A Week In Brooklyn On A $26,000 Salary
A trans man in Brooklyn, visiting his partner in New Jersey and celebrating a few extra meal-plan dollars.
Industry: Higher Education (Admissions Assistant)
Age: 21
Location: Brooklyn, NY (home); New York, NY (work)
Salary: $26,000 yearly
Paycheck Amount (2x a month): $801.40 per paycheck, 2x a month
# of roommates: 2
Monthly Expenses
Rent: $600 (we rent out the living room to the third roommate to keep it affordable)
Loan Payments: Currently not paying loans (still a student), but I am paying back an overdue bill I had at my university from before I started working there full time. Minimum of $100 a month, but I try to pay $250 monthly.
Utilities: $40 on average
Transportation: $25–30 added to MetroCard every week
Phone Bill: $60
Health Insurance: $60 taken from paycheck
Gym: $10.45 monthly
Savings
Current Savings: $900 in savings currently. I put in between $25 and $50 in savings monthly.
Other: Small 403(b) from work. I put 5% of my paycheck towards it.
Day One
10:15 a.m. — My partner is visiting me for the weekend; they go to school in New Jersey. They decide to wake me up to breakfast in bed and make delicious spinach and sunny-side-up eggs and chorizo. The spinach and eggs were already in my fridge and they bought the chorizo. I also make coffee at home.
2:26 p.m. — After spending the morning watching Netflix, we take the train to WTC so they can go back to school in New Jersey. On my way back to catching my own train, I put money on my MetroCard so I don’t have to worry about it tomorrow morning. $30
3:08 p.m. — I get off the train one stop early to head to the gym. I got a membership not too long ago after I realized using the gym at school didn’t offer me the flexibility or accessibility with my schedule.
6:31 p.m. — I go do laundry. I have a dollar and change on my laundromat card so I add $5. After putting my clothes to wash I run to the Family Dollar down the block. I am in charge of getting toilet paper for the apartment, so I pick that up, plus my weekly snacks of wafer cookies, knockoff Fig Newtons, and sunflower seeds for $10.49 ($3 for the snacks). They’re my treat to myself.
7:45 p.m. — Since we bought pizza at Little Caesars last night, I have that for dinner/lunch. It’s not the best choice after the gym earlier today, but I’m starving.
8:36 p.m. — I head to the grocery store. Last stop on my busy day. I’ve already picked up some essentials that I needed earlier in the week, so I just grab everything else. Since I pack my lunch, I also grab the things I need for that. Shopping for sales, like always, I manage to pick up eggs, broccoli, hot sauce, mac and cheese, spinach, apples, kiwi, Rice-A-Roni, yogurt, hot dogs, cereal, bread, and sugar. I’ll probably stop by later this week to pick up more milk and mushrooms, but for now, it’s all I need. $29.56
9:15 p.m. — After cleaning out the fridge and reorganizing it, I cook a few meals for lunch to last me until Wednesday, when I’ll cook the second half of my lunches for work. This week, I have roasted broccoli and cauliflower with a side of rice for lunch.
Daily Total: $75.05
Day Two
7 a.m. — I wake up after ignoring the first two alarms so I can head to the gym. Today, I go in a little late to work so I can sleep a little more. I go to the gym for an hour, shower, have one cup of coffee, and grab a couple elephant ears before heading to work.
10:12 a.m. — I get to work and have my breakfast. I have instant coffee and sugar at my desk (I grew up on one brand of instant coffee and I’m loyal to it, so I have no qualms with it). I have the elephant ears with my coffee. I head to a meeting and hope the first coffee kicks in.
1:58 p.m. — Lunchtime is coming up, so I pull out the Tupperware meal I have for the day. I also have an apple and yogurt, but I fill up too fast, so I put the yogurt in the office fridge. I’ll have it before class tonight.
5 p.m. — The end of the day, so I’m just finishing up. I check to see if my gym has taken out the monthly dues ($10.45). It has. That’s not too bad. I also have my yogurt from earlier to snack on before class.
9:48 p.m. — Finally home after class. I make a hot dog and fries for dinner. Not really “healthy,” but it’s quick and easy enough for me to relax with. I watch Netflix while I do this and then I go chat with my partner over Facebook Messenger.
1:14 a.m. — I can’t sleep.
Daily Total: $0
Day Three
8:07 a.m. — I ignored three alarms and now I’m running behind on my morning schedule. Fortunately, I live close to the train and it’s only a short bit to work. I grab my pants and throw on a T-shirt. I can put a nice sweater over it when I’m at work and throw on my loafers under my desk. I’ll look professional enough. I grab my lunch from the fridge. Run to the bathroom, brush my teeth, and get my hair to look decent enough. I’m out of the house by 8:24.
9:06 a.m. — I’m settled in my desk now with my computer on and programs I need running. Time to make coffee. I don’t have “breakfast,” so I grab some raspberry cookies from the snack cabinet and use those as an excuse for breakfast.
12:07 p.m. — Time for me to have lunch. I have more veggies and rice today and a vanilla yogurt. I also do my homework for tonight’s class. It’s just a few tutorials for a 3-D design program we’re about to start using. Once I’m done, I spend some time doing research for an online article for the school newspaper so I can finish it after work.
2:08 p.m. — I have another coffee. I’m so sleepy after and I have class tonight. I need it to keep myself awake for the afternoon. To be honest, I’ll probably have another one later tonight.
4:20 p.m. — I eat the apple I brought from home, because I know I’ll get hungry before class tonight and I don’t really want to pick up anything from the cafeteria. Turns out, I’m still mildly hungry, so I grab some pretzels from the snack cabinet in the office. They’re filling and really salty, so I finish them off with water. Off to class I go.
10:11 p.m. — After getting home, I make dinner and I finally sit down for a bit. Tonight’s dinner is composed of shrimp Top Ramen, but I add spinach and egg to make it a little heartier. I chat with my partner for a bit before showering and passing out.
Daily Total: $0
Day Four
6:20 a.m. — I head to the gym. It’s a short walk away and I stay for about an hour. I’m exhausted, but I know it’s for my health, so I do it anyway. After, I walk back home to shower and get dressed quickly so I don’t miss my train. The train is too packed for me to even get on it the first time around.
9:01 a.m. — I pay my school bill for the month (counted in monthly expenses). It’s a painful expense. I decide to only pay $150 and save $100, just in case I need it later this month. My brother and niece’s birthdays are next month and I want to get them gifts, but I also don’t want to put that on my credit card without being able to pay for it at the end of the month. I’ll only use the extra money if I really need to. Afterwards I make myself coffee in the office and have some galletas, or sweet biscuits, for breakfast.
1 p.m. — Time for my lunch break. I have to run a little errand first, so I head over to the store to get a new belt. I’m going to a wedding this weekend and while I have good outfit, I’m missing a nice belt. I recently lost a bit of weight and my belt is too big now. I find a nice one on sale and it’s reversible, so I’m happy. $12.99
4:01 p.m. — The other day, I realized that I still have money on my student meal plan. This is amazingly helpful for when I stay late and need something more substantial for lunch. I grab French fries for my coworker and I to start using it. It only costs $4.21 from my prepaid meal plan.
5 p.m. — Tonight, there is no class. I can go home early, which is perfect, because as soon as I get home, I start working on tailoring my dress pants. I got them a while ago, but the legs are too wide and long and I want to wear them to the wedding. Because I don’t have a sewing machine, I do it by hand. It’s quite relaxing.
8:48 p.m. — I decide to take a break from the sewing and go grab dinner. Because I’m feeling slightly lazy, I have cereal. And that gives me enough time to make my mid-week meal prep, which is veggie burgers now.
9:30 p.m. — I spend some time talking to my partner. We try to talk every night for at least half an hour as we do live some distance away. After our chat, I take the time to go to shower before I head to bed. I find it ridiculous to sleep, so unfortunately I don’t actually fall asleep until about 1 a.m.
Daily Total: $12.99
Day Five
8 a.m. — I wake up feeling way too sleepy yet again. I get another one of my never-fail comfy work outfits. Pants and T-shirt with a clean knit sweater over and my loafers. It keeps me from staying sane while at work, since I’m both comfortable and happy.
10:11 a.m. — I make coffee and galletas again. It’s my standard, never-fail breakfast. It reminds me of what I had as a kid and since it’s all free, all the better.
12 p.m. — I take my lunch break to go to the pharmacy and pick up my prescription. My copay has somehow turned into $60 from $20. I call my insurance and it turns out the pharmacist accidentally messed up my last payment and it should’ve been $60 all along. I wait to pick up the prescription and decide to eat my lunch, instead. A veggie burger with spinach, onion, tomato, and bean sprouts. And an apple. It lifts my spirits.
3:18 p.m. — I buy my brother and my niece’s gifts from Hot Topic. For my brother, a new black, wide, studded bracelet and a T-shirt from one of his new favorite bands. My niece recently got really into Harry Potter, so I buy her some Funko Pop toys. I get them on sale and then use a $15 off coupon. Thank god for sales. I saved about half of what I intended to spend. It’ll help me pay the difference in prescription. This is not a normal thing for me to buy, so I budgeted around it for the month. With shipping it comes out to $55.21.
5:00 p.m. — Work is done and it’s almost time for class. I have a staff meeting with the school paper afterwards, so I have to pick something up for then. I grab a $7.29 to-go salad, but because I have the pre-paid meal plan it doesn’t make a dent in my budget.
10:28 p.m. — I get home. I’ve already had dinner at the meeting, so I take my time packing and finishing hemming the pants I started yesterday. My partner and I chat while I finish getting my stuff ready for the next day.
Daily Total: $55.21
Day Six
6 a.m. — As I wake up to try to go to the gym, I feel sick and nauseous, so I decide to stay in bed and sleep a couple more hours. I have to remember to put my health first.
10:07 a.m. — I finally make my coffee for the day. I have a huge amount of work to do today, as it’s a big deadline I have to meet. Thankfully, my coworker calls, lets me know that the rest of the staff will be letting me and another colleague stay off the phone so we can finish our work. I spend an entire day on the computer with my eyes glued to the screen.
12 p.m. — I run to the building next door. I have my lunch break, but instead of going off to eat, I have to go to a meeting with our club’s advisor. My staff and I meet there only to find out our advisor is running late. We wait for him and then have a brief meeting to discuss the year.
4:54 p.m. — Sighing in relief, I reach the end of my busy work day. I’ve met my deadline somehow and while my eyes have gone dry, it’s all done. I start packing my stuff for the day so I can be out right on time.
5:53 p.m. — I buy a train ticket get to to New Jersey. I cross my fingers that my ticket is not taken, but today is not my lucky day. I’ll have to pay for a ticket on my way back. The wedding is this weekend, so I’m staying with my partner, as we’re going together. I text them when I’ll be there and they pick me up at the train station. $12
7:27 p.m. — We have dinner after making baked mac ’n’ cheese with a friend. Our night consists of delicious cheesiness and Disney Trivial Pursuit, a game I’ve never played before, but I end up leading in points. After that, it’s bedtime, because we have to be up early to go eat breakfast with friends before the wedding.
Daily Total: $12
Day Seven
9:30 a.m. — I’m awake and in need of a shower. I run to the bathroom quickly and then get dressed so we can go out. We drive to a diner with friends and my partner pays for breakfast. I get the tip and a little more. $5
12:33 p.m. — After doing my homework, I start getting ready for the wedding. We quickly get our stuff ready and head to the car. Our goal is to be there by 2:30, as the ceremony starts at 3 p.m. We somehow get confused on the highway, but make it there with more than enough time.
10:16 p.m. — We have food and drinks at the wedding, as well as a wonderful wedding itself. The celebrations were full of love and laughs and we get home exhausted. After watching a few random internet videos on my phone, we pass out.
Daily Total: $5
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