A Month In NYC On A $68,000 Nanny Salary

We asked a millennial in New York City to track a full four weeks — A 23-year-old nanny and teaching assistant, taking care of two rowdy kids.

Industry: Full-time nanny and teaching assistant at NYU
Age: 23
Location: New York City, Financial District
Salary: $65,000 as a full-time nanny (includes a 5K minimum guaranteed cash bonus) + about $3,300/year teaching 2 semesters as a TA
Paycheck amount: $816 four times a month for nannying (any overtime I get in cash); anywhere from $140 to $205 twice a month as a TA (paycheck amount depends on whether I attend any lectures, which isn’t required for my position)
Number of roommates: 2

Monthly Expenses
Rent: $1,300 (my share of a three-bedroom in the Financial District)
Loan payments: $0 for now because my parents are paying with what’s remaining in my college fund, but that will end soon
Utilities: Anywhere from $50 to $75 per month, depending on how much electricity we use (this is my half of the total)
Cable and internet: $49.50 for my half of the total
Transportation: $0 monthly, I pay as I go
Phone bill: $0, I’m on dad’s plan
Health insurance: $0, still on dad’s plan until 26
Spotify: $9.99
iCloud storage: (Why do I do this?) $1.99

Savings: About $800/month; usually $400 in savings and $400 in Roth IRA; I put $200/week into my long-term savings and put half of that into my Roth IRA at the end of the month.

Day 1

8:30 a.m. — Gluten-free oatmeal at home and a cup of French-press coffee. My boyfriend got this for me last Christmas and it has saved me so much money on coffee! I am a huge caffeine junkie and used to spend stupid money on coffee, but now I try to only occasionally treat myself to La Colombe.

9:30 a.m. — Put some cash on my MetroCard on my way to work. I was planning to get an unlimited, but the machines at my station were all only accepting cash, so I just put enough on to get me through the next couple of days. $10

11 a.m. — Grab a handful of pistachios at work to tide me over until lunchtime. Part of our job agreement includes the fact that while working I can help myself to their food when hungry as long as I arrive having eaten an energizing breakfast (kids require so much energy). Because of this, I don’t pack a lunch but instead snack smartly throughout the day to keep my energy up for the kids. I do all of the grocery shopping for the house, so I make sure there are always snacks I can eat since I have dietary restrictions.

8:30 p.m. — I fight through the crowds at Trader Joe’s for a BIG haul. I have been away for two weeks — the family I work for took a vacation, and I typically tag along to help with the kids. I got home yesterday morning and realized I had zero food at home. I pick up ground coffee, two big Fage yogurts, a pint of blueberries, a bunch of bananas, some apples and pears, Nova smoked salmon, hummus, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, a few bags of lettuce, balsamic dressing, crumbled goat cheese, trail mix, and Trader Joe’s guilt-free spinach dip and reduced-guilt potato chips. $66.36

9:30 p.m. — By the time I unload my groceries, I’m too tired to actually cook anything. Instead, I heat up some Trader Joe’s frozen eggplant and zucchini and watch Stranger Things with my roommate until it’s way past our bedtime. That show sucks us in!

Daily Total: $76.36

Day 2

8 a.m. — I make my usual breakfast and coffee at home.

2 p.m. — My roommate reminds me to pay for my share of our apartment order from Jet, which we use to buy things like dish detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, olive oil, spices. I Venmo her my share. $15.50

6:30 p.m. — Walk to Pinkberry after work to get a cup of fro-yo to stash in my freezer and eat while watching TV later. $7

8 p.m. — Make a salad with food from my TJ haul for dinner and settle in to watch Stranger Things.

Daily Total: $22.50

Day 3

10:30 a.m. — I finally get to sleep in a little bit because I don’t have to be to work until noon! I make breakfast and coffee.

11:30 a.m. — Time to buy that month-long unlimited MetroCard! I don’t always purchase an unlimited pass; with my sporadic work schedule I typically decide if it’s necessary at the start of each month. This month there are no work trips or vacations planned, meaning I will totally be based in NYC. $116.50

1:30 p.m. — After I make lunch for the kids, prepare their afternoon snacks, and get their dinner in the Crock Pot, I grab a snack to tide me over through after-school pickups and activity drop-offs.

7 p.m. — After the kids eat their dinner, the daughter decides she no longer likes steamed carrots and now wants raw baby carrots instead. I eat her steamed ones so that they don’t go to waste. Picky kids mean a lot of leftover food, and I’m now in the habit of eating what they don’t like (doesn’t contain meat or gluten) so as to minimize waste.

9 p.m. — Just getting home and once again too tired to make anything. I wash down crackers and cheese with a glass of Malbec (I’d forgotten I had an unopened bottle of wine from before my vacation — score!). Normally I spend Friday nights with my boyfriend, but we are both jet-lagged; he is too tired to come to Manhattan and I’m too tired to go to Long Island, so we forfeit the time together for some much-needed sleep.

Daily Total: $116.50

Day 4

11 a.m. — Finally the weekend! I make myself coffee and enjoy my usual breakfast while on the phone with my boyfriend.

1:30 p.m. — After cleaning my entire apartment for 2 hours, I decide to head to the gym. There is luckily a gym in my building, so I don’t have to pay for a membership. It is fairly small, but has all of the necessary equipment — cardio machines, weight machines, free weights, and a separate room with mats, exercise balls, etc. I have a bad habit of splurging on boutique fitness classes (mostly SoulCycle, Physique 57, and Fhitting Room), but after seeing how much I’ve spent the last few months on those classes I am trying to force myself to appreciate an outdoor run or a home-gym circuit in an effort to save money.

4 p.m. — I run into a friend at the gym and ended up chatting for about 40 minutes. I go back to my apartment only to discover my roommate locked me out. My building offers two free lockouts, but after that they charge. Luckily this is only our second, so I don’t have to pay!

5:30 p.m. — After getting some studying done (I take the GRE next Saturday — yikes!), I head out to run some errands. I go to Duane Reade and spend $26.86 on a new razor, a shower scrubber, and a Vitamin water. I then head to a local market to buy some grilled veggies, poached salmon, and ice cream for tonight for $23.30. $50.16 total.

8 p.m. — Sit down to eat my salmon and veggies. I do a bit of studying, then eat some Ben & Jerry’s while watching Red Oaks.

Daily Total: $50.16

Day 5

10 a.m. — Wake up and have coffee before I hit the books hard for my upcoming GRE.

1 p.m. — Finish a few chapters in the exam prep book before realizing I haven’t eaten anything all day. I walk a couple blocks to Juice Generation. I go for the Mr. GreenGenes and I also throw in one of their pumpkin-protein muffins. $12.16

3 p.m. — Head downstairs to do my mountain of laundry. There is a laundry room in my building that uses reloadable laundry cards so I add $25 to mine, start my wash, and head to the gym. $25

4:30 p.m. — After laundry and gym are done, I shower and eat my muffin before taking a deep dive into a GRE practice exam. Big yikes!

9 p.m. — After a grueling 3-hour test, I get back to my apartment to discover my boyfriend had kindly sent me my favorite dinner: blackened fish tacos with chips and guac. I was starving so this totally hits the spot.

Daily Total: $37.16

Day 6

9:30 a.m. — I grab a pear from my TJ haul then head out to run errands for my employers.

1 p.m. — After I prepare lunch for the daughter (who is still not in school yet; I don’t understand the academic calendars of NYC private schools). I have a peach Chobani with a sprinkle of Kind granola.

4:30 p.m. — Been playing with the kids for about an hour and a half and am now starving. Grab a quick bite of potato salad from the fridge before going back to finish our game.

9 p.m. — After work I wait to eat dinner because my boyfriend is coming over after his class (he is in grad school for his MBA right now). He doesn’t make it over until 9 and we are both pretty hungry, so we head to a local wine bar. I order burrata, a side of fingerling potatoes, and garlic shrimp with white beans for us to share while he orders us a bottle of a Tuscan red. We split the bill — generally speaking, when we go out to a nice dinner or brunch I always offer to split the bill — we do so about two-thirds of the time. Since he makes more than me he will insist on treating me occasionally, so I try to even it out by buying coffee, quick breakfasts, snacks, and other grab-and-go meals when we choose that route. Tonight happens to be a night we split. $54.27

Daily Total: $54.27

Day 7

8:45 a.m. — I wake up early and hit the gym; I can only muster a 35-minute run followed by a nice long stretch and foam roll.

9:30 a.m. — I get back to my apartment and make coffee before hopping in the shower. I have a banana with peanut butter for breakfast (still from my TJ haul).

2:30 p.m. — Hungry at work so I have some of the pre-made antipasti dish from the fridge (feta, grilled peppers, olives, and onions in vinaigrette) and some potato salad.

9:30 p.m. — Had to work later than usual so in lieu of cooking I heat up the rice and beans leftover from the fish-taco meal my boyfriend sent me. I eat it with leftover tortilla chips while watching the finale of Stranger Things with my two roommates.

11:30 p.m. — My boss texts asking me to come in early tomorrow morning. I know the only way I will get my ass out of bed to work out tomorrow is if I buy a class. I convince my roommate to wake up extra early to go to SoulCycle and make the purchase before heading to bed. $35.53

Daily Total: $35.53

Day One

6:45 a.m. — Make it to the SoulCycle class I paid for last night, now I have to pay the shoe rental fee. $3

8 a.m. — Have my yogurt breakfast (Fage, blueberries, and fig butter all from my TJ run last week) and head into work early for a 10-hour day.

2 p.m. — After a long playdate in the park with the daughter (who is still not in school — she starts tomorrow, thank goodness!), I have a vanilla-blueberry Kind bar and some tuna salad for lunch at work.

6:30 p.m. — After a crazy day of traffic-filled cab rides, rain storms, being late to appointments, and almost forgetting about the son’s after-school activity, I make a healthy dinner for the kids to wind things down, and I make an extra corn-on-the-cob for myself.

8 p.m. — The night sitter arrives!!! I make a mad dash for the subway and revel in my temporary freedom. When I get home, I make myself a salad from last week’s TJ veggies and fall asleep absurdly early.

Daily Total: $3

Day Two

7 a.m. — Today is my first day back teaching recitation for the new semester at NYU. I am not feeling very hungry — maybe nerves — so I stick with just coffee for now.

10 a.m. — Walk home from the village after teaching. I had a great first class with a communicative and bright batch of students. I am, however, suddenly ravenous as soon as class is over, like all of the nerves dissipated at once leaving nothing but a gurgling belly. Luckily I packed a Larabar just in case.

11 a.m. — I stop at La Colombe for a Black & Tan (my kryptonite). I don’t have to go into work until 2 p.m. today since I have been putting in so many extra hours, so I use my extra time to do GRE practice sets. $4

2 p.m. — Get to work and cut up a giant watermelon for the family to snack on through the week/weekend. Have a bowl because it is so looks so tempting and juicy (I love watermelon).

4 p.m. — Pick the kids up from school and buy the daughter ice cream as a first-day-of-school treat. I have an apple with peanut butter when we get back to the apartment and realize I haven’t eaten much today. Between the stress of the GRE, the nerves of my first day back teaching, and my wacky sleep schedule, my eating routine is totally off right now.

9:15 p.m. — Get home late after a horrible afternoon with the kids — monster meltdowns, screaming, etc. In an awful mood and feeling particularly exhausted and burnt out. I make a salad and vent to my roommates. Just one of those days!

Daily Total: $4

Day Three

9:30 a.m. — Was able to sleep in a bit as I am going into work late today. I make myself a coffee and work on a GRE practice exam, untimed. I get through two sections.

11 a.m. — After the practice sections I eat a banana and peanut butter for breakfast at home and then head to the gym for a run on the treadmill.

1:30 p.m. — Get to work, throw the kids’ dinner in the Crock Pot and head to do school pickups.

8:30 p.m. — Get home from work and get ready for bed. I don’t think I have ever gone to bed this early on a Friday before, but I have my GRE tomorrow morning so I have to be up very early and be well rested. I skip dinner because I’m too nervous/stressed and fall asleep by 9:30 p.m.

Daily Total: $0

Day Four

6 a.m. — Already up and making coffee. Feeling alert, refreshed, and ready to get this darn test over with.

7 a.m. — Head to Juice Generation to get a balanced breakfast before the exam only to find that it is closed. Head to Starbucks and that, too, is closed! Semi-panicking and starving, I pop into a deli and grab a Chobani, some pre-cut honeydew melon and a banana. $6.50

8 a.m. — Test begins! Put my purse, food, phone, and watch in a locker and get to work.

10:30 a.m. — I now have my 10-minute break after the first three test sections. I head to the bathroom then scarf down the banana just in time to make it back to my station before my break runs out. Ugh, two more hours!

12:30 p.m. — I’M FREE! So happy to be done with the exam. I did a lot better than anticipated. As soon as I head out, I call my mom and my boyfriend to share the good news then run to Juice Generation. Still craving that smoothie and am so hungry! I sip my Mr. GreenGenes as I walk home, reveling in my success. $9.75

5:30 p.m. — After my shower I realize it has been a while since my last wax. The salon closes at 6, but my girl is available now! I run down to get a quick (and painful) Brazilian before they close. I do this about once every 8 weeks. Including a $10 tip, total comes to $72.70.

6:45 p.m. — I head up to the Upper East Side to meet my boyfriend. We are having dinner with his college roommate and his wife at a fancy restaurant where we know the sous chef — their third college roommate. We start with a complimentary bottle of champagne, which we follow up with a bottle of red wine and a lovely five-course meal. The entire dining experience lasts over 4 hours and is topped off with a tour of the kitchen. My boyfriend and his friend graciously split the (dramatically expensive) bill.

11:30 p.m. — Due to the explosion in Chelsea, the subways are all down. Luckily my boyfriend drove to the restaurant, so he gives me a ride back to the Financial District where we have a nightcap on Stone Street. My boyfriend insists on paying, as it is a celebration for my GRE win.

Daily Total: $88.95

Day Five

10:30 a.m. — My boyfriend and I sleep in late, which is amazing and necessary. I grab a couple of coffees from La Colombe for us before he drives me to my hair appointment (running too late to take the subway thanks to our luxurious, alarm-free morning). $7.50

12:45 p.m. — I get my hair cut for the first time in 15 months. My hair is pretty healthy since I rarely apply any heat or product to it. Because of that, I don’t need to go in for expensive trims or cuts regularly. My new stylist lops off 6 inches of hair and I love it — my hair is much more manageable at this slightly-below-collarbone length. Including tip, $100.

1 p.m. — Meet my boyfriend at an East Village restaurant/bar for brunch. Neither of us are very hungry after our mile-long meal last night, so we get booze and three apps to share while watching the Giants game. He insists on paying again as he claims it is a continuation of our GRE celebration. I let him, but make a mental note that our next meal is most certainly on me.

3 p.m. — I stop at the Trader Joe’s wine shop (I can’t help myself!). I’m never in this area anymore, and the deals are unbeatable. I stock up on five bottles, which are sure to last me a while. I am so pleased with the total, which would definitely be twice the price at my local wine store. $57.30

5 p.m. — I get home and am feeling very tired. I decide to tag along with my roommate as she runs her errands. We walk over to the new Oculus mall by the World Trade Center and afterwards I convince her to go to a local Mexican place for margaritas, chips, and guac. It doesn’t take much convincing — we are both suckers for that combo. $26.87

6 p.m. — We stop at the supermarket because we are both craving ice cream. I also buy gluten-free crackers, drunken goat cheese, and a box of Kind bars that were on sale. $23.15

8 p.m. — I open a bottle of TJ wine for my roommate and I to enjoy along with ice cream while watching the Emmys.

Daily Total: $214.82 — yikes!

Day Six

8:30 a.m. — Wake up and do a 30-minute run at the gym before I make my coffee and start getting dressed.

9:45 a.m. — Have a banana and peanut butter for breakfast before heading to work.

2 p.m. — I have some sweet-potato chips at work before the kids’ dizzying schedule of Monday activities begins.

5 p.m. — Have a small serving of tuna salad at work as a snack before dinner. I know I’m going to have a late dinner tonight because it’s Monday, which means I wait to eat dinner with my boyfriend when he finishes class around 9 p.m.

8:30 p.m. — I order Greek delivery for us; I get a fig-and-portabella salad with goat cheese, he gets a lamb souvlaki, and we share greek fries and tzatziki. We open up a bottle of TJ’s primitivo and enjoy our meal while watching the finale of The Night Of. We have been waiting to find time to watch this for weeks! With tax and tip, $39.25.

Daily Total: $39.25

Day Seven

6:30 a.m. — Since my boyfriend slept over and leaves by 6:50 a.m. for work, I wake up with him and go to a 7 a.m. SoulCycle. $38.53 with shoe rental.

8 a.m. — I head back home to shower and then make myself a coffee and snack-size version of my usual yogurt breakfast.

11:30 a.m. — I have a dermatologist appointment (fully covered by insurance) before work. Just as I suspected, the cracking skin on my hands is eczema, so my dermatologist prescribes a steroid cream. I head to my CVS pharmacy to pick up the cream (covered by insurance), a Vitamin Water, and a gluten-free granola bar. Side note: The actress who plays Yoga Jones on Orange is the New Black was in line in front of me at the pharmacy!! So cool!! $4.72

1 p.m. — I receive an email from Thrive Market about a “free gift” so I check out the website, and it turns out to have a whole bunch of gluten-free goodies for WAY below supermarket prices (in NYC at least). I end up getting my free jar of almond butter as well as pumpkin puree, flour, pizza-dough mix, oatmeal packets, crackers, cocoa-crisps cereal (because I’m actually 10 years old), PB2 peanut-butter powder, and cheddar crackers (they look like Cheez-Its, so I’m sold) — all gluten-free and for only $29.51 with shipping! I’m very pleased with my purchase, but I have to remember to cancel my subscription after I receive this order — this is my first purchase so it starts my free 30-day trial, but after that it is $60/year, which I am not okay with. $29.51

8 p.m. — Heading to a meeting at NYU with all the other TAs and the professor. We meet twice a month to check in, discuss any issues with students, grading, the book my professor is writing, etc. Food is not typically provided — although sometimes a snack or dessert is — so I will have to wait until I get home to have dinner, likely around 10 p.m.

11 p.m. — I wasn’t paying attention while getting on the train and didn’t hear the stop announcements because I was listening to music. The next thing I know, I’m at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. Flustered and hangry, I storm off of the train and make the trek back to Wall Street. By the time I get home I’m so tired that I have just a small snack before passing out.

Daily Total: $72.76

Day One

9:30 a.m. — I have a coffee with some trail mix. I get to sleep in a little bit because I am going into work late the next few days. I am doing overnights all next week while the parents are in L.A. so to counter that overtime I am working fewer hours this week.

12:30 p.m. — After a quick workout and shower, I snack on some crackers with hummus and a spoonful of peanut butter before getting dressed and heading to work.

8 p.m. — I had originally planned to head to a cafe/coffee shop after work to finish grading papers for tomorrow’s class, but I decide to save the money on coffee and head home instead. I make it home and pour myself a glass of primitivo leftover from Monday’s Greek night. I make myself a delicious dinner of quinoa topped with sauteed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese. I make enough to have leftovers for later.

9:30 p.m. — Still hungry so I eat some crackers and dark chocolate and pour myself another half glass of wine.

Daily Total: $0

Day Two

7 a.m. — I wake up and have coffee while I get ready for my class this morning.

10 a.m. — After I teach my class, I stop at La Colombe for a Black & Tan. $4

1 p.m. — I catch up on emails and have an apple and a rice cake with peanut butter and fig butter (my version of a PB&J) before heading to work.

5:30 p.m. — I have a bowl of a quinoa/veggie dish that the parents (from my nanny job) made for dinner last night. This will likely be my dinner for the night since I am going out after work.

8:30 p.m. — I get home from work and meet up with my boyfriend and his buddy at a bar by my apartment. I order a cucumber-gin gimlet that I enjoy as we sit and catch up on life. The boys then order food, so I order another drink. After they finish eating, we head a different bar in the area. The boys split the bill.

11 p.m. — We walk to the other bar — a total dive below the FDR run by a hilarious bartender — and we all order gin-and-tonics. The bartender fills our plastic cups nearly to the rim with Hendricks and then adds a splash of tonic (deadly). I get halfway through my drink and need some greasy food to soak up the gin, so we order fries. By the time we finish it’s almost 1 a.m. I am exhausted and my poor boyfriend has to be up at 6 for work. All of the drinks and food were on our friend’s tab, so my boyfriend Venmo’s him our share.

Daily Total: $4

Day Three

10 a.m. — Finally crawl out of bed up after a restless morning of waking up every hour since 6 a.m. This always happens after a night of drinking. I make myself a much-needed coffee.

11:30 a.m. — I decide not to go to the gym today — feeling a little bit too hungover. I make myself some breakfast (just a bit of yogurt with blueberries). I relax on the couch with Netflix until it’s time to go to work — still on the later schedule in preparation for my overnights.

7:30 p.m. — After a chaotic evening filled with blubbering meltdowns from both kids after a screaming brawl between them over a tiny Shopkin figurine. The kids still haven’t mastered the whole sharing thing, and they both wanted to play with this one particular Shopkin, which led to a kicking, screaming, threatening-to-throw-shit-out-the-window argument…Plus the mother was late coming home and she was on dinner duty, so I am sure the kids’ hunger wasn’t helping anything. As soon as the mother got home, I filled her in on the hysterics and bolted. I head to Standup NY to catch a comedy show with my roommate. I scored the tickets for free, but the comedy club has a two drink minimum. I end up footing the bill because it was cash only and my friend didn’t have cash. Four cocktails, tip included, $76.

9:30 p.m. — After the show we walk to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. We order frozen palomas and a salsa trio to share. I also order two fish tacos for myself. My friend gets this bill since I got the last one and the two bills were about even.

1 a.m. — We finally get home, and I head straight to bed.

Daily Total: $76

Day Four

10:30 a.m. — It feels great to sleep in, but I feel groggy from yesterday. I make myself a French press to try to feel human again. My roommate and I have free tickets to the Global Citizens Festival later, so I need to work up the energy to go.

12 p.m. — My roommate and I share a very lazy morning, both sapped of energy from last night and feeling hesitant about this concert. I’m supposed to go to Long Island tonight to spend the weekend with my boyfriend and am feeling nervous about the timing. We decide to go workout and we will reconvene after to figure out a plan.

1:30 p.m. — The concert is not going to happen for us. Neither of us is particularly excited about any of the artists, and we are both feeling lethargic. Instead, we head to our favorite second-hand store for some retail therapy.

4 p.m. — After a couple hours of perusing the racks and trying on mountains of clothing, I come away with a pair of unworn flared Joe’s jeans and a Zara sweater. I’m on the fence about a Theory skirt that would work through the winter with tights and boots, but decide against it at the last minute because I want to pay cash and don’t have enough for all 3 items. $36

5 p.m. — I get home and am super hungry, so I snack on some gluten-free cheddar crackers (from Thrive) that are DELICIOUS while I get ready to head to Long Island. My boyfriend is making me dinner tonight, so I pack two different cheeses to bring for an appetizer. One is a Vermont cheddar I had in my freezer from our anniversary trip to Woodstock, and the other is the drunken goat I bought the other night at the local market.

6 p.m. — Get to Penn station a bit early so I head to Duane Reade. I grab a pack of gum, a bottle of Vitamin Water, and two thank-you cards. The cards are for my boyfriend who wanted to thank my parents for hosting us on our vacation. I know he hasn’t had time to buy cards yet so I do him this favor. Why are cards so expensive?! 7 bucks each! $19.36

6:15 p.m. — Grab a round-trip LIRR ticket. $16.50

7:30 p.m. — My boyfriend picks me up at the station. He got dinner ingredients earlier and made me a delicious meal of grilled eggplant and zucchini on the barbecue, caprese salad, quinoa salad, and roasted sweet potatoes. We split a bottle of wine from our trip to Napa.

11:30 p.m. — After dinner we relax on the couch watching Modern Family reruns. His parents get home around 11:30 and join us for a bit. My boyfriend moved back home a few months ago after many years in Manhattan because he is saving up to buy a house. He also works in Long Island, so I’m sure the idea of no longer having to reverse commute was a big influence on that decision. He’s saving time and money!

Daily Total: $71.86

Day Five

8 a.m. — I am going to a yoga/brunch event with my boyfriend’s mom this morning and never made it to the store to get a mat. I was planning on getting up early to go find one, but my boyfriend graciously runs to the store to buy me one instead — maybe as a thank you for spending QT with his mom.

9:30 a.m. — I finally get out of bed and get ready for this yoga event. I have no idea what to expect; all I know is that my boyfriend’s mom’s friend — some wealthy suburban lady she knows through golf — has hired a private yoga instructor for some sort of yoga party. She only knows the host, so she wanted me to come along as a buddy in case it gets awkward. My boyfriend made a big pot of coffee for everyone, so I grab a cup before we head to her friend’s house.

10:30 a.m. — We arrive at the scene: a ginormous home on the beach. There are quite a few suburban housewives here, lots of Lululemon, and lots of blown-out hair. His mom and I trade a few glances before making small talk with the other ladies. The yoga instructor finally arrives and leads us down to the beach — we did not know that this would be yoga on the beach!

12 p.m. — After an hour of mild yoga consisting mostly of stretches and breathing exercises, we head back up to the host’s home for the brunch part of the affair. The kitchen is lined with chocolate-chip muffins, apple strudel, cheesy quiches, scones, and champagne. Luckily I spot some fruit and green salad, so I load up on those and grab a mimosa to wash it down. We don’t stay too long as my boyfriend’s mom is planning to play golf this afternoon. We head back home after we eat.

1 p.m. — My boyfriend and I settle into the couch to watch the Giant’s game. He bought some football snacks while I was out, and I can’t say no to the chips and guac. I watch the first half of the game while snacking away with my boyfriend, then promptly fall asleep on my boyfriend’s belly for the second half of the game. I wake up with two minutes left as my boyfriend suddenly jerks and shouts at the TV — the Redskins scored a game-winning field goal.

5 p.m. — I convince my boyfriend to go for a walk with me because I’m feeling lazy. We stroll around his neighborhood for 1.75 miles — I can’t squeeze another quarter mile out of him.

6 p.m. — I join my boyfriend’s family for Sunday dinner. We all have cheese and wine as his mom cooks. She makes a delicious risotto with mushroom, peppers, and peas, served with a big green salad, a caprese salad, and some roasted zucchini and squash with parmesan. She kindly sends me home with leftovers.

8 p.m. — Take the train back to Manhattan. Back to reality!

9:30 p.m. — I get home and start my laundry. It’s late and I’m tired, but I have to do it now because I hang-dry my sweaters and jeans and they need to dry by the morning since I need to pack for my overnights for work. My roommate and I drink some TJ’s wine and watch the series premiere of Designated Survivor while my clothes are in the wash.

11 p.m. — My laundry is done and it’s time for bed!! I plan to sleep in tomorrow as I am going into work late. The parents are taking the kids to school in the morning and then promptly leaving for L.A. I will then be working/living in their apartment until Friday night when they get home, probably around 11 p.m. Oy!

Daily Total: $0

Day Six

9 a.m. — Wake up and have some coffee. I make my yogurt breakfast with blueberries. This is the last of my yogurt and blueberries from my big TJ haul. I timed this perfectly!

10 a.m. — Start packing for my work-cation.

11 a.m. — Head to the gym when I am done packing. Get a nice long run in and manage some weight training as well.

1 p.m. — Showered and ready to roll! I heat up the leftover quinoa from dinner a couple nights ago to have for lunch. I also have a spoonful of peanut butter because there isn’t quite enough quinoa left for a full meal. I head uptown shortly thereafter.

3 p.m. — School pickups! Grab the kids, feed them, and give them their 30 minutes of screen time. They both have activities this evening at separate places at the same time, so their dad’s personal assistant is coming to help me out. She will take the son to Krav Maga while I manage the daughter.

6 p.m. — When the daughter is done eating dinner, we grab a cab to go to her singing lesson, which is a drop-off activity. I hand her over to her vocal coach and then go on a walk around the neighborhood. I spy a Pinkberry and can’t resist. $6.75

7:45 p.m. — We get home from her singing lesson and say goodbye to dad’s assistant/my helper. I get the kids ready for bed. As soon as they are in PJs, teeth brushed, hair brushed, etc., I allow them 10 minutes of TV before they have to be in bed reading. Lights out at 8:20!

8:30 p.m. — Kids are in bed, so I head to the kitchen to make myself dinner. I decide to have the leftovers from Sunday’s dinner in Long Island. I add pecans and feta cheese to the green salad and top it with balsamic, and I re-roast the zucchini. I grab my dinner and head to the couch to watch the presidential debate before going to bed. What will Trump say next?!

Daily Total: $6.75

Day Seven

6:30 a.m. — Wake up, throw on some workout clothes, grab a Keurig coffee, and get breakfast going for the kids. As they eat breakfast, I get going on making the son’s lunch and snacks. The daughter’s lunch and snacks are provided by the school as part of her private-school tuition.

7:30 a.m. — The daughter doesn’t finish her yogurt from breakfast, so I finish up the last couple bites for her. The kids get dressed while I do the dishes. When I’m done, I kick them into high gear for teeth brushing, hair brushing, shoes, and socks. We are out the door by 7:50 a.m. First stop is the son’s school, then the daughter’s, then I am free for a few hours! I walk a block over to Central Park for a nice morning run.

9:30 a.m. — I make it back to the apartment after a 4-mile run in the park. Although the weather and scenery were lovely, the run itself was miserable — a mere half mile into the run my foot started throbbing in pain. It seems like my plantar fasciitis is back in full force. I was limp-running the last mile as if I had run 24 miles instead. I shower and stretch as soon as I get back

10:30 a.m. — Have my own Chobani with some granola sprinkled on top. I eat it as I open my laptop and try to wrap my head around the mile-long to do list the parents left me with.

12 p.m. — Have to get the kids’ dinner started. I am making Crock Pot chili — one of their favorites — and it needs to cook on low for 6 hours. I start prepping the veggies and realize we are out of bell pepper and garlic. Run downstairs to the closest supermarket and grab those as well as some cleaning supplies that the family’s cleaning lady ran out of. I spy some yogurt raisins that I can’t resist, so I grab those as well. I use my work credit card (like a company card but the ‘company’ is just the mom and dad. I use this for all expenses for the family/kids) I head back to the apartment and finish up the chili while snacking on yogurt raisins.

2 p.m. — I grab a serving of tuna salad and eat that with some veggie chips and a couple apple slices for lunch — all things from work. Since I knew I’d be doing overnights and eating all of my meals here, I added a few things to the Fresh Direct order for myself — extra fruit, salmon, sweet potatoes, yogurts, salad fixings. The family paid.

6 p.m. — I need to make veggies for the kids to eat with their chili. I steam some green beans for the kids and then I prep some to roast for myself. I toss them with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and then lay them on a baking sheet. I later roast them for 10 minutes, pull them out and sprinkle them with raisins and almonds, and then roast them for a bit longer. Delicious!

8 p.m. — Just put the kids to bed after dinner, showers, and an episode of their favorite show, which happens to be a Disney show about a nanny that works for a rich family in NYC — sounds all too familiar. Still hungry after my green beans, so I eat kale. I hate kale, but I feel like I need something green. I refuse to eat raw kale, so I roast it with oil, pepper, lemon, and parmesan until it is soft and wilted. It’s still gross but I survive.

10:30 p.m. — I have been spending the rest of my night grading and prepping for my class on Thursday, and now my brain feels like mush. I’m feeling hungry again, but it’s too late to eat so I just saunter to bed and fall right asleep.

Daily Total: $0

Day One

6:30 a.m. — Wake up, put workout clothes on, grab coffee, and start making breakfast for the kids. Same routine as yesterday! Make lunch and snacks for the son while the kids eat breakfast.

8:30 a.m. — After school dropoffs I head to SoulCycle. I would love to save the cash and go for a run in Central Park instead, but my foot has been killing me ever since yesterday’s run. Cycling is lower impact. I have to buy the class and rent shoes, though. It might be worth investing in my own cycling shoes… $38.53

9:30 a.m. — I run across the street to the family’s favorite bagel store to grab them a dozen, because they are out. On my way back to their apartment, I notice a gluten-free bakery. I pop in “just to check it out” and end up buying a pumpkin muffin — SO good. $4, with tip.

9 p.m. — Half an hour after lights out, the daughter comes back out with glitter all over her face. Apparently instead of sleeping she was in her bathroom playing with sparkly lipgloss. I wash her face and put her back in bed, then make myself some salmon and asparagus for dinner.

Daily Total: $42.53

Day Two

6 a.m. — I am up a bit earlier today because I have to get myself fully dressed and ready to teach before getting the kids ready for school. I can’t just throw on workout clothes today, so I make myself a coffee and get going with my morning routine.

8:10 a.m. — I drop the kids off at school and rush to the subway. I gotta hustle if I’m going to make my class on time! Feeling a little disoriented due to the change in routine, but hopefully it doesn’t affect my teaching. I eat a Kind bar on the subway as I slowly make my way downtown.

12:30 p.m. — After teaching, I walk up to Bed, Bath & Beyond to get some storage bins to tackle the boy’s toy closet, which looks like a tornado passed through. When I get back, I am starving, so I have tuna salad and some leftovers.

3:30 p.m. — After hours of cleaning/organizing, I rush to pick up the daughter from school. We make mini “cupcakes” together (really just a banana, an egg, and a tablespoon of cocoa powder blended together, poured into a mini muffin tin, and baked for 10 minutes. We try to provide healthy alternatives, because this little girl has an insatiable sweet tooth). We split one, and then it’s time for gymnastics.

6 p.m. — I make spaghetti and meatballs for the kids’ dinner using gluten-free linguine noodles. There is a tiny bit left over, which I eat.

8:30 p.m. — As soon as I get the kids to bed, I make salmon for myself and eat half with a side of mashed sweet potato for dinner.

11 p.m. — My foot has been killing me — I can barely walk on it and have been limping everywhere. I decide that I need to hold off on running until I see a podiatrist, so I take the plunge and purchase a five-class pass from Soul Cycle. This is not a good step toward my goal of spending less on boutique classes, but my justification is that I haven’t been spending much money all week and have simultaneously been accruing a ton of overtime. With tax, $172.43.

Daily Total: $172.43

Day Three

6:30 a.m. — Wake up, throw on workout clothes, and have a coffee. I make the kids eggs for breakfast, which look particularly appetizing, so I make two for myself. It’s our last breakfast together (for a while), and I enjoy sitting with them.

8:30 a.m. — I drop the kids at school and head to SoulCycle again. I still need to rent the damn shoes. After the class I check my email and realize they didn’t charge me — score!

9:30 a.m. — I had never taken class with that instructor before, and it was intense! We did stuff that I had never done on the bike before. I think I will be sore tomorrow — too bad I already signed up for a Soul Survivor class in the morning. I’m hungry, so I stop at that GF bakery on my way home. I grab the same pumpkin muffin and tack on a ginger cookie and chocolate chip cookie for good measure. $7.50

11 a.m. — I eat the muffin — it’s just as good as I remember. So worth it.

3 p.m. — After running errands and finishing up my to do list while the kids are in school, I pick up the kids and the daughter’s play date and take them home for snack.

5 p.m. — The father’s assistant is watching the girls on their play date while I take the boy to his occupational therapy appointment. I drop him off there and then run to do two errands. One of the errands is picking up Emack & Bolio’s ice cream for the kids as a special end-of-week treat. I get a pint of chocolate and a pint of cake batter for the kids, and a cup of espresso ice cream for myself. I eat it in the shop to kill time until the son is done at OT, and then I head to pick him up. $0 (paid with the “company card”)

6 p.m. — I make the kids dinner — they have slow-cooker barbecue ribs, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. I have a couple bites of the leftover mashed potatoes.

7 p.m. — I put on the movie Holes to watch while the kids eat their ice cream — I can’t believe they have never seen this before; it is a classic!

9:30 p.m. — The kids are late going to sleep because the daughter won’t stop crying. She’s upset that I’m not going to be there in the morning (the mom gets home late tonight, which means I’m done with my overnights!). She’s also upset that she won’t be awake to see her mom come home. After about 30 minutes of tears she finally calms down enough to try to sleep. I finish up a few chores around the house and watched Modern Family on the couch until the mom gets home. I fill her in on various things that happened throughout the week and finally leave around 11 p.m.

Daily Total: $7.50

Day Four

7:30 a.m. — I get to sleep in a little bit! Because I’ve been waking up so early this past week, I naturally wake up around 7:30. I get out of bed and have coffee.

9:30 a.m. — I get to my Soul Survivor class and recognize the girl at the front desk who is checking me in. It turns out we were on hall council together during our freshman year of NYU — small world! She doesn’t charge me for my shoe rental. Score!

10:30 a.m. — Feeling both amazing and starving after SoulCycle, so I go to Juice Generation next door for a GF blueberry muffin and a Mr. Greengenes. $12.96

3:30 p.m. — My boyfriend comes over. He surprises me with tickets to a wine-and-paint night! I have been wanting to do this forever — we were supposed to go on my birthday last April, but we had to cancel (non-refundable) because I was too hungover to go. I’m excited to finally check it out! I bring a bottle of Montepulciano from TJ’s to share while we paint since it’s BYO.

4:30 p.m. — We pop into a very expensive hotel bar in midtown for a pre-paint drink and appetizer. My boyfriend pays. Happy (very) belated birthday to me!

7:30 p.m. — With our two beautiful (sort of) masterpieces in tow, we hop in a cab and head to dinner. I pay for the cab $5.76

9 p.m. — We split dinner. Two cocktails, an appetizer, and two entrees. I pay for the cab home. $67.16 with tip for my share of dinner + $21.35 for the cab. Total: $88.51

9:30 p.m. — We get home and decide it is far too early to go to bed on a Saturday night. Even though we are both exhausted, we stay up and watch a couple episodes of Bob’s Burgers before falling asleep.

Daily Total: $107.23

Day Five

8 a.m. — I sleep in again! My boyfriend and I lounge in bed for a while until our hunger forces us to get up. We go for a little walk and head over to Juice Generation. On the way back, we stop at La Colombe for lattes with an extra shot before heading up to my apartment. I buy the coffee as well. $24 at Juice Generation, $9 at La Colombe. $33

11 a.m. — After eating breakfast, my boyfriend and I head to the lounge in my building to get some work done. We stop at the vending machines on the way down. He gets a Gatorade and I get a Diet Coke — a very guilty pleasure of mine. I pay with coins from the change bowl in my room. $3.50 for both

4 p.m. — My boyfriend heads back to Long Island and I head to TJ Maxx. My roommate went there earlier today and came back with so many good deals I can’t resist! I rarely go shopping — I typically only go twice a year: when it starts to get warm in the spring and when it starts to get cold in the fall. Right now I am in dire need of new winter coats (my down jacket is almost 6 years old), and I have been wanting to get ankle boots because I only own tall boots. I come away with 2 pairs of ankle boots, Coach loafers, a Cole Haan down jacket, a BB Dakota wool coat, a chunky wool cardigan, two bath towels, and a fall-scented candle. Some of this stuff was definitely not on my list, so I will likely be making some returns later. $390 — ouch! Like I said, this shopping spree is totally out of character and only happens about twice a year. I usually don’t spend this much when I do go, but coats and shoes are expensive! $390

8 p.m. — I spend the rest of the evening re-organizing my closet. I put away all of my summer/spring items and pull out all of my winter/fall pieces- scarves, sweaters, boots, etc. I also go through all of my clothes and put everything I haven’t worn in over a year into a donation bag. I do this fairly often, especially after buying new things. I try to only keep items that I actually wear on a regular basis. I hate having a closet cluttered with ‘statement pieces’ that only work once a season. I need practicality! I finish up my project and am pretty much starving after not eating anything since breakfast. I don’t have a lot of food in the house — almost all of my TJ’s haul is gone except for a few pantry and freezer items. I decide to order Seamless. I get a collard-green-wrapped veggie burger with a side of fries and Brussels sprouts from Bareburger. There was a technology glitch with my Seamless app and I end up getting my meal for free — score!

9 p.m. — Food arrives and I chow down with a glass of white wine from my TJ’s wine haul a couple weeks ago. I am too full to eat the Brussels sprouts, so I put them in the fridge for tomorrow.

Daily Total: $426.50

Day Six

9 a.m. — Wake up and head to the gym for a light workout. My feet have been hurting on and off (officially plantar fasciitis on the left foot and extensor tendinitis on the right), so I attempt a run on the treadmill but only make it 2.5 miles before I stop due to pain. I do some ab work, yoga, and light stretches then call it a day.

10:30 a.m. — Make coffee and gluten-free oatmeal at home — the oatmeal is from my Thrive order a few weeks ago. It’s not too bad, but I probably wouldn’t order it again.

2:30 p.m. — I’m at work now and have some peanut butter and jelly on a rice cake while the kids eat their snacks. Both kids are out of school for Rosh Hashanah.

5:30 p.m. — I snack on some tuna salad after a thrilling-yet-exhausting, hour-long game of Monkey in the Middle. We got really into it — I worked up a sweat.

6:30 p.m. — I make the kids GF spaghetti and meatballs with edamame for dinner. I have what little leftover spaghetti there was leftover with some red sauce and parmesan. Since I don’t have much food at home, I am hoping to skate by on food from work for the next few days. I am going out of town this weekend for a wedding and am hoping to put off grocery shopping until I get back next Tuesday.

8 p.m. — I stayed late to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with the family I work for. I am not Jewish, but I enjoy watching and partaking in their traditions, and the family always invites me to stay while they do the rituals. I think they like having me there because it sets a good example for the kids. I eat the apple and honey, help get the kids to bed, and then head home to celebrate with my Jewish roommate.

8:30 p.m. — I stop on my way home to get Pinkberry for my roommates and myself. It is a celebratory night — one of my roommates got into physician-assistant school at Northeastern and the other is celebrating Rosh Hashanah. I figured some Pinkberry is in order! I get three yogurts with toppings and take them to go on ice. $21

9 p.m. — Get home, say the prayers with my roommate (or rather, she says the prayers and I listen), eat the apple and honey again, and then we all enjoy our Pinkberry with some red wine that my roommate bought for us. We end up having a long talk about morality and religion — we each come from very different religious, cultural, and political backgrounds. I eat my Brussels sprouts while listening to their perspectives.

Daily Total: $21

Day Seven

6:30 a.m. — I wake up to a FABULOUS surprise email from my mom and dad saying that they have paid off the last bit of my student loan for me. I am so elated and grateful and am at a total loss for words. I head to my 7 a.m. SoulCycle walking on a cloud, feeling light and full of bliss. I have to pay for the damn shoes, though. Boo! $3

8 a.m. — After Soulcycle I head to TJ Maxx to return one of the towels as well as the wool cardigan. I am in the checkout line to return and notice they sell socks (of course they do — TJ Maxx has everything!). In my closet re-organization frenzy I threw out a lot of old socks and am now in need of some new pairs to replenish my stock. I grab a 6-pack of athletic socks, a 6-pack of crew socks, and a 3-pack of ankle socks. I do my return/exchange and still come out on top. I may still come back to return the leather loafers and the other towel I bought, but this is fine for now. $30 back on my card.

9 a.m. — I get home, shower, get dressed and then make myself a French press and have a bowl of cereal from the box I bought on Thrive a couple weeks ago. The box says, “Organic Vegan Sprouted Brown Rice Cacao Crisps,” but I swear these are Cocoa Krispies. So delicious!

1 p.m. — After a productive morning of grading and working on grad school applications, I have an apple and a rice cake with peanut butter and fig butter for lunch.

6:30 p.m. — I make tacos for the kids to celebrate National Taco Day! I have a small serving of beans and rice with cheese. Once again, I’m hoping I can get away with eating something at work before I leave since I don’t have anything substantial at home.

9 p.m. — I get home and have a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers while chatting with my roommate. The crackers are from my previous Thrive order, and the cheese is drunken goat I bought at the market a week ago or so. I wish I had some veggies, but oh well!

Daily Total: $3

What did I learn?

I definitely spend more than I realize each month, and I tend to make justifications for unnecessary splurges to ease my spending anxiety. For example, I justified spending so much money on SoulCycle classes by using my foot injury as an excuse; however, I could easily save that money and use the exercise bikes at the gym in my building.

Additionally, I noticed that if I break up my grocery shopping into two smaller trips during the month as opposed to one big one, I’d likely save money. I found that I typically justify eating out or ordering in (aside from date nights or nights out with a friend) by the fact that I didn’t have anything substantial at home. To me, that means that I’m out of fresh fruit and veggies, which are always the first to go from my grocery trips. By splitting it up into two smaller grocery runs, there would be a fresh stock of fruit and veggies in my fridge throughout the month, so I wouldn’t be able to justify those Seamless orders, sporadic market runs for salmon and veggies, or trips to Juice Generation (I’d have fresh fruit for smoothies at home!) — and all of that adds up.

On a positive note, I found that I am doing much better than expected on my coffee goals: I consistently had French press at home or a Keurig at work, and I only stopped for La Colombe occasionally as a special treat. Compared to how often I used to go, this is a big money-saving victory.

Finally, I realized that I should never feel guilty about those occasional, self-indulgent pleasures. Yes, I spent a big chunk of change on five bottles of wine, but I was able to share those bottles with friends and loved ones, and I looked forward to savoring a glass at the end of a long work day. Those are simple pleasures that I don’t stress about factoring into my budget. Similarly, my nights out with my roommates or boyfriend definitely rack up a big bill, but being able to spend quality time with the people I love is truly priceless. I would rather give up all of my other expenses combined than give up my date nights and GNOs. I don’t see this as irresponsible spending, I see it as a part of my meaningful life. That comes with a price tag of course — nothing is free.

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