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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)
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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
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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
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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
Money Diaries are meant to reflect individual women's experiences and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29's point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior. The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more money diaries, click here. Have a money diary you'd like to share? Send it to us at https://you.refinery29.com/submit-money-diary.

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