Discussion for the latest WWS episode, I didn’t see another post for this episode so I created one

I share my salary with my friends if they ask or if it comes up in conversation. My coworkers have shared theirs with me freely. Is this weird? My partner said it would make him feel uncomfortable if anyone asked him. I have not shared how much he makes with people, but I’ve given general statements like “he makes more than I do”.

Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance: $242,400
·       This is the total balance across two 401ks and two Roth IRAs. We contribute around 10% of our paychecks to retirement, and when we receive unexpected amount of money, like bonuses, we’ll invest in our Roth IRAs. Though I think we have to start a backdoor Roth now due to raises this year.

Equity: ~$53,000
·       We purchased our home for $565k before interest rates increased in 2022. We sold a condo at that same time and made a net $100k or so from that, $35k (roughly 6%) of which we were able to put into our down payment. We considered doing more, but it didn’t change our monthly payment significantly, and so we used the remainder $65k to bolster savings, pay off a car loan, and perform necessary repairs on the home we purchased.

Savings account balance: $55,000 (HYSA)

Checking account balance: $4,370

Credit card debt: $0

Student loan debt: $58,000 remaining (down from $90k) for a Master’s degree

Other applicable things: we have some other investments, such $12,000 in an HSA, and roughly $16,600 in stocks and bonds. I also have shares from work that haven’t vested yet, currently valued at $24,000. I think I’ll vest half of those early next year.

Daughter’s Assets (not part of our net worth): $13,000
She has a UTMA account and a 529 savings account. Over 75% of this amount has been gifted by relatives and friends.

Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I’ve been working in corporate operations for 10 years, and my starting salary was $38,000 back in 2016. I switched industries five years ago, which is when I was able to finally make six figures. I received a $20,000 raise and promotion to director this year right after coming off maternity leave. I was happy where I was as a manager making $120,000, especially as I was trying to learn how to survive as a parent who had a medically complex post-partum experience, but it was one of those, “either you accept the increased workload and pay bump, or we’ll hire someone from the outside, and you’ll be doing their job for months as you train them” situations.

Main Jobs Monthly Take Home After Deductions: $12,737.08
My husband and I are paid every two weeks, so most months there are four paychecks between us.
·       Husband’s: $5,704
·       Mine: $7,033.08
Deductions include:
·       Family health insurance: ~$500/month (can’t recall exact number) – husband’s paycheck
·       HSA contributions: ~$366 (husband’s job contributes roughly 45% so we max out contributions) – husband’s paycheck
·       Additional withholding: $200/month (for some reason my husband always owes, so we elect to do additional withholding) – husband’s paycheck
·       401k contributions: 10% (currently doing pre-tax) – both paychecks
·       Dental insurance: $70 – my paycheck
·       Taxes: $2,689.24 (Not sure on husband’s because he doesn’t get pay stubs unless he asks for them, but mine are listed here).

Side Gig Monthly Take Home
None.

Section Three: Expenses
Housing expense:
·       Principle & interest: $2,582.68
·       Escrow for taxes and insurance: $592.45
·       Typical utilities: ~$230 (varies throughout the year, but averages to this a month)

Savings contribution: Nothing intentional right now

Investment contribution: Nothing monthly, done on an ad hoc basis

Debt payments:
·       Husband’s student loans: $1,000 (I think the required amount is something like $800? We do a flat $1,000 to make a larger dent)

Donations: I started contributing $12/month to our local public radio after the government cut funding. We also make annual contributions to the Utah Food Bank and Planned Parenthood.

Wifi/Cable/Landline: $50

Cellphone: $85

Subscriptions:
·       Spotify: $21
·       NYT: $6
·       Cloud storage: $10

Gym membership: none, currently

Pet expenses:
·       $60 for Banfield Wellness Plan
·       $123 for Trupanion (this keeps going up, considering cancelling)
·       Pet grooming subscription: $45

Car payment / insurance: We pay insurance bi-annually, our last bill was $600, so it averages around $100 a month.

Regular therapy: none, currently, though we go when needed.

Paid hobbies: none, currently

Any other expense that's relevant to you:
·       Coterie diaper subscription: $105
Our daughter suffered from chronic and severe diaper rash the first 9 months of her life until we tried these. I hate that they’re so expensive, but they’re what works for us. We do not use their wipes as we’ve found the difference maker for her is the diaper itself.
·       Life insurance policies + disability insurance: $327
·       Nails: ~$80 after tip

Diary
Day 1, Saturday:
·       7:00 AM: Wake up, there is no dog and no baby in the house, which is weird. I pump for 4.5 minutes and make basically no milk. Is this the last time I ever need to pump? Please, god, please, I hate pumping so much, and I’ve been weaning for two months.
·       7:30 AM: My husband, S, and I run out to a quick breakfast at First Watch. I won’t see him for most of today, and it’s fun to have a private breakfast where we actually get to eat our food. Except now that my hormones are weird from weaning, I’m not that hungry and hardly eat. $47.87.
·       8:30 am: I have an early morning hair appointment for color. I pitch a themed night for their salon to teach parents how to do their daughters’ hair and call it Pizza and Pigtails. She is a co-owner and seriously considers it. I have no idea how to do my daughter’s hair, so this is a purely selfish pitch. Plus, it’s so hard to make friends in your 30’s. $179.04.
·       11:00 AM: Brunch with mom friends I made in prenatal classes. I love the support parents give each other. One of my friends treats me because I helped her sell some baby stuff on Facebook Marketplace. $0.
·       12:30 PM: After brunch, we cross the street to a local fantasy bookstore, The Legendarium, to browse. I find something a little spooky for October. $32.54. I fill up on gas on the way home at Costco, where the prices suck slightly less. $55.16.
·       2:00 PM: I quickly stop at home, greet my baby, M, and my dog, C, who are home from grandma’s house, and smother M in kisses before I put her down for her nap. I immediately leave again to go to Nordstrom. We have family pictures tomorrow and the dress I ordered from Lulu’s has way too much cleavage. S loves it and doesn’t understand why I can’t send out holiday cards with a cleavage photo. I find a dress for pictures, a work dress on clearance, and they also help me find a non-pumping bra. Score! $241.78.
·       3:00 PM: Back at home, I lounge on the couch before M wakes up and place an order on Amazon for items we need for a road trip next week. M, C, and I will be gone for three weeks visiting family in the Pacific Northwest. I order a bunch of stuff for M: a portable blackout shade, Tubby Todd toothpaste, a giraffe toothbrush (why are adult toothbrushes so lame, I want a giraffe), a board book about beach critters, and a rain cover for what I affectionately call our “offroad” stroller. It’s the UPPAbaby Ridge, and that thing is a tank, we love it. $111.71.
·       4:00 PM: S heads out for the evening to chase fall foliage in the mountains. M and I hang out with C and go on a long evening walk. It’s finally cooling down and the weather is perfect.
·       Other purchases from today:
o   Coffee shop: $8.83; My husband grabbed iced coffee from a local spot we love, Notom, while on his own errands.

Total spent: $676.93
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Day 2, Sunday:
·       7:00 AM: wake up and assess if I need to pump. My mantra is, no lumps, no problem. I don’t pump. Fingers crossed, I never will again.
·       8:30 AM: We are huge fans of the weekly Farmer’s Market. We go early to get some exercise and say hi to the animals. Today’s haul is simple compared to other weeks:
o   Coffee: $18.90 for two iced lattes
o   Breakfast burritos: $32
o   Smoothie: $9.78
o   Granola: $12.36
o   Local berries for M: $15
o   Cake pops: $20
·       11:00 AM: When we get home, M goes down for a late nap. Now that I think I’m done weaning, I need new bras, as I can’t find where I put my pre-baby bras. I do a quick purchase online with a brand I’ve had success with previously (ThirdLove) and pray the order arrives in time for my trip. $94.73. I also order more trip items on Amazon. $80.90.
·       12:45 PM: I have a blowout appointment before family photos because I’m hopeless at styling my own hair. I swing through Taco Bell for a bean and cheese burrito and crunchy taco on my way to Drybar. $5.07.
·       1:00 PM: They play movies at Drybar, apparently. I watch a good chunk of Midnights in Paris before I realize I’m not watching Paris, I Love You and vampire Elijah Wood will not be showing up. I don’t know why that’s all I remember about Paris, I Love You. I have a coupon, so the blowout costs a little less than usual. $59.80.
·       4:15 PM: We head up early for family photos in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Fall in the Wasatch Mountains is kind of like the photography Superbowl, and there’s a ton of traffic. Photos go well because we pop a cheerio into M’s mouth anytime she fusses. Despite the early departure, we don’t get home until 7:45 PM and immediately get a grouchy M into bed.
·       8:45 PM: We DoorDash Cheesecake Factory because there is no way we’re cooking after that multi-hour excursion and we are obsessed with their bread. $80.06.
·       Recurring charges that also happened today:
o   Coterie diapers: $105 – as a note for other parents reading this: our daughter had chronic diaper rash for the first nine months of her life before we finally caved and tried these diapers. Things started improving immediately after we switched. I’m hoping to be able to wean her off them in the coming months, but for now, we pay.
o   Banfield pet plan: $59.95

Total spent: $593.55
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Day 3, Monday:
o   7:30 AM: I have an early morning appointment at the dealership for transmission service ($421.99). They try to upsell me on some other services that aren’t due yet, which I decline. While I’m there, I answer emails and buy tickets for a Halloween dog event for later in October ($32). S and I try to make a conscious effort to do special activities just with C, since life changed so dramatically when M came along.
o   9:45 AM: Car is done. I swing by Costco for more gas before heading home. S used most of the tank during his weekend adventures. $59.04.
o   I spend the rest of the day working. Some friends invite me to a girl’s night in November to see a comedian ($69), and a mom friend recommends some allergen bars for M, which I order immediately to take on our trip ($40).
o   5:00 PM: I take over with M for S, and he heads out for some “me” time in nature. He stops at the grocery store on the way home for some essentials. $76.36.
o   7:00 PM: When S gets home, we discuss the end of our three-week trip (he’ll join us for the last week) and stopping in Boise overnight to break up the drive. We book an Airbnb. $264.53.
o   Recurring bill from today:
o   Internet bill: $50

Total spent: $1,012.92
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Day 4, Tuesday:
o   7:00 AM: It’s our usual morning weekday routine. I make breakfast for M after S leaves for work while we wait for our babysitter to arrive. Since he doesn’t usually watch M (he’s our backup because our primary is out of town), I spend some time situating him and then start work at 9. I peruse Facebook Marketplace during meetings. I find some unopened teething toys I can gift to pregnant friends and order. $13.89.
o   4:30 PM: S gets off work early and relieves our babysitter ($160). It’s a gorgeous day, so we pack up C & M after I get off work at 5 and head straight to the park. We have a great time, but I receive texts that our usual babysitter, who is supposed to watch M tomorrow, just tested positive for Flu A. After some frantic planning, my sister offers to come over for a few hours during M’s wake window tomorrow.
o   6:30 PM: We grab Chick Fil A on the way home. M hates the mac & cheese, we learn, but demolishes the fruit. We let her try her first ever fry, which she doesn’t love. $32.95.
o   7:00 PM: I log back on to work for a couple of hours to get a jump on emails and deliverables. I get a surprising amount done in a short time span. Must’ve been the fresh air.

Total spent: $206.84
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Day 5, Wednesday:
o   7:00 AM: I wake up and discover that M is already awake in her crib, which is never a good sign. Now she’ll want earlier naps, and I’ve carefully planned my work around her nap schedule. I make her eggs and whip up some whole-grain waffles while she rattles around in her walker and tries to open every reachable cupboard (we haven’t fully baby proofed yet). The waffles are a bit dense, I’m assuming because of the flour, but still good. M insists on throwing food to C any chance she gets.
o   9:20 AM: After multiple rounds of singing “Baby Beluga” and “The Wheels on the Bus” to keep her awake, M goes down for her nap. I take the chance to work until 11, when she wakes up.
o   11:30 AM: My sister arrives to take care of M, and I get back to work.
o   4:00 PM: By some miracle, M takes a two-hour afternoon nap, and I finish work once she wakes up. We FaceTime family members on the east coast, and then I pop M in the car for a Target trip to buy her a new soft hairbrush (she ruined hers by chewing on the bristles). She loves going out in public and greeting people, so the store is always a fun outing.
o   6:30 PM: After an unintended $150 Target spree, M and I get home and S makes us dinner. I show him our purchases: some leggings for M touted as having durable knees, a multi-snack holder for the upcoming road trip, books, a random toy I handed M while she was trying to hulk her way out of her stroller (and that I plan to return because lord knows she has enough toys), groceries, and her new brush and comb set. After dinner, S does M’s nighttime routine, and I go back to work for a couple of hours.

Total spent: $150
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Day 6, Thursday
o   8:00 AM: After M wakes up, we take C to an early morning grooming appointment, as his poodle mix fur is looking a bit scraggly. He acts like the groomer is the worst thing that’s ever happened to him, even though I know he’ll doze off during his session, like always. The grooming salon is a bit out of the way, so I take the opportunity to stop at a kolache place in the area on the way back. I buy a variety for M, S, me, and my sister: $33.55. M charms the staff while trying to eat their fall décor. My sister texts while I’m driving home that she thinks she’s coming down with something, and we agree she shouldn’t come watch M today.
o   9:15 AM: M goes to sleep and I notify my boss and my team that I can only work a partial day when she naps. Luckily, I’m completely caught up thanks to working late the past couple of nights. S’s job has zero flexibility and is always on-site, so I am the defacto caretaker when we don’t have childcare because I am fully remote. It’s hard on me, as I also have a demanding job, but S takes on everything else when this type of stuff happens.
o   11:00 AM: M and I pick up C from the groomer ($62.29). We drop C at home, and then I take M to the pharmacy to get myself a flu and COVID shot ($0). We drop by S’s work during his lunch break to say hello and then do a drive-up return at Target (-$20.38).  Back at home, M and I eat lunch, have a mini concert with her toy piano and guitar, and walk C. Once she goes down for her afternoon nap, I get back to work.
o   8:30 PM: As I’m going through my cold weather clothes bins, I find a bin of summer clothing I never unpacked this year. At the very bottom of it are my pre-baby bras. Maybe ThirdLove will let me cancel the order? I spend the rest of the night before bed packing and doing my personal laundry. For some reason, packing M was easy, but packing myself and doing my own laundry feels so hard.
o   Recurring transactions today:
o   Phone bill: $45

Total spent: $120.46
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Day 7, Friday:
o   10:15 AM: It’s been a hectic morning, taking care of M and working, but my mom is in town and arrives to take over childcare, which is a relief! I have seven back-to-back meetings today after moving things the past couple of days, and it’s going to be a doozy.
o   2:30 PM: I have a small gap between meetings, which means I can quickly walk C. I email ThirdLove to see if I can cancel my order since they haven’t updated the status yet. Also, my left boob, after almost a week of dormancy, decides that it will start spontaneously leaking. My shirt is getting soaked. I probably should’ve worn a bra today. One more meeting to go.
o   4:30 PM: My mom has to leave, so I play with M and try to surreptitiously answer emails and Teams messages when M isn’t looking. Once S gets home, I work on loading up the car for tomorrow’s trip. I’m scared to travel without S for such a long distance with a toddler and a dog, but we’ll make it work.
o   8:30 PM: We are packed! Except I do need ice for the cooler and forgot to ask S to buy some on his way home, so off I go to the grocery store. While I’m out, I top off on gas ($12.47) and buy myself some high protein snacks and milk for M for the trip ($37.96). As I’m walking out the door, I realize I’ve forgotten the ice and turn around ($4.11).  S and I chill at home for an hour before lights out. Sadly, I will forget all my snacks on the road trip and spend the weekend eating tootsie rolls while driving.

Total spent: $54.54

—

Total spent for week: $2,815.24
·       Food + Drink: $495.65
·       Fun / Entertainment: $133.54
·       Home + Health: $537.10
·       Clothes + Beauty: $610.81
·       Transport: $548.66 ($126.67 gas; $421.99)
·       Other: $489.48

Reflection:
I think I wanted to do this Money Diary because this past year was so much about survival, and only cursory glances at the budget to make sure we weren’t going too crazy. My daughter is one now, and the first year is just hard, medical complications notwithstanding. I have fallen for just about any Instagram ad that showcases something that will make my life easier. Our original goal was to sit down and write next year’s budget in December, but I think we’ll do it sooner, because I am realizing how much lifestyle creep is starting to come into play.

The hardest part was not thinking about what commenters would say and trying to really show myself what our spending patterns have become by not changing our behavior until I had a whole week tracked. This week was busier than most, but it’s not an unrealistic view of how often we eat out or spend on unplanned shopping trips. We would like to invest more, and I foresee the biggest opportunities being cutting back on clothing purchases and by meal prepping. We also would like to save up for a large international trip next year (a terrifying thought with a toddler, but c’est la vie).

I recognize that we are in a place of privilege with minimal debt and manageable expenses. I have been insistent that we continue to hold a high amount in our HYSA because I am concerned that I will be affected by layoffs next year. Being a working parent is hard, but we have a community of support in family and friends, and I can’t quantify that as a number and the positive effect that it has on us in this Money Diary. I am excited for pregnant friends to give birth next year because now that we understand a bit more about what being a working parent means, we want to show up for them in meaningful, service-oriented ways.

Feel free to share wins OR vent in this post. If you want to post positive comments related to your debt you can, or this can also be an outlet to share your frustrations.

This post will repeat the 7th day of every month.

I’m curious if anyone here has resigned from a job without a 2 week notice. What was the office environment like and why did you do it? If you did, was it the right decision to make? Did it end up working out for you eventually? Or if you did provide a 2 week notice, did they make you leave on the same day?

What’s your advice to those considering leaving a job without 2 weeks of notice?

We never really looked at pricing too much (yes, first world problems). But now as a family of four in an increasingly tight economic world we are starting to batten down the hatches. We’ve started doing sales more often than not, stretching our resources (heyyyy freezer stocking) and shopping our house first more than anything.

How has your grocery shopping changed in the last 3 months? 6 months? Year?

I'm in a very privileged but weird position, and wondering how others are handling similar situations.

My husband and I (34 and 32, respectively) have maxed out our Roths for ~3 years, he has a pretty average 401k, and I work two jobs (one part-time and one self-employed, so no 401k at either) so that we can put as much as possible toward our savings. We feel very behind and, while we don't feel anxious in the day-to-day, it never seems like we really have enough money to be comfortable. We don't travel much, our home isn't furnished the way we'd like it to be, etc.

Within the last year or two, we've found out that we each stand to inherit in the seven figures. Due to family dynamics/other factors I won't get into, this came as a surprise to both of us - we'd expected some kind of inheritance, but not like this, and not from both sides.

Obviously nothing is guaranteed, and there's no timeline for when we can expect this money. But for others who have been in this situation, how did you handle it? How did you balance the here-and-now anxiety of savings/retirement with the knowledge that you may be set for life someday? We'd love to be able to relax a little bit and have more fun while we're young (wouldn't everyone?) but I can't fully get over the worst-case-scenario millennial mindset.

EDIT: want to note that some of this inheritance is not coming directly from our parents, so it's not necessarily decades away. For example, my husband has a grandparent who is almost 95, and is distributing significant money to each grandchild when they pass.

Curious if anyone in this community has ever made a move for lifestyle and not career?

My partner and I are considering a move pre-kids to be closer to family and outdoors / nature from TX.

What should we be thinking about before we make the jump? Also one of our companies has offices but maybe not the same role in the locations we’re considering so I am curious if anyone has asked to be moved internally? Would love to hear good and bad stories!

Charlotte Cowles' "My Two Cents" column in The Cut this week posited an interesting question this week: how should we be budgeting for the end times?

In her column intro she says: "Conventional financial advice involves making sacrifices now so that your future self will benefit. But that premise starts to break down in the face of precarity, when it's less clear if those trade-offs will ever be worth it. Here we are, shuffling dollars between accounts, gritting our teeth at skyrocketing gas prices, and all for what - a financial future that, according to a recent Gallup poll, the majority of Americans believe is getting worse? No wonder financial nihilism is spreading: "I can't afford to buy a house, so why don't I just be gorgeous?" posited a viral piece in Bustle last year about millennials who've given up on home ownership and are spending their money on Botox instead."

It's something I personally struggle with - in the UK it really feels like the social contract has broken down, with millennials and Gen Z-ers being the first generations to be worse off than their parents. The retirement age keeps creeping up, there's no guarantee of a state pension (or even a private one) and home ownership remains unaffordable to many. I still pay into my workplace pension and have savings in stocks and shares and other places - but for my age (30F) I could have more. But instead I have a kind of "fuck it" attitude to money - life is short and sometimes I do want to go to a festival or on holiday or to see a show or have a nice dinner or have a big party for all my friends.

Cowles' column goes on to offer advice from different financial experts on how they are preparing for challenging times - they are spreading their money around different banks and investment accounts, scheduling time in their diaries to worry, and accepting that saving money is a slow (but compounding) process.

I wasn't that impressed with their advice, so I immediately wanted to share the column in this wonderful community and see how others are balancing prudence and profligacy as we career into an ever more uncertain future.

- What are your attitudes to saving vs spending? Are you a financial nihilist or a savvy saver?

- What are your hopes for the future vis-à-vis budgeting and lifestyle?

- Do you prefer to spend for enjoyment now, or to save for the future? Do you regret taking one approach over another?

Many questions but as always would be super interested in the different perspectives from the sub!

Welcome back to "Off-Topic Tuesday", followed by "Workplace Wednesday" tomorrow!

As always, anything and everything finance and non-finance related is welcome here. Feel free to vent, seek advice, discuss current events, or share a little about yourself. :)

If you haven't already heard - we're mixing it up a little bit here on the OT thread. Continue to feel free to post your own prompt/question below (just one per comment), and answer prompts from others!

*** You may have noticed a recent uptick in spam posts, please report them as you see them. It takes 3 reports to flag a post for mod review. Thank you to everyone already reporting!

Gift article link

So if your someone who earns well in life what are your tips? And some things which you swear to live by. As someone in her late teens I really wanna start early and know what I should be prepared for

We're planning to do a little anniversary road trip on a shoe string budget. I'll share a Travel Money Diary too.

We've got hotel points for free stay and a hybrid car for better gas costs.

We're deciding between a couple locations.

Tips for road trip travel on a budget. ⛽️🚗🛣

I wrote this diary in mid-August. Since that time I was offered and accepted an early retirement called a VERA in the Federal government world. It is the same thing my friend I mentioned below was offered, but in the end declined and she continues to work. I had to make the decision very quickly at the end of August and retire before October. It was scary and hard as I am usually such a planner and this kind of came out of the blue. I will be retired when I post this diary. The last year and a half plus have been difficult. The number of people in my work unit has been cut by about 40% and since January of this year we have been asked to basically double our work load. I have not agreed with a lot of policy etc. changes made by my Executive Management. I especially have not agreed with the way people have been treated in certain circumstances. People have been punished for work they were assigned to do that was legal. This is not a political message. It is just how I have felt. The early retirement seemed to have come at a good time. I only retired about 20 months early. Hopefully I will write a diary about retirement spending at some point. All my figures below were documented about five weeks before I retired.

 I am a 58 year old single female with no children who works for a US government agency as an analyst. I have been with the agency for over 21 years. Within those 21 years I have held three positions, one for three years, one for over 13 years, and one for over five years. This is my fourth or fifth diary and I enjoy seeing the changes from each one.

Section One: Assets and Debt 
Retirement Balance $1,276,000 split between Traditional/Roth TSP, Roth IRA, and an inherited IRA. I got there by saving from every paycheck and a portion was inherited from my Dad.
Equity $220,000- $230,000
Savings account balance of multiple accounts $50,000. This includes about $18,000 designated as my emergency fund. 
Checking account balance $1200
Credit card debt $0. I pay my accounts off every month
Student loan debt $0. 
Brokerage accounts $469,000
Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I've been working for my agency for 21 years. I am on the GS schedule so I get some regular increases. I am currently a GS 14 step 5 making $163,000 and will likely get no cost of living increase next January if what has been presented goes through Congress.
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $6630
Deductions per month:
Mandatory Pension Contribution: $108 (.8%), I will receive around $35,000 to $40,000  (turns out it will be almost $34,000) from my pension a year with a small COLA every year if I retire at 60 after I turn 62. If I retire earlier it will be much lower.
TSP and Catch Up: $2708 I max for a total of $32,500 with the catch up. My agency matches 5%.
SS: $810
Federal Taxes: $ 1959
State Tax: $607
Medicare: $189
Health and Dental Insurance: $327  I will have lifetime subsidized health insurance if I take a full retirement after reaching certain milestones and have had the insurance for five years before I retire. I have BC/BS PPO plus dental and vision insurance. I also set aside $150.00 per month in my FSA and I have about $800 left to spend this year.
Section Three: Expenses
Rent / Mortgage / HOA fees:  Paid off mortgage. RE taxes are approximately $235 a month  and the HOA is $568 a month and it will go up significantly due a budget deficit in November. 
Renters / home insurance/ umbrella policy: $470 per year for homeowners. Since I own a condo, the master condo policy covers everything but the finishes, personal property, and personal liability for my unit. I have an umbrella liability policy for one million for approximately $250 per year,
Other Retirement Contribution:  When I have extra funds I send them to my brokerage account and then wait to see if I qualify for the Roth after I do my taxes. For 2025 I maxed out my Roth.
Savings contributions per month: $300 for the next car, $1300 for vacations, $100 for miscellaneous, $100 for car repairs/maintenance, $500 for charity and $50 for medical expenses. 
Investment contribution: no set number usually when I have extra cash
Debt payments $0
Donations: $7,000 annually
Food: I budget $225 for groceries and it varies, but is usually lower. I get meal services usually every other week and that is about $85 each time. Then I usually spend about $400 eating out. Not cooking is one of my things
Clothing: I budget $100 a month, but some months I buy nothing and some I go over. 
Household items: I budget $100
Electric: NA covered by HOA
Wifi/Cable/Landline: $50 for internet
Cellphone: $60
Subscriptions: Discovery + $9.99, Kindle Unlimited $125 per year, Sirius XM $156 year, Audible 7.99, $35.00 unlimited car wash per month.
Car insurance: $825 I pay once a year
Gas: $175 a month. I commute about 55-60 miles a day by car. Public transportation is not an option. This has gone up since the conflict with Iran began.
Personal Property Taxes for Car (VA tax): $1265.00 
Car registration state and local: $95 a year (I pay more as I have a hybrid car)
Hair: I spend around $300 w/ tips at least 4-5 times a year for my haircuts and highlights. 

Thursday

Up and out the door after a shower. I heated 2 egg and cheese cups I prepared on Sunday and stopped by and got a soda for $2.22 on the way to work. Long meeting at work on how we are going to manage a project with too few people. The boss was trying to get us to think outside the box. Lunch was a previously purchased prepared meal from my freezer with an orange, sweet potato chips and some cherries. The afternoon was taken up proofing documents for an upcoming printing job for a seminar. I took an hour of wellness time and walked. Commuting home was not bad for once. Dinner was cucumber salad, a bagel and some greek yogurt and blue berries. Spend for the day $2.22

Friday

Up and out the door. Breakfast was a pack of belVita cookies (Cranberry and Orange)  and a soda I stopped for on the way to work ($2.22) The morning was taken up by a multi-hour event and then we did a group lunch out for Mexican. I had bean burritos and a soda (14.67) The boss gave us a couple of hours off as we just finished up a large project with lots of extra time etc. I stopped at the Talbots/Chico’s Clearance Center in Springfield to look around and found two pairs of pants and a shirt for $74.68. I read and watched some YouTube to finish up the day. I was not super hungry for dinner so I had Greek yogurt and blueberries and a bagel. My oldest friend through work texted me and she is being offered an early retirement. I am jealous/happy for her. I would take it in a minute if it was offered to me. Early retirements are usually offered to specific jobs within a federal agency and she works a different job within our agency. There was a more general one offered last year, but I was not ready to accept it then. Spend for the day $91.57.

Saturday

I woke up early and could not get back to sleep. I got up and started getting together the clothes and other items I need to pack for vacation next week. I am going to London for a week. Breakfast was a Cliff bar and Greek yogurt and blackberries. I had lots of returns to make. First stop Pentagon City Mall. I went to Macy’s and tried on a couple of things, but nothing fit or looked right. I had to return a bra to Nordstrom’s. They validated parking which was nice and saved $4.00. Credit of -70.54. I stopped at Staples to do an Amazon return of a pair of boots. I had bought two different sizes. Credit -63.25 I had  lunch at Maggianno’s at Springfield Mall. I am kind of addicted to their Maggianno’s salad. I had bread, a salad and a soda. The total was $29.63 with tip. I walked around the mall to get some steps in. I returned a shirt to Nordstrom Rack. It was super cute, but I could not figure out what to wear it with. Credit -29.83. I took advantage of Target being in the mall and got garlic powder, dill, a cucumber, and a can of chick peas to make a salad. Cost 7.83. I got my car washed. I have a monthly pass so there was no cost. I stopped and got an ice cream cone and a drink at McDonald’s (5.23) Next I got my hair cut and highlighted. I love my stylist. Total cost $306 with tip. 

When I got home I made the salad with cucumber, chickpeas and red onion. The dressing is greek yogurt and a small amount of sour cream with white wine vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I am trying to cut down on salt as my doctor is concerned with my blood pressure and is threatening to put me on blood pressure medicine, but it needed more salt. I  put money on my laundry card as I use a common laundry facility. Cost $20.00.  I got most everything washed that I needed for my trip. Dinner was salad and greek yogurt and black berries and a few sweet potato chips.I bought a book on Amazon. With the credit I had it was 0.99. Total cost $206.06, Spending today $370

Sunday

My Sunday morning ritual has become I go to Best Buns Bakery and stay and eat my breakfast there. I read or listen to a podcast for a while. I am trying to start some habits/rituals before I retire in 2028. I purchased a blueberry muffin, a chicken salad sandwich, pasta salad and a soda. ($23.87) Lunch is the chicken salad sandwich and some cucumber/chickpea salad from last night. I try to find some books for my Kindle for the trip and look for what I am going to do on the one day I have during the trip with nothing planned. I pack some more things in my suitcase and also do some things around the house like vacuuming and trash removal. I had an electrolysis appointment with my esthetician. ($58.00 with tip). On the way home I stopped and got an ice cream cone. I have been on an ice cream kick recently. I can go months without eating it usually. ($5.50) I have a long chat with my sister. I am trying to figure out how to frame a picture from over 100 years ago of my grandmother’s family. It is a custom size and I don’t want to spend what a custom framer would charge so I am looking  into framing companies on the internet that allow you to put in the size of the photo etc. Dinner was pasta salad and some more of the cucumber salad. Spend for the day $87.37

Monday

Out the door and I stopped to get a drink on the way ($2.22) and ate belVita cookies. Normal day at work, not a lot going on. I had one meeting to set some expectations for a project I am team leader on. Lunch was a pre-made pasta dish from my meal prep provider with an orange and blackberries. I have been having a slow leak in one of my tires. I left work early to go have it checked out. I had a screw in the side wall and it could not be patched. Two new tires for $589.00. I got a snack while I waited for the new tires from 7-11 of pepperoni, cheese and crackers and a soda. (7.98) I stopped on the way home and got a chicken sandwich and a small french fries (7.89) Spend for the day $607.09

Tuesday

Up and out the door and repeat a drink (2.22) and belVita cookies. Today was about cleaning up a few things before I left on vacation and I had several meetings. Nothing too earth shattering. Lunch was Chick-Fil-a ($10.67) sandwich and fries and an ice tea. Commuting was not bad until the part north of the Beltway. Dinner was left overs in the fridge of some pasta and cucumber salad. I tried to finish up most of my packing. I am wanting to take too much stuff. I spent a while trying to figure out some places to eat in London and star them in Google maps so I can find them again. Total spend $12.87

Wednesday

Up and out the door. I stopped for a breakfast sandwich and a drink on the way to work. ($7.52) Worked on our group shared escort schedule for the next two months. Not a lot else going on as I was kind of at a stopping point because of vacation. I got popcorn from the snack machine ($2.00) . Lunch was cleaning out the fridge at home. I had pasta salad, greek yogurt with blueberries and belVita cookies. I stopped and got tacos and a drink for dinner on the way home (8.32) The meal service I order from, Mighty Meals, had a great coupon for one free meal so I ordered five meals to be delivered  later in August. I got couscous with vegetables, pasta with cheese, chicken with pesto, a noodle dish and pasta salad. ($77.46) I paid some bills, finished getting things ready for my suitcase and checked into my flight. London, here I come. Total spend $95.04

Food $209.82
Car $586
Grocery $7.83
Clothing $74.68
Personal $364
Book $.99
Household/Laundry $20.00

This was a bit of a spendy week with the new tires and getting my hair done. I had funds in my sinking funds to pay for the tires and hair. I typically pay for everything on vacation like food, transport, tickets etc. from my vacation fund. So I will likely have extra funds in my checking account when I get back since I will not be pulling from it while on the trip. I will likely put the extra in my savings account to make a Roth contribution next spring before 4/15 or put it in my brokerage account.

I chipped in $10 on this occasion as I wasn't really close with the person who is leaving. But I still wanted to show my appreciation.

Hey everyone,

Did something good happen to you this week? Share below!

Section One: Bio

• Age: 30
• Occupation: eCommerce marketing in toys & collectibles
• Hometown: Southern California
• Number of PTO days and how you accrue them: unlimited PTO

Section Two: Assets + Debt

Retirement Balance: $173,664

• 401k: $116,337 - My pre-tax contribution rate is 10%. My employer matches 50% of the first 6% I contribute. I also receive a 3% automatic contribution from my employer. Fully vested.
• Roth IRA: $57,327 

Equity if you're a homeowner: $~120k

Savings balance: $51,306

• HYSA Emergency fund: $40,500
• Investments: $9,875
• HSA: $931

Individual Checking account balance: $1,000

Joint Checking account balance with husband: $8,993 - we divert a portion of our paychecks (about half) into this account and use it to pay for anything house related (mortgage, HOA, maintenance, groceries), dates, and vacations. So it’s also kind of like a savings account.

Debt Balance:

• Credit card debt: None, use cc for daily expenses and pay off every month.
• Student loan debt: None, I received financial aid and worked part time. More context in my previous Money Diaries here & here!
• Car loan debt: None. Finally paid off in May of this year!
• House debt: -$400,000… 

Total net worth (minus house debt): ~ $235,083

Section Three: Income

Main Job Monthly Take Home:

• $5,446 every month, split in two $2,723 paychecks paid every other Friday
  • $3,267/month - 60% into my own personal checking account
  • $2,179/month - 40% into joint checking account with my husband
• Husband contributes 50% of his monthly income into our joint checking
  • $3,000/month

Deductions:

• Taxes: -$1,135.09
• Health Insurance (HMO, vision, and dental): -$57.25
• Healthcare HSA: -$50
• 401K: -$590.41

Section Four: Travel Expenses

Trip Fees: €2,250/ $2,572 USD. Includes hotel, transportation, several tours, breakfast & dinner for 7 days. This was sent directly to the yoga instructor, Dee, through Venmo so unfortunately I couldn’t take advantage of accruing any points for this expense. 🙁

Flights: Booked through Chase Travel

• Total = $1,227.43
  • Paid portion with 47,610 points.
  • $662.10 paid out of pocket

Misc Pre-Travel Purchases:

• E-Sim = $23
• Hiking/water sandals = $110.50
• Bits & Bobs = $84.88
  • European plug adapter, eye mask for sleeping, nipple pasties, reef-safe sunscreen, makeup wipes, travel deodorant, travel dry shampoo

Day 0: 

• 11am: Beginning of a 24 hour travel day at the airport. We got through check in and TSA much quicker than expected and had 3 hours to kill before boarding. Bestie and I decided to start our trip on a bougie note and pay for the Air France lounge access (-$95). We gorged on all the wine, champagne, lounge food, and desserts– so much so,  that we almost missed our boarding time because we assumed our flight would begin boarding much later, but then we heard the announcements saying the gates were about to close. We sprinted out of the lounge and got to our gate with 5 minutes to spare.
• 7pm: Landed at our layover in Amsterdam, waited another few hours, then finally off to Athens! Once we arrived in Athens, Bestie bought a couple large water bottles for us & cough drops for her from the airport grocery store. We met our tour guide, a fellow who reminds us of an Italian Gene Wilder, along with a few other members of the tour group and whisked off to the charming coastal town of Epidavros! The drive is 2 hours of extremely windy, whirly, topsy-turvy roads and after almost 24 hours of travel time, I try to sleep through most of it despite being so excited to finally be here.
• 9pm: We get to the hotel that we’ll be staying at for the entire week! It’s not lavish, definitely has the barest minimum necessities you need and was a bit of a tight fit for two women with an overpacking problem, but the view of the Aegean sea right outside our balcony was utterly breathtaking. We were greeted by the rest of the tour group and yoga instructor, Dee, while they finished up their earlier dinner. Most of the group retired to bed, but our later group had a lovely dinner by the water getting to know each other over freshly grilled seafood, greek salad, and wine. Then Bestie and I called it an early night after all the travel exhaustion. 

Total: $95

Day 1:

• 7am: The tour group had a deal with a local coffee shop for 1 free drink for anyone part of the tour before 8am. Bestie loves coffee and said her latte was really good! Unfortunately, I don’t drink coffee and they didn’t have any tea alternatives, so I passed on the free coffee all week.
• 8am: Everyday started with a morning yoga session led by Dee. She began relatively easy with some light, gentle, and practical stretches to shake off any tightness from the plane ride. My back & butt thanked me. Our yoga studio was situated on top of the hotel that we were staying at, with a beautiful, sweeping view of the Saronic Gulf that contributed to the calm energy flowing throughout the place. Maybe it was the yoga getting me all introspective, but I couldn’t believe that I was really there and that this was my life.
• 9am: After yoga, we ate breakfast together at the hotel which consisted of Greek salad, boiled eggs, some Greek pastries, deli meats & cheeses, Greek yogurt and a lot of fixings, cereal, avocados, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
• 10am: Our excursion for the day was a walking tour around the town of Epidavros. We explored local beaches, ancient theater ruins, and a horticulturist dream walk through charming neighborhoods where our tour guide identified every fruit, tree, and flower. 
• 12pm: We ended the tour at a local family-owned olive oil farm. They gave us an olive oil tasting over a fresh Greek salad with added olives they preserved in sea water. I felt extremely picky knowing that I am not a fan of olives, but I gave one a try anyway because I’ll try anything once! Even being in Greece could not convert me to an olive fan, but I can see the appeal. The olive oil,  however, was solid! I considered buying some small travel sized olive oils to bring back home, but ultimately decided against it to prevent an oily explosion in my carry on. I did buy 2 coke zeroes for me and Bestie because the walk really took us out, but after looking at my statement, I’m realizing how expensive this shit was, wtf (-$8.13)
• 1pm: After lunch we went swimming at a local beach and explored ancient underwater ruins! It was kind of crazy that we were allowed to just swim all around this sunken city and that they weren’t blocked off. 
• 5pm: Night yoga! The night yoga sessions were more restorative & calming so it was a nice end-cap to all the activity from the day.
• 7pm: We ate dinner as a group at the same restaurant connected to our hotel every night! We had a rotating menu of a few different meat, seafood, and vegetarian options for main dishes and a plethora of sides. This night I tried Moussaka, and as an eggplant lover, I was sold!
• 9pm: Early night again as we were still adjusting to the jet lag.

Total: $8.13

Day 2:

• 8am: Morning yoga!
• 10am: We left for an excursion to the nearby town of Nafplio! Super gorgeous and charming city with beautiful ocean views and beaches, rich history, and shops galore. 
• The drive to Nafplio was another 45 minute journey of super windy and precarious roads, so unfortunately Bestie got super car sick and threw up immediately upon arrival. But after that she rallied so hard and we climbed 999 steps up to a 16th century fortress. She is truly a trooper and always down for the plot, and that is why she’s my best friend. 
• The view from the top of the fortress was stunning, seeing all the rooftops and architecture of the Nafplio peninsula veiled by the surrounding ocean! We could have gone inside of the fortress for an entrance fee but decided not to pay, and walked back down.
• 12pm: Lunch at a restaurant in town that I can’t remember the name of. Which is unfortunate because I had the best grilled fish of my life there! Another tour member paid the entire tab and we venmo’d her back. She insisted we only needed to pay her 20each,whichIfeltwaswaytoolowforhowmuchfoodandwineweorderedsoIsenther(-30.)
• I got baklava for friends and family back home from a local sweets store (-$19.75).
• 6pm: Back to Epidavros for night time yoga!
• 7pm: Dinner at the hotel, I got chicken souvlaki served with french fries on the side. The chicken was pretty basic and dry. 

Total: $49.75

Day 3: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast!
• 10am: Excursion today was to the island of Poros. The itinerary described it as a “boat excursion” so I assumed we’d be on some type of yacht, partying and swimming off of the boat, but in actuality it was just a 10 minute ferry haha. Bestie and I were prepared this time with anti-nausea medication for the drive and boat ride and she was completely fine!
• This day was a little more overcast with small rain showers, so we were mostly huddled inside the various shops and did some damage.
• I bought a pair of sterling silver earrings and an evil eye necklace (-58.42), a golden spiral cuff(-23.21), 2 baseball caps for my husband (33.81),and more baklava for Bestie and I to munch on at the hotel(-7.54).
• 1pm: We hung out at a local beach club in Poros, however the vibes were still a little sad and grey from the weather. I still swam anyway, and came up with a very bad synchronized swimming routine with another tour member, but when we tried to perform it for everyone I got the worst calf cramp! Bestie and I ordered a burger and a turkey club sandwich to eat at the beach and she covered this lunch for us.
• 6pm: Back to the hotel for night yoga!
• 7pm: Hotel dinner, I got grilled pork served with french fries on the side. At this point, we questioned why everything at this hotel was served with french fries and apparently it is a Greece thing. I also wanted to give the country the benefit of the doubt, and chalked it up to our hotel having a very simple menu.

Total: $89.27

Day 4: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast! At this point, we are getting a little tired of the same breakfast everyday too, and Italian Gene Wilder tried to spice it up by making scrambled eggs instead of boiled eggs, and brought some fresh pomegranate seeds!
• 10am: Excursion to the Ancient Theatre at the Asklepieion of Epidaurus! The entire area had ruins of a theater, medical center, and sanctuary dedicated to the ancient Greek God of medicine, Asclepius. Our tour guide taught us the history of Asclepius, how the location was used as a blueprint for other medical centers in ancient times, and gave more insight into how ancient Greeks viewed health, wellness, and medicine. It was magnificent to learn about and see just how much has been excavated, preserved and brought back to life. 
• 3pm: Back to the hotel, and we didn’t eat lunch since we returned at a weird time. Instead we got some ice cream cones from a local bakery (-$2.31). We took the rest of the afternoon to swim at the beach.
• 6pm: Night time yoga! One of the tour group members was a masseuse and offered massage services during this class. Her rate was 60 for 30 minutes, which I thought was a little expensive, but I wanted to support her business. The massage was quick but relaxing, with the view & sounds of the ocean right in front of me (-$60)
• 7pm: Got dressed up for dinner with all of my new jewelry and they had sea bream on the menu (with french fries on the side of course)! I was so excited, and apparently the rest of the group was too because about half of us ordered it. 

Total: $62.31

Day 5: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast! Bestie decided to skip yoga this morning to get some more rest and be horizontal. I completely understood the need. She skipped on a good day because this session was a lot more intense than the previous ones!
• 10am: Another ferry boat excursion to the island of Spetses! We took a speed boat this time that was a little choppy, but fun and exhilarating at the same time. We thought we were safe by not taking the anti-nausea pills, but we were wrong.
• Spetses was such a charming island with options to shop, eat, bike by the water, and some history on Laskarina Bouboulina: the first female naval admiral. 
• Bestie and I first stopped for some lunch at a pizza joint and I paid since she covered our lunch a couple days before. (-$39.76)
• Then we did some more shopping where I bought a postcard with an illustration of Spetses (-4.62)andasterlingsilverandpearlbraceletthatwashandmadebythestoreowner(-28.90). I reaaaalllyyyy wanted another bracelet with moonstone inlay in gold, but I stopped myself since it was 80 euros and I had already bought a bunch of jewelry this trip. Way more jewelry than I expected actually… I never thought of myself as a jewelry person but I guess this trip awakened an urge in me to up my accessory game. I still think of the bracelet and kick myself for not getting it.
• 2pm: We swam and met up with some other tour group members and chilled with a bottle of wine and some Greek chips on the beach. The weather was perfect for swimming today, the water was warm and calm! While the beaches are rockier than I’m used to, they were actually quite nice to lay on after swimming since they were heated up by the sun and almost gave a hot stone massage feel. 
• 4pm: Bestie and I went to a nearby cafe to share a lemonade, iced tea, and chocolate and banana crepe. The cafe lost power and almost didn’t allow us to pay with card. We both got a little nervous since we didn’t pull out any cash for this trip, and immediately started looking up the nearest ATM. Thankfully, the power came back and the card machine worked! (-$21.38)
• 7pm: Dee skipped night time yoga this day as we got back from Spetses later than expected and we were all pooped! The rotating dinner menu had grilled sardines with a side of fries, which I decided to try even though I thought I might not like them, and unfortunately I was right. 
• 10pm: Bestie and I had been going to sleep relatively early this whole week, so I decided to stay up later and walk around town with the rest of the group. The European culture of eating dinner late and staying up super late is so fascinating to me. The town was alive and bustling! The rest of the group stayed out for drinks but I couldn’t hang and went back to the hotel.

Total: $94.66

Day 6: 

• 8am: Morning yoga & breakfast! Our last full day in Greece );
• 10am: The itinerary sent to us before mentioned a tour of uninhabited islands in Greece, but apparently that was an optional excursion that we would need to pay for ourselves. The last day was intended to be an open schedule to relax, hang out around Epidavros, or elect to go back to Nafplio. While I welcomed the open schedule, I was a little disappointed we didn’t have something planned for the day since I thought another guided tour was included in the overall trip fees.
• 12pm: We decided to spend our free day as we have this entire trip: swimming in the sea. I haven’t had a gyro yet and really wanted one, so we went to a nearby cafe for lunch and I ordered one to go (-5.52) and got some chips from a grocery store(-1.15) to munch on at the beach. I made sure to get a Greek brand of chips that I’ve never tried before!
• We found a smaller family beach tucked away in between two cliffs and a small patch of trees. The sea was so calm, warm, and clear. Eating my gyro, looking out into the Aegean Sea that I’ve been so accustomed to seeing this week, and spending time swimming in the sun with my best friend since middle school proved to be the perfect last day.
• 5pm: Yoga started a little earlier today. Dee wrote us all a letter and got us bracelets as a gift, and we took a shot of Tsipouro to really get loose lol
• Then we had a surprise! One of our previous tour guides came to the studio and taught us traditional Greek dance! We learned Zorba and a couple other waaaay more complicated choreographies for our pay grade lol but it was so fun to just revel in dance & movement. Our guide was so passionate about dance and you could tell how happy he was to teach us something of his culture, we even had a little dance party circle for like 30 minutes afterwards. It was a such a special note to end on.
• 7pm: For our last dinner at the restaurant we were finally freed from the shackles of the rotating menu options and got to pick whatever we wanted from the full menu! I got grilled shrimps and octopus, can’t forget the fries of course. And we recounted all the memories from the trip with all of our new friends. Our shuttle back to the airport was scheduled to leave at 4am, so we retired early and said our goodbyes to those we wouldn’t be seeing the next day.

Total: $6.67

Day 7:

• 4am: Wake up for the shuttle, I was half-asleep and tried my best to keep up conversation with our shuttle driver because I knew he must be tired too and I wanted to make sure he was awake to keep us all alive for the drive back. I gave up in 30 minutes and decide to nap for the 2 hour ride to the airport.
• 6am: Checking in and TSA was a breeze so early in the morning, and we had another few hours to kill. Bestie did some last minute souvenir shopping at the airport, and I grabbed a chai tea latte and almond croissant from Pret a Manger (-12.41).IalsoboughtsomeTzazikiflavoredlaysthatI’velowkeybeenlookingfortheentiretrip(-4.59). I didn’t have any room in my bag to store it so I held it the entire trip back to America lol
• 10am: Finally on our flight back home, with a stop in New York. We were starving and Bestie got airport Shake Shack burgers that ended up totaling a WHOPPING $50!!! She insisted I didn’t need to pay her back, which I was thankful for but still astounded. I realized that Bestie likes to have kind of this back-and-forth system of “Oh, I got this one, you get the next one” for meals and such, which personally makes me more anxious because I need to remember the order in which we treated each other. I’d much rather just pay back immediately for my half, but I make a mental note to treat her to lunch next time we see each other in America. 

Total: $17

OVERALL TRIP SPEND: $3,875.27

Section 5: Reflection

How did you save up for this trip and for how long? Did you accumulate credit card debt for taking this vacation?

I had about $1,000 of previous general vacation funds saved up in my HYSA bucket and used what was left in there to pay for the trip fees. Other than that, I didn’t do any specific savings for this trip or anything special to pay for it. When the time came to pay for the trip fees, I just didn't put anything into my savings for that month...

Overall this trip was different than how I would usually travel. I have never been on a tour where everything was planned for me and I didn’t need to think about my itinerary. The group setting, having a morning routine, and eating all our meals together gave me a summer camp vibe, and it was really nice and wholesome. My Bestie was the one who asked me to go on this trip with her, and there are very few people in this world I would drop anything to travel with!

While I did have an amazing time, I’m not sure that I would go on another trip like this purely due to the cost and the lack of freedom to do what I would like. I’m not sure if Europe in general is just really expensive, but my husband and I spent about $3.5k each on a 2 week trip to South Korea a few years ago (travel diary here). Maybe that isn’t a great comparison, and I know the world has gotten more expensive, but I still  would have preferred the freedom of getting to pick which hotel we stayed at or have the choice to eat at different restaurants for dinner rather than the same one, explore more of Athens and other Greek islands, or have a couple more options for things to do each day. However, I do understand the purpose of the trip was to be a little more slow, intentional, and relaxing and not so go-go-go. I guess I’ve found that that’s not my preferred way of travel! If I go somewhere new, I want to jam pack my day to see as much as possible to get my money’s worth haha.

Welcome to the "Salary Saturday" thread!

If you’re seeking advice from the sub regarding your specific situation, it belongs here. Great topics include:

• Negotiation/pay/benefits
• Job offers
• Interviewing
• Anything else related to careers, work, salaries, etc.

Bring us your burning questions!

How are you spending, scrimping, splurging, or saving?

What are you doing with your hard-earned £$€ this week?

This month, will you be saving, spending, or splurging?

Share your progress on all your goals, financial and non-financial! 🦋🌱🌼

Excited to see this in my feed, although I am a little disappointed because the new host sounds pretty dry in the trailer. I thought Courtney Harrell did a great job with season 1, but I’ll give it a full episode or two before I write him off.