Diary of a millennial: Environmental scientist, 28, on a $90,000 salary shares her weekly spending – and how she saved $44,000 despite renting
- An environmental scientist on $90,000 a year has shared her financial diary
- The 28-year-old, from Sydney, gets paid about $4,500 per month after tax
- Every month, she deposits $820 into her ‘high-interest’ savings account
- Has managed to save $44,000 while renting an apartment with her boyfriend
An environmental scientist who earns $90,000 a year has offered a glimpse into her financial diary to show exactly how she spends her money.
The 28-year-old, from Sydney, gets paid about $4,500 per month after tax – and each time, she deposits $820 into her ‘high-interest’ savings account.
Speaking to Refinery29, the young woman revealed how she has managed to save $44,000 while renting a two-bedroom apartment with her boyfriend.
An environmental scientist who earns $90,000 a year has offered a glimpse into her financial diary to show exactly how she spends her money (stock image)
Splitting their living expenses in half every month, she said she pays roughly $1,300 for rent, $105 for electricity and internet, $3 on Spotify and $7 on Netflix.
The couple also share a vehicle – so she pays around $1,000 for her half on car insurance and registration per year.
Her other monthly expenses include $60 on her mobile plan, $60 on gym membership, $200 on (Opal card) public transport, $320 on student loans and donating $50 to charity.
She also has funds growing in investments where she puts away just $60 per month. She currently has $2,200 in funds.
On her first day back at work after a two-week break over Christmas, the woman said she decided to treat herself with snacks from Woolworths for $17 and a $10 salad from Soul Origin.
On Monday evening after work, the couple – who share a joint account – purchased their weekly grocery, which costs her $65 for her half of the bill.
Their shopping haul includes all the ingredients they need to make her meals this week – including breakfast, lunch and dinner.
She keeps on top of her meals for the rest of the week by preparing all her food at home to prevent her from spending money out.
For breakfast, she has fruit and coconut yoghurt, tomato and zucchini pasta for lunch and yellow curry for dinner.
On Tuesday, the woman said she had to work from another office so she needed to ‘buy my second round of work snacks’, which cost her $12.
‘Dividing my time between two offices means two snack stashes. For this office, I buy muesli bars. I also grab a Coke Zero to wake myself up, since I forgot to bring one from home,’ she said.
On Wednesday, she purchases a cardigan for $26 from Uniqlo which she had been keeping an eye on.
‘It’s on sale, so the total including shipping is not too bad,’ she said.
On Thursday, she decided to work from home so she was able to eat what she already prepared without spending a cent. But she needed to head to a doctor’s appointment, which cost her about $45 on fuel.
On Friday, she spent about $65 on a birthday gift for her sister. On Saturday, the couple host a dinner party for friends, which cost her about $40 for her half.
By Sunday, she enjoyed brunch with a friend and then went out to the movies, which cost her about $50. For dinner, she had pizza with her boyfriend, which cost her about $40.