A Week In New York City On A Joint $165,000 Salary

Occupation: Freelance Copywriter & Part-Time Sales Associate
Industry: Creative & Retail
Age: 30
Location: New York
My Salary: $15,000
Paycheck (2x/month): $500
Husband's Salary: $150,000
Husband's Paycheck (2x/month): $3,500 and he gets a yearly bonus based on company performance. Last year it was $5,000. My husband and I have a joint bank account. (The joys of being basically unemployed.)

Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: $3,095
My Student Loans: $0. I don't earn enough to pay back my loans.
Husband's Student Loans: $960 back to the U.K.
Credit Card: $100

All Other Monthly Expenses
Utilities: $200
Apple Music: $14.99 (family plan)
401(k): $0, but my husband contributes $1,000 from his paycheck.
Insurance: $0. I'm covered by my husband's policy.
Phone: $300 for both phones and plans. The price is high, as we had no U.S. credit when we moved here and ended up with a terrible plan.
Netflix: $9.99
Hulu: $7.95
HBO: $0. I mooch from a friend.
Amazon Prime: $0. Mooch from a friend.
Cat Supplies: $50 for litter, food, and toys
Savings: ~$300. We try to put as much as possible into savings but it's difficult when my income varies so much.

8 a.m. — I lost my job a few months ago and have desperately been trying to be savvier about my spending. One of the first things we sacrificed was our gym membership. Paying $300-plus for eucalyptus towels was just too much. We have a small gym in our building and I go down there when I wake up and log a few miles on the treadmill before doing weights.

10 a.m. — Have a quick shower, eat a toasted English muffin, and go to my part-time sales associate job nearby. The store has been really quiet after Christmas, and hours are being cut so this is a shorter shift than I usually do.

4 p.m. — Finish work and head home. Quickly eat a couple of crackers and feed the cat before walking to a bar near my apartment to meet a friend I haven't seen for a while. We order a bottle of wine and finish it pretty quickly. We order one more glass, then meet my husband and some friends at a different bar around the corner. We split the check and pay $50 each. I order a Diet Coke at the next bar (my trick for keeping my hangovers at bay!) and my friend pays. It's so fun to be out with friends; life has been getting me down a bit recently and it's easy to end up spending weekends doing nothing in an effort to save money. We head to a BBQ bar and order a few plates to share along with a round of drinks. Split the bill between four and I pay my and my husband's share. We leave and decide to get one more drink at another bar. Husband's friend buys the round. $100

1 a.m. — On our way home, my husband says he is desperate for a Big Mac so we make a quick stop at McDonald's. I order a Filet-O-Fish — even though I'm not hungry — and my husband orders everything off the menu. $26

10 a.m. — We have a very lazy day today. I decided that 2018 would be the year I complete a half marathon, but the wine and the McDonald's have me feeling gross this morning. Instead of going for a run I make eggs for brunch. Whoops. Spend the rest of the afternoon watching Netflix, doing a few chores around the house, and napping.

5:30 p.m. — It was my birthday a few months ago and I was gifted tickets to Meteor Shower on Broadway with Amy Schumer. The show was written by Steve Martin, whom I LOVE, so I'm very excited. We decide to eat dinner downtown instead of trying to find somewhere near Times Square and end up at a cute Italian place we've never been to before. We split an appetizer, husband orders lamb off the specials, and I go with pasta. Finish off the meal with crème brûlée and then almost have a heart attack when the check comes: the two bottles of still water we ordered were $9 each! $170 (including tip)

7:30 p.m. — Hop on the subway to Times Square and make our way to the theater where I buy another water and a bag of M&M's. Nearly have another heart attack when the bill comes to $10. I knew we should have stopped at Duane Reade to get snacks! $10

10 p.m. — The show was great and we briefly consider going for a drink before heading home but decide against it. We walk a few blocks to get on the subway away from Times Square and go home. Watch an episode of American Horror Story and eat my left-over M&M's with a glass of wine before going to bed.

9:30 a.m. — We make it down to the gym this morning and run for 30 minutes. Have a quick shower and make our weekly meal plan along with a very nice Italian coffee my husband makes. I've been meal planning for as long as I can remember and I love how organized it makes me feel. Husband has to pop into work this morning for a few hours so I go grocery shopping, equipped with a list and reusable bags. I get salmon, kale, eggs, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, oranges, bananas, frozen veggie nuggets, and eggs. I also stock up on an incredible English cheddar my mother-in-law found when she came over a few months ago. I'm sorry, America, but your cheese is terrible and this stuff is delicious — expensive, but delicious. My husband and I are trying to make more time for dates and decided we'd make homemade pizzas tonight, so I also pick up dough, pizza sauce, and mozzarella. $76

11:30 a.m. — I make a quick stop at H&M to return a dress I bought before Christmas but end up exchanging it for a sweater, a jacket (which was a huge bargain at only $7!), a plain white t-shirt, and an ear cuff that I love even though it is probably too edgy for me. $50

2 p.m. — My husband is still at work so I catch up on Grey's Anatomy on Hulu and eat scrambled eggs. It's such a gorgeous winter day that I decide to meet my husband; we go for a walk in the sunshine and get coffee. We have a long chat about how anxious I'm feeling about my career. I'm worried I'll never find a job over here and I'm really concerned about the effect that'll have when/if we move back home. $8

4 p.m. — We pop into a bodega on the way home and get chips and Diet Coke to have with our pizza tonight. We get back and watch a few hours of Netflix with homemade nachos before we make the pizza and watch another episode of American Horror Story. I swear, I've spent so much time on the couch this weekend that it's molded to my body shape. $8

8 a.m. — Same old, same old: wake up, scroll through Instagram for too long, go to the gym, and eat homemade muesli.

10 a.m. — I'm not due at work until later this afternoon so I decide to work on a few job applications. I've been lucky enough to get a few remote freelance gigs, but my last one ended just before Christmas and I need to find something new. Since losing my full-time job and struggling to get many interviews, my confidence has really taken a hit and I'm so close to giving up. I hate the job application process more than anything; I feel like every waking moment should be spent searching and applying, and I have a constant voice in my head telling me that I'm a failure. I had a great job back home and I don't understand why I'm not getting ahead here. I've tried everything — recruiters, reaching out to companies directly, using my (small) network of contacts. I know that “New York is a tough place,” but I feel like everyone else here has a job. Why don't I?

12 p.m. — I make eggs and sautéed kale for lunch and work on a cover letter for a role that's a bit of a career change. I'm not happy with how it's sounding, so I call it a day before walking to work for a short and sweet shift.

7:30 p.m. — A new noodle place opened up on our block and I saw on Instagram that they're offering 50% off for their soft launch. Arrange to meet my husband there for dinner but find out it's closed! We decide to go home and have a goat cheese salad for dinner instead.

9 p.m. — Remember I signed up to volunteer to read to schoolkids a few weeks ago, but I needed to complete an online form before I could enroll in orientation. Do the form in bed then fall into a very restless night of sleep.

7 a.m. — I wake up feeling very grumpy and emotional. I've always been incredibly independent but since moving to the U.S., I feel like I've become a timid little mouse. Not good in a city as loud and crazy as New York. I miss the old me. I also hate the fact that my husband pretty much 100% financially supports me at the moment. I try to contribute what I can with my freelancing and part-time jobs but it feels like a drop in the ocean sometimes. I head down to the gym and blast Kanye and Beyoncé, hoping some of their confidence will rub off on me. It works, and I feel pumped for the day! I eat a bowl of muesli and a satsuma for breakfast and tidy the apartment, which always seems messy in the mornings.

11 a.m. — My eyebrows have officially merged and become one. I am in desperate need of a good thread, but the place I used to go was $40 with tip. I know, I know — but I'm super protective of my eyebrows and have had so many bad experiences that I just took the hit. Now though, it's time to stop being a snob. I go to a little place a customer told me about at work. It costs $10 with tip and I love the end result! I scold myself for wasting so much money on my eyebrows over the last two years. $10

11:30 a.m. — I have trouble concentrating at home so I go to a coffee shop and spend a few hours finishing the application I started yesterday. Fuel my work with coffee and a coconut macaroon and skip lunch. $4.50

4 p.m. — Make a quick stop at Target on my way home to get peppers, milk, and paper towels, which I forgot to buy on Sunday. End up buying a few other bits and pieces because it's Target and walk home. $15

7 p.m. — I make tofu Thai curry for dinner, which I end up eating alone as husband has to work late.

8 a.m. — Decide to take a day off from the gym and potter around for a few hours before heading to work. It's taking all of my willpower not to do any online shopping but money is tight this month after we went home for Christmas. I really want to buy new clothes but I fight the urge!

3 p.m. — I have a couple of items to return to the store I work at, so I do that once my shift has finished. After, I meet my husband and we have coffee before I head home to work on yet another job application. I emailed the cover letter I was working on yesterday to my husband who gives me a bit of feedback. I tweak it, then go to apply and discover the job has been taken down. ARGH! So annoying. I wallow for a bit and watch This Is Us before making roasted salmon with potatoes, kale, and broccoli for dinner. I feel very virtuous after a healthy dinner, but end up eating a huge bag of popcorn and half a packet of chocolate biscuits my mom sent me from home. $8

10 p.m. — Check my credit card balance before bed and see I forgot to cancel the three-month free trial for a résumé ATS scanner I signed up for, and I've been charged. Damn it. I'd better start having some luck with these job applications I'm sending off or I'll be pissed that I've wasted that money. $88

8 a.m. — I have the day off today and have woken up in a strop again after yesterday's vanishing job posting. Decide I need more Kanye and Beyoncé to cheer me up, so I head to the gym. I start my (very slow) run when a guy comes in and I feel bad that I'm on the treadmill. He makes it very clear he wants to run by standing around and looking at me instead of using the other equipment. I contemplate getting off so he can use it, but immediately feel annoyed with myself for even thinking that. I have as much right as he does to be on the treadmill and I vow to ignore him and finish my workout. I end up pushing myself further than I usually do and I feel super strong!

9:30 a.m. — Tidy up the apartment and clean the bathroom before I FaceTime my best friend, eating Greek yogurt with frozen peaches and granola while we talk. She always makes me feel better and I feel positive about life for the first time in a while. We decide that I should consider an internship. I spend a few hours doing more job applications, including one for an editorial internship and two remote part-time writing roles.

2 p.m. — I eat leftover Thai curry from the other day for lunch. It's another gorgeously crisp and sunny day so I wrap up, go for a walk, and treat myself to a coffee. $4

3:30 p.m. — Get back and feel revitalized! Sit at the table and do another job application, play with the cat for a bit, and find an internship I think I'd like to apply for. I worry that I'm too old and no one will want to hire me as an intern, but I try to address that in my cover letter. Fingers crossed!

7:30 p.m. — I make a disgusting dinner of Quorn chicken pieces and vegetables in a sauce made out of Diet Coke. It's really not very good but my lovely husbands eats it all.

8:30 p.m. — Finally get around to booking a pap smear. There's a big Instagram campaign at the moment in the U.K. encouraging women to get checked. I realize I'm a few years overdue so it's time to put my personal embarrassment aside and go for it. I'm getting my bikini line lasered on Sunday and I figure if I can let someone get up close and incredibly personal in the name of vanity, I can do it for my health, too. After a disappointing week, I treat myself to an at-home gel manicure kit from Amazon Prime. $77

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