A Week In Northern California On A $310,000 Joint Income

Occupation: Production manager
Industry: Food industry
Age: 32
Location: Northern California
Salary: Me: $110,000; husband: $200,000. We combine all finances. In terms of spending this week, some of the items in the diary cover both of us; I did not ask my husband to track his purchases but I have added what I could find in our credit card statements. I do most of the household shopping so he doesn’t have too many extra things.  
Assets: All accounts and credit cards are joint accounts. We have separate 401(k) and retirement accounts but we track everything together. 401(k)s and retirement accounts for both: $392,000; US treasury bonds: $90,000; crypto: $189,000; stocks: $163,000; CD accounts: $218,000; house worth, checking accounts, and savings accounts: $408,000.
Debt: About $320,000 left on our mortgage.
Paycheck amount (every two weeks): Me: $2,369; husband: $5,460.
Pronouns: She/her

Housing costs: $2,800 mortgage for our house that we bought in 2019.
Loan payments: $0
Nanny: $2,100 (average; 20-25 hours a week).
Health club: $205
Cell phone: $136 for me and my husband.
Life insurance: $38
Health insurance: $273 is deducted from my paycheck every two weeks.
PG&E: $290 (gas and electricity).
Water: $70
Trash: $32
Netflix: Included with cell phone.
Spotify: $19.99 (family plan).
Apple TV: $9.99
Local food bank donation: $150
Church donation: $200
401(k) contribution: This is deducted from my paycheck, maxed out at $23,000 per year.

Annual Expenses

Amazon Prime: $139

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, there was always an expectation that I would attend college. I can remember it starting in sixth grade or earlier! Not only from my parents but from my teachers encouraging me to do honors classes, take extracurriculars, and get good grades to set me up for college admissions. I ended up getting a bachelor of science degree. I was extremely fortunate that my grandparents and my parents helped pay for my education and left me without student loan debt. My husband also had that expectation for himself from his family. He received some family assistance with costs but he mostly self-funded by working during the summer, and being an RA to help with housing costs. He received a master of science.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s)/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My parents were very interested in teaching me about money and finances from an early age. I am so grateful for that level of money literacy early in my life. My parents taught me the importance of saving, of living within your means, retirement planning, and the dangers of misusing credit. When I was little, we would get an allowance and have to divide it up into separate jars — one for immediate spending, one for donating to charity, and one for saving. They also added me as an authorized user on their credit card when I was a teen, which helped me benefit from their good credit scores.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was the summer after high school, helping out at a bike shop. I mostly did it to have extra spending money and to start getting job experience. I was really interested in having a job, it felt grown-up!

Did you worry about money growing up?
My parents worried about money when I was younger, especially while my dad was finishing his degree and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. They rarely involved me in the details of it but they were open with me when something was expensive or we couldn’t afford it. My dad would sometimes stress about it, but overall my impression was that they had things under control. Looking back, I feel very fortunate to have had a stable upbringing when it came to finances.

Do you worry about money now?
No, I don’t worry about it much at all. We are mindful and keep tabs on our overall spending and savings. We are also aware of lifestyle creep and try to keep our expenses well within our means even if we have extra money. There was a point when my husband got laid off right after we had our daughter that I started to get a bit worried, since finding a job that was a good fit for him and his career goals was challenging. But I was confident we could make it work with my salary plus our savings for a while.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I had a good foundation of managing my money but when I got my first job after college is when I was responsible for myself. I do think I have a financial safety net. My parents would help us in a heartbeat if we came upon tough times. We also have family that live close so we know that if we lost our home, for example, we would have somewhere to stay and people to support us.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Other than my parents helping to pay for college and a portion of our wedding, we don’t have regular help from family on finances.

6:30 a.m. — I wake up a few minutes before our 18-month-old toddler to get the dishes put away and make some coffee. When she wakes up, I grab her from her room and play with her, read her books, get her dressed for the day and get her some breakfast going. My husband wakes up shortly after and we tag-team getting everything ready for the day — breakfast for ourselves, getting everyone ready for work. It’s always a bit of a rush in the morning but nothing too terrible. We have eggs and toast for breakfast. I pack up some food for myself for lunch and our nanny arrives to take care of my daughter at 8:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m. — It’s time for lunch after a few morning meetings. Nothing too exciting happening at work today. I have a salad kit and some chicken nuggets from Costco for lunch. Chicken nugget salad is a staple around our house! I text our nanny to check in and see how things are going. They went to the park and are having a snack before nap time. My husband had lunch at a local market during the workday. $14.05

4:30 p.m. — After work, I take my daughter to Trader Joe’s with me. We have a couple friends coming into town and I need to get a few groceries. Also, each week we host Bible study so I pick up a few drinks for that. We also pick up berries (toddler obsession), eggs, milk, some cheese, yogurt, breakfast items, ground chicken, and veggies. Oh, and three packets of freeze-dried strawberries — my daughter’s favorite! We can’t get out of the store without her demanding a few, so she snacks on some of those while I finish shopping. $118.52

6 p.m. — We make breakfast for dinner (pancakes) and try to clean up as best as possible before our friends come over for Bible study. I put our toddler to bed and we finish with our friends. Everyone leaves by 9 p.m. and my husband and I relax for a bit before we head to bed. I’m always asleep by 10 p.m.

6 a.m. — I’m up a bit earlier than normal so I can get a quick workout in before my toddler wakes up. I do a 30-minute barre-based YouTube video from Nourish Move Love and drink my coffee in peace before the rest of the house is awake. We make breakfast, I get my daughter ready for the day and our nanny arrives again at 8:30 a.m. She is a saint — she is wonderful with our daughter and we feel so blessed. I kiss my sweet girl goodbye for the day and head off to work.

12 p.m. — We bought too many pre-made salad kits so it’s chicken nugget salad (CNS) again for lunch. No complaints here, it’s one of my faves. It’s a busy day at work but I still leave for a little bit at lunch to do a couple errands. I need to return a couple items from Amazon, and I need to exchange some shoes for my daughter. I also have a gift card so I head into Nordstrom Rack and grab two pairs of shoes for her. My total after gift cards is $6.52. My husband also purchased gas for the car today ($70.44). $76.96

5 p.m. — My husband has to work a bit late today, so after work I take my daughter to the park near our house. We walk over and play for an hour or so before heading home for dinner. I make tuna sandwiches for us and put some of our garden tomatoes on them. Yum! We got so many tomatoes this year, I’ve been eating quite a few sandwiches with many extra tomatoes. Later in the evening, my friend and her husband arrive at the nearby airport (10-minute drive), and I pick them up. We chitchat for a bit before heading off to bed. They are staying with us this weekend. I haven’t spent an extended amount of time with this friend in years!

7:15 a.m. — I sleep in as much as possible — my daughter was up crying from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. last night and I am exhausted from being up trying to soothe her. I think she is teething, or sick? Who knows. We get ready for the day. Eggs and fruit for breakfast as usual. Then I take my daughter to our friend's house because we nanny-share on Fridays. Our nanny watches my daughter and my friend's son together.

1 p.m. — Today is a half-day for me. I took off the afternoon so we could spend time with our friends who are in town. I quickly eat some leftover tuna salad with crackers for lunch, then do a little bit of dinner prep and get ready to leave. I’m prepping some pasta and cooking up some bacon so it’s easy to throw together with dinner. I’m making a BLT pasta salad with fresh tomatoes from the garden.

4 p.m. — We meet our friends at a winery for a quick afternoon wine tasting. It is so fun! Such a fantastic time and it’s absolutely beautiful weather. We purchase a few bottles of wine and with tasting fees it comes out to $188. Even though many wineries are close by, we don’t often visit them because it’s definitely expensive. $188.93

6 p.m. — No rest for a toddler parent! After we pick up my daughter, we put together some dinner to take to the park. I am SO thankful I did a little prep earlier in the day because it’s easy to chop up some tomatoes, onions, spinach, and dressing and combine with the pasta and bacon for a BLT pasta salad. YUM! We head over to the park and play for an hour or so before heading home for my daughter’s bedtime. After dinner we play Splendor and Dutch Blitz with our friends, then head to bed. 

9:30 p.m. — Before we head to bed, we purchase tickets for tomorrow’s event at a winery (we are going to see a cover band with our friends). It’s $35 per person, so I get tickets for me and my husband. $70

7 a.m. — I’m up and at ’em! We make breakfast as usual (fruit, yogurt, granola), hang out and relax a bit in the morning with our friends, then we drive out to the woods and do a short walk through the redwoods. Our friends are from out of the area so it’s fun to show them our local spots. My daughter is living her true best life being outside, roaming all around and inspecting the trees. I absolutely love seeing her explore and learn, it’s the best.

12 p.m. — My parents come over to our house to take care of my daughter while we head out to the winery event. It’s a Fleetwood Mac cover band and the weather is perfect so we are having a ton of fun dancing and drinking wine together. We purchase two bottles of wine and lunch. The concert goes on most of the afternoon, then we head home to get ready for dinner. $84

6:30 p.m. — One of the most expensive dinners we have ever purchased! Our out-of-town friends wanted to go to a fancy restaurant and we agreed. It’s quite delicious and we have four courses plus cocktails. We all get different things but some of the highlights are the halibut ceviche, prime rib, and sorbet dessert. The total for just my husband and me is $352. Definitely a splurge. $352

8 a.m. — On this morning we are able to sleep in a bit because my daughter stayed at her grandparents’ house for the night. It’s so lovely to be able to lay in bed with my husband until 8 a.m. That used to be our every weekend but now it’s a treat. We get up and get ready to go to church (the service starts at 9:30 a.m.). After church, we drive over to my parents’ house to pick up our daughter. I am SO excited to see her. Once we get her home, she has some lunch then goes down for her nap.

2:30 p.m. — Before we take our friends to the airport to head home, we go out to a Mexican food spot nearby. I get the chicken tortilla soup and my husband gets the avocado salad with chicken. It’s delicious and there’s plenty of food left to save for dinner. $48.42

5 p.m. — We are exhausted from our weekend. My husband doesn’t feel very well so I let him rest at home while I take our daughter to the park and make her dinner after we get back. We had a ton of fun playing on the play structure and playing peekaboo. She goes to bed around 7:30 p.m. and I relax for the rest of the evening playing my Switch. Been loving the Lego Harry Potter game for a while.

4 p.m. — Gas on the way back from dropping our friends off at the airport. $70.52

10 p.m. — Before bed, my husband and I talk about how we keep breaking hangers and are starting to run low. Also, we used the last of our packing tape earlier, so I throw a 50-pack of velvet hangers and some packing tape in my Amazon cart and check out. $33.29

5:30 a.m. — I get up early since I can’t sleep and decide to do a workout. I put on another barre workout on YouTube and do it before my daughter wakes up. Once she wakes up, I take her to the backyard with me and I sweep up. It’s going to be hot today so I won’t want to do it later, and I feel the need to sweep up some of the leaves that have fallen off the tree before my friends come over for book club tonight. My in-laws arrive around 8:30 a.m. (they take care of my daughter one day per week). I grab a protein shake and some fruit and yogurt for breakfast, then head to work.

1 p.m. — It’s a busy day catching up on a few things and I forgot to pack a lunch since I didn’t have time to prep anything yesterday. I go to Taco Bell and grab a regular soft taco and a chicken power bowl. So good! $11.89

4:30 p.m. — Last year I really, really enjoyed our matching family PJs and I have been eyeing some for us this year. A 30% coupon was emailed to me and of course they got me. I end up ordering a family set with a reindeer print. Can’t wait for cozy holiday memories. $74.29

7 p.m. — I’m in a book club once per month with some of my girlfriends. This month I’m hosting so we all gather in my backyard with some snacks (friends brought Cheez-Its and candy) and wine (I open one I bought a couple days ago). We’ve been reading The Thursday Murder Club, but none of us really liked it that much and we were not even motivated to finish it. Next month’s book will hopefully be better! It’s so wonderful to chitchat with friends and hang out though.

6:30 a.m. — I’m up with my daughter and decide to take her for a walk in the stroller around the neighborhood while it’s still cool outside. We walk for about 40 minutes while she snacks on some breakfast. I make eggs and toast for myself after we get home. My husband wakes up and we get my daughter all ready and packed up to head to my parents’ house for the day. I get myself dressed, hair and makeup done, then drop her off on the way to work. She gets so excited to see her nana and papa!

10 a.m. — I realize I am running low on baby shampoo, deodorant, and pads. I order a four-pack of deodorant, a large pack of pads and Aveeno baby shampoo on Amazon since I don’t have time to go to Target or Walmart today. $41.51

11 a.m. — I brought a frozen chicken burrito bowl for lunch but it’s not holding me over — I eat it around 11 a.m. and am hungry an hour later. I also have a serious headache. I try to not have more than my one drip coffee in the morning because it adds to my anxiety, but today I really am craving something. I’m not supposed to have too much caffeine while I’m taking Zoloft so I head over to Starbucks and get one of their new breakfast sandwiches (pesto, egg and mozzarella — so good), and a tall iced coffee, half decaf. It really hits the spot! $10.52

5 p.m. — My dad comes over and drops off my daughter along with some pasta sauce that my mom made for us from our garden tomatoes. My daughter keeps saying “nom nom,” which means she’s hungry, haha. I feed her some berries and veggie sticks to hold her off until dinner. I make some ground chicken meatballs to go with the sauce and we eat it with pasta for dinner. It’s delicious! My mom is an excellent cook, I love her pasta sauce.

8 p.m. — It’s the end of the day and I am so ready to relax. My husband and I play some Switch Sports, then he goes and games with his friends online. I head to bed around 9:30 p.m. and read a little bit before falling asleep. I’m reading the Moms On Call Toddler Book right now to prepare for toddler antics!