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 communications officer who has a $130,264 household income and who spends some of their money this week on Lush’s Lord of Misrule body wash.

Editor’s Note: All amounts are listed Canadian dollars. 

Occupation: Communications officer
Industry: Post-secondary education/higher education
Age: 27
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
Salary: $76,264
Joint Income/Financial Setup: $130,264. I live with my fiancé D. and we split household expenses roughly 50/50 (rent is 50/50, I pay internet, they pay hydro, we split groceries and other household items, and they pay for their car). Our finances are not combined, partly because we are poly. They made $88,000 last year, but they will go back to school soon and though they will continue to work on a casual basis, their income will go down to $54,000.
Assets: RRSP: $44,849.90; TFSA: $59,913.96; emergency savings: $10,164; sinking funds: $9,842.72; employer-sponsored pension: $15,000.
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $2,175
Pronouns: They/them

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $1,250. I rent with my partner D. and we split the rent 50/50.
Loan Payments: $0
Internet: $55 (this is the only utility I pay for; D. covers hydro and water is included in our rent).
Phone: $67
Climbing Gym Membership: $85
Apple Music: $7 (I’m still on a student plan despite no longer being a student).
Disney+: $13
TFSA Contribution: $800
RRSP Contribution: $172
Grocery Delivery Membership: $9

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 parents always expected us to attend higher education — they’re both university professors. Specifically, they wanted us to move away from home to go to school, because they thought it was an important part of building independence. That said, I grew up knowing there was money for this, and, living in Canada, the costs are far less astronomical than in the States. My parents contributed to RESPs for each of us, which covered tuition, and also helped supplement basic expenses like housing and food. I also worked part time at the university library throughout my entire undergraduate degree, received scholarships (of which I sent half back to my parents and kept half for myself), and worked full time during the summers. Money from these streams paid for everything that wasn’t tuition, rent, and groceries: books, meds, therapy, spending money, internet, my laptop for school, etc. I graduated without any student debt, a huge privilege that put me on really secure financial footing compared to many of my peers. I returned to school for a master’s program, which I paid for without any financial family support, although my family’s knowledge of and comfort in higher education spaces was a huge help when it came to applying for scholarships. I received a significant government scholarship ($17,000) that covered some of my expenses, $5,000 for tuition from my university, and I worked as a teaching assistant, research assistant, and editorial assistant to make ends meet while I completed my second degree. I also got a co-op job.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
In my household, conversations about money were dominated by the “We can’t afford everything” mindset: My family saw money as a series of choices, and because education was my parents’ first priority, that meant knowing we couldn’t afford things like frequent meals out or family vacations that involved getting on planes. Beyond that, my parents didn’t educate me about money or personal finances beyond “You should open a TFSA.” I didn’t know what investing was, how credit scores are determined, or how to manage daily expenses, and credit cards and other consumer debt was anathema in my household (and I hardly used my first credit card until I was 23). Basically, all I learned about money is that saving = good and spending = bad. I did a lot of reading right after I finished grad school, and that’s where I learned about money.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
The summer I turned 15, I worked as a camp assistant at a kids’ day camp in Quebec as part of a work-exchange and language-learning program sponsored by the YMCA. I stayed with a host family and learned French, and my family hosted a student from Quebec. I got the job for spending money, the chance to get away from my hometown for the summer, and to learn French, although this last part was mostly incidental. I felt extremely rich receiving my paycheck even though I was making around $10 an hour. Before that, I had babysat on a casual basis for family friends.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Not really. There was enough to go around. I did feel guilt about money: guilt about the cost of my education and the money that my parents spent on me, especially as a pre-teen/teenager.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes. I live in a high cost of living area and worry constantly about the future, the prospect of job loss, and long-term security. I’d like to be able to achieve big goals like owning a home, but these don’t feel achievable in large part because my money worries keep me from wanting to part with the cash needed to make that kind of purchase.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially responsible for myself as soon as I crossed the stage after my undergraduate degree at age 21. That said, my safety net is significant. My family would be able to help me if I lost my source of income, I could stay with them if I lost my housing, and they have helped me manage unexpected expenses, like the cost of travelling to my grandmother’s funeral earlier this year.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
After the support I received for my education, no, and I don’t expect to.

Day One: Sunday

9 a.m. — I wake up to an alarm even though it’s a Sunday, because I’m going to the beach with some friends and have agreed to pick everyone up since D. doesn’t need the car today. I lay around in bed too long because my cat wants to cuddle. I don’t have time to make coffee, just toast a bagel for a quick breakfast and pack my bag: swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, water bottle, romance novel (I’m reading The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian), baby carrots, and blueberries. I wear a giant gingham dress from Red Sky that I’ll be able to change under if we decide to swim.

9:45 a.m. — I stop at the grocery store down the street to supplement our snack supply with my favourite Hardbite chips (one bag of salt and pepper, one bag of salt and vinegar). They’re on sale, so I pick up two bags, and I grab a yerba mate for good measure because I don’t want to be exhausted. $12.75

10:15 a.m. — I stop at the dispensary and pick up a 10-pack of pre-rolled joints, because it’s not a beach day in BC without a joint. I pick the cheapest 10-pack. $25

11 a.m. — I pull up to my best friend A.’s apartment building, where A. and G. have met so I only have to make one stop. I haven’t seen G. in almost a month because she’s been traveling for work, so I get out of the car for a not-so-quick hug. We don’t even put on music while we drive because we’re so busy talking.

1:30 p.m. — The ocean is a balmy 12 degrees Celsius, so of course we decide to get in. A. protests extremely loudly and we make fun of him, but we all make it. It’s shallow, so we need to walk for a long time before it’s deep enough for me to dunk my head under. It’s been a long time since I swam in the ocean, and it’s immediately refreshing and clarifying. While we dry off, we eat our snacks and chat.

3:30 p.m. — We’ve agreed to help G. move a giant desk out of her bedroom. She can’t work from home anymore with her new job, so her home office is being dismantled. With three of us, it’s quick and easy (even though the desk is ridiculously heavy), and we’re rewarded with fresh, ripe figs from the tree in her backyard for our efforts. G. offers us beers: I am driving home later, so I just have half a berry sour that I split with A.

5 p.m. — We finally decide what to order for dinner: Szechuan. We order to share: spicy wonton soup, green onion cakes, kung pao duck, black bean noodles, crispy noodles, beef and broccoli, and fish. We split it three ways and I e-transfer A. $30 for my share. Literally nothing feels better than eating food I didn’t have to cook around a table in my best friend’s backyard. I take a couple more figs for dessert and we settle down to watch a Todd Haynes movie. $30

8 p.m. — When I get home, my fiancé (!!!) D. is scrapbooking. A bit of background about us: We met online (lol) in 2022 and have been together for over three years! We actually just got engaged about a month ago after discussing it together and working together to find rings we love (I chose the stone for my ring and they had it set, and I found a vintage ring for them based on what they told me they like when we went shopping together!). D. has also put away our groceries, which got delivered today, and did all the laundry, and I am so grateful; they are the literal best. They haven’t eaten yet, so I make them pasta before I hop in the shower and we turn on an episode of Survivor: a perfect end to a genuinely perfect day.

11 p.m. — Four episodes of Survivor later, I throw in the towel and get ready for bed. My skincare routine is simple but sacred to me: cleanse (Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser), tone (The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner), moisturize (The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid and Cerave Facial Moisturizing Lotion). D. works tomorrow, so we settle down together, but I stay up late reading my book after they’ve fallen asleep.

Daily Total: $67.75

Day Two: Monday

8:30 a.m. — I wake up while D. is getting ready for work, and I watch as they leave for the day while the cat lays on my chest. I’d like to go back to sleep, but unfortunately I’ve realized that I’m hungry, so I foist myself out of bed. I’m inspired by the groceries that D. bought yesterday and make myself an avocado, cheese,and egg bagel breakfast sandwich with a handful of blueberries, and I eat on the balcony under the morning sun. Most of my mornings aren’t so idyllic, so I try to be present as I sip my black coffee.

10 a.m. — After making the bed and vacuuming, I have earned some uninterrupted video game time. I load up Baldur’s Gate 3, my latest obsession. I’m close to the end of the game, so it’s hard to stop myself from wanting to play 24/7.

11 a.m. — In pursuit of Operation Dismantle Home Office, I am helping G. pick up an armchair from a thrift store. She picks me up and we get there just as they open. There’s a terrifying moment when we think the huge, squishy chair won’t fit into her SUV, but it does, and we ride the high of triumph all the way to the house she rents with her roommate who is out of town. Getting it through the old, narrow doors is a battle of its own, and we end up moving around half the furniture in her place before we get it where we want it. We’re both sweaty and exhausted. I give up on my plan to go to the climbing gym this afternoon.

12:30 p.m. — G. offers me a little treat in exchange for my help. We head to a local cafe where I order a hazelnut iced latte and a kitchen sink cookie, G.’s treat ($11 before tip). It’s nice to catch up alone for a little while. I tell her that I will move her furniture for free, no little treat compensation required, but I am really enjoying this cookie. D. is working nearby and walks over on their lunch break. I walk them back to work and they give me their keys so I can take the car and drive home. I’ll pick them up from work at the end of their shift.

1:45 p.m. — I tackle the rest of my chores, namely cleaning the kitchen, which is a disaster. I’m inspired to make focaccia and get the yeast started while I unload and reload the dishwasher. We’re behind on dishes, so even after I run it, there are a few things I need to wash by hand. My KitchenAid, which was a graduation present, handles the kneading, thank god, so making the dough is a quick process and I let it rise.

3 p.m. — I spend the rest of my afternoon playing video games in between bread-related tasks. By the time I have to leave to pick up D., there will be fresh focaccia and a clean apartment. I’m also inspired to make a batch of iced tea using an herbal berry green rooibos that I like, plus lemon juice. I feel like the world’s best fiancé. I don’t eat lunch, instead snacking on carrots and Spread ’Ems vegan artichoke dip.

5:30 p.m. — D. gets off work early and texts me, so I drive to their office to pick them up. It’s not far, and we’re home before long. I do most of the cooking at home, while they’re in charge of our laundry. For dinner tonight, I’m making a basic rotini al olio with garlic plus fresh basil and oregano from our beautiful balcony garden, which D. takes excellent care of. I saute some zucchini to add to my portion. Alongside the focaccia, it feels like a perfect meal.

7:30 p.m. — Once I’ve digested dinner, it’s time for yoga. I usually end up doing a video from YouTube on the floor of the living room while D. does crafts or plays video games. My hips are tight from sitting on the ground for too long at the beach yesterday (am I old?), so I pick a slow-paced flow and take my time with it. Getting on the mat always feels like a battle but I never regret it once I do. I eat more focaccia for a snack, dipped in fancy olive oil and raspberry balsamic vinegar.

9 p.m. — I’m back at work tomorrow after the long weekend, so I shower, pack leftovers for lunch, pick out a (very cute) outfit of my favourite black jeans and a shirt from Lucy & Yak, and get in bed. I finished my last book, so I start a new one, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee. The Libby app is a load-bearing pillar of my mental health.

Daily Total: $0

Day Three: Tuesday

7:30 a.m. — My alarm goes off but I am extremely sleepy and don’t roll out of bed for 30 minutes. Breakfast is very rushed: I fry two eggs in butter and make some sourdough toast, and pour my coffee straight into my to-go mug because I am under no illusions about having enough time to drink it. I forgot to do my morning skincare yesterday but I do it today: cleanse with my Neutrogena cleanser, spritz of Skinfix Balancing Facial Spray with rosewater (I think this might be discontinued now?), and Aveeno Protect & Hydrate Moisturizing 50 SPF Sunscreen. D. is just getting out of bed (their shift starts later) when I hurry out the door.

8:30 a.m. — My old nemesis: emails after a long weekend. I am behind on a lot of things, and I get sucked into working frantically.

12 p.m. — My boss is into doing yoga in the board room at lunch twice a week. I forgot that it’s today, so I’m not wearing stretchy pants, and I am frustrated the whole time, but it is still probably worth doing, right? We do a 20-minute video. After yoga, I eat a handful of nuts and go on my usual 30-minute lunchtime walk. If I don’t do this daily, I become evil.

1 p.m. — I get a drip coffee in my to-go mug at the campus coffee shop. It’s cheaper if you bring your own mug. For lunch, I eat leftovers: pork gyoza and rice plus cucumbers and carrots. The afternoon goes by very slowly. I take breaks to read a little bit between email tasks. My boss comes into the office to thank me for my work on a project last week, and I feel a little weird about receiving positive feedback while slacking off. $2

4:45 p.m. — There is a very stressful hour at home when I think I have lost a piece of jewelry. I tear apart the house looking for it and am full-on panicking. When D. gets home from work, they find it immediately. We are both very frazzled but somehow still manage to make it out of the house in time to meet G. and other friends for a summer collegiate baseball game. It’s threatening to rain, but we take the gamble.

6:05 p.m. — We get what D. calls rock-star parking and use the unexpected extra time to walk to the dispensary. Parking is free because it’s after 6 p.m. D. forgot their wallet, so I buy their weed. They are upset about this but I remind them that they buy me weed all the time and besides, baseball date night is my treat. I’m driving home, so I don’t get anything for me. We walk to the game. $26.50

6:30 p.m. — I get us two general admission tickets ($17 each) and we immediately begin our search for the hot dog stand, because neither of us has eaten dinner. When we find it, there is a hot dog shortage while they grill more. We wait very patiently and split popcorn ($6) while in line. Finally, it’s hot dog time. We each get a hot dog ($7.50 each) and I top mine with Sriracha mayo and mustard. We meet G.’s friend X. in line and since we are both meeting G. here, we go find a spot in the bleachers together. It’s not long before the rest of the group arrives. G. is late and gets in for free because a stranger had an extra ticket and I make a mental note to be less punctual in future. $55

8:30 p.m. — X. is trying to drink one beer per inning. I am horrified and fascinated by this project. When G. leaves to buy a beer, she asks if I want anything and I request a Diet Pepsi. She doesn’t let me pay her back even though it is ridiculously overpriced ($5 for a bottle!). D. snuck some candy into the game and shares with me: wine gums! Yum!

9:30 p.m. — It’s obvious that we are going to win and D. and I are both exhausted, so we leave at the end of the eighth inning. I drive us home and we stop outside our building to smoke and chat. It starts raining almost as soon as we get inside and I feel extremely vindicated. After we shower, I make us each a quesadilla and we watch Survivor until I exhaustedly collapse into bed around 11:30 p.m.

Daily Total: $83.50

Day Four: Wednesday

7:15 a.m. — I definitely did not sleep enough. Some avocados in the fridge are finally ripe, so I make avocado toast for breakfast. I douse it in hot sauce. I do not have the mental strength to make coffee today even though I know that I should. I have a Diet Coke for the caffeine hit and kiss D. on my way out the door.

9 a.m. — I buy a coffee at work ($2) plus a cheese croissant ($3.45) to have as a snack later, because I have a two-hour meeting this morning that I’m dreading. I don’t manage to get much done before my meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. It’s a union meeting on Zoom; I recently got involved in my union and am now on my chapter executive and an alternate on our bargaining committee. I turn my camera off while I eat because I’m self-conscious about how I look on camera. I also end up reading a little bit during the meeting because 1. It is very boring, 2. It is making me mad, and 3. I do not have to contribute. $5.45

12 p.m. — On my usual walk route, there are huge blackberry bushes and the fruit is all starting to ripen. I’m getting good at identifying which berries will be sweet, and I pick a few as I walk. Normally I would listen to a podcast (lately I’m into replaying old episodes of Maintenance Phase), but my wireless earbuds are acting up because I accidentally left them in my pocket and they went through the wash. Oops. I try to enjoy the sounds of nature instead. Everything smells fresh from last night’s rain. I text my friend R. to see if she wants to go climbing tonight, but she’s busy.

3 p.m. — I did not manage to eat lunch before my second meeting of the day, and that’s why I’m having instant ramen at my desk at 3 p.m. I also eat a mango, because vitamins are important. I text another friend, T., about climbing, but they’re also busy. I need to give people more notice if I want gym buddies. I resolve to go alone after work. G. and A. go climbing on Wednesday mornings when the gym opens at 6:30 a.m., and I have an open invitation, but exercising before work is not my ministry. I’m sad to have missed the chance to hang out, though.

4 p.m. — I need to replace my monthly bus pass. I need to buy it in person, because I need my staff ID to get the discounted rate (the regular rate is $85 for a 30-day pass). I make it to the office just before they close. I also get a text from a new hairstylist I have an appointment with next month asking to reschedule. I say it’s fine. I buzzed my hair at the start of summer and then my hairstylist of more than four years moved, so I am between stylists and feeling very nervous about this new person, but she works at a queer and trans-owned salon in my neighbourhood, which makes me very happy. I’m growing my hair out and hope she will be able to do something with it to ease the awkward phase. $35

5:15 p.m. — I make it to the climbing gym! I eat a handful of spicy dill pickle cashews and dried mango for energy. Luckily, my earbuds seem to be mostly working again except for some weird background static every once in a while? I focus on the set of new problems at the back of the gym and finish one that is at the top of my skill level in one try. I feel ridiculously proud of this. D. texts me that work is terrible and asks if they can call. I say they can, but I guess they are busy, because they don’t. When I get home, I shower, lay on my bed scrolling Instagram for a while, and finally start cooking dinner. The cat wants to cuddle but hates that I am naked on the bed so settles for laying beside me and yelling. Eventually I make crispy chickpea buddha bowls with quinoa, cucumber, carrot, edamame, and hemp hearts topped with sesame ginger nutritional yeast dressing for myself. D. usually wants pasta after a hard day, so I make that, too.

7 p.m. — D. gets home from work an hour late and is texting with their boss about overtime while I finish supper. We both take edibles and chat about their day. I try to be really supportive and validating. When we’re both high, we put on Survivor and I try to do the crossword, but I’m really bad at the crossword when I’m high and it takes me way longer than usual. I have the munchies and eat some Smartfood white cheddar popcorn and two small scoops of Chapman’s mint chip ice cream.

10:30 p.m. — Bedtime routine: clean the cat’s litter box (something else I do every day but haven’t mentioned until right now), brush my teeth and floss (I had a gum grafting surgery earlier this year and am very intense about my oral health routine because it sucked majorly and I am never doing that again), do my skincare, and get in bed where I read a bit of my current book, The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling. I am obsessed with these mad medieval female characters and I hope they turn out to be lesbians. (Update: They turned out to be lesbians!!!)

11 p.m. — I get distracted shopping for silver hoop earrings online but I don’t buy anything. Probably because I’m on my phone, I can’t sleep, so D. and I decide to go smoke. I put on their sweatpants and a giant sweatshirt over my PJs. After, I collapse in bed and pass out right away. Goodnight!

Daily Total: $40.45

Day Five: Thursday

7:20 a.m. — I am awoken by the dulcet tones of the crazy ducks who live behind my building. I kiss D., who has the day off and will sleep in, and literally roll out of bed. I feel robotic as I fumble through my morning routine: brush teeth, wash face, put on sunscreen, take my meds, feed the cat. I haven’t included feeding the cat in the previous days but rest assured she is getting fed! For breakfast, I make avocado toast again. This time I add a little bit of mayo. My toxic trait is I am a huge mayo enjoyer. I also finish a clamshell of blueberries that we have in the fridge and make coffee in the French press. I kiss D. again before I go and maybe that’s why I miss the bus? Luckily the next one arrives just four minutes later. I scroll Reddit (yikes) on the ride.

9 a.m. — I clandestinely take milk and sugar from the campus cafe to add to the coffee that I brought from home. No one has ever bothered me for doing this. I feel a little bad about it, but then I remember that when I buy coffee on campus I’m literally just giving money back to my employer and I feel better. At my desk, I am immediately dragged away to look over something for my boss, and then I’m free to settle into the many projects I am trying to wrap up before I take three weeks off in the fall.

9:45 a.m. — There’s no waitlist for a 2SLGBTQ+ strength training class that I like to take at a fitness studio in my neighbourhood. I impulsively decide to register and pay the drop-in fee ($10.50). In the winter I go at least once a week, but it’s been a couple months since I went to a class, because I’ve been climbing and swimming a lot over the summer. Also it feels silly to pay for other fitness classes when my climbing gym membership is $85 monthly. Class is at 7:45 p.m. and I mentally structure my evening to work around this. My fitness routine is very “I want to be strong for lesbian purposes, and also eat lots of snacks.” Then I finish up a carousel post for Instagram and post. $10.50

11 a.m. — D. had plans to see their other partner, B. today (we are poly, they are dating B., I am not dating B. but the three of us do hang out sometimes), but they are exhausted from yesterday’s work situation and text me to let me know that they cancelled. This doesn’t impact me at all but I heart-react the message and ask if they want crispy tofu/rice bowls for dinner. (Again, a bit of background about us: We have been poly since we started dating and we both have had connections with other people since the start of our relationship, whether longer-term dating relationships or shorter-term connections or hook-ups. I’m not dating anyone else right now but my friends are a HUGE part of my life that are an equal priority to my romantic partner(s), which is a big part of what I like about poly, not putting any one relationship on a pedestal above others). I also respond to a message from T. asking if I can help them move later this month, saying yes, of course. I genuinely love helping friends move, plus they helped D. and I move last year.

11:35 a.m. — I snack on more of my spicy dill cashews. I fear I am obsessed. I got these last week on sale for $3.99 per bag and now that I know they’re good, I am worried that I will be willing to pay full price. I agree to test out a new training being launched at work for communications staff, and then work on building a web page.

12:45 p.m. — I skip yoga in favour of a walk, and am craving chips. I buy a Cherry Coke Zero and snack-sized BBQ Pringles. I also eat my packed lunch: leftover buddha bowl from last night’s dinner, plus snap peas. I message the group chat to see if anyone wants to come to my strength-training class and T. says she’ll come, along with another friend of ours, S. I’ll be very happy to see them! I feel like as I get older I have less and less time so I love a little hobby/hangout moment. $6

4:30 p.m. — I finish off a toolkit that I’m building for my team and send it to my boss for her final approval, then immediately leave. Bus home. I am in a bit of a mood because people have told me “This should be your TOP PRIORITY” about like three different projects today and by definition I can only have one top priority??? I read The Starving Saints and listen to Blondie on the bus home and it doesn’t cheer me up.

6 p.m. — At home, I debrief with D. about my day before starting dinner: crispy fried tofu with rice, bok choy, and thinly sliced carrots and cucumbers. I whip up a sauce with miso, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic and a dab of soy sauce to top it off. I walk to the fitness studio, which is only about 10 minutes away from our apartment. I arrive with lots of time to spare for once and stretch it out before class. At the start of class, the instructor asks if anyone has queer events they want to promote and S. and I plug a lesbian picnic that we’re planning for next month. People seem really excited about it!! Yay!!!

8 p.m. — Class is extremely intense! The instructor tells me that I could use a heavier weight for one movement and I feel really proud of myself. I walk part of the way home with T. and S. until we have to go our separate ways. When I’m almost home, I run into D.’s partner/my meta B. at the bus stop and feel like I really live in a community, which makes me happy. B. asks if I can take a small gift upstairs for D., which I do. When I get home, D. has cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and fed the cat.

9:30 p.m. — Shower. Smoke weed. Watch Survivor. Eat wine gums and quesadilla (snack of champions?). Skin care, brush teeth, etc. I can already feel that I will be sore tomorrow! Collapse on bed with crossword. Fall asleep before finishing crossword.

Daily Total: $16.50

Day Six: Friday

7:20 a.m. — I cuddle D. for a few minutes before I get up. I have a pretty bad headache but I’m taking a couple of days off next week and really need to get some work done today so I get ready to leave the house: very gay khaki shorts, a big animal-print button down from Cider that I got from my coworker who ordered it in the wrong size, daisy earrings, and my Birkenstock Boston clogs. I make an egg sandwich for breakfast and rush to the bus.

8:30 a.m. — I buy an Awakening Orange Guyaki Yerba Mate in the hopes that my headache is caused by caffeine withdrawal. I am starting to feel like a lot of my day-to-day spending is caffeine oriented. $4.50

9:30 a.m. — Whoever scheduled this weekly online round-table meeting for 9:30 a.m. every Friday morning is my enemy for life <3 We get a walkthrough of a new project from another team and I have flashbacks to when I was working on something similar. It’s actually really useful, and I love the supportive vibes that come from everyone sharing their knowledge and experience together. But I do wish this meeting was scheduled at literally any other time.

10:30 a.m. — I work on some writing for work that has fallen through the cracks due to a bunch of more pressing projects. One time my friend L. said, “I’m juggling a bunch of plastic balls and a bunch of glass balls and I just have to hope the ones I drop aren’t glass,” and that’s how I often feel in this job. there is always more to do than there are time and resources to do it.

12 p.m. — I meet my coworkers B. and L., plus my friend T. for our weekly Friday lunch. We all work on campus and have been having lunch together every Friday for almost two years. It’s really something to look forward to. We eat outside at a picnic table set up on a grassy part of campus and gab. I’m eating leftovers from last night except I ate all the veggies so it’s just rice and tofu, so I also brought two mangoes to get some vitamins in. I am almost out of my cashews and I am rationing them but I still eat a few.

1 p.m. — It always feels impossible to go back to work after Friday lunch. I finish up my draft and respond to an email from a colleague pitching a social media push around some new research that has just been published. I get a cup of coffee in my trusty reusable mug and doctor it with cream, sugar, and cinnamon. I feel weird guilt about this but it is so good and gets me to the finish line on a few bits and bobs that I need to wrap up before the end of the week. $2

3:30 p.m. — I do some end-of-week tasks: wipe down my desk, tidy my office, organize my inbox, and log my spending. Then I start on the training and take notes to give feedback, since I am fading and this doesn’t require much brain power.

4:30 p.m. — D. picks me up from work! They got a haircut and they look SO good. I’m grateful that I don’t need to take the bus at the end of my week.

4:50 p.m. — Tomorrow is laundry day and our laundry card is empty. We take turns filling it and it’s my turn, so I put $50 on. We pay $1.75 per wash and $1.75 per dry, which is cheaper than it was at my old place, but the machine charges a $0.25 fee, so I try to put a good chunk of cash on the card to avoid more fees. $50.25

5:30 p.m. — D. and I are going to our friend R.’s place for a low-key craft night. She’s in our neighbourhood so we walk over and smoke on the way (crafts are best done high). I have a bag full of junk journal supplies, since I’ve been looking for ways to get rid of the random paper bits and bobs that I keep as “memories”. I’m also toting a bunch of markers and a colouring book for good measure. We stop at the grocery store on the way for snacks since R. is hosting. D. pays for hummus, pretzels, grapes, baby carrots, iced tea, and diet cola.

9:30 p.m. — When we get home from R.’s, I place an order for grocery delivery. Sometimes I feel ridiculous getting groceries delivered, but it’s been great for my ADHD brain and really helped us cut down on takeout and delivery. We take turns doing groceries on a weekly basis and it’s my turn. I order bell peppers, smoked turkey, three bags of Tostitos, lactose-free cheese, lactose-full cheese, Goldfish crackers, tortillas, olive oil, spinach, sourdough bread, lemons, instant noodles, cucumbers, tzatziki, iced tea, and diet cola, and add a tip. We also get charged a bag fee ($1.25). No delivery fee. $87.52

11:30 p.m. — I stay up too late playing Baldur’s Gate 3. Oops.

Daily Total: $144.27

Day Seven: Saturday

10:30 a.m. — Wake up late-ish. We stay in bed for a while talking/cuddling until I get hungry. Breakfast is Siggi’s Vanilla Skyr with frozen mixed berries and a bit of hawthorn jelly that G. gave me last year. Yum! I also brew coffee and drink it black. We are having a slow Saturday: D. waters the plants, I do a yoga video.

11:30 a.m. — I get back into my craft from last night, making a huge mess in the living room by pulling out magazines, stamps, stickers, washi tape, markers… Everything you could ever want. D. crafts with me with Survivor playing in the background. Our cat hates this and keeps trying to sit down on my journal. I love her.

1 p.m. — Groceries are here! I put everything away and get ready to leave the house to do some errands.

1:30 p.m. — Catch the bus to go downtown! I need to pick up a birthday present for G., and D. asked me to pre-order a book at our local bookstore. Our city is very tourist-y in the summer because it’s a stop for lots of cruise ships, and I very much dread going downtown.

2 p.m. — I stop at one of my favourite cafés downtown. D. and I went to an event a few months ago where we won a coupon for two free drinks, which I bring and redeem for a large iced vanilla oat latte. The drink hits different when it costs $0 and fortifies me for the crowds downtown.

2:30 p.m. — Bookstores are dangerous. I came here looking for a specific book for G., Something Not Nothing by Sarah Leavitt. I end up getting The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell for her, too. I pre-order Future Me Is Fat by Mollie Cronin ($10) for D. and Katabasis by R. F. Kuang for myself (I get a 20% discount on pre-ordering the deluxe edition, so it comes out to $34.95). I don’t have to pay for the pre-ordered books until I pick them up. It takes a while because the person working the cash is new and hasn’t pre-ordered books before. I’m extremely excited when I leave. $57.47

3:15 p.m. — I tell myself I’m not going to buy anything when I go into Lush, but I should know that this is a lie. They have their fall stock in so I pick up D.’s favourite body wash, Lord of Misrule, as a treat, because it’s seasonal and we can’t always get it. There are also a few old seasonal items from spring that are on clearance for 50% off, so I get myself a bath bomb that I haven’t tried before, Woodstock. They are sold to me by a very nice person wearing a lesbian pride pin who also gives me a free sample of the Rosy Cheeks fresh face mask. $35.30

3:30 p.m. — I am hungry. Stop by a Japanese convenience shop and get a salmon onigiri and the daily special onigiri, which has pork in it. $10.11

4:15 p.m. — On my way home, I stop at the grocery store in our neighbourhood for some extra fruit and veg, because I do not trust the produce that comes via delivery. I buy strawberries, blueberries, parsley, smoked tofu (on an impulse), pita bread, dill pickles (on impulse), Roma tomatoes, and red onion. D. meets me and we walk home together. $27.90

5:30 p.m. — At home, I make falafel. It’s my first time trying this and they turn out tasty, but not as crispy as we want, so we end up throwing them in the air fryer which makes them 100x better. D. and I eat falafel with pita, cucumber, pickles, tomatoes, tzatziki, and hummus for dinner while watching Survivor.

9 p.m. — D. goes to bed; they work tomorrow. I snack on Doritos (Late Night Burger flavour, which tastes exactly like onions, which is crazy) and play Baldur’s Gate 3. I remind myself that I have to sleep at a reasonable time because I’m going to the climbing gym tomorrow morning and then swimming.

11:45 p.m. — D. doesn’t even roll over when I come to bed. Cute <3 I read a little of The Starving Saints before I doze off.

Daily Total: $130.78

The Breakdown

Weekly Total $$ Spent: $483.25
Food & Drink: $209.23
Entertainment: $142.97
Home & Health: $60.75
Clothes & Beauty $35.30
Transportation $35.00
Other $0

Conclusion

“I’m not super surprised by my spending this week, although some categories were definitely higher than they’d usually be. When my grocery and laundry weeks line up, that’s always spendy, plus getting a birthday gift. I usually try to DIY presents for my friends, but this summer has been so busy, and it just didn’t work out this time. The rest of my spending wasn’t a surprise to me, although it did remind me how much I rely on coffees, energy drinks, etc throughout the week. The more I plan ahead, the less this happens, but planning ahead didn’t happen this week, and I’m trying to have some grace for that. A lot of my spending was social, and that’s something I’m willing to spend on! I’m in an era of not going out quite as much, and I feel like even buying snacks to go hang out with my friends, I’m still saving money compared to what I would spend at a bar or restaurant. Also, I socialized a TON this week since friends were back in town after being away; I usually have more down time. I think I’d like to try to plan ahead a bit more for my work days to try and avoid the mindless daily spending to “get me through the day.”

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