A Week In NYC On A $75,000 Salary

Welcome to Money Diaries, where we're tackling what might be the last taboo facing modern working women: money. We're asking millennial women how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last dollar. (Thanks, New York mag, for the inspiration.) This week a woman working in H.R. making $75,000 a year and taking full advantage of Uber's transportation and delivery services.

Industry: Technology
Age: 25
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $75,000
Paycheck Amount (biweekly): $1,857.52 Monthly Expenses
Monthly Housing Costs: $1,300 (Total rent is $3,700 - I split with my boyfriend based on our salaries)
Monthly Loan Payments: $0 (I was fortunate enough to have my parents cover my college expenses 100%)
Spa Membership: $155.71
Cleaning Service: $80
Waxing: $127.61
Eyelash Extensions: $150.21
Gas, Cable, Electric, Netflix & Apple Music: $0 (Boyfriend pays)

Day One

9:30 a.m. — Go by my dermatologist office's for annual check-up. Co-pay is $40. 9:45 a.m. — Take a cab from the doctor's office in the Financial District to Soho for work. $12 10:15 a.m. — I eat some office oatmeal and have a leftover iced coffee in the fridge from yesterday for breakfast. Usually I spend way too much money on food and coffee, so this week I am trying to be creative with free food! 12:30 p.m. — I somehow convince my boyfriend to order By Chloe with me for lunch. (We work together!) Used Postmates and put it on his credit card. Score! 6:30 p.m. — Take an Uber back home to the Financial District. $8.07 Daily Total: $60.07

Day Two

8:40 a.m. — Take an Uber to work with my boyfriend. He puts it on his card. 9:30 a.m. — Eat oatmeal from the office for breakfast. I received a Nespresso machine for the holidays, and brought an espresso shot from home today. 10:30 a.m. — Feeling a little run down, so my friend picks me up a wellness shot from Pressed Juicery across the street. I pay her back. $2.50 12:30 p.m. — Too lazy to walk outside and get lunch. Order a healthy lunch from Mulberry & Vine on UberEats. $13.88 4:00 p.m. — Purchase a pilates class for next week with a friend. We like to try new fitness studios and classes each week. (It's a new thing — we'll see how long it lasts!) $20.90 7:00 p.m. — Get home from work and order rice and beans from Tacombi using UberEats. $7.24 Daily Total: $44.52

Day Three

8:00 a.m. — We try a new cleaning service today for a "deep clean" in our apartment. It costs more than our usual $80 clean. Unsure if it was worth it. $115 12:30 p.m. — Have to stay home sick today (guess that wellness shot didn't work). Make some beans and quinoa that I already had in my pantry for lunch. The rest of the day, I snack on things I have in my apartment. 7:00 p.m. — Eat a veggie burger from my freezer for dinner. Daily Total: $115.00

Day Four

9:30 a.m. — Still sick. Sleep most of the day today. I make a smoothie with ingredients I have in my pantry and freezer for breakfast. 12:30 p.m. — Veggie burger from my freezer for lunch! Today is a great saving day. 7:00 p.m. — Order Empanada Mama with my boyfriend for dinner. He pays. Daily Total: $0.00

Day Five

9:30 p.m. — Eat a MacroBar for breakfast and a shot of espresso from my Nespresso machine. 2:30 p.m. — Go to Whole Foods (finally got out of the apartment!) and pick up groceries for the week for my boyfriend and me. I have a $35 gift card from a holiday gift, so I was able to take my purchase total from $81.91 to $46.91. I also brought my own tote bags, which saves another 10¢ per bag. $46.91

6:30 p.m. — Use my purchases at Whole Foods to make dinner and meal prep for the week.

Daily Total: $46.91

Day Six

8:30 a.m. — Take an Uber to work with my boyfriend. He pays. 9:30 a.m. — I wake up tired and need something stronger than my at-home Nespresso shot. Pick up a cold brew at By Chloe a few blocks from work. $4.50 12:30 p.m. — Eat black beans, quinoa, lentils, and spinach — food that I meal-prepped yesterday — for lunch. So far so good on saving money on food! 3:30 p.m. — Order new probiotics and a health and nutrition book on Amazon. $52.36 5:30 p.m. — I go for a manicure every two weeks and a pedicure once a month. Since I go to the same salon, I have a loyalty card where you save $10 when you spend $100. I get a manicure and add a 10-minute massage today, and it ended up only being $17 because I receive my $10 off today! I tip my technician $10. (All about giving good tips.) $27.00 7:00 p.m. — Take an Uber home from the nail salon. $9.57 7:30 p.m. — Have a veggie burger, some leftover roasted veggies, and a Kombucha for dinner. Daily Total: $93.43

Day Seven

9:15 p.m. — Eat a GoMacro bar (purchased at Whole Foods on Sunday) and have a Nespresso shot from home for breakfast. 12:30 p.m. — Pick up lunch at The Smile for me and my boyfriend. Decide to treat him today! $29.40 3:20 p.m. — I have been splurging on lots of beauty products (I'm a natural beauty fanatic — I love all face oils, masks, makeup, etc.). I wandered into Sephora and came out with an RMS Beauty Oil — something I've been lusting after for so long. I return some makeup I received over the holidays for a store credit, so I only have to pay $57.27 instead of $87. $57.27 6:30 p.m. — Decide to get some exercise and save money by walking home from work. 6:50 p.m. — Boyfriend is craving turkey bacon, so I stop in at Target to pick some up for him on my walk home. While in Target, as usual, I pick up two new natural beauty face masks and a travel-sized lotion for our beach vacation next month. $15.50 7:15 p.m. — Order rice, beans and chips from Dos Toros using UberEats for dinner. (I know, my rice and beans addiction is very apparent.) $10.67 Daily Total: $112.84