A Week In Las Vegas, NV, On An $85,000 Salary

Occupation: Vice President
Industry: Real Estate Company
Age: 27
Location: Las Vegas
Salary: $85,000
Paycheck Amount: $1,500 for my hourly biweekly paycheck, plus ~$4,000-$5,000 for commission monthly

Monthly Expenses
Mortgage: $1,600 (I live with my boyfriend, but he's in dental school so I pay the majority for now.)
Student Loan Payment: $0 (My parents helped pay for college, and real estate school is very affordable.)
Health Insurance: $0 (Covered by work)
Car Insurance: $280
Utilities: ~$400 (The boyfriend and I sometimes split.)
Netflix: $11.99
Hulu: $10
Yoga Studio: $30
Phone: $0 (Covered by work)
Savings: Once I pay off my credit card for the month, everything else from my commission goes into savings!

9 a.m. — Wake up. Brush my teeth. Re-curl beach waves in my hair. Get dressed. Grab my German Shepherd that goes to work with me everyday, kiss the BF, and hit the road.

11:30 a.m. — I have a huge presentation in two days to present to the city for new construction lofts, and, unfortunately, all my presentation boards came as posters by mistake! I'm supposed to be able to present these to city council on easels. Trying to create a plan B. HAPPY MONDAY.

1 p.m. — I have some apple slices with a salad of shredded chicken, kale, cucumbers, broccoli, and Trader Joe's cilantro dressing.

3 p.m. — After answering countless emails, I run to an art supply store for poster boards and adhesive to attach the posters ($67.89, expensed). Then I stop at the boba store next door and get a mango milk slush with boba to go. $6.34

4 p.m. — Come home to my boyfriend and his friend watching hockey on the couch, woohoo! We jump in the pool, since the weather is perfect right now, and swim for a few hours. My eldest German Shepherd is obsessed with water, and I am embarrassed to admit that part of why I bought this house is because it has a lap pool just for him. The mom in me is obsessed with watching him swim.

8:30 p.m. — Going to a charcuterie party tonight! Made a quick dinner of buffalo chicken, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and campfire potatoes for dinner while watching the newest episode of Westworld during dinner on the couch. Luckily we did a big Costco run yesterday, so I have everything for the charcuterie plate. Make the plate and off we go! With the puppy of course.

11 p.m. — Well that was uneventful. We didn't last long, but it was quite a spread. Come home, wash my face with Cerave, and do a cucumber aloe vera face mask. I get in bed with my boyfriend, our two 100-pound German Shepherds, and The Good Doctor. We are obsessed with this show. Time for bed.

10 a.m. — We had a really late night family emergency that kept us all up until 5 a.m. So happy everyone is okay, but we are all exhausted. BF runs out the door late to an appointment and I crawl out of bed. Brush teeth, grab the dogs, and head to the office. It's gonna be a long day...

12 p.m. — So. Tired. Went to my parents to check on everyone, and all is well. I'm starving, but nothing sounds good. Guess that means it's a good day for In-N-Out. Animal style fries fix everything, right? $8.77

3:30 p.m. — The struggle is so real today. Take a break from fixing a broken computer in our office (definitely not how I should be spending my time) and take the dogs outside for a break. Our office used to be a home, so it has a big grassy backyard for them. Yes, they are a little spoiled. Mom is busy today, so I go to pick up my little brother from school for her. Then he and my BF go skating for an hour. My BF is suddenly a major ice skater/hockey player because of the Vegas Golden Knights. Go Knights, go!

5 p.m. — Banana Republic is having a 40% off sale on the whole store; perfect timing for my presentation tomorrow. I get a navy silk top and grey tweed cigarette pants. Then I go home and get directly in the bathtub with a plate of snacks and catch up on How to Get Away with Murder. So nice. Make a sandwich for dinner and lay in bed with the BF until I fall asleep around 8. $106.45

9 a.m. — Today is my presentation. Nerves. I never really dress professionally, but today I gotta step it up. BF makes us breakfast sandwiches of scrambled eggs with peppers, onions, pecorino cheese, and prosciutto. We eat together while talking about his “housewife life,” since he's on a break in his third year of dental school. Lol.

12 p.m. — So. Many. Errands. First to my parents' house to grab a wagon, then to the office to pick up all the supplies for my booth, and then to City Hall. This is going to require caffeine. I get a venti iced chai with two shots from Starbucks, which I order through the app for pick up. $6.75

7 p.m. — Today has flown by. So many people are here! I'm losing my voice after three hours. With 30 minutes left, BF surprises me and shows up with sandwiches. Ugh, I'm so grateful for him. We sit for 30 more minutes eating sandwiches while I finish up. Then we pack up the car and head home! So happy to see the pups!! I make popcorn and lay down. My feet hurt from standing all day, so I soak them in the hottest water I can stand. I'll be glad to be back to my normal routine tomorrow. I'm having a procedure done at my dermatologist's office on my neck tomorrow called Kybella. I am so nervous, because apparently you swell like when Violet Beauregarde turns into a blueberry in Willy Wonka, and I have never had Botox or any needles put into my face before. But I'm so excited for the results.

7:30 a.m. — Dogs will not stop whining. I rarely wake up this early, so this is not fun for me. Thankfully the BF gets up and takes them downstairs. I have about another hour to snooze.

10 a.m. — Left the house a little early, so I stop at Coffee Bean for an iced hazelnut coffee. I hate sitting at the doctor's office and waiting forever. $3.87

1:30 p.m. — I survived! It was intense, but not intolerable! My neck is so swollen though. I literally look like a bullfrog. I have to get this done twice more, so I just pay for the whole thing now while I'm here. This shit is not cheap, but it's so worth it. My best friend and her husband are coming home from Portland this weekend to take their engagement photos — talk about bad timing for me, but oh well! I go to work, and have leftover salad for lunch. $1,000

4 p.m. — Everything that was numb is no longer numb and I am in so much pain. Crap. I'm at work and can't even focus. It's gonna be a long weekend with this. I get the dogs and haul ass home to get ready to watch the Knights game tonight. I just recently bought a new car and have been making a constant effort to keep it clean, so I run through the car wash really quickly to keep her shiny. $10.31

7 p.m. — GAME TIME! This bar is so packed. It's the closest thing to being at the game, for sure. It ends up being a total sweep against San Jose of 0-7. The energy is so insane. It's awesome to see Las Vegas finally have an incredible team to rally behind. I Venmo my boyfriend for drinks and beers, and then leave go meet up with a friend. I catch up with her and her fiancé with some classy Coors Light. I'm a sucker for beer. $50

11 p.m. — Meet the boyfriend at home after a long night and pass out. Our team winning made today so fun! But I'm sleepy.

8 a.m. — Dogs wake us up again. Oh boy, I am feeling those beers and Bloody Marys. Chug water and get ready for work. I throw on a dress and a light jean jacket, grab the dogs, kiss the BF, and hit the road!

12 p.m. — My best friend's fiancé comes to my work so I can do a video interview of him for her bridal shower coming up. We can't keep straight faces because his answers are so funny. I am so hungry and still hungover. I work with both of my parents, and today I go to lunch with my dad at our spot around the corner. We get Cobb salads and catch up on family drama of the week. I am a major daddy's girl, so I love spending time with him. He buys. Thanks, Dad!

1:30 p.m. — Pick up my best friend from getting her hair done! We have a busy afternoon. I drop the dogs off at home and then take her to get her makeup done for engagement photos. We stop for boba and sandwiches on the way ($13.87). She is the most easygoing person ever, and I micromanage everything, so this will be simple! We take pictures at some of our favorite bars downtown at sunset. $13.87

7 p.m. — Wow, that was exhausting. We walked at least 30 blocks while I carried outfit changes, but we got amazing photos and I am so stoked for her. We go to Shake Shack after. My best friend and her fiancé have never had it, and I have recently discovered that I like it more than In-N-Out. (This is a very heated topic, I have discovered.) I get a chicken sandwich with extra pickles and they pay as a thank you for my help today. So sweet. After gossiping for hours, I drop them back off at home and crawl into bed with the boyfriend. Today was a long day, and it's good to be in bed by 10.

9 a.m. — Boyfriend and I are of course woken up by the dogs again. We both throw on hats and gym clothes and load the dogs up into the car to grab breakfast. There's a little French place near us that has the most amazing croissants and paninis. We order one of each and grab a spot on the patio. $14.67

3 p.m. — After breakfast, we go home to Netflix and chill. Then I buy groceries through Amazon Pantry: chicken breasts, ground turkey, brussels sprouts, asparagus, arugula, lemons, limes, strawberries, cheese, bell peppers, avocados, pita bread, cauliflower gnocchi, vodka sauce, and tortilla chips. All from my couch. I am so happy. And lazy. $187.98

6 p.m. — I start a sausage and tortellini soup with spinach, onions, and a ton of garlic and lemon zest that hits the spot for a lazy dinner. I crawl into bed with a face mask that my dog decides to pull off and run down the hallway with. What a waste, but so funny.

7 a.m. — I am not a morning person. This is so early for me, but I get up, throw on something a little more professional than normal because I am meeting with investors, and hit the door. My dogs are howling behind the door because they're not coming with me. My heart aches, but I have to go! I hit the Starbucks app for a venti iced chai with two shots and a protein box before I even leave my driveway. $8.75

1 p.m. — We spent the last few hours driving to properties, so we are now starving. I treat my clients to my favorite lunch spot in Vegas called Carson Kitchen in our downtown area. We order a ridiculous amount of tapas to share and the most amazing donut bread pudding, along with a few rounds of whiskey. I can't drink (sadly) because I am the chauffeur, but they happily indulge. This is a company expense, thankfully. ($279.67 expensed)

7 p.m. — What a day! Very productive and exhausting. I walk in the door at home to two happy dogs, a smiling boyfriend who has already made dinner, and the hockey game on. Ugh, I'm not sure what I would do without these guys. It was the perfect ending to this day.

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