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Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennials how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar.
This week, we're featuring moms and their spending during the back-to-school rush. Per Deloitte, in the United States alone, back-to-school season is the second biggest shopping season of the year, "touching 29 million households and accounting for $27 billion in sales." Since women are usually responsible for household purchases, wherever they are in the country or in the world, we wanted to see what it's like for women with children of a variety of ages, in a variety of locations.
Today: a graduate student who makes $120,000 per year, and spent some of her money this week on school clothes and Origins face wash.
Occupation: Graduate student
Industry: Military
Age: 33
Location: Monterey, California
Salary: $120,000. The military pays my salary and tuition.
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $4,225.01
Industry: Military
Age: 33
Location: Monterey, California
Salary: $120,000. The military pays my salary and tuition.
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $4,225.01
Monthly Expenses
Housing: $3,000 to rent a house with my daughter. My husband is stationed in Los Angeles.
Car Payment: $702/month for five years
Student Loan: $449, with $4,000 remaining
Housing: $3,000 to rent a house with my daughter. My husband is stationed in Los Angeles.
Car Payment: $702/month for five years
Student Loan: $449, with $4,000 remaining
All Other Monthly Expenses
Auto Insurance: $90
Electricity: $135 — and my landlord reimburses 35%. Long story short, I found out that I had been paying my landlord's electricity for six months. They reimbursed me for their portion and decided 35% was fair since they spend 50% of time out of town.
Cable & Internet: $92.75
Daughter's Care: $35/day, four days per week for summer camp
HOA: $190 per quarter for a rental I have in Texas
Verizon Wireless: $150/month (including my husband's phone)
Netflix: $10/month
Barre Unlimited Membership: $112.50/month
Amazon Prime: Husband pays with his check
Retirement: 9% of monthly base pay. (I know it should be more!)
Savings: ~$1,500/month, plus whatever I have left in my checking account when I get paid
Auto Insurance: $90
Electricity: $135 — and my landlord reimburses 35%. Long story short, I found out that I had been paying my landlord's electricity for six months. They reimbursed me for their portion and decided 35% was fair since they spend 50% of time out of town.
Cable & Internet: $92.75
Daughter's Care: $35/day, four days per week for summer camp
HOA: $190 per quarter for a rental I have in Texas
Verizon Wireless: $150/month (including my husband's phone)
Netflix: $10/month
Barre Unlimited Membership: $112.50/month
Amazon Prime: Husband pays with his check
Retirement: 9% of monthly base pay. (I know it should be more!)
Savings: ~$1,500/month, plus whatever I have left in my checking account when I get paid
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