A Week In New York, NY On A $135,900 Income

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Occupation: Product Manager
Industry: Fin-tech
Age: 24
Location: New York, NY
Salary: $115,900 + $20,000 annual bonus
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,868
Gender Identity: Woman

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,182 (for my own room in a tiny two-bedroom that I share with my college roommate/close friend)
Loans: $150-$200 towards undergrad student loans (I currently have about $12,000 left to pay off.)
Spotify Premium: $15 (My brother and my ex are both on it, but I don't charge them.)
401(k): $430 with a 100% match
Dental Insurance: $12
Health Insurance: $122
Commuter Transit Card: $75
Vision Insurance: $7.50
Utilities & Electricity: $30-$45
WiFi: $25
Cell Phone: $0 (I'm still on my parents plan!)
Pet Insurance: $32 (for my family's dog)
My Parents' Car Payments: $950 (I lived at home rent-free for a year and a half after college, so I paid my parents' two car payments to compensate. Once I moved out, I realized that I was still able to afford this, so I've decided to keep paying indefinitely.)
Equinox: $215

9 a.m. — I wake up to head to a morning spin class at Equinox. My gym is pretty expensive and I was worried about justifying the cost for it, but I actually take way more classes now then I did back when I was on ClassPass, and there's only a $65 difference in price. Plus, the actual gym and its facilities are so nice that I'm motivated to go much more frequently.

12 p.m. — I shower, get ready, and head uptown where I'm meeting a friend/coworker to go to the Yankees game. She won box tickets through a lottery at work. I grab an Americano (tip $1) and meet her at the train station. She brought me a muffin, and we spend the 25-minute subway ride to the stadium munching away and catching up on life. $5.35

4:15 p.m. — The box has catered food and drinks, so naturally we go all out. I have two Bud Lights and grab some chicken tenders, fries, and assorted cheeses. The game ends up being delayed for two hours due to the rain, but we're in such a cozy space that we don't mind at all, and use that time to catch up even more. We decide to leave around 4 p.m., and chat with the employees that staff the VIP area on our way out. One of the employees tells us that A-Rod is an arrogant asshole and is super mean to the employees at the stadium. Sad, but not unexpected.

6:30 p.m. — My roommate has a lot of anxiety and has had some stress-induced health issues over the last few months, so she's been pushing off her 25th birthday celebration since February. My friends and I decide to throw her a belated surprise party, and I convince her to grab a "girls' dinner" with me at La Pecora Bianca. When we get there, four of our other friends are there with flowers and gifts, and my roommate starts crying from surprise and happiness. We enjoy a long dinner with lots of girl talk, and my roommate opens up about her recent issues with the group. The girls are so genuinely supportive, I'm reminded how great my friends are. We have delicious pasta, veggie sides, and a bottle of sparkling red for the group. We top all of this off with a Momofuku birthday confetti cake, and it is so freaking good. $66.50

7 a.m. — I wake up a bit later than usual because I'm working from home today. I have an hour-and-a-half phone interview today. I've been at my company for close to three years now, and although I am on a pretty good upwards trajectory, I've been itching to learn in a new environment and broaden my skill set. I'm currently talking to three companies pretty seriously, so fingers crossed! I walk over to a nearby gourmet deli and pick up a breakfast special of eggs and potatoes, as well as a large Americano. $7.50

10:30 a.m. — In the middle of my interview, I get an email from Urban Outfitters saying that all sale items are currently 50% off. I somehow manage to thoroughly shop while interviewing, and pick up a Levi's faux suede bomber, two skirts, and a belt bag. I got the bomber for only $40! I feel like a superstar. $77

4 p.m. — After finishing up some more afternoon calls and munching on a sweet potato throughout the day, I brush my teeth and head over to my bi-annual teeth cleaning appointment. I find out that I've picked up the habit of grinding my teeth, and the dentist recommends that I get night guards. I set up another appointment to sort that out, then head out to the gym. My appointment was covered by insurance, and I used my prepaid transit card for the subway ride to and from the dentist.

7:30 p.m. — I head to another spin class and get in a really great workout. It's a competitive spin class with games scattered throughout the 50 minutes. For one of the games, I get paired in a relay with this really muscular guy that I absolutely cannot let down. I try to hold my weight in the relay, spin my brains out, and want to vomit after class. Whoops.

8:30 p.m. — I snack on a couple of random things for dinner — heated up sweet potatoes and frozen leek and pork dumplings. I can't fall asleep, so I take some melatonin and pass out.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up, get ready, and walk 15 minutes to the office. The walk is brutal during the winter, but it's been warmer lately, and I really enjoy the morning stroll. I grab a coffee and some yogurt from Pret on my way in. $5.50

12:15 p.m. — After a morning full of calls, I head out to grab lunch with two coworkers. We go to a sushi spot nearby, and I order a three-roll lunch special. I can't finish it all, but I got greedy because I wanted both spicy tuna/salmon AND a sweet potato roll. Oh well. $21

1 p.m. — Momofuku just opened a small outpost next to my office. It's really nice out, so I decide to get a cereal milk soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. Absolutely unnecessary, absolutely delicious. No regrets. $6.50

5 p.m. — I'm meeting some friends for dinner at 6:30, so I beeline to the gym for a quick workout. I do five miles on the elliptical, row 1,000 meters, and do a light ab workout. I skip the shower for after dinner, and head to the restaurant.

6:30 p.m. — We meet at Mint Kitchen, a new Mediterranean/Israeli fast-casual restaurant that recently opened in Greenwich Village. I get a cauliflower salad with some baked green falafel. It tastes amazing, and my friends and I catch up on life, work, and boys. $19

8:30 p.m. — My friend wants dessert, so we walk over to a frozen yogurt shop a few blocks away. I know I already had ice cream/froyo today, but I decide to indulge and get another one. Yikes! $6

9 p.m. — It gets really cold after sundown, so I decide to call an Uber home. I seem to get 30 or 50% off codes on a weekly basis, so my ride is only $4 and change — $6 including tip. Can't complain, I guess! $6

5:30 a.m. — Begrudgingly awake for a 6:30 spin class. This one is more relaxed, as it isn't a competitive one. I try to go to the gym four or five times a week, and my manager is in from out of town, so we'll have team festivities after work today. I walk to the gym, and leave class 10 minutes early to take a quick shower before heading into the office.

10:30 a.m. — I didn't have time to grab breakfast, so I proceed to eat any and all snacks that are within my line of sight. Unfortunately, this only includes a banana and some tropical trail mix. Does anyone else get really excited about the dried pineapple and banana bits?

12 p.m. — I meet an acquaintance from high school for lunch. She goes to a law school nearby, and we bump into each other a fair amount, so we decide to grab food. When I get there, I realize that she very cleverly waited at the counter for me to pick up the check. I am happy to oblige, but get mildly annoyed when I realize that she picked out the most expensive salad and a cup of fancy tea to boot. I'll just chill here with my chicken panini and fries, y'all. We have a nice chat, but I don't think I want to see her again. We really don't have much in common at all. $40

4:30 p.m. — We all duck out of work (manager included) to grab drinks at a popular rooftop bar. Bandier is having a sample sale one block away, so I quickly make a pit stop while the rest of the team goes ahead. I impulse-buy a sports bra (it ends up being too small, ugh) and try to explain to my male coworkers what a sports bra is when they ask what I bought. The weather is beautiful, and I guzzle down two vodka sodas (paid for by my manager) while hanging with my lovely team. $40

6 p.m. — We head to out to dinner at a nearby restaurant, and I order a slightly fruity vodka drink. We order fries and oysters to share, and I get a grilled sea bass entree for myself. The food is delicious, the company is better, and I am so thankful that I work with a team of such quirky, intelligent, badass people. (Paid for by my manager.)

8 p.m. — We head to a bar for a nightcap, and I nurse a final vodka soda. I'm quite tipsy after four drinks and decide to Uber home. $6

4 a.m. — I wake up at 4 a.m. with a weird migraine, only to realize it's a hangover. Wtf! Go back to sleep.

6:30 a.m. — Wake up at a more decent hour, sans-hangover. Thank god! I get ready and walk to work, picking up a coffee and yogurt from Pret along the way. $5.50

11 a.m. — One of the companies that I am interviewing with emails me to let me know that they will be ready to make an offer soon, as soon as some final approvals get sorted out. I am excited, but try not to overhype myself because this has happened a few times before. I get an offer and quickly realize that the comp is nowhere near my expectations (most of the companies haven't even been able to match my current compensation package). It's put me in a weird spot — on the one hand, I'm so thankful that my company values my work and appropriately compensates me for it, and on the other hand, I feel like I am in gold handcuffs. It's a constant mental struggle for me.

12:30 p.m. — My manager takes me out to grab lunch, and we have a deep conversation about the aforementioned topic. I'm so lucky to have a manager that I can be so candid with, and he is fully aware and supportive of the struggles I have in my current role in regards to growth/future mobility. I realize that not many people can openly talk to their managers about companies where they are currently interviewing, and I thank him for being such a great boss and mentor. We grab coffees, and I pick up the tab. While we are walking, he drops a bomb on me — he is leaving the company. I saw it coming but didn't think it would happen for another year or so. I am devastated, but happy for him, and we take an extended walk to talk about his new role and his plan for our team's transition once he moves. $9

6 p.m. — I head out to another competitive spin class, this time in Midtown. I am careful not to overwork my knees, but still manage to get in a great workout.

8 p.m. — I meet a friend for dinner after we both work out at our respective gyms. We eat at a Mediterranean/Lebanese restaurant in Midtown East, and we have a super yummy and healthy meal of several mezes — falafel, hummus with shawarma, beef pancakes (I forget what they were called), and a beet salad. She has a glass of red wine, but I opt-out because I drank entirely too much last night. We have a long chat about gender inequality in the workplace, and while the conversation is mostly frustrating, I'm so thankful that I have friends that I can share these sentiments with. $39

10 p.m. — I take an Uber pool home, and pass out. $3.50

6:30 a.m. — I'm up a bit late for my 7:45 a.m. spin class, so I take an Uber to make sure I'm not late. I've missed two classes already and if I get a third strike I'll be barred from booking classes online for a week! $5

9:30 a.m. — I shower, change, and scurry into the office for a 9:30 meeting. I didn't have time to grab breakfast, but we get free breakfast on Fridays so all is well. My morning is full of calls and reviewing technical documentation.

12 p.m. — My younger brother graduated this past December and is currently job hunting. He has an interview this afternoon, so I take the train uptown to meet him for lunch and prep him a bit. We go to a fried chicken joint. I have a few pieces of chicken and some fries. We have a cute sister-brother lunch (my treat) and grab some coffee while walking down Fifth Avenue. He heads to his interview, and I head back into the office. $27.50

4:30 p.m. — The office has more or less cleared out, so I check out for the day as well. I head to get my eyebrows threaded and upper lip waxed after holding out just a litttttle bit too long. $17

5:30 p.m. — I decide to treat myself and go get a full-body massage. I carry most of my stress on my shoulders, and spinning so frequently tenses my body up, so getting bi-weekly or monthly massages is super relaxing and an important part of my self-care routine. $82

6:30 p.m. — I walk home after the massage and make a pit stop by Sephora to pick up Anastasia's Brow Wiz ($21) and then my laundry from the cleaners. I have ridiculously cheap rent for NYC, but my building unfortunately doesn't have a laundry machine. I can technically go to a laundromat, but I'd rather save the hour and pay an extra $5 to pick up and drop off. $42.30

8 p.m. — I spend the rest of the evening Marie Kondo-ing my life and binge-watching the latest season of Queer Eye. I have some Trader Joe's lentil soup for dinner. My cleaning spree gets out of hand, and I finally hit the sack at 1 a.m., exhausted but happy.

8 a.m. — I spend the morning leisurely getting ready for the gym, and pick up an iced Americano on my way over. It's sooo beautiful out today — I'm getting really excited for warmer weather in NYC. $4.50

12 p.m. — I get out of my competitive spin class, shower, and run some errands. It's getting even warmer out now and I can't stop grinning as I walk through the organic grocery store. I pick up some grapes and grated Grana Padano cheese. I also stop by Trader Joe's and pick up cauliflower, chicken tikka samosas, and shredded kale. I go home, and make a quick brunch of mashed sweet potato with an over-easy egg on top. I sprinkle some grated cheese and raw hemp shells over it, and eat it while looking up a quick kale pesto recipe. I ate out so much this week, so I'm going to try to meal prep for next week. $28

5 p.m. — I drop off some clothes to a charity store around the corner, watch some more Netflix, and start getting ready for my date. I met Q. on Hinge a few weeks ago, and we had an unexpectedly great first date. We have a second date today. We're going to explore Williamsburg a bit since he hasn't really been before.

6 p.m. — I decide to Citibike over to the entrance of the Williamsburg bridge (which we'll walk over to get to Brooklyn), but I always seem to forget that the bridge is on Delancey, not Houston St. I get lost for a bit and end up biking in aggressive Saturday night traffic, which makes me sweat like a 15-year-old boy before I finally find a docking station.

7:30 p.m. — Q. and I meet, and we walk over the bridge. We wanted to go to Smorgasburg, but he was working earlier and couldn't get out in time. We decide to go to a local taqueria instead, and proceed to have several tacos, chips and guac, a quesadilla to share, and two margs each. The restaurant is cash-only, and he only has a credit card, so I get cash out from an ATM and he insists on venmoing me for the entirety of the bill.

8:30 p.m. — Neither of us are drunk (watered down margs make me cry), so we decide to grab another drink. We walk around and end up at the Wythe Hotel, where we get a beautiful view of the city. We get another round — I get a tequila-based cocktail, and he gets an old fashioned. We stick around a bit for the views and then decide to grab another round at the Williamsburg Hotel. $36

10:30 p.m. — We grab another round of drinks, but the bartender doesn't attend to us for nearly 15 minutes, and we're both slightly annoyed. Q. handles the situation quite nicely, letting him know that we were waiting for a while, but still being polite about it. The bartender apologizes and offers us a round on the house — we're not complaining! We spend the evening chatting about the most random things, and begin to read each other's natal charts for fun. We also talk about love languages, and realize that we both have similar ones — we're more action-oriented and lean towards gifts and acts of service. Q. gets all the rounds here.

12 a.m. — I am pretty drunk at this point and we're snuggled on a velvet couch. I'm still not entirely sure how he feels about me, because he's pretty unaffectionate and a bit stoic. Right as I start second-guessing myself, he leans in for a kiss, and we proceed to spend about 45 minutes making out on said velvet couch. The evening ends on a happy note :)