If you’re currently hoarding one (or maybe even a few) oversized shirts in your closet, you’re in a prime position to prove your style credo this season. While it’s true that oversized vintage tees or white button-down shirts are classic capsule items, how to style them can change with the seasons.

If you want to breathe new life into your oversized shirts, we’ve compiled some genuinely helpful styling tips that will allow you to moonlight as the fashion influencer.

Ahead, we’ve provided handy visual aids — care of some of the trendiest people on the Internet — to act as inspiration. These sweet fashionistas have truly blessed us with their inspired oversized shirt stylings; take notes, this is how to style an oversized shirt.

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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 senior account manager who makes $125,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a baffling $90.73 payment towards student loans.

Occupation: Senior account manager
Industry: B2B digital marketing
Age: 27
Location: New York
Salary: $125,000
Assets: Retirement funds (401(k), Rollover IRA and Roth IRA): $20,000; HYSA: $3,000; checking account: $1,300.
Debt: TD Bank Credit Card: $12,920; Citi Credit Card: $2,900; Capital One Savor Card: $9,975.
Paycheck Amount (2x/month): $3,600
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: $2,900 (covers rent, heat, gas, and water/sewage).
Loan Payments: Student loans: $171; credit cards: $1,000.
Dog-Related Care Costs: $650-$1,000 (food, dog-walker or doggie daycare).
Subscriptions: $20 for Apple storage, Amazon Prime, and Netflix.
ClassPass: $90
Internet: $40
Electricity: $25-$100
The Trevor Project Donation: $22

Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Yes, there was an expectation for me to go to college after high school! Both of my parents are college graduates and decided to raise their kids in a neighborhood in New Jersey that specifically had a great public school system. About 94% of my graduating class pursued higher education and went to college after graduation, so it was very much the norm and encouraged (or even pushed on us).

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My parents had me when they were in their late teens/early twenties, so growing up, money was scarce. I saw a lot of fear around money and understood that we were not working with much while my parents were starting out. However, as I’ve grown, they have also managed to climb up the ladder in terms of class and are now pretty comfortably upper-middle class. It’s been interesting watching them shift to a more secure place and now there is less fear around finances. I was always encouraged to have a savings account and have been working in some capacity since I was very young (house-sitting, babysitting, camp counseling) starting around 10 years old.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
My first job that was “official” was a cashier at a grocery store. I got it because I went to every store in the neighborhood with my résumé and contact information, shook the manager’s hand, and asked for a job. They were the first to call me back; I started when I was 16.

Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes, all the time. My biggest fear was that my parents wouldn’t let me go through a four-year college experience and that we wouldn’t have enough money to cover the cost of my education. It was extremely important to me to go to college as a young person and I also deeply desired the independence of being out of my family’s house and on my own. I saved a lot of my own money before starting school and ultimately was able to afford to go to a four-year state university.

Do you worry about money now?
Yes, I am very worried about money — but with a grain of salt. I am lucky enough that I always have a place to go to if things do not work out (for example, I’ve had a sublet situation fall through which forced me to move back with my parents for a short period of time). However, I do not want to do that again. I truly want to be independent and self-sufficient. However, that also means being aware of my finances and on top of things at work, since my bills fall on me. It can be stressful but also very rewarding to take on that level of responsibility. I have also started freelancing as a second source of income, which has been a very enjoyable side project!

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I do not have a trust fund or financial safety net that exists in a bank account, but I do have a very loving family who are supportive of me and I know that I can turn to them should disaster strike. I became financially responsible for myself when I was 22 and moved out of my parents’ house to an apartment.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
When I signed my first lease, my dad was a guarantor and paid $400 of the $3,000 rent at the time, and he did that for about a year and a half as I was starting out on my own. Now, I am fully responsible for my expenses and rent. I do not receive passive income or inherited income.

Day One: Thursday

3 a.m. — I wake up in a panic and check my bank account, it’s pay day! Ayeeee. I breathe a little easier. I’ve been going through major life transitions and was in the negatives on my checking account for about a week after switching jobs and moving apartments, which left me a paycheck behind. I atone for my sins (debts) so that when I actually wake up I won’t have to think about them, and my friends will wake up to Venmo notifications. I send $144 for Chappell Roan tickets to my friend who got early access, $170 to my cousin for a hair stylist and makeup artist (her wedding is in two weeks!) and $800 to two credit cards that have kept me afloat over the last few weeks. $1,114

8 a.m. — I commute into the city for work, and head out this morning to catch the train. Before I go, I make myself an iced almond milk latte and heat up the last part of a veggie frittata I meal prepped for this week. I also have my last apple cider doughnut from the pack my mom gave me when I was home for my grandma’s birthday. Call me a weirdo, but I actually love my commute. I have worked remotely since 2020, and the isolation definitely left my brain scrambled and devoid of little spurts of serendipity. Walking through Grand Central, I hear the subway saxophone players, see tourists wandering around, and run into my coworkers on the way to work. It makes me feel human again. $11.80

2:30 p.m. — Work has been a rollercoaster this week. I’ve been on calls and doing finance-related work (re: mind-numbing shit) since 9 a.m., so I take a lunch break and walk down the street. I didn’t have time to pack or make my lunch yesterday, so I stop at Naya and grab a shawarma wrap and an iced coffee from Le Pain. I spend the rest of the afternoon finishing up work and listening to the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift. This is a highlight of my day and this woman is unstable for making so much music, but I’m here for it. October 3rd baby, Life of a Show Girl! $17.90

5:50 p.m. — I’m heading back on the train to New Jersey. My friend texted me earlier and asked if I wanted to go to a Pride event at our local library An art therapist is guiding a free class and she and a few new and old friends are going around 7 p.m. In Jersey City, Pride month starts in August, and building queer community has been super important to me the last year or so. I tell her I’m going and cancel my ClassPass for tonight. I was never going to make it to Pilates anyway. I’d rather bond with my people and make some silly little crafts. For this, I am charged a cancellation penalty of $14, even though I lie and say I am injured. They do give me five credits back, though. I cut my losses. Something about me: I’m a mother (mamacita). My dog goes to day care three days a week and the daycare tech is dropping him off at 6:30 p.m. He always comes home happy and tired, which is all I can ask for when I’m in the office! A very good investment in my opinion. $14

7:30 p.m. — For dinner, I make a full pound of salmon, bok choy, and brown rice. I split the salmon into thirds and pack two of them into containers with the veggies and rice. Now I have dinner for tonight and lunch for next week! Even though I live alone, I’ve been cooking in bulk recently to save myself in the future. I also made a breakfast parfait for tomorrow with protein granola from Trader Joe’s, Greek yogurt, and a cut up peach and plum. All together this took me one hour. I get to the art event with my friend who’s coming from a Yelp-elite event. We get to the library and meet up with our friends. The activity is journal making! We can decorate the journals with collages and take home some prompts for self reflection. I’ve never been happier. Journaling is one of my favorite things to do. Afterwards, we head over to Torico’s for ice cream and chat for a while. I head home around 9:30 p.m. $5

Daily Total: $1,162.70

Day Two: Friday

8:30 a.m. — I wake up super late and put on some sweatpants to walk my dog before starting work. For some reason I simply can not get my act together in the morning on work from home days. Once we’re back, I work on some project briefs with our creative team. They are lovely, solution-oriented people and for that I’m grateful, because there are always surprises coming out of nowhere for the designs and projects we make for our clients. While I’m working, I eat my prepped breakfast and have another iced almond milk latte.

10:30 a.m. — My landlord is texting me about my oven. I thought I smelled gas a few days ago so I called PSE&G to check. Turns out the oven has a weak igniter that can be replaced for $300. My landlord says instead of reimbursing me for that repair, her and her husband will just buy a new oven. This is great news! I send over the dimensions so they have something to reference. I send another payment to one of my credit cards for $16.77 as the amount I paid yesterday didn’t cover a few pending transactions. I also realize I have to take my dog for his annual visit next month, so drop in $130 to a sinking fund I have for him in my Marcus Goldman Sachs HYSA account. That should cover the office visit, and then I’ll pay for the other tests and vaccine updates with my next pay check. $146.77

2:30 p.m. — Another busy day. Take my late lunch break and bring my dog out for a little walk. I heat up the salmon, bok choy, and rice from yesterday and make one more iced almond milk latte. I am a creature of habit. Continue working on a lot of administrative tasks for work. While I work on things that are tedious I like to put on some YouTube or background sounds. Today I’m listening to a video essay by Anna Howard called “How Life Changes When You Realize the Rules are Made Up.” I’m really drawn to the idea of selective agency. I wonder which aspects of my life I’m choosing to approach without considering my resources today compared to when I was younger. Besides bills, I realize I’ve had a zero-spend day so far (hooray!). I have a lot of credit card debt to pay off, from poor decisions in my early twenties, so I’m teaching myself to try to enjoy the process of saving and reward myself for my goals.

5:30 p.m. — I realize I’m doing more staring at my screen than working, so I take a little break and snuggle with my dog. I take him for a walk and then take a really long shower with a glass of wine because this is very important to do as a woman at least once a month.

9:30 p.m. — Because I am sick and twisted I log back on to see how much more work I can get done before 10 p.m. I power through almost one more full timeline until I go to bed.

Daily Total: $146.77

Day Three: Saturday

11 a.m. — I wake up and realize how tired my body was! I’ve been sleeping so restlessly in my new place, but there was a lot of noise from people partying and yelling near a bar on the corner last night. I need to invest in some type of sound machine. I put on my makeup, as well as Maren Morris’ song “Running”, and get dressed and ready for the day. A new location for my favorite local coffee shop just opened two blocks away and I go with my dog to check it out. I end up getting one iced horchata latte. $7.20

12 p.m. — Come back home and make a little egg, avocado, and tomato scramble and cut up a plum. TD Bank robbed me last week, so I call to plea my case. The lovely customer service representative refunds me $210 in overdraft fees. I am giddy and so relieved. My friend texts me to ask if I want to go watch a roller derby competition in Prospect Park with the people from her activist band. Never have I been more excited for a text. I say yes. The event is at 5:30 p.m., so I need to plan the rest of my day backwards. I’ll leave at 4:30 p.m. and take my dog for an hour-long walk before, so I have about two remaining hours to get things together.

2 p.m. — Seeing as I got $210 back, I order two new pairs of pants from the Gap which is having a great sale ($63.73). I desperately need new jeans, but I can’t seem to find ones I love. I find one pair I like and one pair of work trousers. I also find three super cute tops on Abercrombie and spend $105 including shipping. I think I’m good for now! I start a load of laundry in the basement unit in my building, and am surprised to find that the washer/dryer is free (no quarters!). This is the best day of my life. So grateful. While the laundry is running, I decide to meal prep my breakfast for next Monday and make a late lunch. I cook the rest of the eggplant I got from my grandpa’s garden, tomato, lots of garlic and olive oil, and some pasta. $168.73

6 p.m. — My laundry is done and I head out to Brooklyn to see my friend (and her aforementioned friends) for a little bit before she goes to China and Taiwan for three weeks. Everyone is super sweet and they share their beer with me and my friend. I grab a water from concessions and split it with my friend since it’s 80 degrees in the shade. $3.47

9:30 p.m. — I’m heading home now. I get really anxious about solo public transit in NYC at night so I didn’t want to push it too late. Plus I have to walk my dog one more time before bed. I’m hoping to be in bed by 11:30 p.m. $5.90

Daily Total: $190.30

Day Four: Sunday

9:30 a.m. — Wake up and take some time getting out of bed. I have the morning to myself besides heading to a friend’s bowling party in the city later!

10:30 a.m. — Go to the same coffee shop and get an iced latte again. Shower, make some breakfast, listen to The Daily and a BBC news podcast and then get a little work done. $7.20

12 p.m. — I walk downtown to pick up a gift for my friend. There’s a market area open by the PATH station, and I pick up some home made treats and a bow tie for her dog, as well as a small ceramic pot for dips and brie. I think she’ll like it! $42

2 p.m. — Go to the bowling place with my friends on the PATH ($5.90) and then the bus ($5.90). I grab two beers and some bowling shoes. My friend pays for one round and the shoes. I can’t bowl for shit but still come in second place on my team! When I get home, our birthday girl requests $18 for the cost of entrance and my friend lets me know that they didn’t charge her for my beer but I do owe money for the shoes ($8). $31.90

6 p.m. — It’s pouring outside, so instead of taking my dog for a long walk, I take him for a short sprint and then head back in. I put on a show and clean my bathroom until it calms down and we go out again.

8 p.m. — I’ve been going back and forth on grocery shopping and finally say fuck it and go. I have three recipes saved from NYT Cooking to make that are relatively low budget. All together, I get a good weekly haul for $46.91 at ShopRite. I bought two cans of cannellini beans, one box of pasta, kale, Brussels sprouts, baby potatoes, a shallot and lemon, tomatoes on the vine, two avocados, quinoa, almond milk, chicken thighs, hot Italian sausage, one dog chew, turmeric, basil leaves, cumin, and garlic powder. $46.91

10 p.m. — I shower and go to sleep. Finally, an early night!

Daily Total: $128.01

Day Five: Monday

6:15 a.m. — Wake up early because today is the first day I’m leaving my dog home instead of sending him to daycare! I hired a dog walker a week ago and today she starts. I’ll walk him this morning, then she’ll come for an hour in the afternoon, and I’ll walk him when I’m home from work. We’ll see how this goes. He can be very high energy so he needs one or two hours of exercise per day. I take the morning walk and run into my friends around the corner that just got back from Ireland. They are adjusting to the time difference and we walk together until they leave to get bagels.

7:25 a.m. — Out of the house and heading to work! I feel Monday scaries, but most of my stress-inducing meetings are in the morning, so by lunchtime I’ll be a little calmer. $5.90

11:15 a.m. — My period surprises me so I run to CVS and grab a small pack of pads, bottle of Motrin, and Ghirardelli chocolates. $18.12

12 p.m. — My calls are over and I meet my manager in the office for a 1:1. My dog walker also sends me the cutest pics of my dog and says they had a great walk. I’m so happy and relieved that they got along and book her for Tuesday and Thursday, for $60 each day for a one-hour walk. I also pay her a little extra for the initial walk, since the first one is slightly discounted from her normal rate and she did a great job. $180

3:30 p.m. — Late lunch break at the place next door to my office and catch up on the news. Accidentally spend way too much on a Cubano, but it’s so good I don’t regret it. $21.72

4:45 p.m. — I head out early on the PATH ($3). When I get home, I chat a little bit with my mom and then watch some YouTube. I also meal prep some basil-butter chicken thighs and corn. This should last me until Thursday. I check my bank account and realize that the federal student loan service has attacked me this month and taken an auto-deduction of $90.73. Sometimes I feel like I am bleeding money. $93.73

11 p.m. — Spent the rest of the night watching some comfort YouTube channels (Trixie Mattel), cleaning up the house, and showering. I recently got an ice-roller and try to use it on my face if I remember to depuff after doing my skincare routine. It’s very soothing.

Daily Total: $139.47

Day Six: Tuesday

8:30 a.m. — I leave really late for work as it was a rough night. It didn’t have to be; I just stayed up really late googling what kind of breed my dog’s father might have been. Not a total waste of time, but definitely not worth staying up until midnight for. $5.90

10 a.m. — I get to work extra late because the 4/5/6 train line is massively delayed from World Trade Center. I missed breakfast so I have some Frosted Flakes and a banana from my work snack bar.

5:45 p.m. — My friends and I go out for happy hour in Tribeca. They buy my  two rounds of sauvignon blanc and I promise to get them back next time.

7:30 p.m. — Home now, I check my Gmail and see that the editor for my freelance article replied to me with edits. I’m so excited! I make my pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans and veggies) and take a look at her feedback. All very valid notes. I eat and make some edits.

10 p.m. — Take my dog for his last walk and go to sleep earlier than yesterday. A win is a win.

Daily Total: $5.90

Day Seven: Wednesday

7:30 a.m. — I wake up to a call from my landlord that my stove is being delivered in 10 minutes. Fuck. I forgot that it was scheduled for today and am very unprepared. I brush my teeth and change as fast as I can and put my dog in my bedroom so he doesn’t get spooked by the delivery.

8:20 a.m. — Stove is installed! That was super fast. I get started with my workday and make some iced coffee with — you guessed it — almond milk, and have two Ghirardelli caramel chocolates before my first morning calls.

11 a.m. — My calls are over for now so I eat some leftover cut-up plum, peach, and Greek yogurt with protein granola. Today will mostly be brainstorming internal team projects and preparing for another kick off tomorrow.

6:15 p.m. — My work isn’t completely done yet but I need to sign off to make it to Pilates. I message my boss that I’ll be back at 7:30 p.m. to finish up.

7:30 p.m. — I am back to finish up. I send out one email then get ready as quickly as possible for trivia night at a local gay bar. My friends who got back from Ireland last week are meeting me there. I speed walk in the rain and go inside to their little bar booth. We are actually not terrible! It’s Pride trivia and we know a lot, but still not enough because we get fourth place. We have three drinks each. I have three glasses of pinot grigio which will be a regret tomorrow morning, but feels good right now. $28

Daily Total: $63.24

The Breakdown

Weekly Total $$ Spent: $1796.15
Food & Drink: $137.40
Entertainment: $170
Home & Health: $4148.12
Clothes & Beauty $338.73
Transportation $38.40
Other $963.50

Conclusion

“This was genuinely such a fun exercise and kept me incredibly aware and present in my week. I also wanted to spend less on frivolous things because I knew they would be documented! Really fun.”

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here.

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A Week In St. Petersburg, FL On A $45,000 Salary

A Week In Dallas On A $290,000 Joint Income

A Week In The Bay Area On A $715,000 Joint Income

The MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are upon us for another year, inviting some of music’s biggest names to a ceremony celebrating the most exciting music video creations of the year.

All our favorite pop stars are in attendance and looking fire. Sabrina Carpenter, Tate McRae, Tyla and Ariana Grande are already in the room, dressed and ready to accept their praise for the evening.

And before you ask, no, Taylor Swift is not attending the VMAs this year. Despite earning one nomination for Artist Of The Year, Swift has opted to forego this year’s awards ceremony. With her next studio album, ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’, dropping next month, 2026 is sure to be a bigger year for her.

But without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the most notable looks from the 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet.

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Stellar beings, this week is all about taking in the downloads from the full moon total lunar eclipse in Pisces which took place on Sunday the 7th at 2:09pm EST. This wasn’t just another lunation — it was the final lunar eclipse of the year, and because it lit up the last sign of the zodiac (while Saturn, the Planet of Responsibility, is sitting at 29 degrees Pisces), the energy is majorly karmic.

Pisces transits remind us that endings are beginnings in disguise, and with Jupiter in Cancer as one of the chart rulers of the lunar eclipse, many of us have been feeling emotions rise to the surface in tidal waves this past week. You may have cried harder than you expected, or you may have laughed louder than you have in months; either way, all zodiac signs are being reminded not to run from our feelings.

The start of this week is all about taking those raw revelations and doing something with them. With the Moon in Aries from Monday through Wednesday, you might suddenly feel the urge to send the text, sign up for the class, or throw yourself into a bold new plan that the eclipse inspired. Don’t be surprised if your inner voice sounds louder than usual: It’s Aries fire meeting Pisces water, and the result is steam pushing you forward. The catch? Aries energy can get impulsive, so while you should follow the spark, you’ll also need to check in with yourself before diving headfirst.

By midweek, the Moon enters Taurus (Wednesday through Friday), and the vibe shifts from fiery action to earthy grounding. Think: reorganizing your desk, cooking a meal that makes you feel safe, or finally catching up on the sleep your body’s been begging for. Taurus Moons after a Pisces eclipse are like nature’s weighted blanket — they soothe the nervous system and help you integrate what’s happened. This is also a powerful time to notice what stayed after the emotional storm. Who texted to check in? What inner voice kept repeating itself? What grounded habits feel good to stick with? Taurus will show you what’s sustainable.

Then, as the weekend rolls in, the Gemini Moon reminds you not to take any of this too seriously. By Saturday and Sunday, conversations flow easier, curiosity comes back online, and laughter feels like medicine. You may suddenly realize how much lighter you feel compared to Sunday, when the lunar eclipse climaxed. Gemini energy reminds you that you don’t have to carry your revelations alone. Share them, play with them, brainstorm with your friends. By the end of the week, you’ll feel like a phoenix rising — not because everything’s perfect, but because you let yourself feel, ground, and release. And now, post-eclipse, your ascension will hit different.

Read your horoscopes for your Sun and Rising signs for the most in-depth forecast. 

Aries Sun & Rising:

Aries, how did Sunday’s Pisces total lunar eclipse in your solitude zone land for you? If you cried, ghosted plans, or journaled like your pen was on fire, that was right on time… this eclipse asked you to clear emotional caches you’ve been carrying for years.

Come Monday and Tuesday, the Moon in your sign pulls you out of the cocoon with fresh first-day-of-school energy: you’ll want a haircut, a reset playlist, and a mini “I’m back” soft launch. Then midweek, the Taurus Moon helps you put meat on the bones of your rebirth: build a realistic budget, map two doable savings targets, and choose one talent to productize now that Saturn has stepped out of your sign for a six-month breather. Think “slow compounding wins”: a paid consult here, a limited drop there, a tip jar on that passion project. Pride in what you do grows alongside pride in who you’re becoming.

By the weekend, the Moon glides into Gemini and your words sparkle again. After that deep-water eclipse purge, you’re suddenly flirty, witty, and low-key iconic in the group chat. Say yes to a spontaneous coffee date, pitch the idea you almost shelved, and post the thing without doom-scrolling the comments. Your takeaway as the week winds down: you honored your feelings, you gave yourself space, and now you’re remembering that the present moment is where life actually happens. Talk it out, laugh it off, and let curiosity lead you somewhere delightful.

Taurus Sun & Rising:

Taurus, it’s time for an honest check-in: what did Sunday’s Pisces total lunar eclipse reveal about your circles and timelines? Friendship truths (good and messy), social media boundaries, and community dreams were all under the microscope… maybe you released a grudge, owned one, or admitted a connection had gone stale.

With the Moon in Aries Monday to Tuesday, you’ll crave solo time to metabolize it all. Delete contacts you never talk to, mute what drains you, and meditate before you reply. Midweek, the Moon enters your sign and steadies your heart; share your feelings with one trusted person and write a short “this is what I need in friendship right now” note you can refer back to. Let your values be the filter… if it’s not reciprocal, it’s not sustainable.

Come the weekend, the Gemini Moon turns on your abundance brain. You’ll see clever ways to diversify income, such as selling a capsule wardrobe piece, bundling your services, or pitching a paid collab you’ve been “thinking about forever.” Compliments find you with greater ease, too; with Venus, your planetary ruler, now in Leo, your magnetism is louder and your confidence reads as warm, not cocky. Welcome admirers (and opportunities), but remember: the best ROI comes from offers aligned with your peace. Multiple streams are cute; multiple aligned streams are everything.

Gemini Sun & Rising:

Gemini, Sunday’s Pisces total lunar eclipse put career and public image front-row… what epiphany hit you recently? If it shook loose a title, a goal, or a “why am I doing this?” moment, trust it; eclipses fast-track truths we’ve been avoiding.

Monday and Tuesday’s post-eclipse Aries Moon reconnects you with energizing peers, making it an ideal time to network lightly, ask for intros, and let a friend gas you up before that bold email. By midweek, the Taurus Moon asks for quiet calibration: audit your time, clean up a file system, and name one daily habit that supports the bigger move your intuition is whispering about. There’s no need to sprint right now… allow your body to integrate the eclipse downloads.

This weekend, the Moon entering your sign flips your mic back on. Your voice carries extra power at this time, so post the thread, record the reel, send the deck. With Jupiter trining the Pisces North Node earlier in the week, your gut already flagged what’s worth betting on; now your words make it real. Keep two tabs open: one for playful experimentation (low stakes, high joy), and one for the precise ask (raise, role, rate). You process fast, so just remember to celebrate your current wins before you chase the next ones.

Cancer Sun & Rising:

Cancer, that Pisces total lunar eclipse lit up your growth sector, activating the themes of travel, study, faith, and “there’s more for me” energy. How did your heart answer? Maybe you applied, booked, or admitted you’re ready to outgrow a comfort zone that stopped being comfy. Congrats on your glow-up, moon child.

With the Moon in Aries Monday to Tuesday, career momentum kicks in: pitch something bolder, say yes to a panel, or ask a mentor for 20 minutes. Then the Taurus Moon (Wed – Fri) grounds your expansion with community: join the group that gets it, RSVP to the thing where your people will be, and reconnect with the friend who always reminds you: You’re magic. Your world widens when you let others widen it with you.

By the weekend, the Gemini Moon invites gentle retreat to integrate the feels. A phone off walk, a long bath, or a day of “just vibes” helps your nervous system catch up with your aspirations. You don’t have to force answers… let the right next step float up while you’re laughing with a cousin, reorganizing your bookshelf, or journaling in bullet points. Reminder as the week closes: Jupiter is in your sign amplifying blessings for the next 9 months; meeting them halfway looks like trusting your intuition and taking the doable step right in front of you.

Leo Sun & Rising:

Leo, how are you holding up after Sunday’s Pisces lunar eclipse? This one may have tugged at your deepest insecurities around intimacy, trust, and vulnerability, pushing you to face the places where pride has sometimes acted as a shield. The start of the week, with the moon in Aries, reminds you that courage is not just about performance — it’s about honesty. You may feel a burst of momentum to clear the air in close connections, and people will respect you for daring to be transparent.

By midweek, the Taurus moon illuminates your career sector, giving you the grounding you need after such an emotionally charged eclipse. This is a good time to take concrete steps toward a project or idea that has been simmering, especially if it aligns with what was revealed during the eclipse.

The weekend brings the Gemini moon, encouraging social play and collaboration. You’ll notice that sharing your story not only heals you but also inspires others. If the eclipse cracked something open, the rest of this week shows you that your light shines brightest when you lead with both courage and humility.

Virgo Sun & Rising:

Virgo, Sunday’s Pisces lunar eclipse energy was no joke… it lit up your relationship zone and asked you to reevaluate what partnership really means to you. That’s why having the moon in Aries on Monday and Tuesday might feel like an energetic detox and a push to let go of lingering fears and reclaim your power in connections. You may also notice financial or emotional entanglements rising to the surface. The Aries moon says: no more avoidance, Virgo. Clarity comes when you acknowledge what’s been unsaid.

As the Taurus moon enters midweek, you’ll begin to feel calmer and more optimistic. This is your reminder that growth takes time and trust. New philosophies, mentors, or travel opportunities could come through, expanding your perspective right when you need it most.

This weekend, the Gemini moon shifts your focus back to your career, encouraging you to show up with the lessons the eclipse just taught you. You’re learning that balance is key: you don’t need to give everything to others to be loved. By week’s end, you’ll see just how magnetic you are when you honor yourself first.

Libra Sun & Rising:

Libra, the Pisces lunar eclipse may have shaken up your wellness and daily routines, revealing habits that no longer serve your highest self. As the week begins with the moon in Aries, your relationship sector is on fire, reminding you that balance starts with how you show up in your closest bonds. Don’t shy away from the truths that came up during the eclipse… this is the time to integrate them into your partnerships, even if it means having a tough but healing conversation.

The Taurus moon midweek helps you ground those realizations, particularly in the realms of intimacy and shared resources. You may decide to restructure how you share time, money, or energy with someone, and though change can feel scary, it ultimately frees you.

By the weekend, the Gemini moon lightens the mood, bringing opportunities for travel, study, or simply laughter with friends. You’ll feel like you can breathe again after an intense stretch. What the eclipse exposed now becomes the soil for healthier routines, deeper intimacy, and more meaningful connections.

Scorpio Sun & Rising:

Scorpio, you felt that Pisces total lunar eclipse in your bones… it lit up your true love, creativity, and inner child sector, and many of you may still be riding waves of cathartic release. Whether through romance, a creative breakthrough, or a surprising revelation in your personal life, this eclipse asked you to stop hiding your heart. The Aries moon at the start of the week helps you pick up steam in your daily work and wellness flow. Channel that intensity into small, practical actions rather than spiraling into overthinking.

Midweek, the Taurus moon illuminates your relationship zone, reminding you that healing isn’t a solo journey. You may notice certain bonds growing deeper while others naturally fade away. Instead of resisting these shifts, trust that you’re being aligned with what — and who — feels safe and real.

By the weekend, the Gemini moon pushes you to reflect on power dynamics in intimacy, money, or shared resources. This is the perfect time for a reset around how you give and receive. The eclipse may have felt like an earthquake, but this week you’re already finding your footing and learning how to let that transformation become your superpower.

Sagittarius Sun & Rising:

Sag, the Pisces lunar eclipse lit up your home and roots zone, asking: what feels safe, what doesn’t, and where do you actually belong? Some of you may have had emotional conversations with family, sudden clarity about a move, or even a moment of inner recognition that “home” is more about how you feel than where you live.

This week, the Aries Moon on Monday and Tuesday lights a fire under your joy sector, reminding you that play and creativity are healing too. You’ll notice that once you give your inner child permission to laugh, dance, or create, some of those heavier eclipse revelations start to make more sense. By midweek, the Taurus Moon grounds you with practical tasks: tidying your space, sticking to routines, or finally following through on health goals you’d been pushing aside. It’s not glamorous, but it’s stabilizing.

When the Gemini Moon rolls in over the weekend, partnerships take center stage. Expect connections — whether romantic, platonic, or business — to mirror back to you what you’ve learned about home and safety all week long. You may find yourself either strengthening a bond with someone who makes you feel deeply seen, or realizing you can’t keep pouring energy into a one-sided situation. The key lesson of this week: your true home is wherever you feel emotionally nourished, and this eclipse made sure you won’t accept anything less.

Capricorn Sun & Rising:

Cap, the recent Pisces lunar eclipse spotlighted your communication world, bringing attention to words you’ve said, words left unsaid, and truths waiting to be acknowledged. Some of you may have had a breakthrough conversation, while others are sitting with the realization that silence itself can be its own story.

On Monday and Tuesday, the Aries Moon pulls your attention back to home and roots, asking you to tend to your inner world, whether that looks like organizing your closet, journaling about childhood memories, or cooking a comforting meal. Then, the Taurus Moon midweek gives you a creative and romantic boost. Let yourself flirt, paint, dance, or simply say yes to pleasure…it doesn’t mean you’re neglecting responsibility, it means you’re remembering joy is just as productive as work.

By the weekend, the Gemini Moon shifts your focus to routines, wellness, and health. Suddenly, those eclipse-inspired insights about communication show up in your everyday life: maybe you’re clearer with coworkers, more intentional with your words, or finally setting boundaries about what drains your energy. This week isn’t about perfection, it’s about integration. If the eclipse revealed something you can’t ignore, now’s your chance to practice it in small, everyday ways — one conversation, one habit, one clear “no” at a time.

Aquarius Sun & Rising:

Aquarius, the Pisces lunar eclipse on the 7th cracked open your money story. Finances, values, self-worth — it all came into focus, and for some of you, it hit like a tidal wave. Maybe you finally admitted where money feels scarce, maybe you celebrated a breakthrough in abundance, or maybe you realized your worth isn’t tied to numbers at all.

Mon – Tues, the Aries Moon gets you talking: ideas fly, DMs pile up, and conversations carry a spark of possibility. By midweek, the Taurus Moon draws you back into home and family matters. Organizing, decorating, or even having long overdue talks with loved ones helps ground you after the financial/emotional rollercoaster.

Over the weekend, the Gemini Moon moves into your creativity and romance zone. This is where the magic happens. You’ll likely feel more playful, inspired, and flirtatious… an antidote to the heaviness of the eclipse. Don’t overthink whether you’re “ready” to have fun; let your body lead. A casual date, creative project, or spontaneous adventure could be the reminder you need: you’re more than the numbers in your bank account, and joy itself is priceless.

Pisces Sun & Rising:

Pisces, this month’s lunar eclipse was in your sign, meaning your whole identity, sense of self, and purpose is undergoing a transformation. It may feel raw right now, like the veil between you and the world has thinned. For some, this eclipse marked the end of a chapter, while for others it felt like a dramatic beginning. Either way, your sense of who you are is shifting.

On Monday and Tuesday, the Aries Moon grounds you by focusing your attention on finances and values. It’s like the Universe saying: yes, you’re evolving, but you also need to know what’s in your wallet and what you’re worth. Then, the Taurus Moon midweek moves energy into communication. This is an excellent time to journal, brainstorm, or finally express something you’ve been holding back.

The weekend’s Gemini Moon highlights home and family. You may feel the urge to nest, purge, or reconnect with your roots in some way. This isn’t just about cleaning your space, it’s about clearing psychic energy too, making sure your environment matches the new self that’s emerging from the eclipse. By Sunday night, you may look around and realize: the version of you who entered September is not the version of you standing here now. And that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Blood Corn Moon Lunar Eclipse In Pisces Is Here

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If you didn’t manage to snag tickets to Bad Bunny‘s No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí residency in Puerto Rico, you still have a chance to catch his international DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS stadium tour, beginning on November 21, 2025, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and concluding in Brussels, Belgium, on July 22, 2026.

The Puerto Rican icon completely sold out his residency celebrating “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,” an album that is a love letter to the archipelago that raised him. It’s a vivid tribute to Puerto Rico’s culture, its gorgeous landscapes and people, and the political history they carry. Drawing inspiration from the countryside’s sounds and aesthetics, this project is both a fresh direction for El Conejo Malo and a deeply familiar one — rooted in memory, familia, and identity. For Puerto Ricans and Latines everywhere, it resonates like a photo album come to life, full of nostalgia, rhythm, pride, and perreo.

So if you’re one of the lucky ones heading to a tour show, you’re not just going to a concert, you’re stepping into a historic cultural moment. And of course, you’re going to want to show up dressed. Whether you’re repping the rural vibe of the album or channeling your inner party animal, we’ve got outfit ideas to help you embody the energy, emotion, and yes, the camera roll-filling power of the night. Trust, you’ll still wish you took más fotos.

All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission.

Nuyorican Vibes

“DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” opens with “NUEVAYoL,” a track that nods to “Un Verano en Nueva York” by El Gran Combo and Andy Montañez, and honors the deep bond between Puerto Rico and New York City. That Nuyorican identity, equal parts Bori and NY native, is a vibe all on its own. Whether you grew up between both worlds or just want to tap into that spirit, this look is all about blending your cultures. Think crisp streetwear, stacked gold jewelry, oversized hoops, a Yankees or Mets cap, and that signature mix of laidback boldness.

Bad Bunny has even collaborated with Puerto Rican brand FRSH Company for a collection of New Era New York Mets and New York Yankees hats featuring original stitching and iconography of Sapo Concho as nods to Benito’s songs “NUEVAYoL” and “DtMF.”

“This collection represents the FRSH brand at our core. Developed in close partnership with Bad Bunny, it is a love letter to Puerto Rico, our people and our rich cultural tapestry. We’re incredibly grateful to Bad Bunny for using his residency and global platform to shine a spotlight on local brands like FRSH,” founder Harry Maldonado told Somos. Outside of El Choli, FRSH has an activation where attendees can purchase the hats, but they’re also available online if you’re attending one of the artist’s international shows.

BAILE INoLVIDABLE

In the “BAILE INoLVIDABLE” music video, Bad Bunny delivers one of the album’s most heartfelt moments, singing to the person who taught him how to dance. The video is a tribute to memory, love, and dance, set against a backdrop that channels 1970s Puerto Rico in all its dreamy, disco-lit glory. For all the couples, or the situationships (we know BB has a soft spot for those), this look is all about coordination. Channel Benito’s baby blue suit or your best retro fit and take inspiration from the dancer’s glitter dress: sequins, shimmer, and movement. Perfect for a night that could turn into your baile inolvidable.

Puerto Rican Pride 

One thing about Latines — we love to rep our flags. The Puerto Rican flag, in particular, shows up everywhere in Bad Bunny’s World, from his visuals and performances to the lyrics and imagery of “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.” For this look, go all in on that pride. You can literally wear the PR flag, rock pieces that represent your own heritage, or get creative with the flag’s colors, textures, and shapes. Red, white, and blue are your palette. Whether it’s a vintage tee, a new dress, or custom accessories, it’s all about showing love to where you’re from, loud and proud.

A Nod to Jíbaros

A central thread in “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” is its tribute to the jíbaro, the rural, working-class Puerto Rican figure often seen as a symbol of the island’s heart and soul. Historically, jíbaros were farmers from the mountainous regions of Puerto Rico, known for their connection to the land, traditional values, and rich musical and cultural contributions. Bad Bunny draws heavily from this imagery, weaving in references to the countryside, agriculture, and folkloric elements. Dressing in honor of the jíbaro means looking to linen fabrics, guayaberas, straw hats, earthy tones, or even pieces inspired by traditional jíbaro dress with a modern twist. It’s a powerful way to show love for Puerto Rico’s roots and the everyday people who shaped its identity.

Una WELTiTA Por la Playita

With No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí running from July through September, there’s no doubt the Puerto Rican heat will be in full effect. Bad Bunny’s love for the beach and sun is well-documented, and “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” leans into that too with visuals and sounds that feel pulled straight from a summer day on the island. Let the coastline inspire your look: soft colors, tropical prints, and beachy details like seashells or crochet. Honestly, if you roll straight from the beach to the concert venue, we’re not judging, you’re just committing to the bit.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

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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The first week of September brings a magnificent showstopping Blood Moon in Pisces on September 7th, which is a total lunar eclipse, completing the story and dream that took place in September 2024. The Blood Moon will look orange due to the sunlight coming through the Earth’s atmosphere, so stargazers take note as you look up at the sky.

Contrary to folklore, there is nothing to fear. Why are we afraid of the Blood Moon? Some civilizations believed this lunar event had apocalyptic significance. Even the movie Practical Magic portrays it as a sign of misfortune. In reality, it’s an auspicious time. Blood Moons are usually a time of fertility, power, and growth. The reason why they are unpredictable is that lunar eclipses can reveal things that we wish to keep hidden. If you’re living your best, most genuine life, then you don’t need to worry. However, if you are lying, cheating, or scheming, your clandestine motives might come to light for others to see. Bottom line: Eclipses are the universe’s reckoning for bad behavior.

Beyond that, lunar eclipses also urge us to look inward and heal. The moon’s illumination asks us to highlight what we love and move toward it. Also, we should embrace our spiritual beliefs and implement them into our lives. Since the moon is in Pisces, we must use our intuition to protect our energy from harm and swim to our desires. This isn’t a moment of pause but a chance to advance ourselves and strive to improve situations. No more treading water, this is our call to action.

With the Blood Moon in Pisces forming an astrological aspect to Jupiter in Cancer, it is a time of connection. Paying it forward will unite us with the local community and allow for meaningful collaboration and connection. Committing to a cause we care about lifts our spirits and motivates us to do more to positively impact the world.

Be prepared for emotions to intensify during this time. Lunar eclipses tend to pull at our heartstrings and heighten passions. The moon influences the ocean’s tides, and human beings are 60% water, so we feel the energy at an extreme level. Do yourself a favor and block off time in your calendar for R&R. Book the massage or reiki session you’ve longed for. Practice deep breathing or self-guided meditation. Take a minute to align with your body to ensure you don’t get too lost in the eclipse.

PSA: Mercury in Virgo’s opposition to the Moon in Pisces might cause miscommunication with others. Reread texts and emails before sending  and think before speaking to make sure you are expressing yourself correctly. You don’t want to create a conflict with someone by being careless with your words. This is a reminder to be cognizant and intentional.

The debate about manifesting during the lunar eclipse is relevant because knowing how to work with the cosmos is essential. Some claim that the vibe is too chaotic to set proper intentions, causing  unexpected or unintended outcomes. Others say that we are always in a position to manifest because once an idea comes to mind, we set the course of action to attain it. Truthfully, there is no wrong or right option. Do what is correct for you, but consider both sides of this topic. You are in control of your destiny, so choose wisely.With the North Node of Destiny in Pisces, the stars are aligned to support you in making decisions that will lead to good things

Also, no zodiac sign will be affected less or more. Eclipses have an impact on everyone in different ways. Be forewarned, this eclipse takes over six months to complete its mission. Many claim that water signs like Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces might require a good cry to relinquish  emotions. While this may be true, we’ll all require an energetic release — so stand by with a box of tissues.

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Do You Ask For Their Star Sign Before A Date?

Virgo Season 2025 Is Here

There is nothing more worrisome to astrology lovers than retrogrades. Good, bad, or in between, this time can be frustrating due to the slowdown of planets. Even when a retrograde isn’t awful, it brings havoc our way because we want to move fast and can’t seem to chill out. This summer rounds out with one more celestial moonwalk, which promises to shake up our lives — but in a fun and exciting way.

Here is the tea: Rebellious Uranus starts its retrograde journey on September 6th in the sign of Gemini and then returns to Taurus on November 7th. During this backspin, we can expect unpredictable changes, most of which will transform our lives for the better — and forever. Our minds are receiving cosmic downloads now, so pay attention to what the stars are communicating. Novel spiritual beliefs are pushing you to release the need for materialism. However, your wallet will be tested, as there are some items you can’t resist buying. Be careful with your purchases during the months ahead, and only consider items that will be worth the temptation. You are not shy about letting others know how you feel during this time. Asserting ourselves and using our voices are key, but make sure you know all the tea and details regarding the situations and people you’re talking about. This will allow you to assert yourself from a place of power. Giving back to your community, locally and globally, will help you become the visionary you were born to be. The world needs more people like you to lead by example.

Let’s break down both phases of the retrograde. Uranus begins its backward journey on September 6th and it lasts until February 3rd, 2026. Uranus will be moving in reverse in the air sign Gemini until November 9th, when it re-enters Taurus. Uranus retrograde in Gemini allows us to reassert and discuss innovation and dynamics from the summer that began on July 7th. How we relate to the world has changed, steadily increasing the ways we communicate and receive information (hello, AI!). Now, we are protesting the overuse of technology in our society because it’s negatively affecting the environment, workforce, privacy, information integrity, social equity, and more. Finding ways to ethically and responsibly use AI will be challenging, but starting conversations about it during Uranus’s regression in Gemini is worth it. We may not have the answers, but we should be addressing these concerns and issues. If we use this time wisely, it will prove to be a wonderful opportunity to augment and regulate the use of AI.

On November 7th, Uranus heads back into Taurus. For the past seven years, we’ve been dealing with Uranus in the sign of the bull, which hasn’t been easy. Here’s why: Taurus and Uranus aren’t fond of change. This combination is complex because transformation becomes stagnated and slow. During the current retrograde, we’ll be taken back to the events of the late spring of 2025, especially the intense downturn of the food industry and the economy. The silver lining is that we can remedy these misfortunes because this time, we know better and won’t make the same mistakes. Even though we can be stubborn, this retrograde pushes us to be more flexible, which yields positive outcomes with events and emotions.

The key theme of this retrograde is to learn from the past: Looking back can guide our path forward. Consider handling matters differently. Speak your mind, but don’t force your opinions onto others. Give people time to think about what you have to say. After they digest the information, they might change their stance. You should allow others to form their views and verdicts based on the information presented. The one thing we do not want to do is to push too hard when Uranus is retrograding in Gemini or Taurus, because people will begin to play devil’s advocate to be controversial or relevant. It’ll be their way of rebelling because disruption is what Uranus retrograde craves.

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Do You Ask For Their Star Sign Before A Date?

How To Date, According To Your Star Sign

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 capital markets officer who has a $195,000 joint income and who spends some of her money this week on a set of stairs for her 13-year-old dog.

Occupation: Capital markets officer
Industry: Finance
Age: 35
Location: Northern Virginia
Salary: $155,000 plus 10% annual bonus.
Joint Income/Financial Setup: $195,000. My husband, M., is currently in school and receiving GI Bill benefits, so his financial contribution is the monthly housing stipend coming from the VA. So far this year he has received roughly $17,000 in monthly housing stipends, and in the fall, we should receive roughly $2,400 per month. He is currently focused on finding a part-time student tech job in the field he is studying. Our finances are combined.
Assets: Joint checking: $3500; joint savings: $55,000 (split into our main emergency fund, a separate house emergency fund, a small emergency/ankle biter fund, and a travel fund); retirement: $430,000 (this is comprised of my 401(k), M.’s old TSP, both of our Roth IRAs, a small brokerage account, and the net present value of my pension. Roughly 75% of our retirement is in my name, with a quarter in M’s name); my son P.’s 529: $38,500; house value: roughly $504,000; vehicle: $7,600. We also own land in my home state worth $156,000 (we bought it in 2018 for $17,500 and it has appreciated a ridiculous amount since). 
Debt: Mortgage: $425,000.
Paycheck Amount (Semi-Monthly): $3,850 net, after 401(k), health insurance, DCA contribution, and FSA contribution.
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: Mortgage and escrow: $3172, HOA: $260
Electric: $139
Gas: $53
Internet: $70
Cell Phone: $200
Life Insurance: $70 (for both myself and M.).
Apple Music: $16.99
Disney+ & Hulu: $10.99,
Peacock: $1.99 (this was a promotion).
P.’s Tae Kwan Do Classes: $250
P.’s Before/After School Care: $699. I have a DCA that I fully fund, and will reimburse myself $500 a month when P. is in school from this.
P’s R29: $350
Charity: $150 — M. and I usually rotate giving between AFSP, Feeding America, The Trevor Project, and my alma mater.
Savings: I contribute 15% to my 401(k) pretax and receive a 6% match. Outside of that, how much we have leftover each month depends on M.’s school schedule and the size of his housing stipend. Best case, we can usually save between $1,000 and $2,000 per month.

Semi-Annual Expenses
Pest Control: $98 every three months.
Water: $210, quarterly.
Car Insurance: $400 every six months.

Annual Expenses
Umbrella Insurance: $200
Car tax: $270
Property Tax: $700-$800 (for our out-of-state land).
HOA Dues: $450 (for our out-of-state land).

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?
Throughout my childhood, the expectation to go to college came solely from me. My success in school (former gifted kid, IYKYK), coupled with the fact that I would be the first person in my entire family, immediate and extended, to go to college, fed into a perceived “requirement” to do well enough to be accepted and graduate. My parents were encouraging in my academic ambitions, but neither one had gone to college and so they did not pressure me too much. My parents also did not save for my college and they were not in a financial position to help pay, so not only did I have the imaginary pressure of getting into college, but I had to figure out a way to pay for it myself. I was able to scrounge together enough scholarships to get a free ride at an out of state public school, where I earned two bachelor degrees in four years. A few years later I decided to pivot my career ambitions to finance (my undergrad degrees are both liberal arts degrees and I originally wanted to go into social work), and I got a master’s in finance. I took out roughly $50,000 in student loans to pay for it, and I paid off the loans in 2019.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
My dad was in the military, so growing up we moved around a lot, which did a good job at hiding the struggles my parents were facing financially, at least from my perspective. Once my dad retired and we moved back to my parents’ home state, I was in high school and old enough to be a sounding board for my mom’s frustrations and fears with money, which was eye opening. My parents grew up poor and tended to spend everything and save nothing, which meant that when unexpected bills came, it would wipe the legs out from underneath them. My mom wanted to save money but my dad liked to spend as much as he made, which caused a lot of fights and stress. I learned financial literacy on my own, through reading and by using my parents as an example of what not to do. They are doing better now, but my dad wants to retire and they have no savings.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
When I was 12, I would babysit for some of the people my dad worked with for pocket change. When I turned 14, I was able to get my first part-time job at a bakery in the summer. At 15, I moved on to the one fast-food chain in my hometown, where I worked part time during the school year and full time in the summer until college. I also worked full time in college at the same fast-food chain, just in a different state.

Did you worry about money growing up?
I did not actively worry about money until I was in high school and my mom began to open up to me about how bad things were. However, looking back on when I was younger, I had to have known subconsciously that things were not that great, since I knew not to ask for extras. We never went on vacation (moving around per military orders were our vacations/trips). We never went without food. When I was in college my dad quit his job suddenly and I had to help my mom with their mortgage and food for my brother and sister; for about six months, I sent my mom $500 per month, and worked extra shifts (and accumulated credit card debt) to pay for it.

Do you worry about money now?
All the time. My husband M. and I have worked very hard to get to the position we are now, but I do not think that I know financial peace, even though our only debt is our mortgage and we have healthy savings. I have been the breadwinner in our marriage since my husband left the military in 2022, and while I do not mind making most of the money, I have a lot of stress being the only one employed, especially with the labor market as it is right now. M. will be done with his program next spring, and his program has a stellar track record of almost 100% job placement, with starting positions around $80,000. I would like to think once he is settled into his new career, I will be able to let out the breath that I have been holding for the past few years, but I know my brain will just move the goal post and I will fixate on something else.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
I became financially independent when I moved out of state for college at 18. If M. and I ever found ourselves in dire financial straits, we would always have a place to stay at my parents’ house or M.’s parents’ house, but neither side of the family has the cash to assist monetarily, nor would we ask them to.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
No, for both myself and my husband.

Day One: Saturday

7 a.m. — I wake up unusually rested for a Saturday and hop out of bed. I have been telling myself to get back on track with my running program for the last four weeks, and today appears to be the day I have the motivation to do so. I throw on some leggings and a tank, fill up a water bottle, and head out the door. According to the Nike Run Club app, today should be a 10k run, but since I have not run consistently in a month, I turn it into a neighborhood walkabout for 6.2 miles. I end up vibing as I listen to my running playlist and enjoy the cooler weather (it has been 95 for the last few days and the heat finally broke today). I text my husband M. asking him to make some bagel breakfast sandwiches with the last of our sourdough bagels in the last 20 minutes of my walk.

9:30 a.m. — I get home and the bagel sandwiches are already done; hell yeah! I have my sandwich with a side of coffee and get a quick shower after breakfast. After my shower, I grab a notepad and pen; this weekend is tax-free weekend and that means its school supply weekend. We also have a few other things we need to grab from the store and order online. Before we leave, I buy some dehumidifier bags for our closets, and a set of stairs and some treats for our dog, B. He is 13 and has begun showing his age recently with having trouble jumping on our bed. $77.44

12 p.m. — M., my 9-year-old son P., and I first stop by Costco to grab some Gatorades, sparkling waters, Clorox Wipes for P.’s school supply list, and check out the clothing. We get gas first ($31.20), then fight our way to one of the two remaining parking spots left in the lot. I find some running leggings and bike shorts, as well as some shorts for P. M. spots a 40-piece dish set, and we have a spirited debate in the middle of the aisle as to whether we should splurge and buy new dishes. The dishes we currently use are 15 years old and we purchased them when we moved in together. With all the uncertainty in the economy spiking my anxiety, I have found myself going down anti-consumption rabbit holes on YouTube, and I argue that the chips in our bowls do not make them unusable. M. argues that having pasta bowls would be a game changer. I acquiesce and we throw the set in our cart ($217.49 for the whole Costco shop). $248.69

1 p.m. — Next stop is Office Max for the rest of P.’s school supplies. I know that going to Walmart, Target, or Amazon would be cheaper but I have been on a mission to not purchase from those stores this year, and I refuse to fail now. P. finds some cute pencil erasers that are not on the supply list but they are fun enough to make it into the cart. I cringe at the register knowing I overspent but in the long run, I know the lack of impulse purchases so far this year has more than made up for the extra few dollars. $137.03

2 p.m. — We walk over to Ross, where I need a few things for my work wardrobe and to find P. a few new shirts and some underwear. I settle on flowy pants, a skirt, one pair of loafers, and underwear for myself. M. and P. find P. some shirts, shorts, and underwear, and P grabs sour gummy worms at the counter. $207.43

3 p.m. — We get home and M. gets to work tossing out the chipped bowls and arranging the dishes in the dishwasher to be washed before use. I refuse to let him get rid of our plates; they have no chips and they match the new plates (in color at least). I pack up P.’s backpack and triple check the school supply list; we will still need a few more things, which we will buy from the grocery store tomorrow. I take the tags off the new clothes and throw them in the washing machine. P. parks himself on the couch and plays Roblox while snacking on chips.

5:30 p.m. — I start on dinner: shoyu chicken thighs, rice, and steamed broccoli. We use the new plates, and I admit, I like them a lot more than the old plates. M. takes a victory lap. After dinner, M. puts away the leftover food and cleans up the kitchen, while P. swiffers the floor and gets a shower. I go upstairs and record today’s purchases, as well as update our net worth spreadsheet. I used to be an avid Mint user (RIP), but now I use a combination of the free version of EveryDollar for our budget and Excel to track the balances in our accounts. P. comes up to me after his shower and asks if I could buy some Robux for him; he hardly asks for anything, and so I try not to visibly cringe when I purchase pretend money for Roblox $4.99

9 p.m. — M. and I put P. to bed. Before bed P. comes up to me with a very serious look and says he thinks there is something wrong with his butt. He cannot stop farting. He laughs at my reaction and gives me a hug before climbing into his loft bed. Boys are so weird. Once P. is asleep, M. and I watch the newest episode of Dandadan and some Guy’s Grocery Games. I fall asleep before the final round and M. gently wakes me up to head up to bed around 11 p.m.

Daily Total: $675.58

Day Two: Sunday

6 a.m. — I wake up annoyingly early and cannot seem to go back to sleep. I promised myself yesterday that I would try running today rather than walking, so I pull on my new bike shorts, a tank, and mentally prepare for the guided tempo run. I am running the Army 10 Miler in October and my training has been sporadic at best. In March I was able to run a (very slow) half marathon without much training, but I would very much like to go into the Army 10 Miler feeling prepared for once. After procrastination, I finally get out the door at 7:30 a.m.

8:30 a.m. — I get home and get started on making sourdough biscuits for biscuits and gravy. I end up using all but 30 grams of my sourdough starter, which I turn around and feed. My starter’s name is Lady Madoughna, and I am a firm believer that if you do not name your starter, you are not sourdoughing correctly.

10 a.m. — After breakfast, I get a quick shower before heading to pick up our weekly CSA bundle. Each Sunday I drive to the farmstand and pick up my weekly items market style, and each week I kick myself for not signing up for it sooner. I absolutely adore the quality of the produce and the people are wonderful. I paid $1,000 for 25 weeks of pick-ups a few months ago. After I choose my items (eggs, a watermelon, two Korean melons, six summer squash, four bell peppers, three cucumbers, one cantaloupe), I venture over to the CSA garden and cut a dozen flowers.

11:30 a.m. — I arrive home and grab the vase with last week’s flowers. I wash out the vase and replace the water, save the flowers that are still in good condition, and trim the new flowers. I put away the produce and grab a pen and paper to make a quick weekly dinner menu and grocery list.

12:30 p.m. — M., P., and I make our way to Aldi for our weekly grocery shop. Since we are beginning the week with a fair amount of leftovers that need to be eaten before our vacation next week, today’s list is short. We pick up milk, hamburger buns, kombucha, two packages of tomato basil sausages, the last of P.’s school supplies (four boxes of tissues and a three-pack of baby wipes), two packages of Southwest chicken, one bag of Red Bag Chicken, seasoned fries, and a few boxes of ice cream sandwiches; namely Snickers, Twix and M&M ice cream sandwiches. Choices were made). $77.28

1:30 p.m. — We arrive home and M. helps unload the car before he and P. head to PetSmart to find a rubber brush for B. to help remove excess fur during bath time (and look at snake stuff, since we promised P. we would get a snake when we get back from vacation). I unpack the groceries and get started on my weekly lunch meal prep. I get a sheet pan to which I add chopped onion and the six summer squash from the CSA, chopped, along with oil, salt, pepper, and garlic power. I roast the veggies for about 30 minutes. As that cooks in the oven, I dice up the cucumbers and bell peppers into one large Tupperware. I pack up the two packages of sausage, the cucumber/bell pepper mix, the roasted veggies, four guac cups (purchased last week), and four Chobani yogurts (already purchased) into a few lunch bags. $8.47

2:30 p.m. — With lunch prep done and the boys back from PetSmart, M. and I get started on our weekly house clean. I start laundry (bedding, towels, clothes), and do my weekly CPAP cleaning. After that, I dust and vacuum all rooms and hallways in the house. M. gives B. a bath (with his new brush), and gets started cleaning the bathrooms. I give P. a few math sheets to work on while he alternates between SpongeBob, Roblox, and various snacks he finds in the pantry and fridge.

5:30 p.m. — I finish all but the living room, which feels like a good time to pause and make dinner. I cook the two packages of Southwest chicken, and M. and I add the chicken to some leftover baked tomato and feta pasta. P., who did not like the pasta, eats chicken and rice.

7 p.m. — After I put away the chicken and eat a sweet treat (Twix ice cream bar, 10/10 no notes), I finish cleaning the living room. M. does the dishes and mops the floors. P. takes a shower and heads into his room to read before bed.

9 p.m. — M. and I put P. to bed and head upstairs, where we take much-needed showers after a day of cleaning. We snuggle into bed and watch YouTube shorts until I cannot keep my eyes open any more.

Daily Total: $85.75

Day Three: Monday

5:15 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I am NOT ready for today. I begrudgingly drag myself out of bed and get ready for work. I put on the flowy pants I bought this weekend, a green top, and black flats. Once ready, I got downstairs to pack this week’s work food into my bag and I am out the door at 6:20 a.m. to make my bus. It is about a 20-minute ride to the nearest metro station to my office, and a 10-minute walk to the office from there. I use my preloaded metro card for the ride, which costs $2.25.

7 a.m. — I walk into the office and take a deep breath. My usually six-person team is down to three people today. My manager is out on vacation for one more day which means I am the de-facto supervisor. We have four roles that we alternate between on a weekly basis; I assign the last men standing their weekly roles based on their skillsets, and I take on the last two roles. Summer is usually a slow time for us but the last few days have been unusually busy, and the softer economic data on Friday really threw a wrench into things. I cross my fingers for a summer Monday as I login to my systems.

9 a.m. — With my critical morning tasks out of the way, I go to the kitchen and grab one of my yogurts as well as a cup of coffee and water. The coffee is not the greatest but I do not drink it for the taste; I drink it to feel alive.

11 a.m. — Thankfully today is slower, so I steal a few minutes to make my lunch. I take a large bowl I keep at work and pour half the chopped cucumbers and bell peppers into it. I warm up two sausages, cut them up then throw a guac cup into the mix. She’s not pretty but she’s tasty.

3:30 p.m. — Today was mercifully slow. I tell the last men standing to quietly and quickly GTFO as I finish up a few housekeeping items, before I leave just shy of 4 p.m. I walk to the metro station and decide to take the train rather than the bus home. I live two metro stops down, plus a 15-minute walk from the metro to my house.

4:40 p.m. — I walk in the door to find M. and P. playing Pokémon Scarlett. M. gives a quick recap; when they woke up, they went for a walk around the neighborhood, before eating leftover biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Other than that, they have been “grinding” (P.’s words) M.’s team of Pokémon to get them to higher levels. P. also took a break and did some math sheets, and I hope some reading, too, but I have my doubts on the former. I kick off my shoes and head to the kitchen to make dinner. Tonight, we are having black bean burgers that I made and froze last month, with seasoned fries. It’s a quick meal which P. scarfs down before he and M. leave for P.’s tae kwan do class.

6:15 p.m. — I sit down for exactly 15 seconds before I hear a weird noise in the garage. Turns out as M. was backing out, he accidentally hit the garage door opener, and now the roof is scuffed. Luckily the damage is extremely minor, but now one of the garage door wheels is off the track. I run upstairs to grab our toolkit, and M. hammers the wheel back into place. We test the garage door which seems to be behaving normally, and M. and P. rush away so P. isn’t too late for his TKD class. I breathe a sigh of relief for my wallet.

6:45 p.m. — I check my email and I see that I have a message from my health insurance company. A few weeks ago, I took P. to get a bone density scan of his wrist, because he’s in the 10th percentile for height and weight. A week after, I received an EOB from my insurance company that tried to claim the provider was out of network and I would owe $226. After appealing, the insurance company tells me that the provider billed the wrong insurance company, and I needed to talk to the provider to cancel the first claim and submit a new claim through the correct company. I am immediately annoyed at the provider and make a note to have M. call the provider tomorrow and rectify their mistake.

7 p.m. — I head to the garage to check the tires on my bike and grab my lights to charge, since I will be biking into work tomorrow. Afterward, I go upstairs to pack my biking backpack with clothes for tomorrow and take a shower.

8 p.m. — M. and P. get back from tae kwan do. It’s our typical nightly routine time from there; M. on dishes, P. on Swiffer and shower time. We put P. to bed around 9 p.m., and then head upstairs to our room, where we watch YouTube shorts until I am almost asleep.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four: Tuesday

5:15 a.m. — My alarm goes off and I drag myself out of bed. I brush my teeth, throw in some contacts, and pull on some leggings and one of M.’s race shirts. I gather my backpack, helmet, water, and keys, and I am out the door and riding at 5:45 a.m.

6:20 a.m. — I arrive at work, where I lock my bike up in the bike parking underneath my building. My building has a gym with a locker room (and free towels!), which I use to take a shower and get ready for work. I get to my desk right at 7 a.m. My boss is back, as is the rest of my team, thankfully. I give my boss a quick recap of the days she missed (Wednesday and Monday meh, Thursday and Friday AHHHH), and grab my coffee, water, and yogurt before things get going.

12:30 p.m. — The day is flying by. I take a few minutes to grab my lunch (repeat of yesterday), and reply to a text from M. He and P. went to IHOP for breakfast, and he tells me he tried to call the imaging center but ended up on perma hold. He had to hang up to get B. ready to go to his annual vet visit, and asks me to try calling them if I have a spare minute. $31.29

3:30 p.m. — I finish up most of the day’s tasks and step off the desk to try and call the billing department of the imaging center. I also end up on hold but eventually get the option to leave a message, which I do. I also see a text from M. about B.’s vet appointment. He’s slowing down but he still has a lot of life left and the only suggestion she has is to investigate senior dog food. I google senior dog foods as I wait for the arrival of two colleagues from another city. $702.27

6 p.m. — The two colleagues arrive and I and a few local colleagues walk over to a nearby tapas restaurant for dinner. I have two glasses of wine, multiple tapas, and far too much olive oil cake. The office pays.

8:30 p.m. — We say our goodbyes (the colleagues will be in the office tomorrow where we will give them an overview of our Systems and procedures), and I go down to the gym to get changed to bike home. Except, I forgot the gym locks at 8 p.m. I call one of my colleagues from the dinner who happens to also be my work bestie and she gives me a ride to my house. For the whole ride to my place I am kicking myself about the gym being locked, and she is telling me “I told you so,” since she has been telling me not to bike to work on dinner nights.

8:45 p.m. — I get home, immediately hug P., and ask him to tell me about his day. He loves IHOP and tells me the new location they went to had better vibes. M. and I do P.’s bedtime routine, then we head upstairs, where I get a shower and pass out almost instantaneously.

Daily Total: $733.56

Day Five: Wednesday

5:10 a.m. — I am EXHAUSTED but I need to get out of bed and get ready early enough to walk to the metro, get into work, and put on my makeup (which was trapped in my biking backpack in the locked gym last night). I get ready and am out the door by 6:10 a.m. to walk to the metro station. I get to my building, throw on some makeup and even have time to grab my coffee, water, and yogurt before 7 a.m.

10 a.m. — It’s a busy day with showing the out-of-town colleagues our day-to-day. M. texts me that he and P. are going to the trampoline park. $28

12 p.m. — Lunchtime; the office orders pizza since we have guests, and I eat two pieces along with a little bit of salad. The colleagues bid us farewell shortly after lunch, and once they leave, I sneak out to try and call the imaging center again, where I have luck reaching a person. After some light arguing with the woman on the phone who insisted they billed the procedure correctly, she says she will re-forward to the billing department to try again. I have a funny feeling they won’t follow through, so I make a note to call again after vacation.

4 p.m. — After a few afternoon meetings, the day is finally done. My work bestie gives me her car keys so I can load up my biking stuff and bike into her car; we have a client dinner tonight and thus I won’t be able to bike home tonight either. After carefully loading my stuff into her car, I head back to the office to wait for our clients to arrive. We usually have one client dinner a month, but this month we have two in a row. I am too old for this, but alas, here I am.

5:30 p.m. — The clients arrive and we walk over to a seafood restaurant down from the office. I order a few spicy margaritas and eat as much sushi as I can stuff into my mouth, along with half a filet of arctic char and tres leches crème brûlée. The office pays. I see a text from M. that he and P. are getting Wendy’s for dinner (they can only eat so many leftovers before losing their minds). $28.05

9 p.m. — Work bestie drops me off again, with my bike and biking stuff, because she is literally a saint. I lug all my things inside, and have just enough time to give P. a big ol’ hug and do the last of his nighttime routine. I empty my bag, repack it so I can bike to work tomorrow, and have a shower. I collapse into bed and snuggle into M., where I fall asleep after the third YouTube short. M. wakes me up so I can put my CPAP mask on and I quickly go back to sleep.

Daily Total: $56.05

Day Six: Thursday

5:15 a.m. — I drag myself out of bed, don my biking gear, and I am out the door by 5:45 a.m. I get to the office at 6:20 a.m., shower, and I am at my desk with my coffee and yogurt at 7 a.m.

1 p.m. — Thursdays are the busiest days of the week and today is no exception. I finally have a second to heat up lunch; half of the roasted squash and onions, and two sausages with a guac packet. Eat at my desk, per the usual.

4 p.m. — I have back-to-back meetings the last few hours of the day, including a client call which goes well. I wash my dishes and prep my desk for Friday, and I am on my bike and heading home by 4:40 p.m.

5:10 p.m. — Home! I snuggle P. for a few minutes and he tells me about his day with dad (riding bikes in the morning, grinding Pokémon in the afternoon, with a few math sheets sprinkled in) before he goes to his room to get ready for tae kwan do. On Thursdays he has one regular class and he has been learning to help teach the class after his. I take a few minutes to catch up with M.; this week we have felt like two ships passing in the night between work and P.’s tae kwan do classes. I can’t wait until vacation next week when we can spend some real time together. I hop in the shower and pack my bag for Friday.

6 p.m. — I eat the leftovers M. can’t eat anymore (the last of the pasta with some chicken). Afterward, I jump on our computer so I can make P. his own Nintendo account; he is trying to do some sort of Pokémon side quest and when we first got his Switch, we never made him an account. There is a 50-cent charge to create a kid’s account; fine I guess. $0.50

7:30 p.m. — P. and M. are back from tae kwan do so I warm up the last of the leftovers for them for dinner; P. eats chicken and leftover mac and cheese I took home from dinner last night, while M. finishes off the shoyu chicken and rice. After dinner, it’s chores and P.’s shower time.

9 p.m. — P.’s nighttime routine, then upstairs to snuggle with M. until I can’t stay awake anymore.

Daily Total: $0.50

Day Seven: Friday

5:15 a.m. — One more day of work before vacation. I can do this. Bike to work, shower, then coffee and yogurt before 7 a.m.

11 a.m. — Today is dragging, but I am thankful for the lull ahead of my time off. I complete my timecard with my vacation time for next week and set my OOO message before 10 a.m, and now it’s lunchtime; I warm up the last of my meal prep and head back to my desk.

12 p.m. — Ok, today is now unbearably slow. I tell my boss I’m going to leave a few hours early, and resave my timecard with the extra time off. Afterwards, I walk down to the Apple Store. Teams meetings that I usually take on my work phone have been cutting out, and I think it might be my headphones. I buy another pair, hoping that solves the problem; if it doesn’t, that means it’s the phone itself with the issue, in which case I will have to reach out to my IT department for an upgrade. $20.14

1 p.m. — It’s the phone. I send a quick email to get the ball rolling on an upgrade so that it will arrive after I get back from vacation. Twenty minutes later, the upgrade is ordered and I go back to reading the paper.

2:30 p.m. — I’m out of here. There is no better feeling than flying down a hill on the WO&D Trail, wind in my face, on the Friday before a week off.

3 p.m. — I get home, turn off my work phone, and throw it into a drawer in my office desk. After a shower, I go ahead and order Friday dinner, aka pizza. One large pizza, half cheese-only for P. and pepperoni for M. and me, along with some cheese sticks and cherry cola. We start a movie (Thor Ragnarok; we’re making our way through the Marvel Universe at P.’s request), and pause when the pizza arrives 30 minutes later. After pizza, we head back to the couch to finish the movie. $44.45

7 p.m. — I head upstairs to do our travel documents before our Monday flight. We are going to Aruba, and so I need to fill out the forms for our ED cards. It’s a $20 fee for each of us. The cards are processed quickly and I get the forms straight away to my inbox. $60

8 p.m. — You know the drill; chores and shower time for P. After P. heads to bed, M. and I head downstairs where we watch an episode of Criminal Minds: Evolution and a few reruns of The Office before heading to bed.

Daily Total: $124.59

The Breakdown

Weekly Total $$ Spent: $1676.03
Food & Drink: $181.07
Entertainment: $33.49
Home & Health: $1142.70
Clothes & Beauty $207.43
Transportation $31.20
Other $80.14

Conclusion

“This week had a ton of one-off expenses, between the back to school shopping, B.’s vet appointment and stairs, and the vacation charges. Outside of those expenditures, I would say this week’s spending was pretty typical for us, but WHEW, those one-offs added up! It can be hard to look at these one-off expenses when we’re in the middle of summer when M. isn’t in school, but they were all expenses I budgeted for in prior months. It was also a pretty atypical week work-wise; usually I am home between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and have much more family time. In that same vein, I am happy to report our Aruba vacation was a blast, and M., P. and I got some much-needed time to reconnect. I would say my biggest take away from this diary was to make sure I am making the most of my time with M. and P., so these weeks where I have more work obligations don’t feel so taxing. Also obligatory note: our dog, B., is very well loved despite few mentions — he gets a few mini walks a day, and spends most of his time either being my shadow or sleeping under our bed.”

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here.

We’ve updated our Money Diaries submission process: You can now submit your Money Diary via our online form or by sending us a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@refinery29.com. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email.

Prior to submitting your Money Diary, please read and consider Refinery29’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Submission of your Money Diary does not guarantee publication by Refinery29. Should your Money Diary be selected for publication, Refinery29 may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay you a fee, subject to such further terms and conditions as Refinery29 may deem necessary. Money Diaries that are not published are not entitled to receive any payment. Refinery29 will not remove Money Diaries once published. By submitting your Money Diary to Refinery29, you agree to abide and be bound by the applicable Terms of Use and Privacy Policy linked above. All submissions need to be original to the author (i.e., no AI contributions).

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Week In Brooklyn On A $166,000 Salary

A Week In Willamette Valley, OR On $140,000

A Week In Minneapolis On A $187,000 Joint Income

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 server who makes $45,000 per year and who spends some of her money this week on a dry sheet mask from Ulta (she added it to her cart so she could get free shipping for her face wash).

Occupation: Server
Industry: Service industry
Age: 30
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Salary: $45,000
Assets: Checking: $2,588.54; savings: $4,000.88; brokerage account: $65,000 (from my parents, given to me when I was 25). I have an undisclosed amount of Bitcoin in a Coinbase account (more than the brokerage), several pieces of Cartier jewelry that would probably hold their value if I had to sell them, and I own my own car but have been driving it since 2013, so it is worth very little.
Debt: $0
Paycheck Amount (2x/Month): $900-$2,000
Pronouns: She/her

Monthly Expenses

Housing Costs: My half of $1,800 rent (I live with a roommate in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom. Water is included, so it fluctuates by $50 or so per month).
Loan Payments: $0
Phone: $40
Internet: $60
Electricity: $227 this month (summer in Florida. I live on the second floor of a 40-year-old wooden structure).
Hello Fresh: ~$60 for two meals a month.
Streaming Services: $35.45 (I split some subscriptions with my brother).
Frame.io: $15 (for video editing work).
Apple & Google Storage: ~$5

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?
There was definitely an expectation to go to college. I chose a college based on how much money they gave me in scholarships. I wanted to owe my parents as little as possible. I wanted to study marine biology and move out of my home state, so I only applied to coastal schools. My tuition was fully paid for through scholarships that the school gave me. My parents gave me an account of $35,000 when I graduated high school and that was basically the extra money I had to live on throughout college, although my parents paid for my dorm housing and meal plan the first two years. I worked in a marine bio lab all four years, but it was for career experience more than the very small amount of money I earned. Halfway through my undergraduate degree, I applied for and won a nationally competitive marine biology scholarship. It was enough to pay for my living expenses for the rest of college. After undergrad, I attended a PhD program for environmental/cultural anthropology for a year. It was fully funded, and I paid for living expenses through being a teaching assistant and doing private admissions test tutoring. My PhD program wasn’t what I thought it would be and I became disillusioned with academia, so I dropped out. The rest of my twenties were a very circuitous adventure. At the age of 30, I am running up against some pretty persistent depression and really evaluating what my values and goals are at this point in my life.

Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent(s) educate you about finances?
Although my dad made a decent amount of money in the finance industry, he emphasized that I would be expected to pay my own way as an adult. I went to a private Christian school and we watched Dave Ramsey videos in class. That was my financial education, and although both myself and my parents use credit cards, I still probably derive a lot of my money habits from Dave Ramsey. It works fine as a money philosophy for personal finances. Hasn’t steered me wrong, anyway.

What was your first job and why did you get it?
The summer after I graduated high school, I worked as a teaching assistant at a sailing day camp on a lake in Tennessee. Best summer of my life. I got the job because I wanted to keep going to the camp but I’d aged out of being a camper, so being a teaching assistant was the next logical step.

Did you worry about money growing up?
No. I was privileged. Really privileged. When I was 10 we went on vacation to Hawaii and England in one year. I learned how to ski at Deer Valley and Steamboat Springs. Then 2008 hit and my parents had to downsize their house, and it caused a lot of tension in the household. But at the end of the day, we always had more than enough money.

Do you worry about money now?
Yeah, kinda. But since I am secretly sitting on a lot of emergency cash in accounts that are under my name, I don’t ever really worry about money. I just don’t want to fuck up and have to use my brokerage account or Coinbase account for some kind of preventable money emergency.

At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
Since age 20, when I won a big scholarship. I started paying for my own housing and living expenses after that. While my parents expect me to take care of myself, I know they would step in if I had an emergency.

Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
My dad handed over brokerage accounts totaling about $60,000 to my younger brother and me when we were 25 and 22 respectively. It was money he’d invested in some sort of tax-free inheritance account. I think it is supposed to be our inheritance from him: He said it was to pay for my wedding, a graduate degree, a down payment on a house, or whatever expenses I’d need as a young person. I’ve been sitting on it so far. I have held onto my Bitcoin money throughout years of ups and downs, and the result is that now my Coinbase account is my biggest asset. HODL.

Day One: Monday

10 a.m. — I wake up to my alarm, lol, and wake my boyfriend B. shortly after. I am hungover from going to drag queen bingo at a tiki bar last night and then drinking at my boyfriend’s bar until he closed at 1 a.m. I drop an Alka-Seltzer tab into a water bottle to nurse myself back to health. Today is a day off for both of us, and we are driving two hours to Orlando to pick up two new foster birds for the parrot rescue I am associated with. This is quite early for my bartender boyfriend. I hurry to throw our dishes from the day before into the dishwasher while he is getting dressed. We listen to folk music on the drive, starting with “Judy Blue Eyes” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. B. sleeps most of the drive. I stop at Smoothie King and grab us two Strawberry Hulks (plus a vitamin shot, since I have been murdering my immune system with alcohol this weekend) and some chili lime protein chips because I am curious if they resemble Takis in any way (they do, I would recommend). $28.70

11:30 a.m. — The twenty-dollar bill I shelled out for cheap gas near my place of work this weekend is not going to get us to Orlando and back, so I stop at a relatively cheap gas station outside of Orlando to fill up. $48.64

1 p.m. — We stop at the home of a long-time parrot rescue foster lady, who gives me a motherly hug as I step through her door. She immediately introduces me and B. to our new little fosters, two Pacific parrotlets, the smallest species of parrot. They are brother and sister, and the girl weighs less than an ounce. Their current foster mom is getting her house remodeled this summer, so she needs someone to take them for a few months. They are too cute.

3 p.m. — When we get home we struggle to get the brother bird into his cage because he runs and hides under the TV stand. Turns out their flight feathers are clipped so instead of flying up high to get away from us he hides like a hamster. B. and I give up trying to get him and watch the Ahsoka TV show on the couch until little man comes out of hiding. I put a little play stand on the floor with some seeds and sure enough he explores it, and then starts climbing the charging cables at the base of my TV stand. He’s climbing on my ancient Wii remotes when I’m finally able to pick him up. I have in mind to do a bunch of chores but all I do is get my sheets in the wash. I have a king-sized bed with a white duvet cover, so I am able to use a little bleach to keep it fresh. I have to haul my laundry to my apartment laundry room and pay for it, ew. $3

7 p.m. — B. and I both have a craft beer given to me for my birthday by our favorite beer bar, then B. is like, “We need to eat,” so we make a quick reservation at a nice Italian place where he used to work. I was too busy organizing the new bird toys to notice the time so I don’t get a chance to shower before dinner. Just spray on a bunch of perfume, this 30-year-old bottle of YSL Paris that my mom gave me. It smells very ’80s. We kind of feel like celebrities rocking up to the restaurant. The manager was at the host stand and gave us both big hugs, and something like three servers came over and talked to us. One of the things I admire about B. is that he is a mega extrovert and knows people everywhere we go. We have dirty martinis and our favorite dish on the menu: short rib agnolotti. It’s decadent. We finish off the meal with a glass of Sicilian red wine. I try to pay to thank B. for wrangling the bird cages and taking a four-hour road trip but he venmos me half the tab. $109.84

11 p.m. — We hop over to a bar we’ve never tried before. It is camping themed (???), but super super cute. As I had hoped, they have a toasted-marshmallow cocktail. Our friends get off work and come over and we ended up doing a shotski of Rumple Mintz. Zingy. B. pays for drinks. After that, we meet up with like the whole back of house of the Italian restaurant at our favorite late-night haunt. They have food but I am still stuffed from dinner so we just got more drinks, which I purchase. I fly too close to the sun by drinking a Bee’s Knees which is basically all gin. Next thing you know I fall and skin my knee like a child. I do not remember the car ride home. I don’t even remember that we rewatched the first episode of Foundation until the next day. B. throws my sheets in the dryer while the episode plays. $27.88

Daily Total: $218.06

Day Two: Tuesday

12 p.m. — After waking up I water the herbs on my balcony, play with the birds, eat a bagel and cream cheese, make tea, play with the birds some more, and doom scroll. I cancel Netflix even though I think they already charged me for the month last night. There isn’t anything I feel like watching on there right now.

3 p.m. — B. is way too snuggly so I get back in bed with him after chugging water and the next thing you know it is 3 p.m. During our bed snuggle time we were on our phones and sometimes I was reading my book, Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card. I try explaining the plot to B. At one point I go and get my new girl bird and brought her into my room. I basically just stare at her and tell her she’s the cutest and most beautiful animal I have ever seen, because it’s true. Bird adoration time. B. and I keep falling back asleep and I dream that Hunter Schafer was my roommate’s best friend and that they were telling me I was doing a bad job of keeping the house clean. My guilty conscience speaking through Hunter Schafer dreams?? I have a roommate, and I am pretty sure she is out of town this week because I haven’t seen her in days. She is the program coordinator for the nonprofit that one of my college friends founded.

7:30 pm — I buy a new face wash on Ulta because I am almost out. I also buy a sheet mask to get free shipping. Found a coupon code to get $3 off. I eat vitamins and take my medicine like 12 hours late. I am Prozac currently. Also birth control. I am very calm on Prozac but unfortunately I also don’t feel like doing anything. I am content to stare at a wall. It’s kind of disturbing. $41.24

10 p.m. — I take a shower and have leftover agnolotti and tom yum-flavored instant ramen for dinner in bed. I read more Speaker for the Dead, which is turning into a seriously interesting book.

Daily Total: $41.24

Day Three: Wednesday

10 a.m. — I get up and drive down to Sarasota for a mentorship job I have through my friend’s nonprofit. I am mentoring the summer media intern. I help her troubleshoot in the editing software and give notes on her work.

2 p.m. — I feel really down today and I have for a few weeks — my mom is going through a hard time — so I decide to clear my schedule in the evening and take mushrooms. I’ve had them in my bedside table for almost a year now and I want to use them before they expire. When I get home I make lunch for me and my birds. We sit together on the couch and eat. I literally just make rice with soy sauce and drink a glass of milk. Better to take shrooms on a relatively empty stomach. I have “chop” for the birds, which is a mix of grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that is finely chopped up and kept in the freezer for storage. I eat my shrooms, mixing them with hot water, lemon juice, and chopped fresh ginger root to make a tea. I keep watching Andor and the shrooms start hitting right at the final episode. Oh my god.

8 p.m. — I keep having to pause the show to ponder. It’s storming outside, and when the rain quiets down I decide to open my balcony door and sit in the thick humidity. I eat more mushrooms, making this witches’ brew of mushrooms, ginger, lemon, apple cider vinegar, a splash of olive oil, chili powder, the flavor packets from tom yum ramen, and a clove of raw garlic. In my heavy-tripping state, the taste is glorious. It’s like the most flavorful thing I have ever tasted. I’m making a spicy savory brew every time I want to eat shrooms from now on. I go full Boo Radley and quietly sit on my porch, hoping no one sees me and knows I’m high. I sip my brew, feel the swirl of the weather, and look at the tiny herb sprouts in the pots on my porch. Then I go back inside and finish Andor and start Rogue One, and boy, I’m really feeling the plight of the Rebel Alliance. I was locked in. I have a headache once I come down, but I drink some water and try to relax my jaw.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four: Thursday

12 p.m. — I have a protein bar and a glass of milk for breakfast. I take a shower and call my mom while I finish getting ready for work.

4 p.m. — I go to work at the restaurant. I clock in at 4 p.m. and go to get my work shirt from the storage room. (They dry clean our uniform shirts). They serve us “family meal” in the hour before the restaurant opens. Today’s is really good, actually, pasta with a creamy mushroom sauce (lol) and meatballs. While the restaurant is slow, I drink a cup of English breakfast tea from the coffee station.

7 p.m. — It’s B.’s day off, so he comes in and eats dinner at the bar while I am working. We actually get fairly busy for a Thursday night, and I make okay money: $194 in credit card tips and $75 cash. I estimate about $65 in hourly pay, bringing me to $334 gross pay for the day.

11 pm – B. has befriended one of the bartenders and we go out with him and his girlfriend after I get off work. We head out to what I honestly think of as a pretty bland sports bar, but our friends want to play darts and they have $4 draft beers. I have a Yuengling. I suck at darts. I’m better if I’ve had more to drink. I’m still pretty exhausted from the shroom trip, so I am basically falling asleep after two games. It’s almost 2 a.m. anyways so I convince B. to drive us home. B. paid for drinks tonight.

Daily Total: $0.00

Day Five: Friday

12 p.m. — B. and I sleep in until noon, as is our habit. We get up and start playing with the birds. I am determined to see if any of them want to be friends with each other. So far no luck. I snuggle with one of the shyer birds until he gets fed up and flies away. B. wants to watch Starship Troopers, which I describe as “like Ender’s Game but worse.” I mean to do chores but I am way too distracted by the movie.

1 p.m. — We have Lucky Charms for breakfast. B. snacks on goldfish and I eat a Nutty Buddy bar. We have a pretty unhealthy diet, I’ll admit it.

3 p.m. — I start falling asleep on his lap until he reminds me that it’s 3 p.m. and I need to get ready for work. I wash my hair. I usually wash it about twice a week, sometimes three times. It’s used to that amount of washing. I rock up to work with my hair still wet, and see my coworker doing the same thing as we walk through the door. “Wet hair gang,” I say.

4 p.m. — I forgot that I left my makeup bag in my bathroom cabinet instead of my work bag, so no makeup for me tonight. Family meal is just fried chicken and fries, not even a salad today, which is pretty disappointing. I have two drum sticks and a glass of root beer since everyone freaking took the fries before I had a chance to grab any. I’m in a good section tonight, even though we are fully in slow season here in St. Pete. Winter is where we make all our money; the snowbirds are down at their winter houses and they have the real money. They all leave to go back up north around April, when it becomes hot again. In June it is unbelievably hot and humid, and also stormy in the evenings, so people are less likely to come out to eat. Still, I made $265.44 credit card tips and $60 cash, with around $70 in hourly, so a total of $395.55 for the night.

11 p.m. — I am super hungry after work so I go to my favorite late-night spot and get fish dip. I don’t like hanging out at bars alone so I get the food to go along with some corn dog nuggets for B. I drink a pint of Guinness while I wait for the food, and I do end up seeing people from two different restaurants that I know. Small city! I go to B.’s bar to drop off his food and hang out for a bit. It is popping off of course, and I sit next to this super drunk couple that keeps giving me and B. weird compliments. I drink a gin and tonic. B. pays. $43.99

2 a.m. – I get home and eat fish dip in bed while watching a makeup tutorial on YouTube. I put on my French pharmacy retinol tonight because it has this heinous texture (like vaseline) and I don’t want to get it all over B. when he sleeps over (it’s the A313 pomade, it’s inexpensive and it works, but the texture sucks). B. is closing down the bar at 3 a.m. tonight so I know he’ll sleep at his place.

Daily Total: $43.99

Day Six: Saturday

12 p.m. — I wake up at, you guessed it, noon again (although I have been randomly waking up between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. the past few nights and I just watch YouTube until I fall back asleep). I get up and play with the birds, thawing out more chop for them and replenishing their supply of seeds and pellets as well. I make myself some chai tea from this huge bag of loose tea that my friend brought me from India, and I have some oatmeal. I haul two weeks’ worth of laundry to the apartment laundry room and start a couple of loads. It’s $1.50 per load of wash or dryer, except for the front loading washers, which are $1.75. $9.50

4 p.m. — I am a little bit late for work because I was FaceTiming with a friend and lost track of time. Luckily no one says anything. The family meal is interesting… a salad plus brats and some kind of unidentified meat (roast beef?) in spicy sauce. Towards the end of my shift the kitchen gives me a piece of grilled sourdough and some meatballs, and my server coworker shares some lamb chops with me. I made $242 credit and $45 cash. With about $70 in hourly, that comes to $357 for the night.

11 p.m. — I head over to B.’s bar after work and drink a Surfside (B. pays). It’s very busy in there so I finish the can quickly. I wander through the crowded dance floor and out to the backyard, where to my delight I see a food truck with spam musubi on the menu. I’m still full from my meatball and lamb chop feast, but I really want to try their musubi, so I get it to go. I head home and am in bed around 12:30 a.m. Despite closing the bar, B. comes over at like 4 a.m. and startles me awake (I sense a 6’5” figure standing over me in my sleep and it spooks me). We stay up chatting for about an hour and then fall back asleep. $5

Daily Total: $14.50

Day Seven: Sunday

11 a.m. — B. and I wake up “early” and go get brunch with my friends. We go to my favorite spot and get a table outside. One of our friends is super late, so I end up having a spicy Bloody Mary after my boozy coffee while waiting for my eggs, sausage, and toast. I pay for B. and me with a hundred-dollar bill that I traded in for change with another server last night. $93

8 p.m. — B. and I end up going home and watching Fight Club before he has to leave for work. I fold my laundry while we watch. After B. leaves I call my dad (it’s Father’s Day, but he lives out of state), and clean my apartment. I tidy up and do a deep vacuum. I drink two craft beers from my fridge while vacuuming and by the time I’m done I get a snapchat of B. at work from one of my friends. I end up putting fun makeup on (hot pink shadow and winged eyeliner) and heading out. B. takes my car to work so I order an Uber. $16.90

10:30 p.m. — I eat my spam musubi while waiting for the Uber. It’s amazing. It’s a friend’s birthday and we all end up getting pretty drunk and go get drinks and dance at the gay bar across the street. By the time B. gets off work it’s around 3 a.m., and we head to drop off the bar’s cash at the bank and get late-night pizza and cheesecake (B. pays). I think we ended up watching Star Wars: Episode IV while eating pizza when we got home. B. carries me to bed. $34

Daily Total: $143.90

The Breakdown

Weekly Total $$ Spent: $461.69
Food & Drink: $342.41
Entertainment: $0
Home & Health: $12.50
Clothes & Beauty $41.24
Transportation $65.54
Other $0.00

Conclusion

“My conclusions are 1. My income-to-spending ratio is better than I thought, at least this past week, and 2. I drink a lot. I think I’ve been drinking more than usual the past few weeks because I have some family issues going on. But still. I can’t be crashing out regularly.”

Money Diaries are meant to reflect an individual’s experience and do not necessarily reflect Refinery29’s point of view. Refinery29 in no way encourages illegal activity or harmful behavior.

The first step to getting your financial life in order is tracking what you spend — to try on your own, check out our guide to managing your money every day. For more Money Diaries, click here.

We’ve updated our Money Diaries submission process: You can now submit your Money Diary via our online form or by sending us a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@refinery29.com. We pay $150 for each published diary. Apologies but we’re not able to reply to every email.

Prior to submitting your Money Diary, please read and consider Refinery29’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Submission of your Money Diary does not guarantee publication by Refinery29. Should your Money Diary be selected for publication, Refinery29 may, in its sole discretion, elect to pay you a fee, subject to such further terms and conditions as Refinery29 may deem necessary. Money Diaries that are not published are not entitled to receive any payment. Refinery29 will not remove Money Diaries once published. By submitting your Money Diary to Refinery29, you agree to abide and be bound by the applicable Terms of Use and Privacy Policy linked above. All submissions need to be original to the author (i.e., no AI contributions).

Have questions about how to submit or our publishing process? Read our Money Diaries FAQ doc here or email us here.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

A Week In Brooklyn On A $166,000 Salary

A Week In Willamette Valley, OR On $140,000

A Week In Minneapolis On A $187,000 Joint Income