I have little bit of downtime at work right now while an experiment's running so I was able to make some edits. My previous post had some errors in the assets/debt section - sorry for deleting the original post, but honestly my anxiety has been through the roof all day due to work and getting questions I couldn't answer immediately was just making it worse!
Basic Info:
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Location: Raleigh NC
Industry: Pharma
Occupation: Research associate
I make $73,000/yr and my husband (J.) works as a software developer ($91,000/yr), so that makes a joint income of $164,000.
Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: Me: $25,400 total in my Roth IRA & 401k. I started contributing to my Roth when I was 19 or 20, but I didn’t start maxing it out until we got married and combined finances. I contribute 27% to my 401k (which should max it out over a full year) and my employer matches 5%.
J.: $67,100 over his Roth IRA & 401k. He maxes out his Roth and used to max his 401k but recently scaled back his contributions a bit so we could have a little more breathing room on saving for a house. (Honestly no idea what % he contributes and he couldn't tell me off the top of his head when I asked.)
J.’s HSA: $7,000 - We basically treat this as a retirement account.
Savings account balance: $15,000 in a HYSA and about another $15,000 in CDs and a brokerage account.
Checking account balance: About $3,000
Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it): $0, we pay for everything with credit cards to get rewards and then pay them off immediately.
Student loan debt (for what degree): $0. Our parents covered our undergrad degrees in chemical engineering and computer science. We both TA’d in grad school so our tuition was covered (we got MS’s).
J.’s car loan: $3,000
My car loan: $10,000
Section Two: Income
Main Job Monthly Take Home:
Me: $1,700, 2x/month, after my 401k (no idea how much is actually pulled from my paycheck since I can't figure out how to work my employer's sucky website, but I think it's like $1650)
J.: $2,300, 2x/month, after 401k/HSA contributions and insurance just for him. (I’m still on my dad’s insurance because it’s really excellent and my little brother is still in school, so it doesn’t cost them any extra.)
Section Three: Expenses
Rent: $1495 for a 3br/2.5ba house with a fenced in yard (honestly the best thing about the place)
Retirement contribution: $1000 for both of our Roth IRAs
Savings contribution: We aim for $1500 towards house savings (realistically it’s going to end up closer to $1200 this month due to Christmas gifts) and another $500 towards a vacation to Japan we’re taking in a few months.
J.’s car payment: $1000. He got a really shitty interest rate because of his limited credit history so we’ve been paying this down fairly aggressively.
My car payment: $280
Electric/gas/water: $150ish
Wifi: $65
Cellphone: $40 just for me, J.’s phone is covered by work
Housekeeping service: $240 for biweekly cleaning
Spotify: $5, I’m still on the student discount somehow but I think that’s going away soon :(
Streaming services: We use my parents’ Netflix/Hulu/Prime/HBO
PSN: $120 /year for two accounts
NYT Cooking: $40 /year
YNAB: $50 /year
Car/rental insurance: ~$720 2x/year (I think - we recently switched insurance and J. got a new car so this may not be accurate)
We have about $1600 /mo left after the listed expenses. We budget $500 /mo for groceries, $100 /mo for gas, $100 /mo for eating out, and $600 /mo split between us for "fun money" that we can spend on whatever (which sometimes ends up covering dining out if we go over budget). This leaves us with about $300 as a buffer for random expenses that come up, which rolls over into the next month if there's any left. Generally we're pretty frugal, and we use YNAB to shift money around as necessary if we do end up going over budget in certain categories, so it works for us.
Day One
6:00 AM - For some reason, I’ve been waking up 10-15 minutes before my alarm for the past few days. I scroll on my phone for a few minutes while my sunrise alarm clock grows progressively brighter. Once I need to be officially awake, I roll out of bed, let the dogs out to pee, and have my usual cup of black coffee while I get myself together. My daily makeup routine consists of Canmake sunscreen, MUFE foundation, NYX eyeliner, NARS highlighter, Too Faced mascara, Neutrogena undereye concealer, Urban Decay setting spray, and neutral eyeshadow. (I got into a bad habit of collecting eyeshadow palettes a couple of years ago before realizing I was just buying the same cool neutrals over and over again in different packaging, so now I’m on a mission to pan all of them.) I take way too long to pick out an outfit and run out the door.
7:30 AM - I make an earl grey latte in the kitchen and then settle in to my desk. I have a lot of administrative work to do today to prepare for some major experiments we’ll be executing for the next week and a half. I end up reworking our plans several times throughout the morning due to some complications with other departments’ work on this project.
12 PM - Lunchtime! A vendor comes in for a lunch and learn today - they brought Panera Bread. I have half a caprese sandwich, some grilled chicken salad, and a chocolate chip cookie while listening to their presentation.
2 PM - More prep for the rest of the week. There was a change in plans which means I’ll be executing a very critical, time-sensitive experiment instead of my boss, so we have a brief meeting to discuss. It’ll be my first time doing this type of experiment and I’m not very familiar with the instrument so I’m nervous about it, but I appreciate that my boss has enough confidence in me to let me handle it.
4 PM - Time to go home! I usually leave right at 4:00 so I can make it home in time to take the dogs out. It’s nasty outside so we play fetch indoors instead of going on our usual walk. Once they’ve had enough, I chill on the couch and continue knitting a sweater I’ve been working on. This is the first one I’ve ever made and I’m a little under halfway finished with the second sleeve - so close to the finish line!
6 PM - My husband J. comes home and waits for me in the driveway to avoid riling the dogs up and then immediately walking out. We head to the mall, since I need to get a cheap pair of earrings to go with my dress for my work’s holiday party, and I’m terrible at picking out costume jewelry online. J. picks out a nice pair of dangly brass earrings at J.Crew and to my surprise they’re kind of perfect. ($22.19) We browse around in several stores, and then end up in Sephora where we get an IT Cosmetics gift set for J.’s mom to round out her Christmas gifts. ($16.09) I spend all of my Beauty Insider points on SK-II essence minis, and J. is very excited that I got 40 mL for free when it’s usually $1.32/mL.
7:30 PM - For dinner, we decide to eat at a nearby Mexican restaurant that I really like - there was one near my high school and I’d stuff my face there when I was stressed (which was often). J. gets a smothered barbacoa chimichanga and a soda, and I get a plate of loaded chicken tinga nachos, which I eat in record time and feel very guilty about immediately afterwards. ($24.04)
9 PM - Once we get home, I take my makeup off with DHC cleansing oil, wash my face with Cosrx low pH cleanser, and do my nightly skincare routine, which is pretty extensive when it’s cold out. I usually start with Cosrx galactomyces essence but swap it out for the SK II essence I just got, and hope that they’re pretty comparable. I finish up with Cosrx snail essence, Hada Labo hyaluronic acid lotion, Dr. Jart+ ceramidin liquid and cream, and finally a Glow Recipe sleeping mask. (I have dry skin that does best with lots of light moisturizing layers.) J. and I snuggle with the dogs in bed while watching The Office (I just got into the Office Ladies podcast so I’m in the mood for a rewatch) until I fall asleep around 10.
Day One total: $62.32
Day Two
6:15 AM - My weekday morning routine is very regimented. Black coffee, dogs, and makeup. To my dismay, the SK II essence actually does make a big difference compared to the Cosrx galactomyces, but there’s no way I’m paying $100 for 75 mL of any skincare product. I grab a packed lunch and head to work.
7:30 AM - Today should be pretty hectic. We get some news that another department made a mistake that reduces the amount of work we’ll have to do over the next week and a half by about ⅓. Great, but we still have a lot to do today! I head into the pilot plant and get started.
1 PM - My boss covers for me while I quickly eat lunch. I packed a salad with farro, sweet potatoes, arugula, craisins, pepitas, feta and ginger dressing. I’m back in the lab within 15 minutes.
6:00 PM - We reach a stopping point, so it’s finally time to go home. My commute is tripled because I’m leaving after 4:30, which puts me in a bad mood - I HATE driving! When I get home, I find a note from USPS saying they weren’t able to deliver a package. They haven’t entered it into their system so I’m not able to request redelivery online and I’ll have to go to the post office (only open 9-5 on weekdays!) to pick it up. Soooo annoying, especially since the package only contains a couple pairs of cheap earrings from Etsy, while they left the expensive Catbird earrings for my MIL out on the porch all day. I let the dogs out to pee and then do a back and biceps workout in our little home gym while watching Sims 3 let’s plays on Youtube. Honestly I hate strength training (I’m more of a runner), but I broke a toe a few days ago so my exercise options are limited.
7:00 PM - J. gets home and we eat leftover chipotle chicken pozole with lots of cabbage for dinner. J.’s friend is letting him borrow his XBox One for a few weeks so they can play Halo together, so he goes and sets the system up while I shower and then soak off and repaint my nails. I have very weak fingernails which break really easily when I’m wearing gloves daily, so I try to keep a gel manicure on to reinforce them a bit. (It really helps my nails, but the gels don’t hold up to latex gloves either, so I barely get two weeks out of them.)
10:00 PM - I work on my sweater for the rest of the night and fall asleep after doing my nightly skincare.
Day Two total: $0
Day Three
6:15 AM - Ugh, I’m having a hard time waking up today. I go through my usual routine and drive to work.
7:30 AM - Another day in the pilot plant! It’s very busy but nothing too notable happens. My boss covers me for a few hours while I set up some equipment for my experiment on Monday.
12:30 PM - I break for lunch, and quickly eat the salad I packed (quinoa, black beans, spinach, feta, pepitas, sundried tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin-lime dressing). I usually go out for lunch on Fridays, but I knew I wouldn’t have time today.
4:00 PM - I head out at my usual time since J.’s work holiday party is tonight and I still need to go home to take care of the dogs and change into something cuter. It takes me almost an hour to get home because it’s raining really hard and everyone apparently forgot how to drive. J. meets me at home shortly after I arrive, and he takes care of the dogs while I quickly change. We take a Lyft to downtown Durham - J.’s work provided a $25 Lyft voucher which barely covers one way, and we tip an additional $3.47.
6:30 PM - J. is close with a lot of his coworkers so he has a good time socializing with everyone, but they’re all disappointed with this party compared to last year’s, which was quite lavish. We eat a few appetizers and I have two goses before dinner is served. I forgot to look at the menu before we came, and unfortunately I can’t eat any of the entrees (no restrictions, I’m just picky), so I have a side salad and a couple of rolls.
8:00 PM - A bunch of us decide to ditch the party since they ran out of beer and everyone ended up sitting at tables instead of freely socializing. We walk over to Boxcar (a barcade), and one of J.’s coworkers buys a bunch of tokens. J. and I buy four beers between us, and the group plays Mario Kart, DDR and skeeball for a couple of hours. ($14.30)
10:00 PM - One of J.’s coworkers lives near us and offers to drive us home so we don’t have to pay for a Lyft back. (Thank god!) I’m quite drunk after four drinks on essentially an empty stomach, and when we get back J. talks me into ordering Postmates. J. orders mac and cheese and pickle chips, and I get a meatball sub with fries. The fries are lukewarm by the time I get them, but I still eat all of them and half of the sub. ($35) J. goes to play Halo with his friends and I pass out shortly afterwards.
Day Three total: $52.77
Day Four
6:00 AM - Wow, I’m hungover! I let the dogs out to pee, then have my coffee and drink about a liter of water before going back to sleep for a few hours.
9:00 AM - I get up and take a shower. My hangovers are usually followed by an anxiety flareup, and today is no exception. I’m having a really hard time getting out of my head. After drying my hair, I get to work picking up around the house and accumulate a pile of Christmas gifts that need wrapping. I wrap what I can, but I’ll need gift boxes for a few so I order some on Amazon. ($17.99)
12:30 PM - I finally prod J. awake, and after a cup of coffee he goes out grocery shopping. Our deal is that I do all the meal planning and cooking, while he does the dishes and grocery shopping. He buys eggs, butter, Greek yogurt, beef chuck, pancetta, lentils, arugula, cilantro, an apple, carrots, onions, mushrooms, a turnip, butternut squash, shallots, green onions, dijon mustard, farro, potatoes, leeks, orange juice, champagne, and cheap red wine for cooking. ($66.41) He also gets some brandy at the ABC store. ($6.37) While he shops, I do a leg and shoulder workout - I’m a little unbalanced due to my broken toe so the leg part doesn’t go so great - and eat the last of the pozole.
3:00 PM - J. and I play video games for a few hours before we need to get ready for my work’s holiday party tonight. He plays Dragon Age Inquisition, and I’m trying to get into The Outer Worlds. (I feel like I should like it since I LOVE Fallout New Vegas, but the tone and looting system just aren’t doing it for me.)
7:30 PM - We had trouble getting an Uber so we leave for the holiday party pretty late. I’m kind of dreading it so I have no problem with showing up late! I don’t like large unstructured social events in general, but I’m also upset because I have to wear shoes that don’t really go with my outfit because of my broken toe, and the post-drinking anxiety spike isn’t helping matters. The Uber is $28.38, covered by my work.
8:30 PM - The party is really nice (which is a surprise to me because my workplace is usually pretty spartan!), but I’m having trouble enjoying it. My shoes end up hurting my toe after all (which is bad news at a party with very limited seating), and I’m too anxious to eat much of anything. J. talks me into eating a chicken slider, and we get an Uber home shortly after putting in a little face time with my boss and a couple of other coworkers. ($33.31, expensed)
9:30 PM - I’m not feeling so great when we get home. I have a big glass of water and then J. cuddles me until I fall asleep.
Day Four total: $90.77
Day Five
8:00 AM - Good morning! Sunday is my meal prep day so I have a lot to do this morning. After drinking coffee and letting the dogs out to pee, I make salads with farro, butternut squash, roasted apples, craisins, pecans, arugula, and maple ginger dressing. Then I put a load of laundry in the washing machine and move on to mujadara with yogurt and tahini sauce. Once that’s finished and packed up, I start making a dijon and brandy beef stew and before I know it, it’s almost noon. J. has been up preparing a few things for work and taking care of dishes as I dirty them. I manage to get the stew to the point that it’s just simmering on the stove before my friend comes over.
1:00 PM - J. leaves to meet his dad at a bar to watch the Broncos game together. (Neither of them are from Colorado so I don’t really get why that’s their team, but whatever.) My friend arrives, and we hang out while drinking mimosas. I knit while we talk and end up finishing my sweater (yay!). We both get hungry so I make veggie yakisoba with extra cabbage and kizami shoga. J. buys beers and pizza for himself and his dad. ($37)
4:00 PM - My friend’s boyfriend picks her up and J. gets home shortly afterwards. I work on weaving in the ends of my sweater and block it on an old yoga mat. I’m finally done with laundry and cooking so I start messing around with Skyrim mods. (Yes it’s very weird to play Skyrim in 2019, but a major new mod update is dropping tomorrow and I’m really excited. Honestly at least half the fun of Skyrim at this point is building a cool custom mod list.) I prep a more streamlined load order that’s unlikely to have major gamebreaking conflicts with the new mod update so I can play as soon as it releases. J. and I take a break from gaming to eat some of the beef stew I made earlier today, and then take the dogs out for a long walk together.
8:00 PM - We settle back in to play games for the rest of the evening, and I go to sleep at around 10. J. orders a gaming mouse that’s on sale on Amazon. ($32.16)
Day Five total: $69.48
Day Six
6:15 AM - Wake up, usual morning routine. I leave for work a little bit early since I’m nervous about how today’s experiment will go.
7:00 AM - Working in the lab pretty much all day. This piece of equipment is a real pain in the ass - it takes forever to get started, and uses up more of our limited sample than I’m comfortable with.
1:00 PM - I babysit my experiment via remote connection while I eat my lunch (the salad I prepped yesterday).
4:00 PM - In the lab for the rest of the day. My sample ends up looking a little janky by the time I leave, but I have no choice but to keep using it for another experiment that’ll run overnight. It’s raining again today so it takes way too long to get home. When I arrive, I find a Fedex notice saying I’ll need to pick up my package from Sezane. Ugh. I take the dogs for a walk and then do a couple of loads of laundry until J. gets home.
6:30 PM - J. picks me up and we pick up my Sezane package from Fedex. I ordered a couple of cute sweaters, and they also included a cute little pouch with my zodiac sign on it. J. wants to get a loaf of bread to go with our stew - I’m of the opinion that egg noodles would be better with it, but I won’t say no to bread. We pick up a baguette at the grocery store. ($2.58) We eat stew and bread together, and then the new Skyrim mod releases, so I get to work arranging my load order and building patches. I only play for about 45 minutes before I need to go to sleep at 10.
Day Six total: $2.58
Day Seven
6:15 AM - The yard is really muddy from all the rain so I have to towel the dogs off before they come back inside. They are not happy! I leave J. a reminder to pick up my package from USPS on his way to work. (J. works very flexible hours and usually gets in to the office at around 10:30 or 11.)
7:30 AM - Continuing my experiments from yesterday - they’re kind of a mess because my sample is really unhappy. I don’t really feel good about defending this data but it’s all we have, and we need to have everything ironed out by Thursday so I’m rolling with it. I have to put everything down at 10 AM for a meeting, and it actually turns out to be really productive so I feel energized afterwards. My boss moves our weekly one-on-one to later in the day so I can continue moving this experiment along.
2:30 PM - I break for our one-on-one and eat lunch (same salad as yesterday) while we talk. This is a really stressful week for both of us (and probably a bad time for me to be writing a MD!) but it helps to talk out everything that needs to get done before our deadline on Thursday. I set up several experiments to run overnight, and leave at about 5.
6:00 PM - After taking the dogs out and showering, I settle in to start playing Skyrim but before I get it booted up my friend texts me to ask if I can help her sister speedrun part of Bloodborne. She happens to be at my favorite part of the game so of course I say yes, and I chat with my friend and her sister on the phone while we play. When J. gets home, I hop off and we get to work picking up the house for the housekeepers that will come tomorrow morning. The gift boxes from Amazon arrive, so I also take care of wrapping the remaining gifts. My sweater is finished blocking so I pull it off the mat - I’m sooo excited to wear it tomorrow. J. and I eat dinner together (leftover beef stew and bread) and then play games until I go to bed at 10.
Day Seven total: $0
Totals
Food + Drink: $185.70
Fun / Entertainment: $32.16
Home + Health: $17.99
Clothes + Beauty: $22.19
Transport: $3.47
Other: $16.09
Total: $277.60
This was a fairly out of the ordinary week for us since we usually don’t eat out/order Postmates much - I’ve found that meal prepping really curbs that impulse for me, and J.’s work usually has a ton of free food leftover from meetings so if he wants pizza or something he can get it for free - but I think the drinking over the weekend did us in haha. We definitely went over our eating out budget but thank god for YNAB since it makes it very easy to shift budgeted money from different categories. Feel free to ask questions and I'll answer them as best I can but I'll be the first to admit I don't have a perfect understanding of taxes & etc.
Submitted by iachilla | #Specialdealer Special Offer Online Shopping Store 2016
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