. — We make our way over to the venue and I get popcorn to snack on during the show. $5.83

11 p.m. — The show was amazing. It was so cool to see all the queens live and in person! We go our separate ways afterwards and I stick around a little to see if I can catch any of them leaving the venue. No luck, but I do make friends with the couple standing next to me and we end up taking the tram together. I use my prepaid travel card. I'm happy to have company and not to have to make the trip home alone so late at night. I get home just before 1 a.m., chat with B. for a little about the show, and head to bed.

10 a.m. — Sleep in a little this morning and get up slowly after a little cuddle with B. I decide to make another cookbook recipe of poached eggs with mushrooms, spinach, and truffle oil on toast. I don't have spinach, so I substitute for asparagus and pull toast out of the freezer. I poach my eggs but quickly realize something is very wrong with them. As I try to figure out how they got so weirdly spongy and bubbly, I burn my toast. Not a great start to the morning. I give up on my fancy breakfast and instead defrost protein banana bread from the freezer and eat a slice. I also make a coffee from our Nespresso machine.

12:30 p.m. — I get changed, put a few essentials into a bag, and I'm off into town to meet my friends for the race! The tram is PACKED, but I manage to squeeze in and use my prepaid travel card. I also happen to be on the same one as A. (whose birthday is today), so it makes meeting up that much easier. Race starts at 2, but we have to be at the starting line at 1:30. We find S. and we're off!

4 p.m. — We made it! The weather was beautiful and the ambiance was amazing, plus we did it in great time! We collect our goodie bags and medals, snap a few pics, and part ways. We're meeting up later to celebrate A.'s birthday, but first, I need to put my feet up for a bit.

8 p.m. — After a shower at home and chill time watching MasterChef Australia, I get dressed, put on makeup, and dash out the door again to meet the girls. My travel card needs to be topped up, so I do that now. $12

9 p.m. — We have dinner at a fun hibachi restaurant and it is all the riot I expected it to be. Our chef is hilarious, and since we are just three people, he gets us to talk with the people seated beside us. We all have a good laugh. We get beef, prawns, duck, fried rice, veggies, and two bottles of wine. We split the bill evenly between the three of us. $49.10

11 p.m. — Now it's time for drinks! Over to a Mexican bar/restaurant just down the road for margaritas and dancing. We each get our own first drinks, and then I get a round for everyone. (S.'s birthday is next weekend and she won't be here, so this is my chance to get her a birthday drink, too.) $46.80

2:30 a.m. — A. lives near me, so we get a taxi home together and split it. I've never been happier to crawl into bed. It has been a long day, and I know I'll feel it tomorrow, but nevertheless, I'm one happy fish. $14

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