Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we’re tracking every last dollar.
This week: A director working in education who makes $105,000 per year and spends some of it on a Build-A-Bear!
This Money Diary was written in the fall of 2025. This is a follow-up diary, you can read the previous one here.
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Occupation: Director
Industry: Education
Age: 31
Location: New York City, NY
Salary: $105,000
Joint Income/Financial Setup: n/a
Assets:
Investment accounts: $250,000
Retirement accounts: $575,000
Savings accounts: $50,000
Checking account: $15,000
Debt: $78,000
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $2,648 (this is after 401k and transit contributions).
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: $2,400 (since my last Money Diary, I moved in with my partner, T., and we split rent roughly based on income, so I pay about one-third).
Loan Payments: $700 (I borrowed money from my parents for graduate school and will pay them back).
Utilities: $80-150 depending on A/C and heat (split evenly with T.)
Wifi: $47 (my split of the wifi).
Spotify Premium: $2.50 (I share a family plan with a few friends).
HBO Max: $4.99 (I share this with a friend).
Gym membership: $250 (this should go down next year because there was an initiation fee this year).
Phone bill: $0 (I’m on my parents’ plan and they kindly don’t ask me to pay for it).
Roth IRA contribution: $300
Chase Sapphire Reserve annual fee: $595 (this just increased to $795 and I’m debating whether or not to cancel).
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, I grew up in a family that really valued education and it was always expected that I would go to a “good” school. My parents saved a lot and I’m very fortunate that they supported me through college. I received some financial aid and my parents covered the rest of my tuition and housing. I did work-study and worked part-time jobs and summer internships to pay for the rest of my living expenses in college. When I went to graduate school, I paid for part of it out of my savings and borrowed money from my parents for the rest. Again, very fortunate that they were both able and willing to loan me money for my degree with no interest.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
Growing up, my parents didn’t talk very much about money with me, other than to encourage me to be thrifty. While I knew we were comfortable, I didn’t realize how well off my family actually was until I was older. Looking back, I’m so grateful that they prioritized saving for the future so that I could go to college debt-free. However, that thrifty mindset has really stuck with me and sometimes makes it hard for me to justify spending money on things even if I know I can afford it. Additionally, I’m still pretty intimidated by things like investing and buying a house because I don’t feel like I had much education about how to spend money wisely. I’ve been working on educating myself as I’ve gotten older.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first “real” job (where I received a W-2) was at a local thrift shop during my senior year in high school. I mostly just wanted to make money before going to college and get some work experience.
Did you worry about money growing up?
My parents didn’t include me in many money conversations, but we never lacked for anything, so I assumed we were comfortable. We never spent a lot of money, though; we went out to eat once every few months and most of our family vacations were road trips or to visit family. However, I never worried about money. Both of my parents always worked full-time and we’re lucky that they were never laid off at the same time.
Do you worry about money now?
Sometimes. Early in my career, I made a lot more money, but in my late 20s decided to make a career pivot into non-profit. Additionally, I actually took a lower-paying job a few months ago that was more aligned with my career goals. Rationally, I know that I have savings and still have enough to live comfortably on, but irrationally, I worry sometimes because my family really drilled into me the importance of saving.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became mostly financially responsible for myself after college when I started working full-time. However, I’ve always known I have the support of my family and they have frequently, at various points, helped support me. For example, my parents loaned me money for my graduate degree and pay for my phone bill.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No.
Day One: Friday
6:00 a.m. — It’s Friday! Over the past few months, I’ve really pushed my wake-up time earlier to accommodate a new commute. Maybe it’s also part of getting older, because I just have a hard time sleeping past 6 or 6:30 a.m. now. Crazy that just a year ago, I couldn’t imagine getting up before 7 a.m. regularly. I then go through my morning routine, which includes a very chilly early morning walk.
6:30 a.m. — Since my last Money Diary, a lot has changed financially. About five months ago, I moved into a new apartment with T., and my fixed costs went up. Simultaneously, I was interviewing for new jobs and ended up accepting a role with a much lower salary. It was a hard decision but I decided I really wanted to invest in my career and that this new position would be a better fit for my long-term career goals. I’m extremely fortunate that T. was supportive and that I have a solid safety net with my savings and my family. I’ve been at this new job for about two months now and so far I feel like it’s proving to be a great fit with a lot of growth potential.
7:20 a.m. — Head to the gym! Unfortunately, my new building doesn’t have a gym so I go to one a block away. I’ve spent this year trying to get more serious about lifting and building muscle. It’s been a super slow journey, but now, almost a year later, I can say that it’s made a real difference. I work from home on Fridays, so I usually do my longer lower-body workout.
9:00 a.m. — I have my meal prepped breakfast. As part of my commitment to health, I’ve started eating breakfast consistently and trying to get more protein in the morning. I usually have overnight oats with chia seeds, protein powder, and blueberries, and I genuinely look forward to it every day.
10:00 a.m. — Tomorrow is T.’s birthday and we’re hosting a party, so I place a DoorDash grocery order for seltzers, cups, and tequila. I usually prefer grocery shopping myself, but I like to order drinks for delivery — and make sure I take advantage of the Chase Sapphire DoorDash Grocery credit. $53.21
2:30 p.m. — Wrap up meetings for the day and run out for groceries. I’m such a Trader Joe’s stan that I prefer to walk a little longer to the closest one. To me, it’s worth the extra 20-minute commute (plus: it’s a nice walk). Pick up strawberries, jalapeño, limes (I’m making a spicy strawberry margarita for the party!), chips and dip, and a mini bouquet of flowers for T. On the way back, I stop by Whole Foods for a tres leches cake. T. isn’t the biggest cake person, but I’m a big believer that birthdays must have cake, and a tres leches is one of the few cakes he really enjoys. $65.87
5:15 p.m. — Wrap up work for the day and start getting ready for the evening! I’m taking T. out tonight for a birthday celebration, just the two of us. It’s a fun tradition we have where one person plans a surprise night out for the other for their birthday. The NYC restaurant scene is brutal, though, and I’ve spent over a month researching restaurants and trying to get reservations.
6:15 p.m. — We head out to the first stop of the night! We always like to do an activity with dinner. For the first half of our relationship, that was typically a nice cocktail bar or drinks, but recently we’ve both been drinking a lot less, in large part for health reasons. During my last Money Diary, I was diagnosed with HPV and that really set off a health journey. I had a LEEP procedure last year that was successful, but during my three-month check-up this January, I was still testing positive for HPV. After that, I cut back on drinking a lot, started taking more vitamins, and really prioritized sleep. Happy to report that during my most recent check-up, I tested negative! But the habit stuck and we’ve both really enjoyed drinking less. Now, we typically only drink on special occasions, so we rarely go out to bars anymore and opt for other activities instead.
6:30 p.m. — It’s a quick 15-minute walk to our first stop. We’re at Build-A-Bear! T. mentioned once that he always wanted to go to Build-A-Bear as a kid but never got to. He is definitely surprised and we have fun picking out a Pikachu plush, stuffing it, and choosing accessories. $47.36
7:00 p.m. — Hop on the subway to go to dinner. ($2.90 preloaded on my OMNY card using pre-tax benefits)
7:15 p.m. — Dinner is at a cool Caribbean restaurant. The service is excellent and the food is amazing — really unique and flavorful dishes! It’s definitely a splurge, but I budgeted to be able to take T. out to a really nice dinner for his birthday. $399.51
9:00 p.m. — Take the subway home. ($2.90 preloaded on my OMNY)
9:30 p.m. — Since moving in together, T. and I have settled into an evening wind-down routine. Sleep is so important to me, and I always struggle with it, so it’s nice to have a partner who cares about it as much, too. We wash up, stretch, and read a bit before going to bed around 10:30 p.m.
Daily Total: $565.95
Day Two: Saturday
4:30 a.m. — Ugh. Wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time falling back asleep. Isn’t that just the most frustrating thing? Spend about an hour tossing and turning, get maybe an extra 30 minutes of sleep, and finally just call it and get up around 6:30 a.m. Morning routine of stretches and warm water with lemon.
7:00 a.m. — T. is also up now and we go for a morning walk together. Today is his actual birthday! We spend the morning getting ready for the party.
10:30 a.m. — I go for a run outside. I still haven’t found a great running route near our new apartment. Central Park is my favorite place to run, but it’s pretty far away and is often crowded with traffic and tourists. I hate running on the treadmill more, so I brave the crowds. I’m not a serious runner and not currently training for anything, but I asked ChatGPT to give me a half marathon training plan to give myself some structure. Weekends are my longer “foundation” run so I do five miles at a 9:50 pace and feel pretty good!
12:00 p.m. — Back home, I start preparing some snacks for the party. I make a spicy strawberry margarita and decorate the tres leches cake. I also eat a quick lunch with some leftovers from the week.
4:00 p.m. — Party time! I love that we can host in our new apartment. I’ve become close with a lot of T.’s friends and I feel really lucky that I’ve built my own relationships with them. Tequila shots are taken and champagne bottles are popped!
8:00 p.m. — As the party winds down, we start to clean up. These afternoon parties have been great, it gives us enough time to clean up and have dinner without too late of an evening. T. orders Korean food for dinner and pays.
10:00 p.m. — What a day! T. and I cuddle on the couch and reflect on the day. I’m so happy that he feels very loved and appreciated, and had a great birthday celebration. We go into our evening routine and head to bed.
Daily Total: $0
Day Three: Sunday
5:00 a.m. — And this is why I stopped drinking. Wake up, not feeling too terrible, but definitely lethargic and unable to fall back asleep. Lie in bed and scroll on Instagram for a while before getting up.
8:00 a.m. — Thankfully, I have zero plans today! Finish up some cleaning from the party and then head to Trader Joe’s for our weekly grocery shop. I have a lot of evening plans this week and had already prepared lunches for the week, so I just need a few basics. I get pears, salad greens, and cucumbers. $14.17
12:00 p.m. — T. cooks the leftover Korean food for lunch and I also snack on some chips and dip. I had never had the Trader Joe’s Elote Corn Chip Dippers before and they are ADDICTIVE.
2:30 p.m. — It’s been a pretty lazy day so I decide to go for a long walk. I call a friend who recently moved away and we spend about an hour catching up. I walk to Central Park and meander through the park, then through Rockefeller on the way home to check out the Christmas tree. It’s giant, beautiful, and festive! I love the holidays and how dressed up New York gets, even if it does come with a lot of tourists. I also stop by an ATM to withdraw cash for our super and doormen as holiday gifts. I take out $400 but will Venmo T. for half of it. ($200 for my share) $200.00
5:30 p.m. — T. starts cooking dinner (we have an agreement: I grocery shop and he cooks). We keep it simple: broccoli and healthy orange chicken. It’s a perfect, simple Sunday night meal. We finish the last episode of The Studio on Apple TV+ while we eat. After dinner, we both have some of the leftover tres leches cake and then veg for the rest of the evening.
8:30 p.m. — I usually like to go to bed extra early on Sundays to catch up on sleep. Even though it’s only 8:30, I know I haven’t slept a lot this weekend so I start slowly getting ready for bed. Take my time with some extra journaling and yoga before lights out around 9:30 p.m.
Daily Total: $214.17
Day Four: Monday
6:10 a.m. — Woken up by my alarm. I had a hard time falling asleep and some intense dreams last night. But I know that staying in bed will probably mess with my sleep for the rest of the week so I force myself up. I decide that today will be a caffeine-free day so I can really try to sleep well tonight.
7:30 a.m. — Head to the gym; it’s lower-body day! Today’s squats feel especially difficult, but I get more energy throughout my workout and finish strong.
9:00 a.m. — Back home, shower, and eat breakfast. I made my usual overnight oats, but I used a new protein powder and it’s honestly disgusting. Either I put way too much, and the ratios are off, or the flavor and texture are just naturally terrible. I hate wasting food, though, so I struggle through it and have a spoonful of peanut butter after finishing it.
1:00 p.m. — As part of my new job, I work with schools around the city so I’m going to one in Brooklyn today. While I was initially lukewarm about living in Midtown, I love the convenience and transit options. Swipe into the subway. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
4:00 p.m. — Leave my meeting and contemplate going to a Trinidadian shop nearby. One great benefit of having meetings all around the city is I get to try lots of food I might not otherwise make the trip for. This place is supposed to have amazing doubles! Unfortunately, when I look it up, it closed at 3 p.m. Sadly head to the train instead. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
6:00 p.m. — Back home and I’m starving. Cobble together dinner with some leftover veg, a Trader Joe’s pre-made dal, cottage cheese (yes, I am that girl), plantain chips, and nuts. I watch Abbott Elementary while I eat and call a friend to catch up after dinner. Head to bed at my usual time.
Daily Total: $0
Day Five: Tuesday
6:10 a.m. — Finally, a good night of sleep! The first of this diary! I’m still a little tired when I get up, but I can tell I slept well and through the entire night.
7:20 a.m. — Head to the gym; it’s an upper-body push day. Even though my lower body days are harder, my upper body takes so much longer to see progress. I feel like I’ve been lifting the same weight on chest and shoulders for months!
8:15 a.m. — Back home, quickly get ready and pack my bag for work. Head to the subway with all the other commuters. Commuting can be frustrating, but there is something really communal about being in it together with thousands of other people every day. Nothing brings New Yorkers together like commiserating about the MTA. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
11:00 a.m. — Wrap up a meeting and start packing up to head to a school in Staten Island. Getting to Staten Island actually isn’t bad because you can take the ferry, which is honestly so smooth and easy, and a great way to see the Statue of Liberty. (Free!)
2:30 p.m. — Head back to Manhattan. I’ve heard Staten Island has great Sri Lankan food, so make a note to myself to grab that for a meal next time I’m out here.
5:45 p.m. — Wrap up at the office and head out. I’m meeting an old coworker for dinner and am super excited to catch up with her. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
6:15 p.m. — We meet at a cute Thai restaurant and order curry puffs, papaya salad, and chicken khao soi to share. She shares all the updates from work, and we talk about family, the holidays, and her dating life. We worked together pretty closely for two years and leaving her was one of the hardest parts of leaving my last job. I’m so glad we’ve been able to stay in touch! We split the bill at the end of the night and I walk about 15 minutes home. $26.97
8:00 p.m. — I need a new book to read so I peruse T.’s bookshelf. We both love reading but the main difference is that he likes buying new books and I am a big believer in the public library. While I’m trying to convince him to go to the library more (the more patrons they have, the more funding they receive!), it is nice that we have a large collection of books at home I can choose from at any time. One of T.’s favorite books is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami; I’ve only ever read one Murakami book years ago, and I don’t think I was mature enough for it, but I trust his taste and decide to go for it. The cover quote describes it as “dreamlike,” which could be a nice read going into the holidays. Read a bit, then get ready for bed.
Daily Total: $26.97
Day Six: Wednesday
6:10 a.m. — Slept pretty well again! I feel like I’m finally catching up on my sleep debt. I honestly hate sleeping. I’ve tried a lot in the last two years to reorient my sleep habits and routine, which has made a difference, but it still makes me anxious. Get up and go through my usual morning routine, then head to the gym.
9:15 a.m. — Get a news alert that Sophie Kinsella has passed away. I’m shocked and devastated. I loved reading all her books and there was a point in my life when I would have called her my favorite author. Text a few friends with the news and mourn together.
10:00 a.m. — Head out to visit a school in the Bronx. Hop on the train and say another thank you for my subway options. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
2:00 p.m. — Had a really productive working session! Even though I no longer manage a team as I did at my last job, a lot of my work is still coaching and developing teachers and counselors. One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping someone grow as a leader.
3:00 p.m. — Leave the school and stop by a grocery store on my way to the train. We had a lot of leftover chips and dip from the party so I’m going to make nachos for dinner. Pick up ground turkey, a can of black beans, and some greens. Swipe into the subway and head back to Manhattan. ($9.09 + $2.90 preloaded on OMNY) $9.09
6:30 p.m. — Back home and wrap up the day with a little bit more work before closing my laptop to cook dinner. I’m a pretty utilitarian cook, especially when I’m doing weeknight meals just for myself. Even though T. and I live together now, we usually do weeknight dinner separately so we don’t have to coordinate too much with work schedules and personal plans. I quickly chop and sauté the greens, brown the ground turkey, and assemble a little taco bowl with tortilla chips, turkey, greens, black beans, and some guacamole. It’s all pretty tasty and I watch an episode of The Bear while eating. I’m terribly behind on most TV, but I’m almost done with season four now!
7:30 p.m. — Wrap up a little bit more work and relax for the rest of the evening. Treat myself to a face mask and also place some holds on the Shopaholic books so I can reread them. Have a chill evening before getting ready for bed.
Daily Total: $9.09
Day Seven: Thursday
6:00 a.m. — Get up a little earlier than usual. I’m heading to Brooklyn today for a meeting at a school and need to be there at 8 a.m. Unfortunately, I won’t have time to go to the gym this morning. Get ready and head out the door around 7 a.m. Pack my breakfast to eat with me on the subway ride. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
7:40 a.m. — Get off the train. The school I’m going to is in Red Hook, which, if you know anything about New York, is famous for IKEA, great food, and being horribly difficult to get to. Instead of waiting for a bus, I decide to walk about 25 minutes instead. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but the wind is SAVAGE today, and halfway there I’m deeply regretting my decision.
10:15 a.m. — All my meetings went well! I sat in on a class and did some lesson planning with teachers. The team here is great and even though I haven’t been working with them for that long, we get along well. Trek back to the train. ($2.90 preloaded on OMNY)
3:00 p.m. — I have had a wonderfully productive afternoon of no meetings! Finally got good focus time to sit down and get through some work. I want a treat so I call some Van Leeuwen shops near me. Van Leeuwen and Breads Bakery have a collab flavor right now that sounds incredible (yes, I will still eat ice cream in the dead of winter), but I heard they’re selling out everywhere, so I want to make sure it’s still in stock before I make the trip. Unfortunately, all the shops are sold out so I have some chocolate at home instead.
6:00 p.m. — Wrap up work and cook a quick dinner. I have some leftover dal from Monday night so I heat that with some eggs and add cottage cheese. It’s weird but it works. I eat quickly and head out the door because I’m going to a play tonight. Walk about 15 minutes to the theater and meet my best friend there. (We purchased tickets a few weeks ago.)
8:30 p.m. — The play is so good! It’s a modern retelling of King Lear set in Chinatown. It’s funny and sweet, and well-acted. I love that you can get the whole range of big Broadway productions and smaller, intimate shows in New York. Hug my friend goodbye, walk home, and get ready for bed.
Daily Total: $0
Conclusion
This week felt very up and down with my spending. I had a huge spend day right at the beginning because of T.’s birthday and several zero-spend days otherwise. That general trend is typical but the variance was much wider this week. Since I took a lower-paying job, I’ve been stricter with my budget, so I’m trying to get more comfortable with spending money on myself when I know I can afford it instead of feeling like I can’t spend on anything that’s not absolutely necessary because “I don’t deserve to spend money”.
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