A Week In Omaha, NE, On An $84,000 Salary

Occupation: Healthcare Analyst
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 28
Location: Omaha, NE
Salary: $84,000
Paycheck Amount (Biweekly): $2,300
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $900 for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment (This includes internet as well as parking for the first six months of my lease.)
Loans: $1,000 (I have $60,000 in loans for grad school and my car. My parents kindly loaned to me for both, interest-free.)
Health Insurance: $19 (pre-tax)
401(k): $175 (pre-tax; my employer matches this)
Car Insurance: $125
Renter's Insurance: $12
Utilities: ~$80
Phone Plan: $40
Netflix, Hulu, etc.: $0 (I mooch off my brother and parents.)
Savings: $1,000 (Right now I'm working on building my emergency fund. Once I get to the amount I want, I'll move more into my retirement contribution.)

7 a.m. — I wake up and scroll social media on my phone for 15 minutes, then get in the shower. I'm living alone for the first time, and it's worth it just to avoid coordinating bathroom schedules with roommates. While I get ready, I eat some Greek yogurt and listen to an episode of My Dad Wrote a Porno. (I know, I am really late to the game!) It's sooo cringeworthy.

8:30 a.m. — I leave for work, which is just a short drive. Now that the weather's nice, I want to start biking to work, but I need to force myself to get out the door earlier. I make a coffee in the office kitchen, then head to my 9 a.m. meeting.

1 p.m. — I brought a homemade salad for lunch — spinach with balsamic vinaigrette, steak, strawberries, cucumber, avocado, feta, and walnuts — which I supplement with a bag of pretzels from the kitchen. I have a lot to finish in between meetings today, so I eat at my desk.

5:30 p.m. — My coworkers are going to happy hour in a cool neighborhood near midtown. I started my job four months ago and still feel like I'm not past the small-talk level with many of my coworkers, so this is a good opportunity to get some more face time in. I pay for parking ($2) and meet everyone inside. $2

6 p.m. — The happy hour deals are amazing here, so I get a drink and what turns out to be a MASSIVE order of tots ($11.50). We decide to migrate to a speakeasy kind of place a block over, and I get another drink there ($9.86). $21.36

9 p.m. — I had fun getting to know everyone better, but I've definitely had enough work talk for one day. I head home, do my nightly skin routine, pack up my stuff for tomorrow, and go to bed around 11.

7:30 a.m. — I hit snooze three times, which means I lose the time to do my hair nicely, but messy buns are fine by me. I have some yogurt as I put my makeup on and make a note to take a trip to Sephora soon. I have bad acne, and while I love the consistency of my foundation, sometimes it seems like it's drawing more attention to my breakouts. I head in to work, make coffee, and start plugging away at my to-do list.

11 a.m. — I'm taking a business trip to New York in a few weeks, and I've decided that I'll stay through the weekend just for fun. I have a few friends from different walks of life who live in the city. I figure I won't want to be tied down staying with someone the whole time, so I splurge on a hotel that's pretty central to everyone I want to see. My company will pay for my flights, so I just need to cover my hotel over the weekend. $335.34

12:30 p.m. — I walk to the cafeteria with a coworker for lunch. I make a Mediterranean-inspired salad at the salad bar and get an iced tea. It's super cheap! $4.25

3:30 p.m. — I sit in on a few afternoon meetings and feel like everyone can hear my stomach growling — that salad wasn't too filling. I grab a Diet Coke and a granola bar from the office kitchen to fuel me through some boring spreadsheets.

5:30 p.m. — Done for the day, and time for a quick workout at the gym upstairs. I might eventually shell out for a membership somewhere else, but the free gyms at my apartment and at the office are pretty nice, and between the two, I have everything I need for now. I'm not feeling very energized today, but I force myself to do a few intervals on the treadmill.

7 p.m. — I get home and shower, then make a dinner of broiled salmon, Brussels sprouts, and roasted red potatoes for dinner. So satisfying. I've been trying to do better at making full, healthy meals at home, rather than grazing on snacks or ordering takeout. I definitely feel better about myself when I do it. I am exhausted for no reason, so I zone out with a few old episodes of Veep before bed around 10:30.

6:30 a.m. — I hop through the shower, do my makeup, and get dressed. I make some avocado toast (topped with arugula, cherry tomato, garlic, salt and pepper, and lemon juice) and get into work by 8. I'm leaving early today to get an IUD. I'm kind of nervous but also excited — I'm tired of remembering to take a pill every day, and the brand I'm getting is also supposed to lighten periods over time.

12 p.m. — Ugh. I had some time-sensitive things added to my plate today, but I need to leave for my appointment. I'll finish up when I get home — fortunately, it's nothing I can't do while chilling on the couch.

2 p.m. — HOLY @%$# DID THAT HURT. Wow. I almost passed out from the pain, and the nurse made me stay and take my blood pressure to make sure I was okay to go home. But it's over! I just feel a little sore now. I pass a Target on my way home, so I go in to buy a heating pad in case the cramping gets bad. $19.32

3 p.m. — I get back to my apartment to find a gorgeous flower arrangement waiting for me! My boyfriend, A., sent them with the sweetest note. He was so cute and nervous for me, so I text him to say thank you and let him know everything went smoothly. Then I change into sweats, make a quick salad since I never ate lunch, and flop on the couch to send off my last couple work assignments.

6 p.m. — A. comes over with the essentials for a recovery day. He whips up his famous grilled cheese while we catch up on our days, and then we settle in for movie night with some wine and ice cream.

9 a.m. — I wake up feeling a little crampy, but otherwise fine. It's a gorgeous 75-degree morning, so A. and I decide to go to the gym, then spend the rest of the day by the pool in my complex. We make some toast before walking down to the gym in my building.

11 a.m. — After the gym, we make a quick run to the grocery store to get some White Claws and snacks to have by the pool. He pays for those, and I pick up a couple of groceries (spinach, two avocados, and turkey burgers) at the same time. $10.15

12 p.m. — The pool is packed! The bros are out in full force today, and there are too many Solo cups, portable speakers, and Juuls to count. We spend the rest of the afternoon getting sun and people-watching.

6 p.m. — Another lazy evening — I'm starting to get some pretty heavy cramps. We throw together some turkey burgers with guac, salad, and fries and then settle in to finally watch the new season of Black Mirror. We speed through them all in one sitting, but I'm kind of disappointed compared to other seasons. A. hasn't seen any of them, so I launch into fanatic mode and make him watch two older episodes before we turn in for the night.

10 a.m. — It's pouring rain today, and I do not feel like leaving the apartment. A. heads home, and I make peanut butter toast and coffee for breakfast. For the next few hours, I get some annoying paperwork done, which I feel good about. I also sign up for a volunteer shift for a charity run in a few weeks. I've been wanting to get more involved in the community, and I'm hoping to meet some new people at the same time.

2 p.m. — Lunch is a sandwich with sliced turkey, avocado, tomato, and spinach, which I eat while I catch up with my parents on the phone. I do a half-assed bodyweight workout in my living room, then paint my nails while watching some John Mulaney stand-up.

7 p.m. — I make salmon, Brussels sprouts, and fries for dinner, then make some chocolate chip banana bread with some rapidly mushying bananas I have. After a little Googling, I learn that you can actually sub baking powder for baking soda with a quick conversion — who knew?

8:30 p.m. — I take a shower, do a face mask, and sketch for a bit while listening to podcasts. I turn off the lights around 11, but can't fall asleep for over an hour — Sunday scaries are too real.

7 a.m. — I hit snooze three times, then eventually get up, have some banana bread, and get ready for work. I decide to put in a little more effort to my outfit — start the week off on a high note, right? I pack my gym bag and lunch, then head out.

9 a.m. — After making coffee, I get down to work. Lots of people are on vacation this week, so things are quiet and I love the opportunity to catch up on stuff without getting too many new projects.

1 p.m. — I have a salad from home (spinach mix, salmon, tomato, cucumber, avo, and feta) at my desk, and take a break to read my favorite advice columns (such a guilty pleasure) and scroll through Instagram.

2 p.m. — I was just brought on to a new project, so I spend some time this afternoon reading up on the background and scope of the work. Then I have a few back-to-back meetings. I snack on two clementines in between.

5:30 p.m. — I do my full-body weight routine in the office gym. It's a bit crowded today, and I forgot my headphones, so I try to push through and get out of there quickly.

6:30 p.m. — There's nothing in my fridge, so it's time for a Trader Joe's run. I get a bunch of my regular staples: bell peppers, salad mix, apples, chicken, salmon, deli turkey, frozen meals, almond milk, some pantry items, and yes, Two-Buck Chuck. $86.31

8 p.m. — I throw one of my frozen pizzas in the oven and eat while I read a chapter of my book that's taking forever to finish. A. and I text back and forth about nothing for a while, then I hop in the shower and turn in around 10:30.

7 a.m. — I get out of bed on my first alarm (what?), make coffee at home, and have a slice of banana bread and yogurt while I get ready.

1 p.m. — I have to say, I killed it at work this morning! The points I made in a meeting were well received, and I stepped up to take on a bigger part in one of our projects, which I'm really excited about. I take a break to eat (another homemade salad and an apple with peanut butter) with a few coworkers who are hanging around in the kitchen.

5 p.m. — I leave right at 5, so I have time to run home and decompress before A. and I head to a concert at 8 (I bought the tickets last week). I'm starving when I get home, so I have a very thick slice of banana bread while I check the mail — my old roommate sent me some mail that didn't get forwarded to me. I promised her I'd cover the cost of postage, so I send it over Venmo. $1.05

6 p.m. — For dinner, I throw together chicken tikka masala with a sauce I got at TJ's. It turns out great, and I made enough for a few lunches this week! I change, freshen up my makeup, and am brushing my teeth right as A. knocks. We have a quick dinner and glass of wine on my balcony before A. calls an Uber.

11 p.m. — The concert was amazing. I knew the band well, but the opener was seriously incredible! A. bought our drinks, which were very strong. A. calls another Uber, and once home I have some water and tortilla chips. We talk for a bit before going to bed.

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