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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.
Today: a social worker working who makes $103,693 per year and who spends some of her money this week on keeping her dog happy and occupied.

Occupation: Social worker
Industry: Healthcare
Age: 48
Location: New York
Salary: $103,694
Assets: Investment accounts: $384,373.19; Roth IRA: $215,057.49; annuities: 306,796.84; savings account: $1222.78. I also have a high yield savings account with about $700 in it. I currently pay into my work pension plan and have pension plans from my last two jobs
Debt: Mortgage: $185,624.18.
Paycheck Amount (Every Other Week): $2,575.76. Health insurance ($53.14), FSA ($77.00) and 403(b) ($$332.66) are taken out pre tax, every paycheck.
Pronouns: She/her
Monthly Expenses
Housing Costs: I bought my apartment in March 2020. Yup, right at the beginning of COVID-19. When I signed the purchase agreement I was home sick myself, strangely not with COVID-19, despite having all the symptoms. A few days later NYC completely shut down. The building I was moving to paused all move-ins which is why I didn’t move in until June. The building I was living in allowed me to go month to month until I could move. I was able to put half down and got a great interest rate of 3.375%. Mortgage: $923.98; monthly maintenance fee (which includes $55 for cable/internet): $1,696.61; there is a current capital assessment of $363.80 which will end in October. ConEd: varies monthly to month. This month my bill is $124.42.
Loan Payments: Affirm for Peloton bike purchase (0% interest paid off within a year): $138.02.
Peloton All-Access Membership: $44
Netflix: $19.59
Spotify Premium: $11.99
Hulu: $18.99 (it’s automatically charged to my Amex, which then credits the full amount).
Cell Phone: $116.69
Dog Walker: $93.80 (weekly, for three walks per week).

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: My maternal grandmother was the reason I went to college, though there wasn’t much discussion surrounding the topic. I was told I was going to college and that’s it. I have a Bachelor of Arts, Juris Doctor degree, and a Master of Social Work. All of it was paid for from the funds of my structured settlement.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
I don’t remember having many conversations about money. When I was a teenager, I learned that I was getting a certain amount per year or every three or four years (more on this later). My grandmother told me college would be paid for and explained how. I didn’t know the full details of the settlement until I was well into my 20s. My dad did take me to a financial advisor one year to start an investment account.
What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job was at Wendy’s when I was in high school. I was expected to pay for my own car insurance.
Did you worry about money growing up?
I guess I never really thought about it when I was a kid. Neither of my parents went to college (mom was an LPN and dad worked in a factory), but I never wanted for anything.
Do you worry about money now?
All the time. It’s crazy when I actually look at the numbers. I feel like I’m somewhat ok. But I constantly worry there won’t be enough/it’s going to run out, etc.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
Probably when I got my first job at 16. In order to drive, I was expected to pay for my own insurance. After that, I’ve supported myself through work and funds from the structured settlement.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
Yes: My mom was killed by a drunk driver when I was a child. He happened to be driving a company vehicle. My family successfully sued the company. The funds then went into a structured settlement and I received an annuity payment every four to five years up until I was in my late 30s. The annuity payments increased every year and the last one was the biggest. Also, as I mentioned above, before I started high school, my grandmother told me I was getting approximately $1,000 per month, which would last for four years and which would pay for my tuition (I went to a private school). After that, I would get a lump sum once a year for the four years I was in college, which would pay my college tuition. And then after that, I would get a lump sum payment every four of five years, which lasted until my late 30s.

Day One: Sunday

7:30 a.m. — My dog starts barking and it’s time for me to get up and take him out. Before we go out, I start coffee so I can have a cup when we come back in. We go for a short walk around the neighborhood and he does all his business. I feed him when we get back and then grab my coffee.

1 p.m. — I’m trying to have the laziest day possible, but my dog is having none of it. He brings me toys to throw and we do that for a while. I want to nap and/or work out but I don’t think either is going to happen today. I have a big week coming up and I’m really just trying to mentally prepare myself for that. I had breakfast earlier but I’m not really interested in any food right now.

5 p.m. — I am off from work today so I basically spend the whole day relaxing, playing with my dog, and trying to nap. I start to get hungry as we are out on a walk. Even though I have one more HelloFresh meal to make, I do not feel like cooking. Decide to order Chop’t for pick-up and walk over with the dog. I get a Santa Fe wrap and we head home. $17.94

6:30 p.m. — After I eat, I realize I don’t have anything to eat for breakfast for the week. Luckily, there is a Morton Williams across the street. I get yogurt (4 for $5), a Lean Cuisine, protein bars, jell-o vanilla chocolate swirl pudding (an impulse purchase), and two mini bags of Tate’s chocolate chip cookies. $25.24

9:30 p.m. — I start getting things ready for work tomorrow. I make sure my work bag is packed and I put some of the items I just bought into my lunch bag (which is really just a NYPL tote bag). I take the dog out one more time then get in the shower. After that I watch a Friends re-run before going to bed.

11 p.m. — I try to be in bed around 11 p.m. and tonight I am successful. I make sure the pup is settled and then it’s lights out. I scroll through a few podcasts and eventually end up on a Going West episode. Most of what I listen to is true crime. One of my friends does not understand how I can listen to true crime while I am trying to go to sleep. I don’t really have an answer for that!

Daily Total: $43.18

Day Two: Monday

6:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off. I hit snooze a few times then drag myself out of bed. I get dressed to take my dog outside. I grab some cash before we go out so I can buy some fruit from the fruit stand on the corner. I get a large box of strawberries, blueberries, and three pears. $7

7:30 a.m. — After the walk, I come back inside and get ready for work. I make sure the dog is fed and then proceed to get food together for the day. I pack breakfast (almost always yogurt, berries, and granola), which I will eat at work. I also throw in a protein bar, a stick of cheese, a pear, and leftovers from one of my HelloFresh meals. I head out the door to catch the bus to work. $2.90

8:15 a.m. — I have an appointment to see a rehab doctor first thing this morning. I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer back in January. Since then, I’ve had surgery and completed four rounds of dose-dense chemo. I’ve had pain in my legs since my second round of chemo which was back in May. It hurts to walk and sometimes my legs feel weak when I stand. I also fell in my apartment back in May when my dog peed on the floor. I didn’t see it, slipped, and fell hard on my knee. I got x-rays the day after and nothing was broken but my knee continues to bother me. I pay my copay when I check in. The doctor tells me I likely have a bone bruise on my knee. He is going to prescribe an anti-inflammatory for my legs and refer me to physical therapy. $25

12 p.m. — The last part of my cancer treatment is radiation. I completed 15 of 20 treatments and this is my last week of treatment. My appointments are always around lunchtime so I head to radiation and prepare myself to wait. My appointments are only scheduled for 20 minutes but sometimes they are running so far behind that I’ve waited up to two hours for treatment. Once again, they are running late. After about an hour and half, they send me up to another floor. When I get up there, I’m taken back immediately. Everything is fine. The radiation hits one side and then moves to my other side. I am on the table with my eyes closed when I hear a loud bang. I think the ceiling is falling down! Staff runs in and it turns out it was something on the radiation machine that wasn’t secured but the machine still works. My other side then gets radiation and I’m done. As I’m getting ready to leave, I check the Crumbl app just for the hell of it. I see they have a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. I decide I need this after the chaos at radiation. I order ahead and it’s ready when I get there. $5.94

7 p.m. — I open up Zoom for my appointment with my Psych NP. I’ve been seeing him since 2017 for anxiety and depression. We meet every three months or so for a check-in and medication refills. Typically, I would request reimbursement from my FSA for the fee but between copays and medical bills from my cancer diagnosis, that is long gone. I give him updates on my treatment and tell him that despite everything going on, I am doing relatively well. We also discuss the Cowboy Carter Tour. He tells me he was so close to Beyoncé he could touch her! $300

8 p.m. — The rest of my workday is super chill. I make some phone calls and eventually eat my leftovers. I am counting down until the end of the day. I work three 12-hour days and have to be back at work in 12 hours. I decide to take a Lyft home. I get home and immediately take my dog out for a walk. We come back inside, I feed him and we play fetch for awhile. He’s a little over a year old and has endless energy. I do not. I eventually shower and get into bed around 11 p.m. $23.05

Daily Total: $363.89

Day Three: Tuesday

7:30 a.m. — My alarm is just cruel at this point. I wake up and take the dog out. When we come back, I make coffee and feed him. I then get ready for work. When I am done, I get my food ready for the day. Once again it’s yogurt, granola, and berries for breakfast. I throw more of the same from yesterday (protein bar, cheese, a pear, and HelloFresh leftovers). I walk over to catch the bus for work. $2.90

10 a.m. — I got paid last week and decide I need a new T-shirt from Beyond Yoga. Their featherweight tee has some great colors right now and I order one in dark maroon. When I go to check out, I discover that healthcare workers get a 20% discount! I submit my credentials, which are quickly accepted, and place my order. Thanks Beyond Yoga! $51.20

10:30 a.m. — After the fun of buying new clothes, I get serious and check out my credit card statements. I have 3, 2 AmExes and one Chase United rewards card. I make all big purchases on my Chase card so I get the miles. I use one Amex mostly for Lyft and the other one for things like the vet and my NP. I try to pay all of them off each month. I pay half on the card linked to my Lyft account, which is more than usual due to two airport rides in July. The other half I will pay out of my next paycheck. I pay the balance due on the Chase. $283.19

12 p.m. — I walk over to my radiation appointment. Things are running much smoother today. I’m in and out within an hour. I usually make a coffee when I am there with a vanilla caramel cream pod but there’s none of those today. I am exhausted so I order a caramel macchiato from Starbucks ($6.83) and go to pick it up. I had money on my Starbucks card and pay for it from there. 

1:30 p.m. — After I pick up my Starbucks, I have a craving for empanadas from Sophie’s and it’s been a minute since I’ve been there. They have a three for $10 deal so I get two beef and one guava and cheese and I head back to the office. When I get back, I give one of the beef to my coworker. I also offer half of the guava and cheese but she declines. $13.37

5 p.m. — I’m still at work and ready to go home. I have the next three days off so I am holding on as much as I can. We end up getting a call to go see a patient in the community. It’s a location and person we know so we head out. We have to see the patient within a certain timeframe so we can take a Lyft which is linked to a corporate account. The visit ends up being quick as the person does not want to speak with us. My coworker and I head back to the office. I spend the rest of time writing notes and making phone calls. $14.39 (Expensed)

8 p.m. — Finally my day is over! I walk over to catch the bus home. Once I get home, I take the dog out for a walk. We play fetch again when we get back inside. I decide to do a puzzle on my iPad but I fall asleep on the couch while doing it. It’s 12:30 a.m. by the time I wake up so I gather myself, put the dog in his crate, and immediately get back into bed. $2.90

Daily Total: $353.56

Day Four: Wednesday

9 a.m. — On my off days, my dog is my alarm clock. He will start barking and will not stop until I am up. It’s rare he lets me sleep past 7:30 a.m. Today, it was 7:15 a.m. It’s ok though as he is going to doggie day care later. He usually goes once a week on one of my off days to give us a break from each other. On the walk over to day care, I stop at CVS (which is one of his favorite places) to pick up the prescriptions my NP refilled. After a short wait, I get the medications and walk him over to day care. $22.06

11:30 a.m. — I catch the bus to go to radiation. Only three more sessions! Today runs pretty smoothly and I am again in and out within the hour. I am starting to get hungry but don’t want anything big. There is a market near the bus stop that has a really good tuna pasta salad. I go in and get a small container. I then get on the bus and head home. $12.04

5 p.m. — When I get home from radiation my plan is to nap, do a load of laundry, and work out. I end up falling asleep on the couch around 3 p.m. I sleep for a solid two hours. When I get up, I put on workout clothes and gather up the dog’s blankets to wash. He is potty trained and there are potty pads for him but he continues to pee in his crate or on his bed when he is mad. Luckily, I have laundry in my building. I go downstairs and put the blankets in the wash. When I come back upstairs, I get on my Peloton and do a five-minute warmup, a 30-minute class, and a five-minute cool down. After I am done, I run downstairs and put the laundry in the dryer. $4.25

7:15 p.m. — I walk over to pick up my dog from day care. I try to leave him there for as long as I can so he can run out all his energy. He’s a staff favorite there. They bring him out and he gets a treat before we leave. He doesn’t want to walk when we leave so I pick him up and carry him the rest of the way. He tries to play a little when we get home and I don’t understand how he’s not exhausted. Eventually he gives up and is knocked out. Once he falls I sleep I doomscroll, play Candy Crush, and watch reruns of the OG Law & Order before I go to bed around 11 p.m. 

Daily Total: $38.35

Day Five: Thursday

11 a.m. — I am up again around 7:30 a.m. I take the dog for a walk and we relax until it’s time for me to leave for radiation. Around 11 a.m., I get a text letting me know that T-mobile debited my account for my cell phone bill. After this, I get ready to leave and am out the door around 11:30 a.m. to catch the bus to treatment. 

1:30 p.m — It’s a miracle! Today I am in and out of radiation in 30 minutes. I see my doctor after treatment and this is the first week that I am actually on time for my appointment. He tells me that my scans look great. He also tells me what to expect of the next few weeks which can include skin peeling and continued darkening of the skin. I head to Trader Joe’s after I leave my appointment. I buy coffee (the most important thing!), more yogurt, milk, protein bars, granola, bread, a mini pumpkin spice sheet cake, and some other items. I am a sucker for Trader Joe’s pumpkin items. I hope the pumpkin biscotti are back soon. $52.53

2 p.m. — After I leave Trader Joe’s I walk down to PetCo to pick up a few cans of wet food that I mix with my dog’s dried food. I look at some treats and toys but just get the food. When I leave, I walk over to the bus stop to head home. When I get home, I put all the groceries away and make a HelloFresh meal. I eat and spend time with the dog before I get ready for the Liberty game. $5.86

5:45 p.m. — My friend and I did a partial season ticket plan for the Liberty this year. The games are so fun and the crowd is always amazing. I also secretly want to be a Timeless Torch. They’re playing the Sky tonight and although I am cheering for the Liberty, I am looking forward to seeing Angel Reese play. I get down to Barclay’s and meet my friend and we head in. $2.90

6:50 p.m. — Once we are inside we stop for snacks and drinks before going to our seats. I got popcorn the last game I went to and it was so good. I want to get it again but I decide to get a High Noon Black Cherry as an early celebration for my last day of radiation, which is tomorrow. My friend gets a hot dog. We then head to our seats and settle in for the game. $17

9:15 p.m. — The game did not go how I expected and the Liberty lost. My friend wanted to go to Chick-fil-A after, so we walk over there. I’m hungry too and decide to get a five-piece nugget and an order of fries ($6.14). A lot of folks from the game are there so it’s super busy. I need to eat my food before I go home otherwise it will be cold. Luckily there’s an open table so we sit down and I eat my food. After we are done, I get on the train to head home ($2.90). $9.04

Daily Total: $87.33

Day Six: Friday

10:30 a.m. — I get an email from the dog walking company letting me know my account has been debited for this week’s walks. It’s $5 more this week because one of the walks is on Saturday. Because I work 12 hours, he gets walked on the days I work each week. He seems to be anxious on the days I am not there. I have come home to ripped up potty pads, poop on his bed, and general gremlin things. He seems to be getting better but still continues to chew on things, with his current obsession being the cable wire. 

11:30 a.m. — I get the bus to the clinic for my last day of radiation and last day of treatment overall! It almost feels surreal. The last seven months of my life have been consumed by this. It’s been quite the journey but I made it. There’s not a long wait today and I go back pretty quickly. After it’s over, I thank the radiation techs for all they’ve done and for taking such good care of me. They wished me the best and said not to come back. When I am done, I go over to the bell to take a selfie. A kind woman in the waiting room offers to take some photos for me. I end up ringing the bell and she records it. The people in the waiting room clap for me and offer congratulations. It’s very overwhelming. $2.90 

1:30 p.m. — I decide to take myself out for a celebratory lunch. I go to this café that I’ve wanted to try and order a glass of rosé and a pizza with burrata and truffle oil. It’s delicious. I take my time there and read a little bit of the book I have with me. Eventually, I leave and start walking home. On the way, I pass one of my favorite wine bars which has $7 wines for happy hour. It’s such a beautiful day so I stop there for a glass of rosé which turns into two. I sit there for a while and end up finishing my book. I am slightly tipsy when I leave and I walk home. $68.61

5:30 p.m. — I take the dog out when I get home. We play for a while. I exchange some voice messages with one of my BFFs. I get hungry again around 7:30 p.m. so I make steak tacos which is one of my HelloFresh meals. I eat dinner and clean up. I have to work tomorrow so I am settling in for the night and biding my time until 20/20. I only make it a half hour before I fall asleep on the couch. 

10:30 p.m. — The dog wakes me up so he can get off the couch. He then brings me a toy to throw for him. I am so tired and just can’t do it. I drift back off until he brings me another toy and starts barking. This goes on until I decide it’s actually time for bed. I put on my pajamas, put him in his gated area and crawl into bed.

Daily Total: $71.51

Day Seven: Saturday

6:15 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I hit snooze as per usual. I am absolutely exhausted but drag myself out of bed. I take out the dog. When we come back in, I get ready for work. Somehow I get myself together to pack my breakfast and snacks for the day.

7:30 a.m. — I order a Lyft to get to work. I typically take one when I work on the weekend as my usual bus doesn’t start running until a little later. I could take the local bus, but I always worry I’m going to be late if I take it. $21.98

8:45 a.m. — I get to work and see we have an appointment first thing this morning. I am very familiar with this patient and the building they live in. We end up taking a Lyft to the appointment. The appointment is productive and we devise a follow-up plan. $17.60 (Expensed)

12:30 p.m. — We have another appointment this afternoon. The individual is within walking distance so my coworker and I walk over to meet them. We spend some time walking around the neighborhood and talking to her. She was very thankful and grateful for our time today.

2 p.m. — We get back to the office and I start writing notes from the interactions I had today. While working on those, I get a call from another patient who needs assistance. I talk with them and their sibling and give them ideas and instructions on what they should do next.

6:30 p.m. — I get a call from one of my colleagues letting me know they are now meeting with the patient I spoke to on the phone earlier. I provide my colleague details of my interaction with the patient earlier. They are being evaluated and my colleague will update me when she can.

7:30 p.m. — I start working on my sign-out for the person who will be working tomorrow. It’s something we do each night so the person working the next day can see what was done and what, if anything needs a follow-up. After that is finished, I start gathering my belongings to leave for the night.

8 p.m. — My workday is over! I walk to the bus to head home. I take the dog out when I get home. We play for a while but I am tired. I am in bed by 11:30 p.m. and hope the pup will let me sleep in tomorrow. $2.90

Daily Total: $24.88

Conclusion
“As I was typing in things, I thought to myself, ‘This is a lot,’ but I don’t know that I’d necessarily change things moving forward. Some of my expenses this week were not things that I typically spend money on. I considered my lunch and wine stop a special occasion since I finished treatment.”

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