A Week in Austin on a $40,000 Salary
Welcome to Spending Notes, where we do a weekly deep dive into how our readers spend their cash.
This week, we’re looking at how a trendy social media manager who makes $40,000 a year spends her money.
Occupation: Social Media Manager
Age: 26
Location: Austin, TX
Salary: $40,000 (approx. $1,500 per pay period)
Day One
So today, I have to get my little brother P. a present for his birthday, which is on Sunday. The other day, he mentioned he’s building his own gaming setup in his bedroom, but it’s still missing a couple of parts and accessories. So I spoke to one of his friends, who’s part of a gamers’ community, and he told me that P. wanted the best gaming mouse pad in the market—the Corsair MM800 Polaris RGB mouse pad. I had no idea this mousepad existed, but when I checked it out, I wanted one for myself. First of all, it lights up to any customized pattern you set up in its software. It also has a USB port, where he can connect his wired mouse to reduce the strain on the cable. The mousepad overall looks professional, and I think P.’s going to be super happy with it.
Total: $63.78
Day Two
Today, I’m looking at some of the top trends in kitchen remodeling for my apartment. I’ve been considering a kitchen renovation for a while now because I’m getting tired of the one I have right now—I want a pop of color. So I’ve been checking out different styles of faucets, cabinets, quartz and marble countertops, and appliances. I also want to have a kitchen island to expand my culinary skills and take my kitchen to the next level. I’m sort of liking mid-century modern aesthetics, but I also love everything that’s sleek and shiny, so I don’t know how to go about that. Since I still have no idea what I want to do, I went ahead and bought myself a dark green baking dish set online to see if that inspires me for the rest of my kitchen remodeling project.
Total: $43.91
Day Three
It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s ladies night at basically any bar in Austin. I called a couple of my lady friends and we headed out to Dive Bar and Lounge where we gossiped all night and had cocktails at half price.
Total: $24.65
Day Four
Today, work kicked me in the behind and I feel tired as heck. I’m going to stay home, order some delivery food from the Kebab Shop, and binge-watch a good old Netflix series. I honestly want this week to end because I’m so tired already.
Total: $21.66
Day Five
Finally, Friday is here, and I’m ready to have some fun with my friends. I called H. and another one of our friends, K., and we’re going to hang out at Upstairs at Caroline. We had a couple of cocktails, appetizers, and left after the last call at almost midnight. We’re now heading out to K.’s house in an Uber to continue the party.
Total: $39.24
Day Six
It’s safe to say that I’m way too tired to hang out again today, but I sort of want to go to Hamilton Pool to chill and feel the summer heat one last time. I texted K. I’d pick her up, and made my bag to head out. The oasis is so nice; the water’s a mix of blue and green, like teal. It’s just beautiful. I’m on my way home, but I’m stopping at the supermarket to buy some groceries for the week so I don’t have to do it tomorrow.
Total: $59.43
Day Seven
It’s Sunday early in the morning, and I’m getting gas before continuing making my way to my parents’ house to help them decorate for P.’s 15th birthday while he’s slumbering. We finished and placed the presents next to the cake, and as soon as he came down from his bedroom, we yelled “Happy Birthday!”. He loved his gaming accessories and immediately went up to his bedroom to connect them to his gaming setup.
Total: $20.02
Total for the week: $272.69
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