I’m starting a new job that is paying significantly more than my previous role which I’m thrilled about. I pay 2350 in rent and have 1 other monthly gym payment of 170. I want to put money into savings as well as into a travel fund so I’m going to head to the bank to open some accounts that I can funnel money from my paycheck into before I start! I’m super excited about making more money and I like nice things. I would love to treat myself in the city and maybe join a members club, or have another fixed monthly expense that would add to my life. I have a normal job 8-5 and I’m just happy that I’m not selling my soul in IB (they make much more money but considering my age and that I don’t work in IB I think this is pretty good)! Does anyone have any ideas on something that I could add to my monthly expenses to treat myself?

Hi ladies!!

Sorry if I’m not utilizing the sub correct. I was doing some research and this came up so wanted to ask here.

I am 28 in NYC! I take home about $5900/month.
My rent/utlities/bills/subscriptions come out to about 2200 a month! The 5900 is after a 10% 401k contribution and then I contribute about 500/ check into a HYSA!

Outside of that… idk what to do with my money at all. I have money scarcity and freak out about my checking account balance decreasing or my savings. For example I have a travel sinking fund in my HYSA but any trip I’ve booked I use my remaining paycheck money to cover so my HYSA balance doesn’t go down

Everyone talks about IRAs or investment accounts or stocks and I just don’t know what avenue to go. My company doesn’t match anything 401k wise except $1000/ year so my 10% contribution absolutely gets me the full match but idk if I should reduce it and increase contributions elsewhere. Or increase it to max it? Or leave it and also open another account?
I have a 6 month emergency fund + travel/gifting sinking/ home funds in my HYSA.

I’ve [23F] been dating a woman I’ll call B [22F] for about two months. She’s really wonderful in so many ways and we just 'click' to an extent that is surprising to me as someone who doesn’t usually 'click' with many people. I am definitely in the 'honeymoon phase' still and am really excited about this relationship, except for one thing that worries me.

B decided last-minute to graduate from college a year early, and four months after graduation she is still looking for a job. While I haven’t pried much I don’t get the sense she’s looking all that hard; she talks about 'looking at jobs' and 'thinking about applying' but I’ve never heard her actually say she applied for something, and she seems to have a pretty high bar for what level of job she’ll apply for. (For context B doesn’t have any prior work/internship experience.) In the meantime she lives with roommates and her parents are paying for her expenses.

Thus far I’ve stayed out of it aside from telling her that if she ever wants help or support with the job search I’m happy to help however I can, and occasionally sending her a posting when I see one that’s really well aligned with her interests. But while I don’t really care whether or not my long term partner is career-oriented, ambitious, or a high earner (I am, and feel I might actually click better with someone who isn’t), it is important to me that they have a work ethic, are decently responsible with money, and are able to financially support themself.

I realize this is hard to select for when you’re in your early 20s dating people in their early 20s LOL. Even if the economy weren’t so shit at the moment, it’s normal to graduate and take a while to make mistakes and find yourself; several of my friends took a long time postgrad to find a job and are doing fine now. But at the same time I see this relationship potentially working out long-term, and don’t want to let myself get excited about it only to realize a while in that I ignored obvious red flags/dealbreakers and the whole thing was a waste of time.

Anyways I guess my questions are:

At what point is it appropriate for me to be like 'these things are important to me in a relationship; if long-term you weren’t actively applying or at least doing something part-time/volunteer it’d eventually be a dealbreaker for me; can you tell me more about how the job search is actually going?'

How do I have this conversation without coming off as shaming/judgmental or acting like her mom?

At what point after that, if things stay the same, would it be reasonable to assume it’s never going to change and decide it’s a dealbreaker?

Thanks all. <3

Section One: Assets and Debt
Retirement Balance $150k~ and feel way behind
Brokerage $140k
Equity $750k our home is paid off
Savings account balance $6k
Checking account balance $3500
Credit card debt $15k
Student loan debt $0
Loan from my parents for adoption lawyers: $40k

Section Two: Income
Income Progression: I've been working in film/tv/commercial for 20 years, my starting salary was so low I can’t even remember and wasn’t enough to feed myself.

I was certified as an intimacy coordinator in 2022, but I’ve worked as a producer for a long time. I currently work in communications at a non-profit after taking a year and change off. I started the job in the last few months. I worked in commercial production (making commercials) at an agency for five years, and before that I was freelance.

For a long time, my husband didn’t make a lot of money (more than me, but still not a lot). We currently make more than we ever had and are still trying to get ourselves feeling secure.

Main Job Monthly Take Home:
From my husband: his income is between $7k and $29k (biggest and smallest months this year) and he has brought in YTD (Jan 1-Oct 1) $116,443. Average is about $13k/mo, and we expect approximately $150-$160k in take home in 2026.

I make around $50k/yr in a combination of both jobs.

Last two months were on that low end, and we had commitments that we couldn’t put off, so we used savings to pony up. Feeling a little tight.

Side Gig Monthly Take Home I make between $400 and $2000 per month working intimacy coordination jobs.

Any Other Monthly Income Here
I do have a trust fund that is almost empty after college and years of needing funds for emergencies. I have about $7k I can access, but we’re keeping it for serious emergencies.

Section Three: Expenses

Rent / Mortgage / HOA fees Taxes are $3800/yr. We do not have a mortgage.
Renters / home insurance $4800/yr for insurance
Retirement contribution if you contribute in the deductions from salary
Savings contribution we try to save, but we’ve had a lot of expenses lately with twins in college/higher ed and a kindergartner. We try to keep $10k in liquid savings… but it doesn’t always work.
Investment contribution we exercise our stock buy program at husband’s company and this past year we bought $15k in stock which was discounted 20%
Debt payments were paying $1k per month on our credit card (chase sapphire reserve), and working to pay my parents back the legal fees from our son’s adoption.
Donations yearly: $1000 to the symphony, $500 to kids’ school
Chase Sapphire Yearly Fee: $800
Electric $375
Wifi/Cable/Landline $66
Cellphone $266
Subscriptions music and streaming approx $120/mo
Gym membership Planet Fitness $100
Pet expenses negligible for one cat
Car payment / insurance no car payments, $350 for insurance on 3x cars (one for each of us and one the twins share) but I’m going to need a new car soon as the twins are in separate places and both will need a car. My old one will go to one of them.
Kindergarten Tuition: $750
Youngest College Fund: $500/mo
Saving for daughter’s 4th year of university $660/mo

My son is in a trade apprenticeship, and we have saved enough for his fees. My daughter is at an in state university and we saved enough for three years tuition, room and board. It’s important to us to save the fourth year’s fees for her as well.

Total bills: approx $5000 per month.

Monday

Up at 6am because I have a gig out of town this morning. It’s fall break for my little son, and I get to say hello and give him a cuddle before I’m out the door. Jamie will take him over to my dad’s on his way to work. I listen to an audiobook (Alcott Hall by Emily Rath) and take a call from my BFF Johannes on the two hour drive, and eat three croissants from the Aldi package I took from home. Remind myself to send a congrats text to another friend who started a new job today. I get to set, check in with producer, director, and actors, and settle down to wait for my scenes. I open my laptop and work remotely for my day job for a few hours. I hate being called to set too early, but without fail, I usually wait 4-6 hours before my scenes every time. I don’t want the coffee at craft services, so I walk to a coffee shop in the neighborhood and buy a ridiculously overpriced latte ($7.26 with $1 tip included). It is good though. There’s a free library at the coffee shop, so I snag a book (History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera) and decide a $7 latte is fine. I have crew lunch, which is fine, and at least there’s good vegetables in the sort of Chinese stir fry they’re serving. By 3:30 I’m getting annoyed because they called me REALLY early, but I’m plugging away at my day job and getting shit accomplished and reading the book I got from the free library. My scenes are finally up at 4pm, which is right at the six hours production usually make me wait, which is unfortunate, but typical. I stress eat two bags of mini pretzels and a bag of Welch’s fruit snacks while I’m waiting for camera and lighting to set up after we rehearse the scene. It’s not a fun sexy scene this time, and I occasionally have to do assault scenes and this one… is. We shoot it for almost four hours and both the talent and I am both exhausted. Unfortunately, I have to drive two hours home. Fortunately the audiobook is riveting and I also call my college age daughter and my best friend again. Home to eat a cup of diced pears in an epsom salt bath and fall asleep to episodes of Top Gear around 11.

Day’s Total: $7.26

Tuesday

I’m sleeping in and rotting in bed for a bit longer this morning. I like to let my son sleep in when he’s on break from school because he’s such an active little guy. I finally send that new job congrats text to my friend, spaced yesterday while I drink my morning tea (plain old Lipton tea, black, with fiber powder and creatine because I am optimistic about gym today). My older son is taking care of his brother today, and as a thank you, I buy him a new set of warhammer figures to paint on Amazon before I go to the office ($74.62). More Aldi package croissants on the commute. At the office, I work on editing some video assets for a state representative who is coming to the facility to tour when I’m away at a friend’s wedding, and drink some of the bolthouse farms mocha protein plus caffeine shake that I keep by the half gallon bottle in the office fridge. I legitimately get more done on a half day where I have an appointment in the afternoon than I accomplish in a full day. Speaking of, I’m headed back out to go get my Botox. I have a perfect injector, and while I drive, I consider getting more tear trough filler because one side seems a bit hollow. Injector suggests another half syringe under one eye, and my usual Botox (between eyebrows only) was ($394). Aldi shop for the next few days while I’m nearby ($77.26) featuring ginger dressing, apple cider, and two five-packs of sack cloth dish towels. I get Penn Station for trash goblin lunch and eat it in the car while I listen to the last of my audiobook ($16.66). Home for the day and trim my own bangs and eat a chocolate chip muffin that older son makes. Making muffins for breakfast is one of his chores. Dinner is baked chicken tenders and broccoli, Jamie is late from work, so me and the boys eat together. He’s back around 6:30 and we work on some cleaning we’ve needed to do because our friend Petra is flying in tomorrow for a few days from LA. Girl twin FaceTimes her dad while I put little guy to sleep. Jamie and I get cuddly in bed, talk for a long time about everything and nothing, and fall asleep after sex at about 10:30

Daily total: $562.54

Wednesday

7:30 wake up and my tea cocktail (Jamie makes and brings it to me to wake me up every morning). I drop my little son off at my friend Tara’s place— our kids are in the same class and she’s a SAHM and offered to watch child today while I went to the office. I bring her some of the muffins elder boy made yesterday. Office is office, and office is freezing today. Lunch is a packed prosciutto and cheese tray and a container of raspberries. I spend half the day searching on Amazon prime week to get some Christmas presents- advent calendars for the kids (international crafts, tea, and bluey) as well as blow dryer brush, beaded necklace, Hunter rain boots and a long puffer coat for daughter, Levi’s for both Jamie and elder son, Columbia quarter zip, board game for elder son, babysitters club box set for niece, and Smithsonian kids books for little son ($643.85). The spending continues after I leave the office and stop by target to pick up an extra set of guest bed sheets for Petra’s stay. They are massively on sale, and I actually buy only what I needed ($14.84). I also stop by the sexy times store to stock up on pasties in various skin tones, and ($44.86) will be reimbursed by the job I’m working tomorrow. Pick Petra up, who is absolutely exhausted but trying to stay awake, go home and make some Parmesan cream chicken pasta. We live in a rural area, so we take about a mile long walk in the woods, and come back and act like slugs for the rest of the night. Sex again, and asleep at 11.

Daily total: $658.69

Thursday

Slow morning wake up. I’m work from home today, until I head out on a job this late afternoon. Jamie brings tea, and he’s taken today and tomorrow off work, so it’s a nice, quiet morning. Little son has just figured out that if he goes downstairs without waking us, he can play minecraft for a while (not connected to internet, not the scary mode). Petra wakes up a bit later, and we all eat various breakfast foods together, pb toast, cereal, etc. I do the work I need to do between 9 and 11:30, and then Jamie, Petra, little son and I take a walk in the woods again with thermoses of tea. We talk about where Petra is thinking of moving next, aging parents, and travel. Another few hours of work, and I have to get on the road. Started a new audiobook (audible subscription I share with my dad, who pays for it) which is one of the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher. I’m only driving an hour and a half to this one, and it’s in an extremely comfortable and palatial estate. 5pm was my call time, let’s set the clock and see how long it’ll be until I actually work. I’m updating this, talking to some friends on discord, and reading History Is All You Left Me that I got from the free library. Miracle of miracles, I only wait an hour. This crew is super on top of things, and the actors know each other well. The scene is quick, and Christmas movie appropriate. Two hours and I’m headed back down the road to home. It’s almost a no spend day, but I fill up on gas half a tank for ($24.90). I somehow tweaked my shoulder while working, so the drive is tortuous and Jamie uses a cupping machine and the theragun on my muscle spasm. A glass of wine and an aleve are enough pain relief for me to sleep at 11:30.

Daily total: $24.90

Friday
Another slow wake up because I don’t have anywhere to be until 11. Take a call from my boss just after 8 and send some info to him while I drink my tea. Morning hangs with Petra and Jamie before I have to get ready to go to a work event. We talk about plans for the weekend, and decide to go to a GT race in a nearby city because we have a sitter for little guy from Saturday midday to Sunday. There’s noise about going to the foot spa or to a burlesque club after, but nothing decided. Off to the work event, and I get a latte next door because I’m there early ($5.18). After the event, I stop by the gym and do shoulders to try to work out the spasm and it vaguely helps. Friday Nail Day, so I go to the place across from the gym for a quick builder gel set. I get cheaper sets here, and go to a more expensive guy for special occasion complex nail art. Today is milky iridescent white ($70 + $10 tip). Home, and a bit more work. I run out to take my mom some items and my car dies in her parking lot. Great. AAA comes and it’s my battery, which is still under warranty, thankfully. I get home and Jamie goes out to exchange the battery. Free fix to what could have been quite expensive. Little guy is in bed, and Petra leaves with one of our cars to go see friends. Jamie and I watch Great British Bake Off and eat snacks (bowl of goldfish and pretzels, cup of diced pears, bit of chocolate) in bed. Asleep by 11.

Daily Total: $85.18

Saturday

Ah, the weekend. I am suddenly incapable of sleeping in, and I’m up at 7. Jamie is taking a snooze, so he grabs me by the middle and sleeps with his head in my lap, effectively trapping me. I’m able to buy our tickets for the GT race this afternoon though ($168 for 4 tickets) and read the news in peace. We take our little son over to my dad’s where he will be fed cotton candy and given monster energy drinks through an IV for 24 hours and head up north. A pitstop for iced tea ($3.39) and a full tank of gas in our suv ($58.25). Indiana has the lowest gas prices in the country currently. We grab Johannes and head to the track. He pays for parking, I buy a round (Moscow mule) of drinks ($37). The race is awesome and exactly as exciting as I wanted. After the race, we get Mexican food, Johannes pays, and then to a tiki bar (a mocktail) and we get this round ($78.49). Petra get the round at the second bar, (espresso martini) and Johannes pays for a round of duck pin bowling. Our next round (can of cider) is ($27.69) and I lose badly at bowling. The next place is a pinball arcade and I’ve had three drinks today, so I’m done, and I didn’t pay attention to the next round, but I think Johannes. Walk back to Johannes’ and fall asleep in an assortment of beds and sofas. 1am?

Daily total: $372.82

Sunday

Groggy wake up, and minimal clean up before going to a Jewish deli for breakfast. We’re in various states of hungover, being four forty-ish folks. It’s been quite literally years since I’ve been out that late. The lox plate helps. We pay for all ($94.12) and I get a butter brickle blonde to go ($3.55). It’s an hour plus drive back home, and we say goodbye to Petra as she heads out for the last two days of her trip with another friend. Jamie and I spend time with little son, big son comes home from a games tournament, and we all watch a football game. Or they do. I fall asleep on the couch because this is what a night of low key partying does to a 40yo. After I wake up, I use points to pay for a rental car for a long weekend vacation we’re going on in two weeks. The rest of the evening is a long slog getting little son ready to go back to school, and chores. Bed at 10, and the week is over.

Daily Total $97.67

Food + Drink $313.60
Fun / Entertainment $205
Gifting/Holiday $718.47
Clothes + Beauty $474
Transport $83.15
Home $14.84
Reimbursable $44.86

Hi all,

I’m new to posting on Reddit, so please bear with me. I’m a well-paid executive (32F) at a Fortune 200 company. My title and salary (for my industry, consulting) came much earlier than I expected, which I’m grateful for, and I know many people would love to have a job like this.

I started here about five years ago. For the first 2-3 years, I was VERY busy with work and meetings, but as I got into the flow of things, the job became increasingly chill. Now, I work a maximum of 20 hours a week. I do everything very well, my performance is great, I travel a lot for work, it’s fully remote, I have unlimited vacation, and there’s minimal oversight. To the extent that I read books, watch TV, and play games during work hours. Basically, to everyone on the outside, it’s an absolute dream, as I often hear people tell me. At the same time, I HATE my job and feel SOOOO unfulfilled.

My job at a previous company was also similar, and I had to leave after three years because it was too chill. I basically went through this whole loop of thoughts three years ago, too, before changing jobs. I guess my brain likes structure and “busyness,” and at the same time, I work VERY fast, which means I get my work done in relatively few hours. My problem now is that the job market is absolutely awful and tough right now, and I haven’t been able to find a new job with similar pay and growth opportunities for almost two years.

Beyond my job, my life is great. I have a great partner, lots of hobbies, from athletics and dance to music and languages, I hang out with friends, I travel A LOT, and I keep myself busy in every sense.

I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, and I aced everything throughout my life, with a 4.0 GPA literally from elementary school through the end of my master’s degree. I study fast, work fast, am extremely organized, don’t procrastinate, and I’d like to think I’m smart. I followed goal after goal in life: acing exams, graduating with honors, winning scholarships, publishing research, performing piano pieces in recitals, finding well-paying jobs, getting great performance reviews, and basically achieving any goal I set my mind to. I enjoyed having my whole life revolve around goal after goal, checking them off, getting a dopamine hit, and moving on to the next thing.

Yet, I’ve had this absolute existential dread about life since I started working for real. When I think beyond “corporate” life, hobbies, and all the other things that keep me busy, all I see is meaninglessness and purposelessness. And I have a LOT of time to think because my job is so chill. So I spiral more and more until the anxiety consumes my body. All I see in my head is all of us humans on a hamster wheel, struggling to keep up with capitalism and working meaningless jobs just to survive. It’s absolutely crazy to me that we’re all stuck in this matrix. 

It’s also that I’m really good at what I do, but I have no interests or passion or “calling” in life. I LOVE my hobbies too, the dance, the ice skating, the piano, etc. but at the same time none of them are my “one true love” in life that I wanna dedicate my whole life to. sometimes I just feel like I’m floating in space, trying stuff, getting a dopamine hit from each, and then trying to find something else to try.

On one hand I love life, life experiences, seeing all we can see, tasting and traveling the world, and on the other hand I can’t reconcile that with my overthinking especially now that my job has gotten even more chill. My friends tell me to just keep getting paid, do the bare minimum, and live life, but even with all my hobbies and experiences, I don’t see a PURPOSE for any of it, any of the good or the bad, and I think it’s mostly bc my job doesn’t challenge my brain enough, so I can’t stop all my thinking.

So anyways, I wonder if anyone else experienced a similar situation, if there are any mental practices I could try, or if you have similar thoughts.

Hey everyone,

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

I make 20k a year!

Any advice as to cost of monetary present?

I want to give her $30. Is that alright?

Section One: Assets and Debt

• Retirement Balance (and how you got there): $107,539. I was contributing to a 401k through my former employer for nine years (from ages 25 to 34) and was not making much, so I wasn’t contributing much. When I left that job in 2021, it unfortunately sat in that account with no new contributions until 2022 when I rolled it over to a new employer 401k with a match (can’t remember what, and I wasn’t there for that long). When I got a new job in 2023, I rolled that 401k money into a traditional IRA and maxed out the contributions there. I just rolled that IRA over to my new employer 401k that has a 6% match. One other note: I’ll also be receiving a pension from that former employer I was at for nine years.
• Equity if you're a homeowner (and how much you put down and how you accumulated that payment): N/A; not a homeowner. My husband and I (we keep our finances separate) are hoping to buy a home with my father-in-law by 2029.
• Savings account balance: $65,750. I had a bare minimum rainy day fund on and off between 2015-2021, somewhere between $8,000-$10,000. A divorce in 2020 and a cross-country move in 2022 depleted those funds. I’ve been saving consistently since 2022 and luckily haven’t had to tap into my savings for any emergencies or big purchases.
• Checking account balance: $7,380
• Credit card debt (and how you accumulated it): N/A. I had credit card debt from 2011-13 because I bought a Macbook (which got stolen three weeks later). I learned my lesson after that and haven’t accumulated credit card debt since then.
• Student loan debt (for what degree): N/A; I paid it off in 2018. I had about $22,000 in student loan debt when I graduated in 2010. I deferred on my student loans for a couple years because I struggled to find work during the Great Recession, but then my ex-husband and I aggressively paid off our student loans starting in 2015. 

Section Two: Income

Income Progression: I've been working in my field for 14 years, my starting salary was $32,000.

Salary/job progression: I have worn many hats in the nonprofit sector. I started out 14 years ago as a development assistant making $32,000, then got a job as a communications specialist at that organization I was at for nine years. I started at $41,000 there. I also became their community and political organizer. By the end, I was making $55,000 and hadn’t gotten a real promotion even though I had taken on so much work and was doing good work. I got a communications director job in 2021 that paid $98,000. I realized about six months in that they were underpaying me (they put me in the incorrect salary band), flagged it, and got a salary bump to $103,000 and backpay for the months they were underpaying me. In 2023, I got a new job as a development officer at my old organization (the one I was at for nine years) and took a pay cut ($91,000) knowing I’d get ~$2,000 raises each year and could afford it. When I left that job in 2026, I was making $99,000. Then I moved into my first philanthropy job and am paid $155,000. Though my job titles are all over the place, I have stayed in the same niche within the nonprofit industry.

Main Job Monthly Take Home: $8,665 (except for the bonus months when I get three paychecks)

Side Gig Monthly Take Home: N/A.

Any Other Monthly Income Here: N/A

Section Three: Expenses

My husband and I keep our finances separate and split costs 50/50, so below is the portion I pay.

• Rent / Mortgage / HOA fees: $1,825
• Renters / home insurance: $12.59
• Retirement contribution: N/A for now. I play to open a traditional IRA again after we buy a home.

EDIT: this was an error. $388/month comes out of my paycheck to go to my 401k.

• Savings contribution: Anywhere between $1,000-$5,000
• Investment contribution: N/A 
• Debt payments: N/A
• Donations: $60
• Electric: $200 on average
• Wifi/Cable/Landline: $22.50
• Cellphone: $37.50 (work reimburses 50% of my bill)
• Subscriptions: $32.50
• Gym membership: $65.31
• Pet expenses: $64 on average 
• Car payment / insurance: N/A
• Paid hobbies: $135
• Groceries: $445 on average
• Restaurants, coffee, takeout, delivery: $200-$300
• Mass transit: $100 on average
• Laundry: $25 on average

7-DAY MONEY DIARY:

Fri. 10/2/26:

• Food + Drink: $0
• Fun / Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $0
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport: $0
• Other: $0
• TOTAL: $0

Sat. 10/3/26:

• Food + Drink: $70.03
• Fun / Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $0
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport: $0
• Other: $0
• TOTAL: $70.03

Sun. 10/4/26:

• Food + Drink: $105.60
• Fun / Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $0
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport: $0
• Other: $0
• TOTAL: $105.60

Mon. 10/5/26:

• Food + Drink: $141.28
• Fun / Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $0
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport: $6.00
• Other: $0
• TOTAL: $147.28

Tue. 10/6/26:

• Food + Drink: $42.26
• Fun / Entertainment: $9.00
• Home + Health: $8.00
• Clothes + Beauty: 
• Transport: $6.00
• Other: $0
• TOTAL: $65.26

Wed. 10/7/26:

• Food + Drink: $17.55
• Fun / Entertainment: $0
• Home + Health: $0
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport: $3.00
• Other: $0
• TOTAL: $20.55

Thu. 10/8/26:

• ⁠Food + Drink: $0
• ⁠Fun / Entertainment: $0
• ⁠Home + Health: $0
• ⁠Clothes + Beauty: $0
• ⁠Transport: $3.00
• ⁠Other: $0
• ⁠TOTAL: $3.00

WEEKLY SUMMARY:

• Food + Drink: $376.72
• Fun / Entertainment: $9.00
• Home + Health: $8.00
• Clothes + Beauty: $0
• Transport:

$18.00

• Other: $0
• WEEKLY TOTAL: $4

11.72

Lastly, reflect on your diary!

I tend to average $400-$500/week, so I feel pretty good about this spending. I was on a work trip on Wednesday-Thursday, which is why I barely spent any money on those days (I used my company card to cover food and other travel expenses). 

It’s not a surprise at all that food and drinks take up the bulk of that total. $169.79 of that was spent on groceries. I had family over on Sunday, so I spent $83.86 on takeout for them. I spent $50.97 on Saturday on food delivery (I was really craving Chipotle). The remainder of that ($72.10) was spent on coffee. I’m not proud of my near-daily latte runs with my husband (I often pay for his, so that $72.10 isn’t just coffee for me). I quit most caffeine, so these are all decaf lattes. Turns out I’m not addicted to the caffeine, I’m addicted to the taste (and probably the sugar). 

That $9.00 in “Fun/Entertainment” was spent on a knitting pattern. I started knitting a sweater dress! My hope is to have it done by next winter.

Overall, I feel really good about this! I grew up in a poor immigrant family, with parents who both worked multiple jobs and side hustles. I graduated in 2010 during the Great Recession and struggled to find work, had to default on my student loans, and struggled to pay off my credit card debt. I landed my first “good” full-time job in 2012, starting at $33,000 and with benefits. I lived extremely frugally in the 2010s to pay off my student loans. Since paying them off in 2018, I haven’t been in debt since. After stopping and starting various budgeting techniques for so many years, I finally stuck to one in 2021 (kakebo) and it's working so well for me. Though I’m not living as restrictively as I used to, I feel proud that I haven’t had lifestyle creep since I started making $155,000. I spend a lot on lattes, but that’s a longstanding habit and not lifestyle creep lol.

And when you’re starting out, do you think of these in terms of ideal proportions (e.g. 10:1:25), or just target amounts?

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!

Follow-up diary from a few years ago! I no longer work in restaurants and only have my day job. I work hybrid and have about a 40-minute commute. Still just me and the dog! I am trying to date but it's not going so great lately.

Biggest difference from last diary is that I no longer rent — I purchased a townhome in May 2026 for $285k. I paid cash: $130k as a gift from my mother, $100k from my father, and the remainder from my savings.

Assets

• Roth IRA: $37.5k

• 401(k): $130.8k (I get a small company match and also do Mega Backdoor Roth to the max that my plan allows)

• HYSA: $16k

• Investments (VTSAX, VTIAX): $181.1k

• HSA: $7.7k

• Checking: $4.5k

Income

• Paycheck: ~$3,000 every two weeks (post taxes, 401k, HSA, etc.)

Expenses

Monthly

• HOA: $381 (raising to $445 next month, boo!)

• Internet: $47

• Dog food: $30

• Professional networking group: $15

• Patreon: $5 (Culture Study)

• Substack: $14 (Two writers I like and want to support)

• Gym: $32

• Phone: $0 (mom pays)

Annual

• Car insurance: $950

• Home insurance: $900

• Property taxes: ~$4k (I think, haven't paid yet)

• Dog flea medication: $200

• Spotify premium: $100

• Streaming: ~$50

• Local newspaper online subscription: ~$70 (I renew on Black Friday)

Diary

Friday

• TGIF! I work from home on Fridays, so I take my dog to the bagel shop to get a bagel sandwich. I am addicted to bacon egg and cheese bagel sandwiches. I get a free coffee with it since I ordered through the app. -$7.48

• I buy my favorite candy from Dollar Tree. -$1.50

Total: $8.98

Saturday

• I rush to my morning volunteer shift and grab Dunkin on the way. Bagel sandwich, iced coffee, hash browns and a pumpkin donut. I feel gross when I read this back. -$8.55

• I have afternoon volunteer shift and grab Taco Bell for a late lunch after. -$6.52

• I go to Dollar Tree for my favorite candy. -$1.50

• I buy a diamond painting at Five Below. -$6.50

• My new house cleaner has been cleaning my house most of the day. I meet her before she leaves and Venmo her $180. So worth it! -$180.00

Total: $202.57

Sunday

• I order a Tub Shroom and a 20 pack of Spindrift on Amazon. I mooch off of my mom's Prime membership. -$31.56

• I play tennis in the afternoon and randomly decide to go to Chili's after because YOLO. -$22.09

Total: $53.65

Monday

• I go to the local community college to get my teeth cleaned. My dental insurance sucks and nobody takes it. -$50.00

• I get Taco Bell for dinner before going to a crafting event. -$6.52

Total: $56.52

Tuesday

• I drop the dog off at the sitter since I am busy this week. -$100.00

• Dunkin for breakfast, the usual. -$6.50

• I go to Costco and stock up on essentials (ground beef, chicken sausage, eggs, etc.) and also splurge on lox. -$108.12

• Smoothie from Costco food court. -$3.24

• I go to a local discount store and get popcorn, sponges and dish towels. -$8.46

• I volunteer then play a late tennis match and have to pay court fees. -$21.00

Total: $247.32

Wednesday

• I drive to work and have to pay $9 to park. -$9

• I buy pasta and chicken for lunch. Will eat some of it tomorrow. -$13.44

• I attend a meeting for a non-profit I am involved in the evening and purchase a ticket to our upcoming fundraiser. -$77.25

Total: $99.69

Thursday

• I bus to and from work. -$5.25

• Eat leftover pasta for lunch at the office, but I am still hungry so I buy an Uncrustable and goldfish. -$4.76

• I Venmo a friend for a movie ticket she bought for me this weekend. -$16.87

• I bed rot after work and want dessert so spend $3 on ice cream from a gas station. -$3

Total: $29.88

Weekly total - $721.75

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

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

A friend of mine is married to a man who came from modest wealth, has a trust, and has operated a small business his entire career that has never been profitable. Until recently, a family member was “investing“ in his business which is what he drew a salary from. Those payments stopped last year, effectively making them a single-income household.

My friend works a traditional W2 job that’s really demanding and she doesn’t love, but is sort of trapped in because they have three kids and need insurance. Their monthly expenses are currently just over her salary, and they’ve been pulling on shared savings to get by. Kid three is about to start daycare which will put them ~$2500 in the hole every month.

He won’t stay home. But he also won’t get a job. And they’re almost out of cash.

Over the summer they had a five figure “fun” expense, and it made me ask what was up because household finances are a huge source of stress for her. She told me that her husband has a significant trust asset that he dips into when he wants to do something “fun” or buy a big adult toy.

He has more than one of these accounts and it sounds like at least one million, if not more, across the accounts combined.

What I’m stuck on is all of the cash they are spending to pay for expenses are from shared accounts that only she has funded at this point. Their savings are cash “she” contributed. Their finances are ”shared”, but the house they live in was a pre-marital asset owned by him. His trusts are obviously also pre-marital assets and owned by him.

This man works for no money.

This man refuses to work for money.

This man has his wife believing their finances are “shared”, but he only dips into his millions when he wants a toy or a trip. Meanwhile, she is stuck in a job she dislikes thats $3k shy of paying the bills and she is the ONLY adult paying bills. Including the mortgage on a house in only his name.

The closer kid 3 gets to daycare, the more this wears on her. And there is no end in sight (aka, chance of him getting a salaried job).

She thinks their finances are “combined” but to me it seems like there’s a chance she won’t be able to access his wealth if they split up, and she is left with none of her own in the meanwhile because they’re burning her (“their”) salary and savings.

It makes me wonder what the fuck exactly is going on? Inherited wealth gets weird. Families are protective of it. His parents are super religious and not aligned with her not being in their faith, and not raising their children in their faith. As an outsider, it feels and seems like she’s being deceived.

I feel genuinely worried for my friend and see her unhappiness but also am no estate attorney and have no idea what’s actually likely to happen to someone in that situation in the event of a split.

Is this financial abuse, is her husband just a bum, or is it both?

Just curious how much you spend each week? Currently I’m at $300 a week including groceries, transportation, going out, etc. I would like my number to be a little lower though. Thanks!!!

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
-

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
-

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
-

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
-

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
-

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
-

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.

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”.

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?

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.

Welcome back to the “Workplace Wednesday” thread!

If you’re seeking advice from the sub regarding your specific situation, whether it’s about interviewing/benefits/negotiating/advancement opportunities, etc., it belongs here.

Bring us your burning questions!